I can't think of fleas without simultaneously recalling Aladdin's line, "I'm not worthless, and I don't have fleas."
A couple weeks ago Tyler found fleas on Ruby late at night while he was playing video games. I then woke up the next morning to a note on the white board
Found fleas on Ruby, give her a bath and another dose of flea medicine
Ewwwww! I unceremoniously chucked Ruby into the bath and started to wash her down. Each time I rinsed her fur more and more fleas came washing off and straight down the drain. After she was bathed and dried I gave her more Frontline flea med (the kind that goes on her back).
This is a long and endless story of trying to rid our home of fleas so I will now proceed to list off the events that took place after day one of fleamageddon. The days may not be 100% accurate but you will get the gist...
Day 2:
Found more fleas and gave Ruby another bath
That night we found more fleas. Tyler went to the pet store and bought flea pills. I sprinkled baking soda all over the carpet and concocted a flea shampoo made of dial soap/vinegar/water. Tyler then gave Ruby a 15 minute bath
Day 3:
Vacuumed the baking soda up
Day 4:
More fleas, another 15 min. homemade flea shampoo bath and another flea pill
The flea pills were given once a day for 6 days because the box said we could. Ruby was also given yet another dose of flea medicine for her back because we thought the first dose may have been washed off from one of her baths.
The fleas just kept on coming!
At one point I was sitting on the couch watching TV with Ruby next to me and I looked down at my arm to see a flea jumping from my arm onto Ruby! AHHHHHHHHHH! I killed that flea and his unholy buddy I found on Ruby at the same time.
Day ?:
I went to Petco and spent a whopping $90 on flea shampoo, upholstery spray, and a flea bomb
Tyler had our apartment set up to have the Orkin man come and bomb our apartment
Ruby was given another flea bath
Through all this I washed all the bedding about 5 times and attempted to vacuum daily.
We researched fleas and I now know more about fleas than I ever thought I would... and more than I ever cared to know.... (shudder)
You can't kill a flea with your fingers! They have too strong of an exoskeleton. Oh and you better make sure they are actually dead when you try to drown them because they can survive in water for a long time. Don't even get me started on their freakish ability to hop so fast and high it seems like they just disappear.
People say cockroaches will be around long after the world ends. Fleas will be right there with them.
Day ?:
The Orkin man came. We needed to be out of the apartment for 4 hours. He told me that usually people take their pet to get a flea dip while he is bombing so they don't just bring fleas back into the apartment. I then proceeded to call vets in my area to see if she could get in anywhere.
The vet across the street told me a flea dip is essentially a flea bath (which I have already been doing with Ruby religiously) AND that the flea medicine that goes on your pet's back does not work at all. They have a flea pill that actually does work and thankfully they were able to get us in that morning. HUZZAH!!
Their flea pill kills all the eggs and fleas on the dog and will kill anything that jumps on your dog thereafter for 1 month. Apparently California fleas are pretty stinking hearty. The vet said these fleas we are dealing with may have been from eggs laid months ago.
It has now been a week and no flea sightings. I vacuum everyday and will continue to do this for a few weeks. The conclusion is that you can't really get rid of fleas forever. You have to be consistent with your flea killing practices like treating your home and your dog.
I will end on this chilling little factoid....
Flea eggs can live for up to a year in the egg state just waiting for a host to come along and awaken them.
Sleep well everyone...
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