This is my son Max's English Mastiff "Nero" who is staying with us for the summer. This is a picture of him as he's only been for the last 2 days. The whole rest of the summer he's been scratching and chewing and itching. He is highly allergic to fleas and they have been driving him crazy. All of the usual remedies don't work. The really expensive one worked for around 24 hours. As we live on 160 acres of pasture and woods, spraying the yard wasn't much of an option. Nero was losing weight and his skin and hair looked horrible. After we had exhausted all of the chemical remedies Pep went to the internet and googled.
We mix plain old white vinegar and water half and half and spray him down every morning and night. (Luckily he doesn't seem to mind it - he gets a cookie afterwards.) It is supposed to repel fleas and boy, howdy it seems to do so. It isn't recommended for cats - they don't like the smell of vinegar. Just thought I'd post this in case anyone else is having the problem. It doesn't totally get rid of the fleas but there's only an occasional scratch.
Now Nero and Bully are sleeping buddies - thanks God, for the internet.
Thanks for the tip ! Why didn't I think to google this problem.......I google everything else. Anyway, I'm glad that you thought of it.
ReplyDeleteFrontLine usually lasts about a week around here. Gotta get some vinegar !
Neat trick to get rid of fleas. I had a few dogs with that problem, it can be horrid when they itch off all their fur and skin.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Vinegar and water in a spray bottle is good for making cats behave though. They hate it and a few squirts is usually all it takes to make them stop being bad.
ReplyDeleteAs far as fleas, blue Dawn dish soap is fantastic for bathing cats with when they have fleas. It works for dogs too. Its non-toxic to your pets.
The poor thing. I'm glad he's doing better. I bet you're doing better too.
ReplyDeleteI've used the Blue Dawn and a drop of bleach to wash the pet bedding after a flea "episode."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vinegar tip!
Nero doesn't really have a "bed" here but I'll tell Max about the Blue Dawn and bleach for the bedding at home. So far the vinegar is holding. Isn't it amazing. My brother's a vet and he told me that the fleas had mutated to handle the chemical repellants. But vinegar - a natural repellant - still works. Doesn't get rid of them all but mostly. Pep is allergic to fleas (and mosquitos, etc) too and he's been spraying his ankles when he sprays Nero. So far, so good.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. I moved and my dog got a hot spot, then it got worse. She was reacting to flea bites. I spent about $1000 trying to lick the problem. Finally she settled down, we had a hard winter and she's been fine ever since. It's so sad to see our 4 legged kids uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. Handsome boys! A good product for the itchies in reaction to a flea bite is Vetricyn. It's a topical spray product found where you buy horse supplies, or online. Our Cairn Terrier has the allergy, too, and I borrowed this product from my husband's horses. Seems to really help and speed healing.
ReplyDeleteIts so sad to see our "kids"going crazy over fleas...luckely Meisje does not have any...they dont seems to like her and i am so glad for her...my previous bulldog was allergic to fleas...scratched her skin open mostly at night and nothing seemed to help...mentholtalcpowder was the solution back then after spending a lot of money on very expensive products..thanks for the tip....lovely dogs...both of them...like Wooly Bully a tat more but thats because i am a absolute bulldogfreak...
ReplyDeletegreetings from Holland....Francien.
Jan, I found your blog through another and love your work. Thank you for sharing your fun blog. I saw that you had a pattern you designed title is Christmas 101. Where can I buy it? Thanks and I would love to here from you Carolyn in Des Moines, Iowa
ReplyDeleteJan
ReplyDeleteI love "Wooly Bully"
Those bulldogs are real characters - nice to know you can treat fleas without meds, will try it when we get them again down here in Florida, as Annie is miserable when they attack - so far so good this summer.
Be seeing you
Polly
Jan
ReplyDeleteI had a white Lhasa Apso and 1 flea would cause his skin to ulcerate and then he would have to have a chortizone injection which is bad for dogs so i went to a Health Store and he suggested a half a teaspoon of minced garlic in his dog food at night so i have done that for the last 6 years and not 1 flea in sight.
Adele xx