How to care for a stray dog with matted fur and fleas affordably?

Vetco clinics at Petcos do have affordable veterinary care, and I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet for Storm as well. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you. In terms of treating her fleas, you can do that at home but you have to get medications from the vet's office. I can tell the treatment for fleas now. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. you the treatment for fleas here. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Great question! I would give Lynk Capstar first. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. As for the dry skin, try adding vitamin E supplements to his food, which helps with dry skin. The fur should grow back in when the fleas are completely killed, but if Lynk had a very heavy infestation of fleas, he may have developed a flea allergy and might require medication. Due to this, I would have him seen by a vet. Should the vet diagnose him with a flea allergy, he can be prescribed medication to treat it.

These scabs could be due to itching from something such as fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having so much trouble! Fleas can cause a tremendous amount of discomfort, especially if he has an allergy to them. You can get a tablet called Capstar over the counter that will kill any fleas on your dog every effectively within 30-60 minutes, so this would help to give him some immediate relief. It only lasts for 24 hours, so you will need to start him on a longer-lasting medication as well to prevent them from coming back - the most effective products are oral medications like Bravecto or Nexgard, which you can get from your vet. Depending on how severe his skin problems are, he may also need prescription medication such as an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication to treat the bleeding sores - for this, he would need to have a vet exam. I understand that costs are a concern, but this should not be an expensive visit at all - just the exam fee, and you can request written prescriptions for the medication to be filled at a human pharmacy. The medications themselves are very inexpensive.

As he was a stray i believe it is important that you take him to the vet for a checkup, vaccination and deworming treatment. you can de-flea him with Advantage spot on, a very effective over the counter flea treatment.

The first thing you need to do is to take him to a veterinarian for an exam to make sure he is healthy, He can then be vaccinated and wormed. Check for fleas or have the vet check for fleas and get some flea medication/prevention. It also is a good idea to ask your veterinarian about a heart worm test and heart worm preventatives, Depending on the condition of his fur, whether it is very matted or just long, clean or dirty, he likely needs a bath with dog shampoo, and then you can take him to a groomer to be groomed or shaved.

Capstar is effective for killing adult fleas that are on Max. You will need a topical or oral treatment to continue killing adults and eggs both on and off him. Frontline, K9 Advantix and Vectra are just a few topical preventatives. NexGard and Bravecto are newer oral medications. Your veterinarian should examine Max to rule out other causes for the hair loss and to dispense antibiotics or antihistamines if indicated. Topicals are very effective when used properly. Use the appropriate dose based on Max's weight. Do not split doses between pets. It must be applied at least 3 days before or after a bath or grooming. It must be applied directly to the skin. This is accomplished by parting the fur with the applicator tip down to the skin. Treat ALL pets in the house for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. Vacuum all areas and dispose of the bag outdoors. Wash all fabrics and beddings that have had contact with any pet in the hottest water temp allowable. The environment must also be treated. Knockout ES area treatment (by Virbac) is just one very effective product that can be used to prevent reinfestation. Lastly, treat all pets for tapeworm since fleas carry the risk of tapeworm infection.