My dog is bleeding from severe fleas. What's a safe, affordable fix?

The blood is probably from the dead fleas. I would not be overly worried about it. You just really need to get him on a high quality prescription flea medication. There is really no excuse for a flea infestation when there are so many good products on the market. Poor guy must be miserable...... I suggest an oral pill like Bravecto, Nexgard, Comfortis or Simparica. You can try one of these local vaccine clinics to get a product. ( https://www.vippetcare.com/find-a-clinic/32534/ ) ( https://www.ezpetclinic.com/products ) ( https://www.shotvet.com/pages/walgreens-pet-vaccine/ ) If you don't want to do that then you can try using K9 Advantix II from your local Petco or Walmart. ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/k9-advantix-ii-topical-large-dog-flea-and-tick-treatment )

Hello! My name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Ugh! Fleas are the worst but the good news is that you can effectively get rid of them if you use a good product and are diligent in the treatment. Here is a link about the flea life cycle: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/flea-control-in-dogs The flea life cycle can last as long as 6 months. The key to getting rid of fleas is to make sure EVERY dog and cat in the house is treated with a good flea prevention AND that this treatment lasts an entire 6 months. Your vet can give you access to the best flea products on the market. Oral flea products like Simparica, Nexgard and Bravecto are the best products out there because they kill fleas so quickly. This decreased to potential for the female fleas to lay eggs which breaks the life cycle. Since the product is in the bloodstream, it also can't be washed off. Lastly, because they are new, there is not a resistance issue in the flea population. They are also cost competitive with a name brand product like Frontline. I recommend to get Smallie on one of these oral flea products and use it for 6 months. If you use a topical flea prevention, only wash Smallie just before the next application of flea prevention is due. Topical flea products like the one you applied can be washed off which means they won't work as well. Also know you will likely continue to see fleas for at least 6 weeks (assuming your product is working correctly) because of the newly emerging adult fleas. Lastly, know there is great variation in the effectiveness of topical flea products. As far as they go, for over the counter options, Seresto, name brand Frontline and Advantage/Advantix are your best options. Use them as directed. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

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!

Blair may need a medication that kills the fleas quickly if she seems sensitive to them - you could ask your vet if Capstar would be safe to give to her. This medication kills adult fleas quickly but is not a preventative, so you have to follow up with a long acting preventative medication. If her skin looks red or she has scabs she could have an itchy dermatitis - in that case I'd recommend making an appointment to see your vet because she might need antibiotics and a corticosteroid for comfort. An oatmeal shampoo in the meantime would probably be safe to try.

Without seeing the bugs in person, I can't say if he does have fleas or not but it is possible. I will give you a flea treatment program for Milo. 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. I hope this helps!

You can safely give an oral flea medication such as Capstar (available OTC or from your vet) with other flea preventives. This will kill any fleas on the body within 24 hours, but will not stop flea eggs or reinfestation, which is why it is important to continue with other regular flea preventives. Making sure to clean out brushy areas, wash all bedding and fabric surfaces, and vacuuming baseboards, etc can also reduce flea eggs and fleas in the environment.

You will need to go to the vet to get the following products. 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.