My dog had fleas. Does he need a vet checkup to be sure he's okay?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is no need to take him to the vet due to the ticks. Be sure to get him in to the vet soon though for vaccines, start heart worm and flea/tick medications and to have him dewormed. Bring a stool sample. If he hasn’t had any vaccines yet he should be seen next week. If he has received his first vaccines (DHPP) the he needs it boosted 3-4weeks later. Good luck!

I would recommend a good flea and tick prevention. This will help get rid of the fleas. If he is that severe I would consider taking him to a veterinarian to make sure he does not have a skin infection. They may be able to give him something to help with the itch also. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It looks like Bruce’s feces has tapeworm proglottids (or sections) in it. These are transmitted by fleas (when dogs eat them) which are likely to be causing Bruce’s itching. I recommend starting him on a monthly flea control product such as FrontLine and a flea shampoo. He should be seen by a vet to confirm the presence of tapeworms and receive appropriate deworming. Your vet can also examine Bruce for any other underlying conditions that may be causing these symptoms. You should bring a stool sample from your puppy to speed up the diagnosis. I hope this helps and that Bruce gets better soon!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Coco will likely be just fine as long as this was a flea shampoo intended for dogs, and none of it got into his eyes. I recommend drying him gently with a towel and ensuring he stays warm enough. If he stops eating or drinking, or begins showing any unusual clinical signs such as wobbliness, trembling, or seizures, or he starts squinting his eyes, he should be seen by a veterinarian right away. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gus. It looks like he has hives, which means an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions can get very serious and cause respiratory distress. He needs to see a vet now to get treated for this, please take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that is a great idea! Bring a stool sample with you. The Vet can go over her vaccine schedule, get her started on flea/tick and heartworm prevention and discuss having her spayed. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Hunny and your other dog. Fleas can be difficult to find but the easiest way is to get them to roll onto their backs and look in the thinner haired areas of the body. You can also purchase a flea comb which can trap flea dirt (small pieces of flea poop/digested blood) that looks like pepper or it traps adult fleas and other stages if present. Another method is brushing or petting the hair in the opposite direction of hair growth and look right down onto the skin level. Fleas like to hang out around the rear part of the dog near the tail and rump. Examine those areas closely. If you find some black pepper looking objects, place those on a paper towel and wet it. If the spots turn reddish than that is flea dirt. I haven't seen cases of lice in dogs but cats tend to have more lice especially ones that are wild or community cats. Dogs can also get ticks and mites which your veterinarian can help to identify. I would go to your vet and let them evaluate Hunny and make recommendations based on the physical exam. Flea/tick products vary widely depending on what the owner likes, geography, what your veterinarian likes, etc. They can direct you to the best products. Also, we are in a high allergy season in late summer with weed pollens. Dogs like people can be allergic but if both dogs are itching, they leads one to assume external parasites like you mentioned and I discussed. Good luck with Hunny.