We've been dealing with a pretty bad flea infestation in our home for about a month now, and being that we live in Florida and summer is quickly approaching it seems like it will only get worse. My dog seemed to be suffering from a pretty severe skin problem of some sort, she was constantly itching to the point were her skin was red, scabby, had large patches of missing fur and her skin smelled pretty bad. I tried everything from flea baths and antifungal shampoos to various creams and ointments. Someone recommended we start giving her a low dose of Zyrtec, and after a week of giving it to her and seeing no improvement we discontinued use. So finally I took her to a vet nearby, and they were nice enough to fit us in only an hour before they closed. The doctor was very nice and gentle and was older and seemed very experienced, but there were a few things he said that didn't seem right to me.
First of all, when I said I had been giving her Zyrtec for about a week, he looked at me like I was crazy and said he didn't even know what that was. When I said I thought the animals picked up fleas from being outside in the sand, he said that fleas dont live outside. He also didn't perform any sort of test or skin scraping to see if it was maybe some sort of skin infection, he just looked at her and said it was probably a severe flea allergy. But I had suspected that was the cause of her issues before I went in, so I really didn't think much of it. He recommended the Seresto flea collar, and said that it was the safest and most effective flea control product on the market. He said that the collar prevents the fleas from biting and that should stop her allergies. He gave her a shot that was supposed to stop her itching, that also lasted for about two weeks. I immediately went out and bought 3 collars. (One for my dog and two for my cats.) They seem to be working fine, and her itching seems to have mostly subsided.
But one last question I asked him before we left made me sort of confused. I asked how we could could further eradicate the fleas from living in our house, and he said that the animals would "act like a magnet and kill off the remaining fleas over the course of a few weeks" but as I read the tin the collars came in, they say it actively repels fleas. How can they be killed on contact if the collar is actively repelling them? Should I still take more measures to insure the fleas are gone or should I just trust my vet? Do you think I should switch to a new vet? I've considered getting a second professional opinion, but I can't seem to find anyone who is willing to give advice without an appointment. And I cant really justify scheduling another one, as the treatment he gave my dog does seem to be working so far. (Although it's only been a few days.)
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/bga2y8/question_about_fleas/
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