[PecheythePoo]

My 11 month old Spoo, Pechey, has been on Nexguard oral flea/tick since I got her at 6 months. She had some trouble with tapeworms early on that led me to believe she had some flea exposure though I hadn't seen any on her. Where I used to live, there were some issues with dead rats in the neighborhood that she would try to pick up on walks (ick!), so that could have been the tapeworm source.

Though she's current with her Nexguard, I've recently noticed some raised welts on her belly and armpits with little black flecks around them. They sort of look like pimples. I pulled off some of the black flecks and placed them on a wet paper towel, and they did not turn red; so, it's possible that they are not fleas and it is some other type of irritation. She doesn't scratch excessively but she definitely itches herself several times a day, particularly around the base of tail.

My understanding of the way that Nexguard functions is that when an adult flea bites an animal who has ingested Nexguard, the flea will die within a few hours. So this prevents an infestation from developing but doesn't entirely repel fleas from biting my poodle, right?

I'm concerned about reoccurring tapeworm issues (she had to be treated a few times and it was difficult and $$$ for my vet to diagnose because it didn't show up on the fecal tests) and skin irritation from flea bites.

Would it be overkill to spray my home and Pechey with some kind of plant-based repellant, like wondercide?

For those who have poodles with an active outdoorsy lifestyle, do you worry about a flea bite or three?

 

[cowpony]

I've never worried about the occasional flea bite. We have mosquitoes and ticks where I live too. A dog outside is going to get the occasional bug bite. It's just a fact of life in my neck of the woods. Where things become problematic is when there is a flea infestation, not just an occasional bug. Treatments like Nexguard and Frontline should prevent an infestation from taking hold inside the house.

I don't like to spray pesticides outside, not even natural pesticides, except as a last resort. I'm very protective of the native bees in my yard. Many are burrowers, so they would be unable to avoid anything I spray on the ground. They are harmless to me and helpful to the environment. (The charismatic honey bees everyone has been so worried about lately are an imported species; North America got along just fine without them for millions of years. The little furry solitary guys are the important pollinators in our native ecosystems.)

 

[PecheythePoo]

Thanks cowpony! It’s so helpful to hear your perspective, and to know that Nexguard should prevent an indoor infestation!

I think my main concern is that I’ve been told that one bite from a tapeworm infested flea can equal a tapeworm infestation in dogs. Obviously not every single flea is a tapeworm host, but discovering these bites has me concerned that I should deworm her again!

To be clear, I wouldn’t be spraying anything outside of my house, but just inside on couches and dog bedding, etc. I used to be an organic farmer, so I hear you on protecting the native bees—it’s so important!

 

[Ava.]

I've had dogs for years, every year if we flea one day late, there is a infestation. So far, We've had two infestations where we had a hard time getting rid of them, it was our fault for forgetting our spring dose (and thanks for this thread, a reminder that I need to re-do treatment).

Anyways, what I am trying to say, is that its highly unlikely that your dog will get tapeworms, and even if it did, we had foster dogs come in with them all the time, gross, but easy to get rid of.

 

[cowpony]

I think my main concern is that I’ve been told that one bite from a tapeworm infested flea can equal a tapeworm infestation in dogs. Obviously not every single flea is a tapeworm host, but discovering these bites has me concerned that I should deworm her again!

Quote from the VCA Animal Hospital article on tapeworm
During grooming, or in response to a flea bite, a dog inadvertently ingests the tapeworm infected flea. As the flea is digested in the dog’s intestine, the tapeworm egg is released, it hatches, and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining, therefore completing the life cycle.

 

[PecheythePoo]

Quote from the VCA Animal Hospital article on tapeworm
During grooming, or in response to a flea bite, a dog inadvertently ingests the tapeworm infected flea. As the flea is digested in the dog’s intestine, the tapeworm egg is released, it hatches, and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining, therefore completing the life cycle.

Yes thanks I’ve seen this before!

 

[PecheythePoo]

I've had dogs for years, every year if we flea one day late, there is a infestation. So far, We've had two infestations where we had a hard time getting rid of them, it was our fault for forgetting our spring dose (and thanks for this thread, a reminder that I need to re-do treatment).

Anyways, what I am trying to say, is that its highly unlikely that your dog will get tapeworms, and even if it did, we had foster dogs come in with them all the time, gross, but easy to get rid of.

Thanks, good to know that sticking to the dose timing is important!
To clarify, Pechey has already been treated for tapeworms twice!

 

[Ava.]

I'd put it on the calendar for sure.