View Full Version : Stained fur from flea bites?
Do any of you grooming folks have some words of wisdom or ideas? I treated Strider with Frontline, but apparently it wasn't good enough keep the fleas away because two weeks later he has flea bites all over his stomach and he's been chewing, so some of his white stomach fur is stained brown from blood. I've tried washing it twice (spot treating) with a couple of different dog shampoos, one was medicated to help with itchiness so hopefully it will help him stop chewing.
How do I get the brown bloodstaining out of his fur? And if anybody has input on something that will keep the fleas off better than Frontline, please let me know! I know it was fleas too, because I found several live ones on his stomach this morning. :mad: Any shampoos that might help his flea bites heal up better?
Thank you all so much for your time.
bubbatd
08-26-2008, 10:47 AM
Obviously Frontline isn't working for you ......have you tried K9 Advantix ???
I haven't tried Advantix. Actually, I'm pretty annoyed that the Frontline didn't work because it's expensive, and now I'm reluctant to spend another pile of money on something similar that might not work either. I may try using some essential oils and see if that helps keep them off. We vacuum every day for the baby's sake so there aren't any in our apartment, just ones he picks up outside.
Pam111
08-27-2008, 07:10 AM
I haven't tried Advantix. Actually, I'm pretty annoyed that the Frontline didn't work because it's expensive, and now I'm reluctant to spend another pile of money on something similar that might not work either. I may try using some essential oils and see if that helps keep them off. We vacuum every day for the baby's sake so there aren't any in our apartment, just ones he picks up outside.
I know how you feel. I just spent 150 dollars for Frontline for the cats and dogs and it didn't work AT ALL. I am so disappointed.
Brattina88
08-27-2008, 07:41 AM
Hmm... that's weird. The frontline didn't work for us either :(
Have you tried Earth Bath shampoos? That works on everything for me... heh heh
CharlieDog
08-27-2008, 08:11 AM
Hmmm... I don't know about getting the staining out, but I do know that the frontline SPRAY works wonders around here. It keeps them from jumping on the dogs even when they are outside. They never come in with fleas now. Nothing else worked for us, no herbal remedies or anything, so we tried this as a last resort. It's putting chemicals on your dog, but I'd rather keep this stuff on them for three months out of the year than have them itching for six because of flea bites.
I may have to give that a shot. My parents use the spray for their cat, so it's available. Do I need to wait until the time is up for the other dose of Frontline I put on my dog? I don't want to overdose him.
protodog
08-29-2008, 05:02 PM
If shampoo isn't getting the stains out, then they are likely saliva stains, not blood stains. Don't bother trying blue (whitening) shampoo; it won't help.
I've had good luck using apple cider vinegar. The advice I've gotten from other people is to use the organic stuff from a health food store, but I've just used the cheapo stuff from Save-A-Lot, and it has helped. When I bathe Venus, I use a one-to-one ratio, one cup of ACV to one cup of shampoo. I mix the ACV with the shampo and bathe as usual. I don't notice much of a difference right away, but by the next morning the stains are always considerably lighter. You could also probably spray some on Strider's stained areas and leave it in the coat.
I've heard some rumors about some borzoi having trouble with Advantix. I don't know if the rumors are true or not, but you might want to talk you Strider's breeder before trying it. I know a number of borzoi who do well on Revolution, and Venus has done well with Sentinel.