# What would you do?



## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

Kirin is halfway through her CGC training class and doing very well but my problem is the grounds we train on have fleas. As it turns out Kirin is allergic to the fleas and is scratching herself raw even after we put the frontline on her weeks ago. Needless to say they are now in our house and we have yet to put the Diataneouse Earth down to get rid of them since each week we go back and get more fleas.

My conflict is - do I pull her from the training or keep going knowing she is going to be an itchy mess for 4 more weeks?

Is there something I can give her to help soothe the irritation or her reaction to it?


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I would talk to the trainer and ask for a refund. how is she supposed to learn anything if she spends the entire class a scratching mess?

we once got sand fleas. Poor Loki, your hands would be covered with blood just petting him, he was so tore up. They are next to impossible to get rid of. 

tea tree oil helped Loki with a lot of his itching and soothed his skin a lot. Maybe it will help Kirin.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Give her a capstar pill immediately after class and 30 minutes before you get home. No fleas will make it from the class grounds that way.


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## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

I purchased some capstar online so hopefully it will help, is there a problem with giving it to her after the training for the next 4 weeks? We live 30mins from the class so I am thinking most of the fleas will die in the car.

My next step is to rid the house of fleas by using the DE (diatoneous earth) since I don't like pestacides....hopefully this will solve the problem.

I noticed she has some raw bloody areas under her arms where she has scratched, any suggestions on how to get this to heal? I was thinking calendula.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

That's what I was saying above... 30 minutes before getting home.  I don't like to give capstar more than once a week, but that seems like all you need it for anyway. Good luck.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

capstar is.....?


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

It's a systemic flea killing pill. Kills all fleas within about 30 minutes. It only lasts the day you gave it, but they are great for using after the dog has been in a flea infested area or in conjunction with a topical like Frontline to jump start it. It's supposedly very safe and definitely works well.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I would ask for a refund and move to a different class. It's unprofessional for the trainer to not treat the grounds you are on and allow the fleas to spread.

I'm not a fan of Frontline. I really like Advantix. There is also a spray you can get at Tractor Supply in the equine section called Equisect that is supposed to be for dogs also. It seems to work to keep the ticks off of Red but keep in mind, horses don't get fleas for some reason so I don't know how it will work on that. Equisect is an organic spray so you will have to spray her before class. I would try that before giving her a chemical pill. But do a google search on capstar. There doesn't seem to be any side effects.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Capstar is a miracle when you need it.


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

I totally agree with Jax08 - move elsewhere. The fact that this trainer isn't doing anything about the situation says to me that he isn't interested in hygiene - and it would make me wonder what else is roaming around there.
_____________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge


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## JudynRich (Apr 16, 2010)

I would quit the class...definitely not worth the ill affect to your dog and now your home. I hate any chemicals near my family or pets. I have heard of simmering lemons on a stove w/ water for 30 minutes, letting it set overnight and then applying w/ a spray bottle...haven't personnaly tried it since we live in the desert and have no fleas.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Yeah, but she's half way through it already... quitting now seems to me to be a waste and since fleas can be easily controlled, why not see it through and just do future classes elsewhere?


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## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

I am going to try the Capstar first to see if we can at least control NOT bringing the fleas home then treat the house for any that might be there already.

I plan to go early to class tonight and have a talk with the instructor about the situation since I agree its not very professional to have a flea problem. I can't imagine I am the only one that is having this problem. I was in another class with them prior to this one and noticed the itching at the end of that one when the weather started to heat up.

If the Capstar and DE doesn't work then I plan to see if I can just move her to a class in the winter when flea season is over. They specifically say 'No Refunds' so this will be a compromise if the fleas don't get better.

Any thoughts on how to help heal the raw spots, i.e. Neosporin or calendula?


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

no refunds is a common policy, but you are asking for a refund for a problem that THEY are causing. 

even if the capstar works, if your dog has a flea allergy even a single bite isn't good for her. I wouldn't risk it. Not to mention, fleas spread tapeworm.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

fleas can also spread typhus, plague and cat-scratch fever to humans. definitely not worth the risk. I would demand my money back. This isn't you making a random decision not to finish. They are making it IRRESPONSIBLE for you to continue


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Dainerra said:


> fleas can also spread typhus, plague and cat-scratch fever to humans. definitely not worth the risk. I would demand my money back. This isn't you making a random decision not to finish. They are making it IRRESPONSIBLE for you to continue


"We" can get a bit extreme... bubonic plague?? Yes it is a very rarely carried disease in fleas, but good lord!! Fleas are virtually everywhere and we just have to learn to control them and live with them. I don't think the OP deserves to be handed such a huge guilt trip.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I didn't say that plague was a possibility, it was just in the list when I cut and pasted. tapeworm is VERY common from fleas, as is cat-scratch fever. Especially since this is an open area with lots of other animals

In the United States, most cases in humans occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado, and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada. 10 - 15 cases a year, but if you are in one of those regions above, not a chance I would take, week after week, going to a KNOWN infested area


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## Tarheel (Sep 6, 2009)

*better living through chemistry*

Everyone seems to prefer the au naturel route. I work in a hospital pharmacy and had a female Shepherd, Zoe, who had awful skin and immune system issues. On my vet's recommendation I gave her Diphenhydramine (Benadryl). She stopped itching long enough to get some rest. Also topical cream, hydrocortisone cream, and neosporin ointment are all things I keep on hand.


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## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

Poor girl...what a MAJOR inconvenience for you both. I know you are looking for help now, and I have no advice as I have never had to deal with fleas. But since they are in your home and you do not like to use pesticides (I believe I read), there is a heartworm preventative called sentinel that breaks the flea life cycle. When a flea bites your dog, it can't reproduce. I know it isn't as proactive as some pesticides, but for future reference it may help the situation in your home. You can get it from Foster and Smith online. Good luck with everything. I hope you get the full refund you deserve.


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

Get her out of that class ASAP, use CAPSTAR, and eliminate the fleas from your home. One of the required CGC tests is "grooming". The purpose of the test is twofold: first, it demonstrates that your dog is familiar with being groomed (brushed, ears checked,etc), and secondly it demonstrates that you are a responsible dog owner by ensuring that your dog is physically well cared for. How can you demonstrate that if your dog is covered in fleas? Very poor reflection of the CGC instructor.


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## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

*UPDATE*

I talked to the trainer last night and she was VERY apologetic about the situation and said it shouldn't be a problem getting Kirin in the class in the winter when the fleas are gone. She has to okay it with the owner but followed up with an email to me this morning and will keep giving me the homework so I can still move forward with the training. 

She felt quite bad about the situation and expressed how much she was impressed with Kirin's disposition.

Overall, I am quite pleased with how the situation has panned out....NOW to get rid of those pesky fleas!!

Has anyone used Diatomenous Earth? What were the steps you used, we have the food grade version and my DH is concerned for the carpet and animals & us inhaling it.


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

The trainer may well feel bad about what has happened, but it doesn't sound as though she is going to do anything about it. (Other than tell you to come back later.) People never cease to amaze me......unless this person is a dynamite trainer and you have no other options, it might not hurt to look elsewhere, and for a place with better housekeeping. How can she justify having clients whose dogs have fleas as a result of training with her?
_______________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

LauraT said:


> *UPDATE*
> 
> I talked to the *trainer last night and she was VERY apologetic *about the situation and said it shouldn't be a problem getting Kirin in the class in the winter when the fleas are gone. *She has to okay it with the owner *but followed up with an email to me this morning and will keep giving me the homework so I can still move forward with the training.
> 
> .


Was the owner apologetic? This problem is not that of the trainer if she is just an employee. 

If this is an inside place then unless they do something the fleas will be there all year round. Is this an unheated building? An outside place? Do you really want to be outside training in the cold because the irresponsible owner won't shut down for two days and bomb the place?


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

how do you know the fleas came from
your training grounds???


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