:confused: Hello, my female gave birth to 5 beautiful puppies. I noticed that they are really infested with fleas. I really don't know what to do because of their age. I gave all the animals in my house a bath and cahnged their blankets. They still are covered. What should I do, and is it safe to put the drops on the mom since she is still nursing?

Thanks,
Fallon

Cute pups! People will often recommend flea powders, flea rinses, flea collars, essential oils and other chemicals that are far too dangerous to use on puppies less than 6 weeks old. So don't do this! ;) It is not safe to put chemicals on puppies of less than six weeks of age. Fleas themselves can also be very dangerous to young puppies and can even result in a puppy dying from anaemia so you do need to kill these fleas. If the puppy is with it's mother and nursing it is more than likely that the mother dog has a flea infestation so first you need to treat the mother dog. If there are other cats or dogs in the household you need to treat all pets and also your house. The safest way to treat a puppy under 6 weeks of age for fleas is to bathe him using warm water and Dawn dishwashing detergent and then to manually pick off remaining fleas. Dawn dishwashing soap is very effective and it kills fleas quickly. Many breeders bathe their dogs in Dawn. Fill your sink or tub with warm water. (Test the temperature as if you were giving a baby a bath). Using the kitchen sink is often easiest as you don't have to bend down and you are more in control. Immerse the puppy up to his neck and insure that he is saturated. Wet his face and head with a face washer. Then lift him out and place him on a towel. Gently massage in the detergent. Massage the soap all over his body and around his neck, ears, face, head and under his chin, being very careful not to get soap in his eyes. The fleas are not silly and will head for the high dry ground of the head area. Using a flea comb at this time would be very helpful also. Then put him back in the water for a rinse. If he is not fighting and struggling too much try to keep him submerged for a few minutes. If he is distressed get the job over and done as quickly as possible. Having two people perform the operation is often easier. One to hold the puppy and one to massage and wash the puppy. When finished wrap him up in a dry towel and dry him off. Try to do this in a warm atmosphere and don't let him get cold! :) After the bath, go all over the pup with a flea comb! Good luck!

It borders on abuse to breed puppies without doing extensive research even before selecting breeding stock. Where did these fleas come from? You should have taken precautions to free the mother's environment of fleas before whelping. I question if a responsible breeder would even breed a female until her and the environment were clear of fleas. Bathing a pregnant female is a better way to cause an infection than get rid of fleas. I would disregard the above advice, and check with your vet on the fleas. I don't have any confidence in many of the answers here.

I have tried the advice I have given labman and it does work rather well. Yes, it would be wise to check with the vet before doing anything but there are not too many options with pups that are that young.

I have heard to use dishwashing liquid also. If it is wrong to do so, why are so many people doing it? And where are they hearing that it is OK to do so?

There are many common things that aren't that good of an idea. I really have to take exception to the idea of bathing a pregnant female in anything. Just owning dogs for a long time doesn't give much insight on the best care practices.

I understand completely but fleas are dangerous and it is important that she does something right away.

labman, the mother isn't pregnant, she is nursing. What worries me more than anything else is giving a topical treatment to a nursing mother. You don't want the pups to inadvertently come in contact with that. Fallon, you do have a problem because if the puppies are infested, mom is infested, and your home is infested. You can't use the usual sprays and treatments with newborns around. I am not negating rankrank's suggestion but I think it would be very wise to call your vet and get direction on the best way to get the entire situation under control. Specifically ask about how to handle each problem: the pups, the mom, and the house. I do have to agree with labman in that you should have ensured that this problem didn't exist prior to the pups being born. In not taking the proper precautions, you have put the entire litter at risk in doing so. There is a lot to learn about responsible breeding and the problems that can arise. Fleas are just one topic. You didn't do your homework and those poor pups are suffering because of it. Have you researched all the viruses that puppies are susceptible to, and ensured they are safe? Parvo virus kills. Do you know anything about deworming and dosage? If they have fleas to the great extent you say they do, get ready for the worms.

Right on Ruby!

As usual Ruby, you made some good points. Certainly a vet should have the best advice for getting out of a problem that shouldn't have happened. I expect the vet to confirm that it really is not a good idea to bathe a female, or let her swim, from the time her vulva first swells until she is back to normal whether she becomes pregnant or not.

Not everything that people have gotten away with is a good practice.

I would say that the two problems need to be separated, i.e.. Move the dogs and pups to another location while you treat the infestation in your home, while at the same time treating the dogs with whatever method your local vet suggests.. It will be totally ineffective to treat one without treating the other, and you can't do both in the same location. This would also be a perfect sitution for the saying" and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".. I have to say that I look dimly on any one professing to be a breeder or breeding dogs in a flea infested environment.. This is usuallly found when the pups are going directly to a pet store (ie. A puppy mill)... Another example of dogs suffering due to owner ignorance..

Hi guys, thank you for your advice, I called a VET and she told me to use dawn on the puppies and the mother. That to also make sure that the house it treated. And on some of the remarks to my breeding, I do not think in anyway that I am abusing my animals and I think that it is rude and inappropriate to say such a thing to someone you don't know. I couldn't treat the mother when she got pregnant because I was told not too, by the VET. Anyway THANKS to all of you, your advice was great...

I'm glad to hear that you vet approved! Good luck with your cute little pups!

I still doubt you even approach the standards found at http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/images/breeding-off.jpg

Good luck to your puppies! I hope everything turns out okay! :)

Well, I looked at the website, but nothing came up. Also, I am not a proffessional breeder. I got my female when she was 12 weeks old. I never inteneded to breed, but things happen. That is the way the world works, so don't worry labman I will get her fixed as soon as she stops nursing... Like I said I don't intend to breed her like that...

Fallon, sorry if you believe I am rude but abuse is not just about physical torture. If you speak with someone from your local rescue operations, they will tell you that part of what is considered abuse is allowing your animal to breed because "things happen." My dog was spayed prior to her first heat to avoid exactly what you have described. Accidental breeding is the number one reason why over 10,000,000 animals in the U.S. are destroyed every year at shelters & rescues. I deal with this on a daily basis. It breaks my heart to see so many animals euthanized simply due to lack of space. Please, when you are ready to adopt or sell your pups, do a thorough home check on anyone that you don't know well. Keep in touch with them. Let them know that you are willing to take the dog back if it doesn't work out. Make sure they are training and socializing their dogs properly so that they won't get frustrated when the pups grow into dogs that have "problems" and they dump them rather than deal with the "headache." I see this happen all too frequently. I am sure you do not want that fate for any of these pups. I am glad that you are getting her spayed as soon as the vet says it is safe to do so. That is the responsible thing to do.

Well the puppies are doing great. They are healty and are flea free now. I do however want to thank everyone again for their advice. On the other hand i do want to end with this note... not all breeders knew what they were doing and knew what to expect, they had to find out somehow. I have decieded not to get her spaid, because they takes the advantage of being a mother away from her, and i would not want someone to do that to me. But i do know know all the things that i need to so when she does have more puppies i will know exactly what to do. I have read up on a lot of things to expect. So i would appreciate it if you would let me do what i think is the best thing. I thank you for your opions, but you don't have to make someone feel like they are the worst pet owner it the world... thanks and i hope i will have more questions and have you respond to them like you have before. Thanks and have a great day...

Honey, I understand you are upset, but don't take it out on your dog by not spaying her. What you have written supports what I stated. Responsible breeders do know what they are doing prior to breeding. They plan the breedings and limit them. Stating what you have about not spaying is incorrect. There are no advantages to keeping a dog intact. Dogs don't need to breed and do not have the emotional desire to be mothers as humans do. There are many disadvantages in accidental breedings. I stated the main disadvantage above, which is dogs being thrown away & killed. Another is perpetuating genetic disorders. If your dog possesses any genetic defects (hip dysplasia, eye problems, diabetes, to name only a few) she will be passing them on to her pups. Dealing with genetic disorders can be costly, painful, and shorten the lifespan of a dog. Since you did not state what breed you have, I cannot give you a link that would list potential genetic problems. All breeds have them to one degree or another. However, what I can do, is to give you a link to the American Kennel Club breeders page. They have comprehensive breeding information. Responsible breeders turn to the AKC for their information and follow the guidelines. American Kennel Club - Responsible Breeding Steps

I encourage you to please take the time to visit your local Humane Society or ASPCA. The experience will open your eyes and you will learn a lot. They all desperately need volunteers. At this time of the year, they are overflowing with unwanted animals. When you spend a day with dogs and cats who have been thrown away by people who have changed their minds about the lifelong commitment they made when they first bought their puppies or kittens, when during the day, you are asked to help with killing them due to lack of space and no one willing to adopt them, you will understand why I feel as strongly as I do. There are very few things that you will find to be worse in this life, than having to participate in killing a beautiful animal that has done nothing wrong except to be alive and not have the advantage of someone to care for them. If more people chose to be aware & responsible, it would result in much fewer accidental, puppy mill, and backyard breedings, and this terrible chore would not be required.

I HAVE DECIEDED NOT TO GET HER SPAID, BECAUSE THEY TAKES THE Advantage OF BEING A MOTHER AWAY FROM HER, AND I WOULD NOT WANT SOMEONE TO DO THAT TO ME. What advantages are you taking away from her? Please tell us. Here are some HEALTH disadvantages of not being spayed per the ASPCA please love your dog enough to consider this.Spaying and Neutering
Females should be spayed—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—and males neutered—removal of the testicles—by six months of age. Spaying before maturity significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, a common and frequently fatal disease of older female dogs. Spaying also eliminates the risk of an infected uterus, a very serious problem in older females that requires surgery and intensive medical care. Neutering males prevents testicular and prostate diseases, some hernias and certain types of aggression.ASPCA: Dog Care They have wonderful information regarding the care of dogs.