Hey guys :)

I need some help!
I was combing Brody today and found fleas on him! I nearly died! My dogs have never had fleas before!
I looked through my black girls coat too but couldn't see any (I have no doubt she has them as well I just couldn't see them)

Im heading to the vets today to pick up some flea treatment but about ooooh 2 seconds ago I saw a mouse dart across my living room!
How can I treat the dogs and keep them flea free if it's the mice that are carrying them into the house and yard? (I am assuming it is the mice as the dogs never leave the yard)

We have a paddock full of cows over our back fence so completely erradicating the mice is going to be near impossible given that they will just keep coming from over there.

Also I have just bought two 9 week old rabbits, are there any treatments that would be safe for them?
I combed through all the rabbits fur and they don't have any (yet) and I'm pretty sure the fish are safe :p

Shaz, think its more likely mice carry ticks. If you have carpet anywhere in that house you bought, then they could be in the carpet and if so, remove everyone, cover plates and buy a flea bomb. The flea bomb always worked for me on the farm.

Tick

Thanks tickle.
I just assumed it was the mice.
We have floorboard everywhere but in the bedrooms. The dogs sleep in the bedroom with us so this is where they could have picked them up from.

Never had a tick on any of them but I will watch out for them!

Now I am worried about tapeworms :rolleyes:
The dogs were wormed 2 weeks ago, do you think we are safe or should I be treating my partner and I?
(I've also never had tapeworms in me or my dogs)

Edit - OK I really shouldn't have googled tapeworms because now I'm really worried.
We have cows over our back paddock as mentioned and apparently cow tapeworms can grow up to 25 feet in length!
And the larva when in a human can form cysts in the liver and brain!!
Help guys!

Okay, Shaz, Let's take these one at a time.

Fleas - Get the dogs treated, the treatments applied to the back/neck to spread over the skin do a fantastic job.

Second, treat the house: Vacuum the rugs every day for 2 weeks. Make sure you have something in the bag to kill the fleas and larvae you vacuum up. Boric Acid roach powder on the hardwoods spread into all the cracks with a dustmop and any leftovers vaccumed up does a fine job.

Mice - Stickyboard traps won't break poodle toes and hair comes off the trap with mineral oil. Make certain any poison put down is in puppy resistant containers. Or get a snake.

Worms - Have the puppies checked next month. If they don't have any then, don't worry about yourself.

By and large parasites of people and dogs don't do well in rabbits. Not that they can't, it seems like rabbit tastes different.

Thanks Catsmine.
I just went out and bought Advantage for them (the back of the next one) and am about to put it on them.

Can you explain sticky board traps though? We probably have them here but call them something different? :)

I can manage the fleas but the worms worried me.

:: phew :: about the bunnies, that also had me a little worried with the baby ones. I'll check their fur but hold off on flea protection for now.

Shazzy, stop worrying. The cow tapeworm will not even come near unless you eat their poop. Okay. Is that explicit enough.

You are thinking about horror movie stuff 'attack of the giant cow tapeworm', stay tuned.

Tick

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tickle

shazzy, stop worrying. The cow tapeworm will not even come near unless you eat their poop. Okay. Is that explicit enough.

You are thinking about horror movie stuff 'attack of the giant cow tapeworm', stay tuned.

tick

---

Blame Google... I searched for info and found some nasty pictures...

I have calmed down now though, thanks :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tickle

You are thinking about horror movie stuff 'attack of the giant cow tapeworm', stay tuned.

tick

---

Wrong thread, tick. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy is over that way

Oops!

I forgot to explain stickytraps while being a smart-aleck to Tickle. They are trays, either pasteboard or plastic, with a soy based glue on them. The varmint runs across and gets stuck. You pick up the trap with the stuck varmint and dispose of it. Not very humane to the varmint, I admit, but they're much safer for non-target animals

Oooh OK, thanks Catsmine, I'll keep an eye out for those.

I have some plastic snap traps and put peanut butter on them. They work sometimes but I still see the little beggars running around.

Be sure to thouroughly smear the trigger on the snap traps, as peanut butter shrinks a little as it dries. I've seen it dry enough to pick off the trigger without setting it off.

Actually, just about anything will work on mice. They're very curious. Peanut butter seems to attract them from further away due to the odor. It also works on other species of rodents which are pickier so it's the most common bait used.

Thanks, I had been told by a few people to use it but I wasn't sure if it was an old wives tale or fact.

I know that cheese is probably one of the worst things to use... In high school I remember doing a science project where I tested which was smarter, mice or rats?
I made a simple maze with a perspex top on it and put cheese at one end.
They were really uninterested in the cheese... after many many many runs through the maze the rat ended up finding the end faster, but I'm pretty sure it was just trial and error! :D

Ooooh congrats on your "Pest Control Expert" status, I han't noticed before!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shazamataz

Ooooh congrats on your "Pest Control Expert" status, I han't noticed before!

---

Thanks

I actually work at it.