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bedbugs on my pets?

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pickupstick

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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Mar 7 2009 23:50:20
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I'm newly afflicted with BB's and I've read most of the FAQ's...but I'm still confused about a few things. I'm not sure if bedbugs bite my dog, or hang out in her fur, or if she could bring bedbugs to other people's lives by carrying them on her fur. I like to take her places with me and since she's so cute everybody wants to pet her. If she could be carrying bugs the same way my shoes or clothes might have picked them up, how could I get them off of her? I don't want to spray her with rubbing alcohol or put her in the dryer. I have cats too, are they in my cats' fur?
bedbugdude

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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Mar 7 2009 23:56:19
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Although I have never red any documentation about dogs spreading BB lodged in their fur I do know that BB will feed on your pets as they sleep when the opportunity is there. Bed bugs are ectoparasites and that means they feed for a shor time and go back to hiding places to digest the blood meal. Although bed bugs can get into utr blonging like coats, book bags and extra items we transport - I have not red anything about BB's hitching a ride in dog hair.
BugBoy911

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Posted 4 years ago
Sun Mar 8 2009 1:03:03
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Absolutly true! Take a deep breath and relax.. 1...2...3... release Out of hundreds of bed bug jobs completed successfully I have never seen bedbugs harboring in a pets fur. I will bet my license that they would not wana take a nap on a moving dog running around all day during the day. They sleep during the day so it wouldn't make sense to pass out on a crazy doggy They never sleep on the host, bedbugs are quite smart or amazing survivalists. They wana take a nice long nap with the sign on the door of don't disturb. Take your pet out to the movies, show's, beach's, boyfriends, girlfriends, whatever you want... If your pet has a nice well fed budbug attached within her fur... give me a call... its on me!!
pickupstick

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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Mar 9 2009 15:24:14
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Thanks, this is helpful information and one less thing to worry about.
Face

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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 15 2009 23:35:32
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I agree with the above post minus the spammer! Although I would like to say bed bugs prefer to feed on humans rather than animals, and will not stay in their fur like fleas if they were to feed on them.

Out of curiosity were you considering putting your dog and cats in the dryer?

< ^ > (•¿•) < ^ >
Adele

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Posted 4 years ago
Wed Apr 15 2009 23:45:05
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OMG - cats & dogs in the dryer - I was thinking of putting mine into the Packtite before I moved - I figure - what the heck! everything else has gone in there
bedbugmeinphilly

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Oct 10 2009 0:59:47
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I thought all of these things as well... and I heard it over and over again. And then, I was sitting watching TV one day, petting my cat, and I saw it!! A bed bug on her leg. I tried to pull it over quickly, but it scurried up her body. I feel bad. I've quarantined the bed so they're not getting to me.. trying to deal with everything one piece at a time, and she has them crawling on her! I think it's rare, and they're desperate because I'm not longer accessible. But, still... scary. I've been using some sprays, and they've been dying left and right, and just about all in my bedroom.

I am going to try to get them all off of her, and then send her away until I move out. Which will be soon. First I need to make sure I am not bringing any with me... since my landlord will not exterminate for them.
buggyinsocal

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Oct 10 2009 12:15:36
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The best research tells us the following:

Bed bugs do not live on their hosts the way that fleas do. Some of the cases of people who posted here claiming that they had bed bugs living in their hair turned out to be a different pest. (We've heard of one case of bed bugs living in hair extensions, but that's very, very rare.)

Bed bugs will also prefer human blood to other mammal blood if human blood is available (i.e. you and your cat and dog are asleep on your bed. Bed bugs will prefer to feed from you, not your pets. )

However, if the bugs can't get to you, they may seek other food sources. (I hate banana pudding, but if I hadn't eaten for two days, I'd probably scarf it down in desperation.)

There isn't a good way to treat pets for bed bugs. Flea and tick treatments like frontline, advantage, and revolution don't work on bed bugs. Part of this is because fleas and ticks are very different pests than bed bugs; and bed bugs have certain physiological and behavioral characteristics that make them a challenge to treat.

So if you're worried about bed bugs falling off your pet and scattering everywhere, that's not very likely.

However, it's possible.

Personally, I wouldn't take the dog around with you until you're clear of bed bugs only because there's a chance that she could accidentally carry an egg that got dislodged from its hiding place in her fur. It's probably a pretty small chance, but having been through bed bugs myself, I wouldn't risk it because if a friend of mine who'd come into contact with the dog got bed bugs, I would drive myself buts with worry that I had been the source. If you leave her at home until you're bed bug free, you take that worry out of the picture.

Once your home is clear of bed bugs, to be extra safe, have her bathed and then resume your normal social interactions with her.
watkinsnewan

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Oct 10 2009 13:06:05
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lol :~) NO animals in dryer maby blow dry them!!
JimiJon

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Posted 8 months ago
Sat Sep 22 2012 11:41:18
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YOUR ALL INCORRECT!!!!!!!

My dogs back has been itchy... trying to figure out what it was... so i brought him in the back yard (little pug) and gave him nice back itch. As i was COMBING through his hair with my fingers, i was finding tons of black little dots... looked like Bed Bug Fecal...SLOWLY, i continued to comb through his hair for almost an hour, and eventually found one, just walking around his back, in his hair. (my pug has longer hair then normal) THEN, i put him in the tub, filled it with warm water and soaked him with soap, etc, eventually i then found LOTS MORE then ONE floating in the water. AND found more on him.

I have NONE in my bed! They are simply in bedding themselves on my dog.

Hes got a vet appointment THIS AFTERNOON.
Blackheart

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Posted 8 months ago
Sat Sep 22 2012 12:04:12
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OMG, nothing surprises me much regarding bb's anymore, they are horrid creatures, and the poor, poor dog, that's just awful!

Aside of this, no joke, my big brother for a laugh put our cat in the clothes dryer, I could hear the cat screaming, the previous poster awoke an awful memory (he was a rotten, horrendous kid)
Scr0bbled

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Posted 8 months ago
Sat Sep 22 2012 15:00:30
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Hi,

I have to say I'm convinced that bedbugs are either living on my cat, or spending a lot of time on her. (Yes, I know that is characteristic of how they feed/where they harbour). She's had small lumps on her ears for ages which I didn't want to bother her about as she doesn't like me messing with her ears but when I thought I might possibly have bedbugs I pulled them off and she was left with an open bloody sore, which I have tried to treat with antiseptic cream. I'm sure they are just back on her ears again now though but its too upsetting to keep looking. She seems to be licking her lower hind legs a lot too, which would go along with the bedbug theory (i.e. ears and lower hind legs having less fur).

I don't know what to do,I feel terrible for her, so seems to be itching constantly and looks miserable. We were away for a week recently so it upsets me to think of how much so might have been bothered by them in our absence. She was also recently sleeping on the couch at night, which I suspect is infested with them.

I was so upset by it the other day that I couldn't stand to look at her scratching any more and bathed her using a showergel with tea-tree in it and lots of small brown things did seem to come off her in the water, which looked pretty much like bed bugs. It was an ordeal for both of us, as I think she thought I was trying to drown her and I thought she was having a heart attack (shes 16 and already has a heart murmur!)

After all that, she still seems to be itching as much, if not more and has the lumps on her ears, I keep brushing her and I felt something which felt like a bedbug in the fur on the stomach whilst I was doing it, but of course I wasn't quick enough to catch it and lost it.

My other theory is could she possibly be suffering from formication like the rest of us seem to be seriously affected by? If it was this I would feel less upset as at least that would suggest that they are not constantly crawling on/off/ staying on her so much.

I've sent off for some alcohol wipes and have been wondering if it would hurt her to use these on her ears? And maybe rub her all over with them? But then I'm worried this would poison her if she tried to lick it off?

I know its not fleas as I've encountered them enough to know what they look like and I only gave her her treatment from the vet about 2 weeks ago.

I'm worried that if we do have bedbugs (I'm convinced we have a significant infestation at my parents house, my own and possibly my sisters!) and do have treatment we will keep being re-infested by the ones living around her. And Ive read numerous posts by people saying their pets were badly affected when they had a more severe infestation. Add to this the fact that the worst ever documented case of bbs was that of those living in a battery house?! It just seems all too much of a coincidence to me.

I do have some diatomaceous earth spray which I was considering spraying around her bed but I'm worried it will harm her as she has had a persistent cough for years anyway, which the vet said may be asthma or an allergy but we didn't want to subject her to lots of further tests as shes such an old cat.

I love my cat very much and I can't stand to see her suffering like this.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Scr0bbled
kumart

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Posted 8 months ago
Mon Sep 24 2012 8:15:20
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http://www.naden.de/blog/bbvideo-bbpress-video-plugin -->

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spideyjg

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Posted 8 months ago
Mon Sep 24 2012 9:21:44
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Search the forums for "Vectra". Vectra and First Shield are both both topical cat and dog flea treatments that contain the same pesticide, dinotefuran, as used in the Alpine series of BB products.

Jim