Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed bug bites, skin, etc.
How to tell if it's BB's biting my dogs, PLZ HELP
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BugOff10
newbite
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 2offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Oct 2 2010 8:02:47
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Hello, new to the site sadly. I've been trying to figure out if I'm dealing w/ BB or fleas, I have 2 short haired dogs, never have had a flea issue. However, I have dealt w/ them w/ previous pets and know what to look for and know that if even I'm getting bit I would likely see a flea from time to time. I noticed the dogs were scratching alot and once in a blue I was getting bitten by something sometimes seemed like a mosquito and sometime seemed like a flea, so I treated the dogs and WOW whatever seemed to be bothering them became worse then one dog developed welts on her.
And the plot thickens, my neighbor (no house attachment, tho we are only maybe 5 ft apart) got BB from a piece of furnture she rented from a well know company. So I started thinking maybe BB's. I searched my mattress, boxspring and frame, didn't see anything, but decided to dispose of the mattress and boxspring just in case anyway. I have not seen any bugs yet, but this has been going on for over a month. We took the dogs and ourselves out of the house and slowly the welts on her went down. As we were away w/ them I did find one flea on a piece of furniture but wasn't sure if it traveled w/ us or if it was a native
to the new area. To make an already long story short, I noticed along with the occasional obsessed scratching they are shaking their ears alot, but I'm not seeing anything, checked w/ a vet who assured me that BB wouldn't live on the pets as would fleas, so I'm at a loss as to just what I'm dealing with.
I can't find anything specific with dogs and their reactions to BB's, and anything relatively close is related to cats and long hair for the bugs to hide in. Can anyone tell me their experiences with their dogs in particular and BB's, I'm completely freaked out a lady at the store told me she had BB's and subsequently lost 2 dogs due to it. I'm assuming if that true they must have been very small dogs and ultimatly suffered anemia from the constant bites. Please help...
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BugOff10
newbite
Joined: Oct '10
Posts: 2offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Oct 2 2010 8:10:16
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might I had that I'm a student and no longer get any sleep as I'm freaked out and becoming obsessed about the situation, I've also thrown out most of my clothes along w/ the bed, since I can not afford to take all my clothes to the laundry mat for thorough cleaning, I've de-cluttered, all I have left is a dresser, what's in it, a bed frame (that I treated w/ alcohol), some shelves and a couch which I steamed, in the process of paiting 2 try 2 seal any cracks but it's a old house so the thought of this turning into an infestation is enough to send me to the cookoo's nest, and I certainly can't afford to move
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oldtimer
Joined: May '07
Posts: 1,969offline
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Oct 2 2010 19:55:28
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Bug Off 10
Your vet is correct, bed bugs do not live on dogs or cats... they hide elsewhere in the environment between feedings.
You can purchase an electric flea trap for about $30 or so to check for fleas.
Inexpensive bed bug monitors like the BB Alert Passive, Climb Up Interceptors or Bed Bug Beacon can help you determine whetner bed bugs are in your residence.
A professional inspection or use of a bed bug detection K9 team are your other options.
I follow your logic that the welts stop when the dog is removed from the environment, but you need to consider other possible sources for an allergic reaction... products used to clean floors, pesticide products, laundry additives, mold spores, pollen, food allergies... Just don't be tunnel visioned on bed bugs... Consider all of the possible environmental or systemic sources that could explain the welts.
I am concerned that you are taking a number of actions without any direct evidence other than the welts on your dog's skin that you are dealing with bed bug.
Ask your vet for some options ... Read the information on the Resource and FAQ pages to learn how to perform a good visual inspection ... Photos & info on where to look for bed bugs
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