Question about Pets & Them Causing Problems with Treatments

Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)

Question about Pets & Them Causing Problems with Treatments

(10 posts)

Tags:

BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Tue Sep 6 2011 23:04:28
#

Login to Send PM

I hope I'm not repeating an old question. I did look and didn't find anything that specifically addressed my concerns.

I am wondering if anyone has experienced problems with treatments because there are pets in the home?

I had a very minor infestation because I caught it very early. I traveled in late May and contacted a PCO just 3 weeks after returning home. At the time, they were biting my dog (he has very short hair) nearly as much as they were biting me. He was the only reason my husband agreed to call in a pro since he thought I was just obsessing about a rash. At that time, he slept on a dog bed on the floor in our bedroom & liked to sleep on the couch during the day while we were gone - bad dog - After the first treatment we got rid of the couch and he continued sleeping on his dog bed. Between treatments 1 & 3, we were in and out of the house, sleeping in a tent (with the dog) because our PCO never told us we had to stay in the bed & yes we told him about the tent. I learned that was a bad idea here. Throughout this time, we left our 4 cats in the house since we were told it was not likely they would get bit. My concern has always been that some of the bugs left the bed and wandered around the house with the cats since we were not there. I have asked if they would set up camp elsewhere in our house during this time & not come back to the bed. I've been told they would eventually find the bed. So we finally decided to get rid of our platform bed (after treatment 5 -sealed in plastic, of course) because the PCP said it was likely the reason we weren't getting rid of them all. Since then we've been monitoring with ClimbUps and to my knowledge, the last month, we have not caught a thing. I do know they are still in my bed because just this morning I found new blood evidence on my mattress case. Either they escaped through a hole (which is now taped) or climbed in via a blanket that fell and allowed a bridge - happened 2 or 3 times.

I am having a K9 inspection Thursday and I was so desparately hoping that the K9 would find the last survivors in my bed, the PCO would treat and we would be done. However, just minutes ago, I found my dog scratching and whining again and a line of 3 bites. I'm not sure I can excuse these as flea bites...We've also had to deal with treating our yard, which harvests fleas, and our pets, throughout this ordeal. When we bought the new bed & climbups, I put the dog on our daybed in the guest room (also with climbUps). I figured at least if they moved in there, they would be trapped - and he doesn't have blankets to fall & there are no holes in his case. - So I'm now concerned that he's actually getting bit on his dog bed during the day (yes the thing has gone through the dryer a trillion times), which means they're not just in my bed, but have managed to survive outside of it and aren't going to our climbups because I have the dog and cats to distract them... Any thoughts?

I am hoping the K9 will find them all, but I'm so afraid that if they're in multiple places in my house, she won't.

Thanks
BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Wed Sep 7 2011 7:32:17
#

Login to Send PM

I know there's a possibility the dog could be flea bites, but do fleas really bite in rows...of 3? My pets have been on Advantage and before moving to the south (I'm from the north where things die!) I haven't had to deal with fleas. I don't recall ever seeing flea bites on my animals in rows... any thoughts?
Nobugsonme

your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,730
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Wed Sep 7 2011 9:45:23
#

Login to Send PM

So we finally decided to get rid of our platform bed (after treatment 5 -sealed in plastic, of course) because the PCP said it was likely the reason we weren't getting rid of them all. Since then we've been monitoring with ClimbUps and to my knowledge, the last month, we have not caught a thing. I do know they are still in my bed because just this morning I found new blood evidence on my mattress case. Either they escaped through a hole (which is now taped) or climbed in via a blanket that fell and allowed a bridge - happened 2 or 3 times.

So I am understanding that you no longer have a platform bed, but you still have a bed frame? If so, the bed bugs could be in the frame (another scenario to add to the ones you describe).

If bed bugs can feed on the bed, most won't leave, so this would explain not finding anything in ClimbUps. (Eventually, you would expect some to alight for new territories.)

Fleas also seem like a possibility.

I understand at least some k9s will have trouble detecting in a home where pets live so make sure you discuss this in advance with the handler.
BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Wed Sep 7 2011 15:44:53
#

Login to Send PM

Yes the platform is gone. The current bed was purchased new after we got rid of the old one. So if they are living in the frame, they either bypassed the ClimbUps or came from the mattress.

The company just said to make sure the pets aren't in the home during the inspection. I did send a follow-up to the company just now to see if my pets scent would cause problems.

Thank you
BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Wed Sep 7 2011 15:46:30
#

Login to Send PM

I just heard back from the K9 company. She said they have not had any problems with other pet's scent. The only problem is if the other pets are there to distract. Mine will not be here, so hopefully we're OK.
islandgal

newbite
Joined: Oct '09
Posts: 25
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 9 2011 2:09:56
#

Login to Send PM

A couple summers ago I discovered a flea having lunch on my arm - I knew it was definitely a flea as it jumped a couple times while I tried to catch it for examination (I had never seen a flea before that) - and it left 3 very itchy bites in a row. So yes, fleas can also leave a line/group of bites.

If you have fleas inhabiting your yard, then it's probably quite easy for them to be transported into your house via you or your pets, given their ability to jump. Maybe pick up a couple flea traps for your home?

For the record, we are in Canada and are diligent about applying Revolution to our dog monthly, even in the winter months...but somehow a flea made it on to my body, while our dog showed no signs of flea dirt or itching.
BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 9 2011 7:27:40
#

Login to Send PM

Thanks Islandgal,

I know we had/have both fleas and bed bugs at the same time because I saw them both. The problem has been trying to determin if my dog's bites now are bed bugs or fleas since he's had a few rows of bites.

It makes it difficult to know if the bed bugs are gone when he's still getting bites. Several years ago I had a flea problem, but I only ever recall noticing the usual symptoms - hair loss and crusty sores. I don't recall seeing bites in a row. Then again, bed bugs never would have come to mind back them.

I had a K9 inspection yesterday and the K9 did not detect bed bugs and I haven't caught anything in my monitors, so I feel a little better about them being gone. I guess now all I can do is keep fighting the fleas and keep monitoring in case the K9 was not correct. My only fear with fighting the fleas outside of continuing the Advantage is if I use anything in my house, if the bed bugs are still present, I don't want to make that problem worse.

Thanks
Koebner

senior member
Joined: Aug '10
Posts: 665
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 9 2011 11:20:31
#

Login to Send PM

Sorry to say, the sores & hair loss you describe aren't the "usual" signs of a flea problem but signs either of an advanced flea problem, or an allergy to flea bites. It's better to pro-actively look for fleas & treat preventively rather than go by those kind of signs.

If your dog has a flea allergy (not uncommon) this may be why he's still itching even in the absence of biting insects. Sometimes, once the allergy is triggered, it can be hard to bring an associated dermatitis under control & your dog's apparent new bites could be a symptom of that, rather than actual bites. Try seeing your vet - it may be that you have neither fleas nor BBs anymore, but your dog needs a course of medication to help him heal up.

There are other conditions that could be causing his "bites" if you can rule out fleas & BBs, ask your vet about cheyletiella mites, AKA "walking dandruff".
buggyinsocal

oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 2,440
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 9 2011 12:15:52
#

Login to Send PM

I didn't have chemical pesticide treatment. I do have a cat, and I had heat treatment. One of the reasons that it took me a while to figure out I had bed bugs was that because I have a cat, I thought it was flea bites or mosquitoes getting in through the holes in the screen caused by my cat's desire to climb the screens.

Ah cats.

At any rate, I don't think Advantage should make the chemical pesticides work any less well.
BugsMustDie

member
Joined: Aug '11
Posts: 328
offline

Posted 1 year ago
Fri Sep 9 2011 18:00:33
#

Login to Send PM

Thanks for the info. I will definately make a trip to the vet