The Rudy has The Fleas

Oh. My. Goodness.

I'm feeling totally guilty and negligent about our little puppy this week because the poor guy has fleas.  This is a tragedy and also sending me into panic mode... I all but bug-bombed our home last night.

It started as a typical Wednesday night.  BF and I finished eating dinner and sat down on the couch to watch some tv with Rudy before heading to the gym.  The dog had been acting super jumpy and aggitated but we couldn't figure out what was going on.  Rudy had climbed in between BF and I on the couch and rolled over to have his "tummy rubs" that he loves so much.  As we were petting his stomach I noticed a single black dot that started to move.  I tried to pinch it out of Rudy's fur, but it was too quick.  I quickly jumped up and grabbed a flea comb from Rudy's box of stuff (more on that later) and ran back to comb through his fur.  Sure enough I found 3 live fleas!  BF told me that Rudy had been scratching his hind-end a lot earlier that morning but he didn't think much of it since we bathe him pretty regularly and give him monthly Frontline treatments from the vet.

We figured that Rudy must have got it from playing in fields of tall grass that we walk through on our evening walks with him.  Like I said, he's bathed regularly and given monthly flea treatments. None of the other dogs he plays with have them either, but I still cannot help but feel responsible.  He's itchy and uncomfortable and I just feel bad for him.

I immediately ran to the store and bought flea wash and spray for Rudy and carpet and upholstry spray for the house- who KNEW what had been infected.   And who knew that flea shampoo, spray and carpet spray would set me back about $40!  But I figure it was necessary.  We promptly threw Rudy into the tub and soaped him up generously.  As he was drying I took the carpet/upholstry flea spray and sprayed Rudy's bed, the couch, all of the areas Rudy like to hang out in and then under our bed because Rudy frequently crawls under there to sleep when he's tired of his own bed. 

Rudy getting a bath.  This wasn't from last night, but the only pathetic bath picture of him we have during a weekly bathing session.

It became a cleaning frenzy and I stripped our bed and washed all of our sheets, blankets, pillows and comforter with HOT water and a little bleach just in case any had found their way to our bed (even though Rudy is not allowed on the bed you never know... plus, like I said he's frequently under it).  Then I started pulling stuff out of corners in our room and dusting/vacuuming EVERTHING.  Once I was done with the bedroom and main living areas I took some bug spray and sprayed the perimeter of our place, our porch and around all of our windows (outside, of course). 

BF continued on to the gym, but I stayed behind and cleaned... once I get going on a project it's hard for me to break away until I finish!  I then moved on to the extra bedroom and started packing up items that BF and I are going to store (seasonal things that are taking up space but that we want to keep for holidays and for winter/cold months). 

By the time BF got home I felt much better about our situation.  Rudy was still a little itchy but I think all of the fleas are gone or on their death bed.