I know this has been done on here before, but I can't find the thread. I have developed a few itchy bites which could be down to mosquitos, or maybe someone's got fleas. The only one who's been mixing with outside dogs in the last couple of weeks is the bitch we've just mated. I can't actually see any on her (or anyone else for that matter) so it's just a guess.

Does anyone know what's the best thing to use on a possibly pregnant bitch. The Frontline data sheet says the spot-on is safe but I'm not sure. Obviously I'll do all the rest as well.

I put Frontline combi on my girl when she was pregnant and had no problems.

If you can't actually see any fleas on her, no way would I be treating her in pregnancy with any pesticides.  They work by affecting the nervous system of insects and regardless of what manufacturers say, I wouldn't be using them with developing foetuses potentially in there.

Thanks for that. If our bitch is pregnant she will only be about 10 days or so. I wasn't sure if that is a critical time.

> If you can't actually see any fleas on her, no way would I be treating her in pregnancy with any pesticides.

I will need to do something, I now have 8 itchy bites on me, a sure sign that there are some unwelcome visitors around. I only get like this when I'm on holiday (mozzies), or we've got fleas. Maybe I should just do all the other dogs?

Does anyone know of anything else that would be safe to use on my mated bitch? I guess I could always ask our vet, I have to speak to him tomorrow anyway.

>Does anyone know of anything else that would be safe to use on my mated bitch?

The only time I have ever used anything on a pregnant bitch was Frontline spray.  Even though I only ever saw one flea.

I would never use a spot on (although I don't use it on neutered dogs either.)

I can 100% say that Frontline spray is safe, and it works.

The earlier in the pregnancy such things are used the more likely the pups are to be damaged, I even stop giving the garlic oil capsules they get daily for flea control once they come into season and I plan on mating them, travel sickness meds are withheld too.

> I can 100% say that Frontline spray is safe, and it works

Thanks for that JeanSW. Out of interest, is there a reason why the spray is safer than the spot-on? I think it probably contains the same chemicals?

The spray won't cross into the dogs blood system and will zap any fleas, does it affect the early stages of the life cycle or does it need repeating at intervals?

Rhodach

I can honestly say that I didn't need to repeat.  I was chuffed that it only needed one zap to do the job.

Thats good to know for future reference.

I know of someone who walked their dog, whilst in the early stages of pregnancy, through a field which had been sprayed with pesticides in the last day or two. 

Most puppies were stillborn, some had birth defects and needed to be PTS at birth and only one was ok.  That one was partially sighted.  Out of a litter of 10, 1 puppy survived.

I wouldn't go anywhere near a pregnant bitch with a air-based pesticide based product no matter how safe it was supposed to be. 

Would rather treat all the other dogs/cats with an oral product (Capstar & Programme) and manage the pregnant bitch with flea comb and hot water, and natural flea shampoo.  Once the pups are born, if there's still a flea problem, then I'd consider using a pesticide based product - their neurological systems are much more developed, then.

I had exactly this problem some weeks ago. I hunted the internet for anything I could use on my bitch who had already been mated. Everything said something different. I spent a couple of weeks combing with a thin flea comb, three different vets couldn't find fleas or evidence of, but I had found one flea and my dogs were chewing like mad so I knew there was a problem.

Eventually I gave in and asked on here and was recommended FRONTLINE SPRAY which I used with some trepidation. They all stopped chewing within a day. My bitch gave birth a week ago to seven very healthy puppies of good weight.

If you bath her in any shampoo it will kill the fleas, but using it diluted and only on a dry dog as fleas have a water-resistant grease sheen on them. I would do that to all the dogs in the house, and bath the bedding/cushion covers etc.

dancer, it does depend on what stage of pregnancy the dog is in - the very early stages are also the stages when the most can go wrong developmentally.

Bet that was a relief dancer. I still don't know what to do, I've now got a spray bottle of Frontline sitting in the cupboard but haven't dared to use it yet. I had to get it from the vets because it's prescription only. They said it would be fine.

BTW I mated my bitch 10 days and 8 days ago.

Esme, I did the same and had the bottle for days before I used it. My bitch was mated approximately 4/5 weeks by the time I used it. I have commented on my previous thread on this and it has brought it back up to the top. The person who recommended this always gives advice that I really admire, so I trusted them.

I'm wary because my bitch is so early on, if she's taken that is.

I have been having problems with fleas on my pregnant bitch,and also loathe to use chemicals on her so was using a flea comb. Yesterday I had an appointment with our homeopathic vet for another dog, so asked him about flea treatment for a pregnant bitch, he recommended Exner Petguard which coats the flea with milk whey and suffocates them It is chemical free and can also be used to treat bedding etc. I have ordered some from Zooplus which will hopefully arrive today or tomorrow so should soon know how effective it is.

 

Thanks for the tip JackieS. I'll have a google. I've treated all our other dogs now, and washed all the bedding etc. I've bathed our bitch in Simple soap to hopefully drown any live fleas (didn't see any). Frontline Spray (and spot-on) is still in the cupboard!
Best of luck with your bitch.