we have 4 dogs 3 sheps and a 8month old cocker that i think has got fleas!! 2 of our dogs live outside (their choices) and 1 inside with the cocker she is my dog and i spend all the time with her and ive got about 10 bits on me ,she plays with the other dogs too but none of them are showing signs of fleas my kids and hubby havnt been bit the cocker is the only 1 scrathing and me lol so now im wondering if she has had a reaction to the shampoo shes been bathed in at the groomers?? and maybe my bits are from my friends house where she has dogs??? what i want to know is surely if she had fleas we would all get bits? and the other dogs would be scratching too?? all the years weve had dogs ive never had a dog with fleas and dont flea just incase they might get them i hate useing cemicals if its not needed x

One way to find out, get a flea comb and a cup of boiling water and go over the dog as quickly and methodically as you can.    Dip any you find in the water ;)   keep it out of dog's reach obviously ;)

Not all dogs are allergic to flea bites, and some dogs seem not to catch them very easily, whilst others are flea magnets :(

Some humans seem to be more prone to getting bitten than others, when my Mums cat got back from the vets after being spayed she made a bed out of her dressing gown on Mums bed, as she was comfy she didn't have the heart to move her, by the next morning she was covered in bites but  Dad had none at all, she went and got her a flea collar(days before spot on) and didn't let her back in the bedroom for several days.

My Mum like me uses the Garlic Oil capsules these days for her dachsie.

My lot had fleas a while back, my husband and stepson were covered in bites but I had none, so I guess some people are more reactive than others.

It has been commented that I must smell horrid my ex husband used to be the "Flea indicator" he would get bitten immediately anyone had a flea whereas I would remain unscathed. Midges leave me alone when all around are scratching in agony Shame I can't bottle whatever it is :)

Another way to check is comb with a flea comb with the dog standing on paper.  After a couple of mins, lift the dog off and sprinkle water onto the dirt that's came off the dog.  If it turns red, you have fleas!  Their 'dirt' turns red with water.  I find this a more reliable method as you can miss the fleas if they are hopping about the dogs, furniture, beds, etc but they don't clean up their dirt!

I used Advantix from the vet and it was brill when we had an outbreak a couple of years ago.  Worked wonders.  I only use if and when I find a flea as I hate the chemicals too.

thanks every1 well i have 18 bits on me :( and its all driveing me mad i will try and stand her on paper and see what happens but to be honest ive been out of got frontline for them all but going to get the garlic tabs to add to thier food ,the sheps have never had fleas before but if madem has them from the groomers then im sure thay all have them now :( ,il soon look like 1 big bit lol x

Just make sure the frontline has worked.  I spent a fortune on frontline when we had that outbreak and it never worked.  My vet (after selling me frontline!!) informed me that the fleas are becoming resistant to frontline and advantix works better.  We tried frontline 4 times and still had fleas but only needed one treatment of advantix and they were gone!

Don't forget to treat the wholehouse as well as fleas travel. Just had to reject a clients dog frommy van this week as dog was alive with fleas!! And I carried her to the van before I knew!!! Flea sprayed jacket and then van!!

I use frontline and acclaim for the house got 4 dogs and cats and things seem to be under control. I get bitten badly or should say react badly to the bites and use vit b supposed to make you taste/smell bad. Seems to work for me and gives me an energy boost.

> I get bitten badly or should say react badly to the bites and use vit b supposed to make you taste/smell bad. Seems to work for me and gives me an energy boost.

A lot of people claim that it works - it's said to be recommended against mozzy bites as well. But speaking as someone who was raised on Marmite (plenty of Vit B in that) I get bitten by anything and everything going! Usually I can tell if there are fleas about, because I get bitten. Unfortunately I also get bitten by mozzies.... so it's sometimes hard to know who's responsible! Especially when there's something the size of a helicopter zooming round my room at night in search of a drink.

I've always found that treating the home with Acclaim once a year, and using Frontline spray if I see evidence of fleas, works the best and is also the best option for the budget-conscious; especially if you also have free-ranging cat/s, as FL Spray can be used on cats too. And don't forget that even if you don't have outdoor cats yourself, but friends, relatives or neighbours do, it's easy for your dog or even yourself to bring them home.