I need some serious advice?

Question

Okay, my husband just got back from Iraq and he thinks he should still be rescuing. Which you know, there is nothing wrong with that, it makes me happy. But ugh, sometimes it's like...okay we already have all we can handle couldn't you have picked a better time?? Anyway. He came accross this little female pit looking dog that was abandoned and looks horrible. In my opinion it is about to be ate by fleas (I may be exaggerating), would it be better to go ahead and take it to the vet or can we save some money and use some shampoo or some kind of remedy? I'm about to go crazy because I'm at work, and I don't want that dog around my little baby (my dog) and I'm debating on whether to call the vet and set up an appointment or go and buy shampoos and stuff. Is it worth spending time on trying to skip the vet or should I go straight to the vet? My heart is telling me call the vet but my budget is telling me to look for another option. What do you think from personal experience?

I do plan to take it for the beginner shots....like the deworming and parvo...just in case you're wondering.

Also. I have already told him to NOT LET HER in the house whatsoever until we figure this out.

Okay thanks everyone, just want to point something out. It's not so much that we couldn't afford it...we could...but we'd have to hold back on some other things but I guess it's the right thing to do. My husband is taking it to the Vet right now. He wants to keep it (even if it means more work for me :-p) and I can't say no that little face...so we're doing the right thing. Thanks everyone :-)

***UPDATE***

***UPDATE***
If anyone cares to know....He took him to the Vet and I am amazed at how cheap it was!! It has never been that cheap for my much wanted dog. I guess he sympathized...which was awsome. But he gave her a shot which he said the fleas would be dead within hours and also the Parvo shot and they also dewormed the little one. Now I have to find a name for her. I don't think we'll keep her but I do believe we'll nurse it till it's good to go to a good home...although she is a Pit so I think the sooner we find her a home the better!!

Answer 1

Please don't spend (waste) your money on 'shampoos and stuff' without knowing WHAT you're treating. First of all, shampoos...even the 'best' flea shampoos....are worthless for flea control. The quickest, easiest, and safest way to get rid of fleas is with an inexpensive pill called Capstar. Your DVM can sell it to you over the counter. Every single flea on her will be dead within 2 hours. It only lasts a day or two, but that's enough time for Frontline, etc. to kick in (which will keep them off for up to a month.) Second of all, if she has sores from scratching, she needs one of many types of medicated shampoos. The OTC 'medicated' shampoos really contain no medication at all....and many of them actually worsen cases of dermatitis.

Even though she's covered in fleas, she may look "eaten up" because she has scabies or demodex, too. Scabies is highly contagious, but easily and inexpensively treated. Demodex is not contagious...but is very expensive to treat, so you need to make sure right off the bat that that's not what you're dealing with. Your DVM can diagnose either from the same test...a simple skin scraping examined under a microscope. She could also have ringworm...which is also highly contagious to other animals (and humans.)

Simply tell them when you make the appointment that this is a stray and you want to help her, but need to be conservative on the costs. Ask how much a basic exam and skin scraping (if they think she needs it after looking at her) would be. Trust me...they'll help you, and if it's more than a simple problem to fix, they'll warn you and give you an estimate before proceeding with anything else you choose to do for her. The only thing they'll require is a rabies vaccine, depending on the age requirement of your state. If it turns out that her skin problem isn't going to cost too much, please go ahead and let them check her for worms and vaccinate her against distemper, parvo, etc. If she's over 6 months of age, many people want to have a heartworm test done first...because if they're HW-positive, it might affect your further treatment decisions on the rest of her healthcare, since heartworms are expensive to treat, and require a confinement commitment.

Kudos to you and your husband for helping her. :-) And please tell your husband thanks for his service, also.


ETA: YAY!!!! So glad to hear it. You've just saved a life and given a good Thanksgiving and Christmas (or whatever upcoming holidays you celebrate) to that little dog. :-) Please give her a good belly rub for me....and your husband a big hug from me. Tell him I said you deserve a nice massage tonight for going along with it, too. I'll write you a doctor's note for that if you want....LOL. May you and your family be especially blessed for your big hearts.



Btw....to b.w.: dogs do NOT get heartworms from fleas. They get tapeworms (a minor annoyance) from swallowing fleas. They get heartworms (life-threatening) from MOSQUITOS.

Answer 2

I'd give her a bath - once she smells better she'll be much more appealing to you - but I would also go to the vets & get hold of some Frontline (or similar) to really zap those fleas. Sometimes the flea shampoos just arn't quite man enough for the job.

At the same time you can get advice on worming her & get her checked over, etc.

However, if you can't afford a vet - is there some local shelter or something that would treat her for you at a reduced charge? After all, you & your husband are rehoming her?

Answer 3

Poor baby!

In my opnion, a dip from a vet or a groomer is best for getting rid of fleas immediately. But there are a number of flea shampoos that will work, if the dog will cooperate. And you should try to get some Frontline to put on her to keep them away. And make sure to agressively treat your house and yard for fleas too: Chances are very good that there are now flea eggs there. That means wash your bedding and perhaps your curtains, and vacuum like there's no tomorrow.

Get brewer's yeast and garlic that you can feed the dog. And there are a number of herbal remedies that will repel fleas too, that can be made into an infusion that you can spray or wipe onto her.

Now, since this dog is a stray, a vet appointment is still a good idea if only to make sure she's not sick.

Good luck!

Answer 4

You should call the vet at the very least. Explain the situation and lack of funds. Many vets are very familiar with this type predicament and can best advise you on to where to go for the best and cheapest help for the dog. If you don’t want to take the dog in for an exam just yet or can’t afford vaccinations (which you should get A.S.A.P) you can get Frontline and Capstar at a vet. Capstar is a pill you give the dog and with in about 20 minutes all the fleas and ticks that may be on the dog will fall off dead. Then you can treat with Frontline in ensure that the pup will not bring any unwanted pest in with her. That should help the pest problem but you will defiantly want to get the dog medical attention and her vaccinations. Good luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 5

I would say to take it to the vet. Believe me, I know what it's like to want to watch your budget or take care of the animal. I had to help a stray through 3 surgeries (totaling about $1,500 while on a strict budget) due to animal fights and in the end took it inside. I wrestled with the decision as well whether or not to bring it in, but you never know what could be wrong.

Bring the other dog to the vet to see if perhaps there could be something else wrong with it OTHER than the fact that it may be covered in fleas. Even if you get the fleas out with a shampoo..what if it has something else is wrong that needs to be treated? I mean, maybe the dog was abandoned because it was sick and the owners didn't want to pay for vet services. You never know.

Good luck!

Answer 6

My husband and I have been rescuing unwanted dogs for over thirty years, and while it has been an expensive undertaking for us (for we often had many) we couldn't think of any way we would have rather spent our money
We have brought home the sorriest, most pathetic, neglected, flea and tick infested bag of bones we could find, cleaned him up, doctored him up (always through a veterinarian) fed him up, and then watched that dog come to life, blossom, and then go on to lead a wonderful happy lifespan. It has been the most rewarding and terrific experience of our own lives to watch that happen over and over and over.
BUT - this was us, doing what was totally in our hearts to do. If you could find a way to help just one dog who needs someone, it will be a wonderful thing. But, you have to do it with full commitment. If you don't feel up to that, it might well be better to take that dog to the dog pound to be euthanized, rather than continue the way you describe it now.

Answer 7

I'd take it to the vet. First, the vet has stronger prescription flea dip stuff available than what you can buy at the store. Second, a severe flea infestation can cause anemia in dogs. The dog could be in dangerously ill, critical condition! It might even need a blood transfusion. Fleas also carry tapeworm eggs which dogs ingest when they are biting at the fleas. So the dog could also have a severe internal parasite load which can also cause anemia or malnutrition.

Answer 8

I would go into the vet, as you plan to already and get one of the topical flea treatments, such as Frontline (there are other kinds, too that work just as good). Don't apply the topical if the dog has been bathed in the past 2 days, as bathing takes out the oils in the skin which are needed to help spread the medication you apply to the back of the neck.

Answer 9

Don't your wedding vows say "for better or for worse"?
Sounds like your husband is a pretty cool guy.
Take the pup to the vet. This pup could have come to him for a reason. The reward you get for opening your home to a dog in distress will be ten-fold.

Your hubby picked up a stray pup. Don't get upset with him. Could have been something more....

Answer 10

Vet. OTC flea products do more harm to pets than they do fleas. Did you know fleas are the cause of heartworm? Pets are expensive to give quality care to.