# fleas



## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

Can hedgehogs get fleas? Bcause I am getting a hedgehog from a breeder in mid december and my dogs have a few fleas on them and I am afraid my hedgehog would get them too. Thanks!


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## padawanslacker (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm pretty sure anything can get fleas . . . you and I could get fleas. The first thing that comes to mind is just to keep your hedgehog off the carpet, the couch, and anyplace else the dogs might have rolled around on and deposited egg-laying fleas. It's my understanding that flea eggs are pretty much indestructible, so I'd watch out if you're using fabric liners that go in the wash. You don't necessarily want them sharing space with anything that has had dog hair on it. 

That, and do what you can to get rid of those fleas.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

Since I am getting my hedgehog for christmas I figured I would do as much as I can with the fleas. I will give the dogs flea baths at the same time(two different people) and set up these soapy water things with lights over them(fleas jump in them) and I will do a lot of research. But since I live in a tiny house, there isn't much I can do with the furniture and rug thing. And if I do spot a flea on him I will ask my vet for something. Thanks!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Start treating your dogs now with Revolution or whatever your vet recommends and then treat again in a month. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum and throw out the vacuum bag after each vacuuming. The revolution will kill all fleas that go onto the dogs and by the time Christmas arrives, you should be flea free. 

We have a flea festation two summers ago brought in by my daughters boyfriends kitten. The cats and ferrets all got the fleas but being that the hedgehogs have their own room, they did not get the fleas.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

They can definitely get fleas. I know that you are talking about an indoor PET hedgie, but if you read about WILD hedgehogs, they say that fleas are a major issue with them. So if you have fleas in your house and around your hedgies, I'd say that you need to do everything you can to get rid of the fleas.


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## Reaper (Aug 22, 2008)

A dose of kitten Revolution (one drop) will kill mites as well as fleas on your hedgie. I would go that route. It is better to be safe than sorry. Fleas can carry and infect your hedgie with all kinds of nasty things.


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

Your best bet is to eliminate the fleas all together for your dogs sake as well as your hedgehogs. Dogs with fleas often have tapeworms because the flea is the host that carries the tape worm to the dog. 

There is no such thing as a few fleas. If you have one flea on a dog, you have 20 in the woodwork and couch cushions. 

If you follow Nancy's suggestion of Revolution monthly and proper cleaning, your house will be flea free when the hedgehog comes to live with you.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

ok my mom is going to the vet soon to get some for the cats and dogs. And we are also flea combing extra. We will also go through the beds and blankets and vacuum. The problem is that we sometimes babysit for my aunts dog who carries some fleas, but I think she is getting stuff from the vet. We are also giving the dogs and cats Brewers Yeast which is supposed to help. We are doing everything we can think of. First we are getting the dogs groomed so it will be easier to get the fleas off them. Then, we will give them flea baths and do tons of stuff! So thanks for all of your advice, I will definitely use it!


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## hndspk (Aug 28, 2008)

a few other things you can do to get rid of the fleas, is when you vacuum, put a brand new bag on and insert a flea collar into it and then attach it to the vacuum. that kills all the fleas sucked up when you do vacuum.

One thing you should know is that it takes a long time to get rid of fleas. Up to three months in fact. It's not just about getting rid of the fleas that are on the dogs now, but the larvae and the eggs too. Once you do break that flea cycle though, it will be a lot easier to get rid of the rest of them. Some things you can do to get rid of fleas:

mix water and vinegar in a spray bottle and mist the dogs bedding with it.
Sprinkle salt on the hard wood floor and leave it for a few hours and then vacuum it up. The salt will dehydrate the fleas and cause them to dry up and die.
If it will be a while before you can get the revolution for the dogs, give them a bath in vinegar water and follow up using plain ole dawn dishsoap. The vinegar will kill most of the fleas and the soap will get what's left by removing the wax coating on the outside of the fleas.

Hope this helps


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

Call your Vet to make sure they sell Revolution (before making a special trip). My Vet office does not carry Revolution, and thus I had to call around. I found quite a few other Vet's offices that didn't carry it either. I'm not sure WHY, though.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

ok, since my ground is hard wood floor I'll sprinkle salt on it. I'll spray the dogs bedding with the vinegar/water mix too. and do the rest of the things. But for Revolution, does it have anything bad in it? My mom doesn't like to use chemicals or anything, she goes the natural way even if it doesn't work. But I will ask. We have a bed that has fleas and probavly eggs in the blankets. Can I spray the bed with the vinegar,water mix?


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

will apple cider vinegar work?


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## hndspk (Aug 28, 2008)

That's what I used on my puppy. She had fleas really bad and we used apple cider vinegar and put it in her bath water, soaked her with the water mixture, and then followed up with the dawn dishsoap and then used oatmeal dog shampoo to make sure the dawn didnt dry her skin out too bad. It was just unreal how many fleas were floating in her bath water by the time we got done with her.

One other thing, if you want to or if it's possible, you could just wash the bedding and add the vinegar to the wash. Do just vinegar and then re-wash it with regular laundry soap. That should get rid of most everything that's in the bedding.


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## K9_girl1994 (Nov 6, 2008)

thanks


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