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How can i tell?

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  hndspk 
#1 ·
Hi - sorry it's been a while - but I have a concern for my hedgehogs...

We recently picked up a stray kitten that wandered to our home. I've been petting her, holding her, etc...and I've been careful not to wear the same clothing around the hedgies. We took her to the vet the other night to see if she was microchipped, and we discovered that she has fleas. We couldn't tell (no itching, scratching, biting behaviors), but now I'm paranoid that I may have picked them up on my clothes and brought the fleas into my house. There are only 2 rooms with carpets that i've been in after holding her, and I took my clothes and put them in garbage bags to try and 'suffocate' the fleas before washing. The vet had given us a pill for her right away to kill the fleas, and a dose of revolution for her back. How can I tell if I've brought them into my house, and if they're in my carpets? We're not itchy at all (only when I think about fleas...lol), so I'm thinking I'm just paranoid... but, still, I'm concerned.

Any help on this will be GREATLY appreciated.


*Ps - the kitten stays outdoors, and has only been in the house a few times as I've taken her from the front yard to the back, where it's fully fenced...
 
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#2 ·
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Vacuum daily and replace the vacuum bag each time you vacuum and put the bag outside. The cat's been treated so if you thoroughly vacuum you will get rid of any fleas and eggs that are in the carpet and baseboards.
 
#5 ·
To check to see if you still have fleas, but a lamp in the middle of a room at night and have a pan with a 1/2 inch of soapy water in it. Leave the lamp on all night and the light will attract fleas if there are any. If you see a few in the water in the morning, expect another 20 or so for each flea in the water.

For clothing, suffocating the fleas will not do any good. There's still air in the bag and the fleas are small and dont use much air. You need to wash the clothing with a lot of vinegar and then re-wash with regular laundry detergent.

If it turns out that you still have fleas from the light test, put salt on the carpets or the hardwood floor and leave for a few days. Salt dehydrates the fleas and cause them to die.

Also, if you have fleas expect to already have eggs and larvae in the carpets. It takes apprx. 3 months to completely get rid of fleas. You have to kill the adult fleas. They're the most vulnerable.

Vacuuming wont really do a lot of good for getting rid of eggs and larvae. You can however vacuum the adult fleas. Buy a cheap flea collar and put it in the vacuum bag. Then vacuum every day possible after a few days of leaving the salt on the floor.

I hope this helps :)
 
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