Fleas?!?!

[Lisa & Aspen]

So I'm new to the PNW, a Nevada transplant where we don't have fleas, ticks are extremely rare and the only time you'll hear of dog lice is if there was some rare infestation from a dog that recently traveled. We just don't have parasite issues back home.... but fast forward to 3 weeks ago when we landed here and my dog started randomly chewing on herself & itching herself. Not all of the time but randomly and if I was next to her I'd stop what I was doing & check the area she was focusing on & I'd spot a bug, a thin maybe 2cm long bug crawling on her skin. I'd try to pick it off & it would move pretty quickly. I don't see a lot of them, at any given moment I've only seen 2 on her at a time, both of which I've gotten off of her and thrown in the toilet. I've checked my one couch, washed all bedding, cleaned all floors (we have hardwood), I've used some diluted rosemary & lavender oil on her collar and have been diffusing cedarwood oil but I just have no clue if these are fleas and where they're coming from. 

Someone told me it's not the season for fleas right now so what are these pesks?? I have an appt with a vet today at 4 because Aspen also needs to get spayed. I don't want bugs on her or potentially on us! I just need to know are there more natural ways to deter the pests, kill them, prevent them, etc. Could these pests have been left behind from previous owners?? 

Help!

Thanks!!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Do you mean 2mm or 2cm? Two cm is large (about 3/4 of an inch).  If they are 2mm they are probably fleas.  I lived in the Vancouver Washington for many years and fleas were a constant problem for my animals. That area doesn't have extended periods of extreme heat or extreme cold to keep them in check. Once they are in the house they can be a problem year around. :(   I suggest you Google fleas and see some pictures of what they look like, this may help i.d. them. If they are actually 2cm I supposed they could be bedbugs and I don't know anything about them.  Both can be in a house that was formerly inhabited though. :(

[Lisa & Aspen]

I meant 2mm, lol. So I googled and the normal flea photos are rounder in size but there are a few longer fleas that are similar. I'm seeing a vet today but what do I do about my house?!? Call an exterminator? Is there a chance she brought them in from outside or should I assume they were hanging out on the inside before we got here? This stinks!!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Yeah it sounds like fleas and you're going to need to do something about them or they'll take over. You're right it stinks!  It's possible that she picked them up outside and not the house.  You can set flea traps in various rooms to find out.  A trap can be made by putting water in a shallow bowl/dish with a little soap in it (to break surface tension).  Put in on the floor and then put a light over it. If you do this at night the fleas will be attracted to the light and jump into the bowl and become trapped.  This won't rid the house of fleas but can tell you if they are loose in the house and not just on her.

We only have a minor issue with fleas here in southern Oregon and we can control them by  giving Tara more frequent  baths and washing her sleeping areas frequently for a couple of weeks. The fleas only seem to show up at the end of the summer here then we have no problems until the end of the next summer.  In the past we used diatomateous earth on our animals and some people have success with cedar products but I'm allergic to cedar so I haven't tried it.  It's a lot more work to do it without chemicals but of course  there's an upside. :)

Your vet will most likely suggest you use chemical preventatives on Aspen or some sort of chemical response to them so be prepared for that. There is a lot in information on line about natural ways to kill fleas and prevent them if you want to try that route.