MY dog has fleas??

           As a veterinarian, one would think that I am on top of my game when it comes to my own pets.   Well you can imagine my shock and embarrassment 2 days ago when my boyfriend was petting my dog and said to me… “Cupcake has fleas.”  He saw one. Just one.  But a flea??  On my perfect little puppy?? (Ok, she might be around 12 years old).  And even though you only have seen one flea, that is just the tip of the iceberg in flea-land!  Impossible… I had been diligent about her flea and tick medication… hadn’t I?  -Time to think back-  It has been a busy few weeks.  I moved across the country and back to Southern California a week ago. The week before that I had just gotten back from my first trip to China.  I was in China for almost 3 weeks, and the last time I put medication on Cuppy was….. okay, so it’s been about 6 weeks! Eek!  No wonder the fleas were drawn right to the perfect host- she had no protection.  Fleas are found in the environment and wait for their hosts to walk near by, then they jump at the right moment and make themselves right at home.  Flea and tick medications should be applied every 4 weeks, or even every 3 weeks if they have gotten any baths (which her stinky-butt has), so she was long overdue.  So I hope sharing this story has taught you a few lessons:  1)  Nobody’s perfect  2) Fleas are still out there, so be diligent to protect your furry ones!  It’s an itchy world out there…