Fleas

 

Sherlock scratched and scratched. It was June when we were in Geneva. Our local vet examined him closely. She prescribed pills, which when crumbled and put in his food, he mumphed down. 

He continued to scratch.

We took him back to the vet. She thought he might be allergic to gluten. She said if that didn't work, we might want to do allergy tests, cautioning how expensive they were. 

We gave all his food with gluten to his four-footed friend Paddy. By now we were back in France. Sherlock spent most of his free time scratching.

Our French vet pointed out his flea and tick collar was only for ticks. He showed us a flea that was running for cover in our pup's thick fur.

Shampooing with flea shampoo did not stop the itching.

Our friend Lydia suggested a flea comb. Rick found one at A Dix Bail, a store in the village that has a bit of everything. 

Going on line Rick found a recommendation for diluted white vinegar. He dipped the comb into the mixture and combed and combed. Some combings produced a dozen or more of the little bastards. 

We repeated the process several times a day and at the moment a combing only produces a few. Sherlock is scratching less, but although he tolerates the process, his slowness to come when he sees the towel and comb is matched by the movement of a glacier. 

Before the flea-removal process he thought every time Rick sat down that was an invitation to sit on my husband's lap. Now he is much slower to do so. I suspect he is checking for the towel, glass of diluted and vinegar before he commits to falling asleep on Rick's knees and thighs.

We have washed linens, the dog bedding, and hoovered her floors. The four throw rugs also have been washed.

The scratching is less--I think we are on the way to a flealess dog but we aren't quite there yet. 

Poor Sherlock.