>> Tati: THAT WAS NICE.
♪♪
>> Tati: SO IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PET, AT
VET.
WE'RE JOINED BY DR. KELLY MEYERS
AT THE ANIMAL CARE CENTER AND
OUR PARTNER THE MICHIGAN HUMANE
SOCIETY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLEAS AND
ALLERGIES OUR PETS MAY HAVE.
DOC, WELCOME!
IF OUR DOGS ARE SCRATCHING AND
AN ALLERGY?
>> NOT ALWAYS.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES.
FLEAS.
SO THEY COME IN AND THE OWNERS
ARE SAYING, I DIDN'T SEE ANY
FLEAS BUT THEN WE LOOK CLOSER
AND WE SEE FLEAS.
THEY'RE VERY COMMON, ESPECIALLY
THIS TIME OF YEAR, LIKE ALL THE
BUGS, SPIDERS, WHATNOT, THEY'RE
MOVING INSIDE AND HITCH A RIDE
ON OUR PETS.
>> Tati: SO IF YOUR PET HAS
FLEAS, THEY CAN INFEST YOUR
HOME, RIGHT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A DIRTY HOUSE TO
HAVE FLEAS.
IT'S WARM AND THAT'S AN
ENVIRONMENT THEY LIKE.
>> Tati: SO WHY IS IT SO
DIFFICULT TO GET RID OF THEM
ONCE YOU GET THEM IN THE HOUSE
ON THEIR PET?
>> TWO BIG MISTAKES, THEY DON'T
TREAT EVERYBODY THAT HAS FUR.
SO DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE
BUNNIES, MICE, RATS, THE OTHER
PETS THAT ARE NOT DOGS AND CATS.
THEY LIVE AND REPRODUCE THERE.
AND WE DON'T TREAT LONG ENOUGH.
THERE'S A CYCLE THAT LASTS 21
DAYS'ISH, 3-4 WEEKS.
AND THEY'RE REPRODUCING, AND FOR
EVERY FLEA THERE ARE THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS OF EGGS AND LARVA
IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
[LAUGHTER]
WE NEED TO TREAT FOR 3-4 MONTHS.
>> Tati: AND ANY OTHER
FLEES?
SO TREAT LONG ENOUGH.
AND EVERY 3-4 WEEK TREAT YOUR
HOUSE AND USE THE RIGHT PROTECT
RECOMMENDED.
AND WHAT ABOUT CATS, DO THEY
NEED SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN IT
COMES TO FLEAS?
>> YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL AND
MAKE SURE THEY ONLY GET CAT
PRODUCTS AND NOT DOG PRODUCTS
THEM.
>> Tati: SO WE NEED TO BE
MINDFUL FOR OUR CATS, EVERYONE.
AND NOW QUESTIONS FROM OUR
VIEWERS.
THIS IS FROM MICHELLE WHO SAID
SHE RECENTLY GAVE HER 4-YEAR-OLD
NEWFOUNDLAND MIX A BATH IN
OATMEAL DOG SOAP, SOUNDS
NOURISHING, AND NOW HE'S ITCHING
ALL THE TIME DESPITE RINSING AND
RINSING AND RINSING HIM AND HE'S
MISERABLE.
WHAT SHOULD SHE DO FOR HIM?
>> GREAT JOB FOR RINSING AND
RINSING, GOOD TO GET IT OFF OF
HIM.
THERE COULD BE A SKIN INFECTION,
ALLERGIES, MAYBE EVEN FLEAS, SO
TAKE HIM TO THE VETERINARIAN SO
THEY CAN MAKE SURE NOTHING ELSE
IS GOING ON.
>> Tati: I WOULD THI SEE OATMEAL
SOAP AND THINK, PERFECT.
>>> JENNIFER ADOPTED HER KITTEN
DASH FROM A SHELTER, AND HAS
BEEN TRYING TO GET HER
ACCUSTOMED TO HER NEW
SURROUNDINGS BY KEEPING HER IN
ONE ROOM OF THE HOUSE.
HOW CAN SHE LEFT HER OUT INTO
THE ENTIRE HOUSE WITHOUT GETTING
INTO TROUBLE WITH THE OBJECTS IN
HER HOME?
>> IF DASH IS THE ONLY PET,
GREAT, YOU CAN LET THEM GO IN
OTHER AREAS OF THE HOUSE.
BEDROOM, AND THEN THE HALLWAY,
AND THE KITCHEN.
SO EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS MAKING
THE SPACE BIGGER AND BIGGER, AND
KEEP THE LITTER BOX AND FOOD AND
WATER IN THE SAME PLACE.
ESPECIALLY A SMALLER KITTEN.
YOU WANT TO OPEN THE SPACE
SLOWER THAN FOR AN ADULT CAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN MOVE THINGS IN
A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
USE BABY GATES AND WHATNOT,
PERFECT.
>> Tati: GREAT INFORMATION.
THE MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY
OFFERS SERVICES AT THREE
LOCATIONS: DETROIT, WESTLAND,
AND ROCHESTER HILLS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
HUMANE.ORG.
SENT A CUTE PHOTO AND WE MAY