Oh, it's just dirt

Around this time last year, we started noticing some black dirt-like substance in the dogs' fur. I figured it was just dirt since this is Bermuda. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, you always end up bringing the "outdoors" inside your house, especially sand. Once when we were looking at houses, we walked into someone's house and it was like walking onto the beach. She just casually said, "It's Bermuda, you'll get used to the sand indoors."

The dogs are the worst. They're basically walking balls of tape. Whenever they come back in the house from doing their business outside, there will be twigs, leaves and other forms of nature sticking out of their fur. It's like they're dragging a stick wagon behind them. They've never had a haircut in 6 years. Poms are balls of fur as it is. Whenever I pet them, I'm bound to find hidden treasures twirled up in their fur. Some have been in there so long that I hafta bust out the scissors and cut out a chunk of fur to get it out. No big deal, cuz there's too much fur to notice.

So anyways, I'd pick at this dirt and it'd disintegrate in my hands...just like dirt does. Whatever, my dogs are gross. Nothing new. If I don't need showers, my dogs definitely don't. When Amy, Howard and Cindy came to visit last May, they too noticed the dirt when they were petting the dogs. "Oh, they're just dirty" I'd say, as our dogs rubbed themselves all over our first guests.

It wasn't until weeks later, maybe months, that I started getting suspicious about this dirt that was now over every inch of the dogs. I'm talking about months after the Duongs' visit. So it was many, many months since I first noticed the "dirt". One night, before bed, I'm petting Scooby on the floor. I part his fur and see something dash across the part. "Does Bermuda dirt move?" I do some more looking. Sure enough, this dirt is actually alive! I quickly figure out my dogs are infested with fleas (by quickly, I mean months)! The dirt? It's actually flea poop!

Sandy and I spend the next 4 hours going through each dog's fur and hand-picking the fleas. This is extremely difficult because 1) fleas move really fast, 2, we never cut the dogs' fur, so there's way too much to weed through, 3) fleas jump outta your grasp if you don't pinch tight enough, 4) the dogs are seriously completely covered in flea poop, which is black and provides convenient camouflage for the fleas, 5) there were hundreds of fleas. After we find a flea, we throw it into the sink filled with water or toilet. Sometimes the flea will actually jump out. By 3am, we've managed to pick out at least 40 fleas. Not exactly sure why we didn't just go by flea shampoo and give them baths. Prolly woulda been a lot easier. Then again, we aren't the best, or smartest, pet owners.

Fleas had been feasting on our poor dogs for so long now that their entire fur was actually covered in flea feces. Fleas just have a buffet, shit, hang out, sleep and repeat. Our poor dogs had been bitten so much that they're balding. There was huge patches of fur missing. Half of Scooby's skin was blackish-red and crusted from being bitten for God knows how many months. We are the most horrible pet owners ever. Our poor dogs are scratching themselves furiously non-stop, and I just comment on how dirty they are and continue on with my busy day. Not once do we bother to give them baths. If I shower once a week, my dogs aren't getting bathed more than once a year.

Not to mention the fact that these were our pets, which means we'd actually play with them occasionally. We pet them, they're up on our laps, they sleep in our bed. More specifically, they sleep on our pillows right next to our heads. I'm not even gonna mention how often we didn't wash our sheets. Scooby likes to do this thing where he rubs up against Sandy's hair. I can just picture the fleas playing Chinese fire drill.

Not only do fleas feed off dogs, apparently they also enjoy human blood. No wonder I'd have itchy bumps all over me, even in the boxer region. Like the dogs, I just figured it was from a lack of showering.

The next month was hell for me. Every thing had to be cleaned every day. As soon as I woke up, I'd spend a couple hours going through their fur, looking for fleas. Then I'd give the dogs baths. Then I'd spend the next 2 hrs drying them off (lots of fur). Then I'd sweep every square inch of the house. Then I'd vacuum. Then I'd spray the house with flea spray. Then I'd wash the sheets and clothes. I did this every single day.

Nothing seemed to work. I took them to the vet, who said "Yeah, fleas are a problem in Bermuda". Thanks. They gave them some meds that didn't do jack. I spent hours online reading up about how people were able to rid their pets and houses of flea infestations. I made an entire shopping list. I spent two trips to the states running around looking for random things people recommended. I plugged in night lights over cooking pans filled with water and dishwashing detergent. We walked around Boston looking for Brewer's Yeast to put in their water bowls. Poor dogs (have you ever tried Brewer's Yeast? It's freakin disgusting.) I went to at least five stores and was unable to find organic apple cider vinegar, but I was somehow able to find Diatomaceous earth. I bought all sorts of flea shampoo and buggers and sprays.

It was like war against the fleas. Some days I seriously thought it was hopeless. Finally, I read about Advantage and Program meds that had great reviews. We bought some from the states and have been flea-free for months now. And yes, the dogs get bathed more than once a year now. Like 2x.