My hands shook as I looked at the blood-red welts over my beloved dog Max's body.
It was 2am and Max was crying through the night. In agony. Again. As fleas tortured him with thousands of blood-sucking bites.
But it was my ex-husband's visit that broke me.
He took one look at our old dog’s scabs, his swollen skin, his weak limp, and told me: "Sarah, this is abuse. No pet should live like this."
“Your fleas are torturing him”.
For four painful months, I had watched my home turn into a combat zone. The fleas had completely taken over. Not only on Max, but our carpets, furniture, clothes, and more.
I had become the "flea-infested home" nobody wanted to visit.
When my daughter also had an allergic reaction to the fleas, with muscle pains, chills, and a fever, I rushed her to the hospital. At one point, she’d even struggled to breathe.
As a mom, it was total hell.
Luckily, a giant medical bill later, she was OK. But with fleas in our home, she'd always be at risk.
I tried everything:
- ✖️ Professional Exterminators — who charge you $2,000-$8,000 for a single treatment (if one is enough), which can also fill your home with toxic chemicals, and force you to take time off work.
- ✖️ Cleaning And Vacuuming — 3 times a day. Until my back hurt. Which I later found out does nothing. As fleas can survive underwater. While all the vacuuming did is spread their eggs.
- ✖️ Big-Pharma Medication — that costs you $300 a dose, but does NOT address 95% of fleas that hide in your home (more on this later…)
- ✖️ DIY Remedies — Such as apple cider vinegar, dish soap, coconut oil, diatomaceous earth, salt, or baking soda. Which can't get past the fleas' hiding spots.
- ✖️ Flea Traps And Sticky Pads — that only catch a few fleas at a time… which leaves the rest free to breed…
- As well as…
- ✖️ Flea Collars — for your pet, that cost you $180 a quarter, work slow, and are useless if your pet gets wet. Plus, you’ll risk $1,200-$5,000 in vet bills. From flea-collar poisoning. And…
- ✖️ Flea Drops And Spot-On Treatments — that contain harsh chemicals. Which seep into your pet’s skin. To cause harm… such as redness, burns, or worse…
- ✖️ And more!
Nothing worked!
It got to the point we contemplated getting rid of Max. Which I could never do.
But…
The Worst Part Wasn't The Fleas, It Was How They Took Over My Life
Because I no longer invited friends over. Max’s old play pals would avoid us on dog walks. My daughter got teased at school. I became anxious, stressed, and withdrawn — all because of the hellish fleas I couldn't get rid of.
That night, after picking (more) fleas out of my Max’s hair, I made a decision. I refused to let these vermin destroy our lives.
We deserved better. My dog and my daughter deserved to be happy. Free from bites. I no longer wanted to live with the constant scratching.
I was going to find a real answer. Not another fake promise.
