Bonnie and the Great Flea Hunt in Hua Hin

Bonnie is an eight-year-old poodle who believes she is a fashion model, so the day I found a flea in her fancy ear fringe, I was horrified. We live near the beach in Hua Hin, where the humidity makes everything thrive, including the bugs. I had assumed our flat was spotless. It was not. Bonnie had brought home a tiny hitchhiker from her morning walk along the sand, and it had already started a family.

My first step was a long, careful brush with a fine comb, done on the balcony so the mess would not end up on the sofa. Then I called the vet clinic down the road and asked what else I should do. They told me the house needs cleaning too, not just the dog, because the eggs can hide in carpets, cushions and bedding. I vacuumed every corner, washed her blankets on hot and changed the cover on her favourite armchair.

I am not an expert, and I would never tell anyone what to use, but I learned that consistency matters more than any one quick fix. Bonnie tolerated it all with a sigh, then went back to her nap as if nothing had happened. Now I check her coat after every beach walk, and I try not to panic when she scratches her ear. She still looks like a model, just one who got a shower and an earful of advice.