Question: My best girlfriend who retired to Florida 8 years ago with her husband comes to vit me and sleeps in a guest room /computer room for a few weeks every year. I bought the matress and bed supposedly brand new (3 years ago purchase) but this year she suffered from spme kind of bug bites that looked like flat mosquito bites on her bck and scalp. My dog is 1and a half years old and used to put his front legs on top of the quilt to get her ouf bed when I called her. Then she and I saw tiny black specks on the bottom sheet which she said she sqw hopped. I treat my dog with frontline plus faithfully and he does not scratch himself at all. Could these specks if they were alive have been brought in on his feet because we hd abpout 4 days of rain and he may have gotten mud on them. I alwaqys wipee his feet whether it rains or not. I a now dipping his feet in lukewarm water to get any mud or bugs off of him.
He took a liking to her an is so smart that he wanted to help me wqak her up in the morning When she sad w and showed me the black dots that looked like tiny black coffee granules both she nd I became terrified and she immediately went back to Florida I livein new Jersey. There is one mystery:She complained to me on the phone from Florida about being allegic to many different medications except Tylenol. She said her scalp was broken out and she had rashes over her body here and there. Now she is blaming me and my dog though no one has slept in that twin bed for a whole year, and I put boxes of folders and reams of computer paper on top of the bedspreadall year. My cpmputer is right next the bed. Doctors, do you think the bed is infested with some type of flea or worse or could she have had the rashes before she cme to visit me? This incident has almost ruined our friendship.
I forgot to tell you that I took abput 5 of these black specks to Veterinarian's office and the vet technicians looked under the microscope and said they were only pieces of lint. I wS THINKINNG THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN IN A PLASTIC ZIPLOC BAG ON QTIPS which I think had killed them that perhaps they shriveled up from dehydration due to my accidentally killing them by pressing too hard with the q-tips. Please help me. Please give me your diagnosis. by the way I am not itching but the dog sometimes bites his feet. I get him progessionally flea and tick shampood and groomed and toenals cut once every 2 months in the summer. I would appreciate and desperately need your diagnoses. Thank you in advance. I am desperate. Should I throw away the mattress??

Dear Dr. Kalpana Pathak,

Thank you so much fop answering my question so quickly, but now I wonder 2 things: Would setting off a second Raid Bug Fogger also kill the eggs hiding in the seams of the plastic mattress cover and why do I not also have any bites at all nor any in my hair? It will not sleep in the bigger bedroom and my dog sleeps every night on the floor next to me. I would have loved for him to sleep on the bed with me but would not the chance since I have asthma to pollen and absolutely life threatening allergies to cats. Since they seem to be only on that all mattress do you think I should hire a professional exterminator which would be very hard for me to afford? Doctor do you think spraying the mattress seams with a pyrethrin or malathion spray which I already bought 3 cans of I felt like in a nightmare aftersheleftto go back to Florida would kill the eggs or do they have very hard resistant eggshells. If I do not get a professional am I in bad danger of my whole house getting infested,God forbid!!???
I still your advice on these 2 new questions. Thank you in advance, YYYY@YYYY

Thank you for answering me again, Dr. Pathak!

How would I ever be able to launder the entire mattresss in question. It does not fit into my washing machine or clothes dryer. I only have a hair dryer which I could use on Hottest setting, but could only hand wash the mattress. I am of low income and would have to save up for an exterminator and a new mattress. I would not want to harm my girlfriend with malathion on the same mattress. By the time I saved up enough money the little "buggers" would have spread to rest of house. I always keep the door to that room closed except to use this computer.
According to the rules of my $18.00 debit card payment I am only allowed 3 questions and I believe this was the last one allowed for $18.00. I would appreciate your answering me again. My girlfriend called last night and says that she washes her hair with NIX Shampoo every night but the fumes are causing very bad burning in her eyes. Let us help her. Thank you for your kindness.