Can't Get Rid Of Fleas

[Bindo]

I'm desperate! Lucy (12 weeks) came home with a few fleas (no big deal), so vet advised advantage as from his reports, frontline wasn't working as well this season. Applied advantage 10 days ago - no change, still finding fleas. Spoke to vet nurse yesterday who said can't reapply any topical spot stuff for another few weeks, so try shampoo and rinse. Did that with Fido's, could see the dead ones coming off. Treated all bedding and other areas, cat has no fleas (she's on frontline), but this morning have seen at least another 8 fleas on Lucy!! Have always used frontline in the past and neither animal ever had a flea problem. What can I do without poisoning poor Lucy??

[Scales of Justice]

You may have fleas breeding around your home. You need to arrest the life cycle of fleas by continually treating the dog (as you are doing) but also by arresting their breeding potential. You can change to Advocate monthly heartworm which is fairly new and appears to be very good or alternatively stay with Advantage but you must try to find the source of where fleas would be breeding.

Check around your home and exterior to see where this could possibly be. Check where dog hair gathers (ie. nooks and crannies, under cupboards, carpets, bedding etc) and have a good clean up. If you are really desperate, you could mix up some Malaban (not for the dog) but spray the grassed areas and paths externally to try to reduce the numbers of fleas which are reappearing on your dog. I'm sure if you do this you will eventually get on top of the problem. Keep up with the Fido's between Advantage - this is a good product and will help keep the numbers of fleas off your dog between monthly treatment while you treat the internal and external areas of your home.

[Bindo]

Thanks for that advice. I have done a search on this topic and looked at all the other information as well. Some questions - can I give her another rinse in Fido's today? While waiting for the next spot application of Frontline or Advocate, could I use the frontline general spray ( I have some here) or is this too much as well?

Currently cleaning all spots around the house, but hard to imagine where they are. Cat has no fleas, haven't had a dog for 5 months (and last dog was non-shedding too so few dog hairs anywhere), house is regularly vacumed and cleaned and we have found no fleas on us from carpet etc. :D

Just what I need on Christmas Eve, with 14 for lunch tomorrow!!!

[Guest cricket]

For immediate comfort for your pup, you could try applying some well diluted tea tree oil on cotton wool around the ears, tail and other areas but make sure it is diluted, not pure oil. You only need a little. Don't overdo it as it might burn the skin.

Fleas don't like it at all. I don't know if it kills them but they definately leave the premises.

I've used it on cats and dogs and found it works well. You can buy tea tree wipes too.

[jemappelle]

I would recheck with the vet about the use of Frontline after Advantage as I was told by my vet it was safe to use on a KITTEN that I had just purchased with fleas. I bathed it, treated with Advantage and then Frontline about a week later. Could be different with a pup though.

I didn't think Advantage was waterfast anyway so it would be gone after the bath.

Also don't forget that the flea cycle includes tapeworms :D

[pebbles]

As mentioned. finding the source is vital. When I moved here my dogs suddenly started getting fleas. Did all the recommended things but still fleas appeared. I was out in the yard beside the house, bare feet and shorts and 'horrors' fleas jumping onto my legs! Turned out that this was where stray cats had been bedding down under the house. Got the pest exterminator in (and got rid of the cats) and haven't seen a flea since and that was 15 years ago!

[Tilly]

Be careful you don't keep applying too many flea treatments on the pup - some of them stay in the system and can build up and poison the pup.

Malaban / Malawash is very good for treating the environment but it needs to be done regularly to get the fleas that hatch later. In flea season we spray the yard weekly or fortnightly. You may also want to flea bomb the house (we used to treat the lot in one day - dog/cat, bedding, yard & house).

We use a tick and flea wash on our dogs (they can be bathed in it or it can be sprayed on their coat) - weekly.

Our neighbour had fleas on their dog (5 whole fleas :D ) - their vet recommended a flea collar rather then frontline or advantage - he said they work better (we always used flea collars on the cats and they worked great)...

Also found cats are the worst carriers of fleas - they leave the yard, pick up a flea or two and bring them home, the flea hopes off and finds a new home.

Good luck - fleas are such a pain.

[Bindo]

Thanks for all the help guys. Think I may have located the source of the problem. After Darcy died, the cat took over his bed and used to sit in it day and night. I don't always treat her during winter and she may have had some fleas at this time. This is the same bed I have been using for Lucy and the fleas always appear in the morning - probably eggs in the bedding (although it has been washed many times!).

Guess what madam is getting from Santa Claus? :D

On the Fido's rinse product it says it may be used every 3 days for tick control, so I guess it can't be too toxic.

[Nadia]

On the Fido's rinse product it says it may be used every 3 days for tick control, so I guess it can't be too toxic.

Try to use products in the environment that contain IGRs (Insect Growth Regulators). Normal flea rinses etc only kill adult fleas not eggs or larvae.

If you use products that sterilise the eggs and kill larvae as well, you will get rid of the flea problem much quicker.

Although Fidos rinse is safe to use every 3 days for ticks, remember you are using it on a baby puppy, babies immune systems are easily knocked around by chemicals even those generally considered safe.

I would concentrate on treating the environment and using advantage on the pup.

Frontline is not being found as effective this year in my area, than in previous years.

Possibly because it is the most recomended product and the fleas are building immunity, whatever the reason it is not working well here.

[gemibabe]

You could try to treat your yard with Brickies Lime... that should get rid of the flea's in the yard... Probably pick it up at a hardware store like bunnings...

I would go with the tea tree oil (melaluca oil) I use a product from America to wash my staffy in and she has never had fleas. And she no longer has her itchy skin either...

YOu must think of fleas as nits for dogs... everything must be washed... did the dog go on oyour bed while out? or outside has she been up on any clothing like towels on seats etc.. the little buggers will breed anywhere.

Goodluck and hopefully you wont be too stressed out for tomorrow's lunch.

BTW... Stay away from all shops...its a madmans dream down there!

Merry Christmas

Kylie

[Staff'n'Toller]

Fleas will remain dormant for as long as they need- then hatch out once there is a dog/cat to feed off.

Bomb your house, as you may have lots of eggs and larvae in the carpets- this is really common, adult fleas actually make up about 5% of the total flea population, so if you are seeing a few fleas- there are many more eggs, larvae etc. moving through the cycle.

Must treat your cat as well, the flea is often called the 'cat flea' because cats always carry around a population and we don't realise because they are rarely allergic, and groom out the adult fleas making them harder to find.

If you have treated with Advantage, don't use the Frontline spray- too much for a little puppy to handle.

Perhaps try some capstar tablets every couple of days instead, if she is uncomfortable.

The great thing about flea bombing your house is that the bomb will kill any other creepy crawlies hanging around at your place- including spiders.

Hope that helps a bit.

Mel.

:D

[mollysmum]

I use tea tree oil in a spray bottle diluted with spring bottled water, that works really well

I had ants in my bathroom, gave them a spray and sprayed the sink etc

have not had a ant since

[chuckie500]

I use frontline regularly on both of my dogs, and sometimes use permoxin also on one of my dogs that has a flea allergy. I found the permoxin pretty good.

I was wondering how effective are surface sprays such as baygon for around the house & how safe is it when my littlemdogs spend most of their time indoors?

thanks

[Scales of Justice]

For all those above who are using teatree oil, I have been told by my vet that teatree oil is toxic to dogs. Obviously if people are using teatree oil and the dogs are OK then its probably not too toxic but I would certainly have some caution about using too much teatree oil.

I will not use it.

[Guest cricket]

You can buy tea tree wipes and shampoo for pets but I think you're right. Any neat oil applied directly to the skin can be a toxin. It should be well diluted in a carrier oil and applied very sparingly.

My vet said it was OK but it can't hurt to ask other opinions.

This web site below might help. Tea tree oil definately kills fleas and it's very toxic to cats. I've only used it on dogs to immediately kill the flea problem but as with all oils, you must never use them undiluted.

We had the cat from hell once and I used tea tree oil on her ears which were raw with flea bites from catching wild rabbits. She was half ferral but her ears were so sore that I had to do something so I took the risk and always used diluted tea tree oil. It killed the fleas straight away and the fur grew back on her ears and she's still here bad tempered as ever.

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=te...nG=Search&meta=

[Souff]

BINDO

I used Frontline on a dog 3 days ago that was covered in fleas (not one of my dogs). That little dog is now free of fleas.

I really question why some vets say it is not effective - my vet is happy to recommend it and I know it has never let us down.

The only thing to remember with Frontline is that you must not wash the dog for 3 days before or after the treatment. That will render it useless.

After the 3 days the dogs can swim and still be protected.

It is a fantastic product that I have used probably since it hit the shelves here and it has always worked well for us. It also keeps the ticks away for 2 weeks.

We have washable bedding - any flea larvae gets a free trip to NZ.

Newspaper under the bedding goes straight into the recycling bin (so if you ever see little black specks in any product made of recycled paper ..... :wink:)

With crates and fibreglass/plastic bins/crates there is nothing for fleas to breed in.

Carpet makes a lovely home for flea larvae - avoid the dogs sleeping near it if possible

ALso, check out the herb books - cant remember which ones, but there are herbs that fleas HATE. If you live in an area which has sandy soil where fleas also seem to thrive, so plant the herbs that the fleas hate and they might all move next door.