How Do I Get Rid Of Fleas?

[Gayle.]

Just doing some Googling of Confidor Concentrate as a flea treatment and it seems to be in use by greyhound trainers on their dogs. There's also another product called Avenge Sheep Drench which uses the same active ingredient in the same strength as Confidor Concentrate. The strength is apparently half that of Advantage and the correct dose for a 20-25kg dog is 1ml Confidor to 2 ml water, syringed on the back of the neck and base of the tail.

The active ingredient is imidacloprid.

I don't generally have to treat my dogs for fleas, they get a flea rinse at the dog wash when I bath them but I'm not keen on constant use of spot-ons as I don't believe a continual absorption of any chemical can be good for the dog. But occasionally I have to, but to de-flea 4 dogs costs an absolute fortune! If Confidor IS the same as Advantage, I'd be prepared to give it a go every now and then........I generally only do my dogs for two treatments, one to get rid of the live fleas then a month later to get rid of any hatchlings.

The research by Google continues.

[lilypily]

You can get a product called Webzone from hardware or produce stores to spray round the house and yard for fleas. Does the job as well as a pest control person and much cheaper.

Thanks for that.

I'm grossed out. Fleas, FLEAS!!

This is the first time in 12 years i'v had a flea problem. 12 years ago we moved into a new rental and my dog got fleas. One or two spot on treatments and they were gone.

My vet said fleas are rampant at the moment due to the weather we have had.

I move into the new house on Monday so will definately bomb the place. I don't want the fleas coming with us.

[Fanuilos]

Add a little bit of garlic to the dogs diet. I know Garlic is one of the ingredients in 4 Legs meat balls (in the fridge section at the supermarket). Garlic is a natural anti-parasitic and this includes fleas.

[keetamouse]

Also a vote for Comfortis here.

Had tried all the spot ons (frontline, advantix, advantage etc), flea bombs, sentinel all of it, with still never really getting rid of them- they decreased but not go away. I have three dogs and a cat who is an outside cat...

Comfortis was the only thing that got rid of them.

oh my doG I hate fleas.

Where do you get Comfortis from? and in what form does it come in ie a tablet, spray etc???

Maree

CPR

[Crisovar]

Also a vote for Comfortis here.

Had tried all the spot ons (frontline, advantix, advantage etc), flea bombs, sentinel all of it, with still never really getting rid of them- they decreased but not go away. I have three dogs and a cat who is an outside cat...

Comfortis was the only thing that got rid of them.

oh my doG I hate fleas.

Where do you get Comfortis from? and in what form does it come in ie a tablet, spray etc???

Maree

CPR

Over the counter from the Vet or from most online Pet supply places.

It is a once a month Tablet, dosage depending on dogs weight.

[Curlybert]

My dogs had an infestation many years ago - nothing worked until I flea-bombed UNDER the house. Bingo - problem solved and thankfully, it has never returned!

[zorroandbig]

Capstar tablets for both cat and dog (appropriate doses) and flea bomb your house.

X 2, we are having lots of problems with fleas in Vic right now and everyone is saying the same - "I've never had fleas on my pets until now".

Bomb your house and continue with the Advantage. If you stop it will get out of control. You can try switching to comfortis but it's a similar price. Capstar's residual activity is 12hrs at the most, it's for large adult flea burdens or where your animal is irritated but it should not be used instead of a month-long product.

Phew its not just me! My Dog is the same 3 years old and never had fleas. I always keep the stuff on hand incase but i've never had to use it. But boy oh boy this years been a whopper he's pick them up twice so far so im just going to keep treating monthly until I'm positive its passed.

[SmokeyR67]

On 05/03/2011 at 0:30 PM, zorroandbig said:

Phew its not just me! My Dog is the same 3 years old and never had fleas. I always keep the stuff on hand incase but i've never had to use it. But boy oh boy this years been a whopper he's pick them up twice so far so im just going to keep treating monthly until I'm positive its passed.

Every dog has fleas, just like every human has face lice, it's just that we keep them under control:)

[Mjosa]

Not true that every dog has fleas.

My dogs have never had fleas, we are built on solid rock and we do not have any stray cats to bring them in.

[_PL_]

No wonder there's a lot of old dolers in this thread. It's from 2011! 

Anyway still a relevant question, I agree w/ Mjosa, no more cat's fleas since we cat proofed and only poundies coming in have had fleas so they get a capstar before arriving and advocate when adopted.

We had an outbreak years ago and I went to town on treatments and diatomaceous earth for the garden. There's Advantage in my cupboard just in case but haven't used anything for so long on my own dogs it's hard to remember. 

 

Not a fan of comfortis anymore.

[SmokeyR67]

Cool, your animals are perfect, I understand that, but parasites are just a fact of life, we all have them, bathing, grooming and insecticiding (I think that's a new word )  just controls them..I just think it's better to acknowledge that and control the issue than assume that we and our pets are immaculate beings.

[gillybob]

I don't usually have many problems with fleas, this year Ive treated the dogs once and that was just in case because one of them was scratching.

I think the cold here helps.

[_PL_]

18 minutes ago, SmokeyR67 said:

Cool, your animals are perfect, I understand that, but parasites are just a fact of life, we all have them, bathing, grooming and insecticiding (I think that's a new word )  just controls them..I just think it's better to acknowledge that and control the issue than assume that we and our pets are immaculate beings.

You may have it confused with the demodex mite which (unlike fleas) live on every single dog and aren't communicable to other species or humans. 

[SmokeyR67]

Nope, I'm a realist, every dog has fleas. A well groomed and cared for dog won't be infested,may not have eggs,or may not have adult fleas,  but if your dog has a life, meets other animals, it's got fleas.

 

Thats just life as a hairy mammal:)

[_PL_]

3 hours ago, SmokeyR67 said:

Nope, I'm a realist, every dog has fleas. A well groomed and cared for dog won't be infested,may not have eggs,or may not have adult fleas,  but if your dog has a life, meets other animals, it's got fleas.

 

Thats just life as a hairy mammal:)

I'd be interested to know where you get your information from.

[SmokeyR67]

Well, Powerlegs, it's just from a combination of experience, logic, and a keen sense of human nature. We all love to believe that we, and by extension, our pets are the perfect examples of cleanliness and hygiene, and there's no way our precious pooches could possibly have fleas!

 

It's just that they do. If your perfect pup has ever been in contact with another pup, odds are that they share the odd flea or two, If they've chased a cat or a possum or just done the things that a healthy dog does, they have fleas. It's nothing to be ashamed of, responsible dog owners (like those who frequent these forums) do the right thing, groom their dogs and use treatments when required. ( I hope that you rotate your flea treatments, we wouldn't want the little buggers to build up an immunity!)

 

Just accept the fact that we and our pets are hosts to parasites, We can minimise them, mitigate their damage, but unless we all live in individual little dettol soaked bubbles, we can't eradicate them.

[SmokeyR67]

p.s. I've foung that boiling a big pot of water (15 litres) with a few big hand fulls of rosemary, letting it cool and giving the dog a bath in it does wonders for mitigating fleas, but to do the job properly you need to sterilize their bedding, flea bomb the house and shave your children and pets before re entering you abode.

[Diva]

3 minutes ago, SmokeyR67 said:

.......and shave your children and pets before re entering you abode.

Shaving your children sounds a bit harsh.

 

Btw my dogs don't have fleas either, despite not being treated with anything, and it has nothing to do with 'human nature'. Just very cold winters, heavy clay soils and a bit of good management. 

 

 

[SmokeyR67]

Shaving your kids isn't harsh, why when I where a lad we used to shave each other and use the hair as a blanket!

 

Bet you pence to the pound that your dogs do have fleas, it's just that your environment (as stated) mitigates their impact (and please don't take offence Diva, your last statement "a bit of good management" is a natural thing for an owner to say, and kind of proves my point about the way we treat the odd flea as an affront to our honor as keeper of the hounds:) )

 

I say, we can't live life flea free,but we can manage the issue and be proud that we do!

 

 

[Pjrt]

 

 

Ive been grooming dogs for more than 30 years, and I can say, no, not all dogs have fleas. Yes, all dogs can GET fleas, but that doesn't mean all dogs HAVE fleas. Day in day out as I bath, blow dry and clip, my hand and eyes, meeting literally every part of every dog, very few actually present with fleas. 

 

Personaly I do not routinely treat my own dogs with flea prevention treatments, despite them hanging out in the salon with all the dogs coming and going, and walking here there and everywhere in the great outdoors, and I am certain that we have no fleas. 

I monitor the situation, and if fleas are detected at grooming time, or I'm alerted to through scratching and biting, then I treat. Once dispensed with, treatment ceases. I've had to treat my dogs for fleas only a handful of times, the last time being more than 5 yrs ago. 

 

Fleas are a little more of a problem in warmer climates, yes, but even then, I reiterate, ALL dogs can GET fleas, but that doesn't mean all dogs HAVE fleas