how do you handle fleas????

Question

I think my dog has fleas, I gave her a flea bath, All the flea collars say "dont use on senior dogs", before I take her to the vet and get like a medication is there anything else you can do?? Thanks

Answer 1

You sound like a very good, conscientious owner.
The best way to control fleas is through topical products you put on the back of the neck once a month. You will find there are many brand names out there, Advantage, Advantix, Frontline Plus, and Revolution.
Advantage- kills fleas
Advantix- kills fleas/ticks/mosquitos
Frontline Plus- kills fleas, ticks, and lice
Revolution- kills fleas/ear mites and prevents heartworm
While all of these are good medications, I'm favoring Advantage for fleas right now and Advantix if you also have a tick problem. Some pet owners are still having a problem with fleas while using frontline.
Fleas collars- basically don't work anyway so no loss there.
Flea bath- may help but fleas can just jump right back on.
Some things you might want to consider...
Animals get fleas from the enviroment- like houses and outside. You can bring in fleas to your dog from the outside on your socks. If you walk her outside where a lot of other dogs have been, she's likely to get fleas there too.
These brand names I mentioned can be expensive but they are WORTH IT. They work and the over the counter meds you can buy don't work and can sometimes make your Pet sick. So just make sure your house isn't infested, use one of these medications and your problem should be solved.
Hope this helps,
Kova

Answer 2

I received some email messages with some surprising flea treatments in them. I tried them and they work.

Dawn dishwashing liquid kills fleas. I put a few drops in my dog's shampoo bottle and use it to bathe them. I leave the shampoo on for a few minutes after I lather it up. Then just rinse it off.

Indoors, 20 Mule Team Borax kills them. Sprinkle it in the carpet, dog's bedding, etc.(like carpet fresh), let it sit for at least an hour (preferably overnight if possible), then, just vacuum. Bedding can be laundered after treatment.

I don't try spraying outside because my 3 Great Danes have the run of 36+ acres. No way I'd ever get it all sprayed! I bathe them about every two weeks during the summer, anyway, and I haven't had fleas in the house for a very long time.

Before I discovered these little secrets, I used Frontline or Advantix. Both work for about 30 days with each application. Dawn and Borax are cheaper, though.

Answer 3

honestly, forget flea baths. All they are is glorified shampoo with a little more ingredients. You can use a regular, everyday human shampoo and the same outcome happens. What you could try is leaving the shampoo on a little longer than usual so you can know you are killing the fleas. While doing this, tie your dog up so he doesn't run away or shake it all off him/her. Also, if they spend time outdoors regularly, go out and buy some lawn/garden insect repellant/killer and spray it all over the yard. Follow the instructions on the bottles/package. Lastly, if worse comes to worse, veterinarians have a special shot they can give dogs which is administered to the fatty portion of skin and not into muscles or blood streams. It is called EUFOR. It is basically poison that insects die from fairly quickly. It kills fleas and ticks and other bugs. However, this should be a last resort to you if your dog is young or old. I'd say spray the yard, give a long shower and see what happens from their.

Answer 4

Yes the various types of flea bath and flea collars etc are effective as are the yard sprays for ants tics and fleas from outfits like orkin etc.

But the best was is NATURALLY!!!! I am sure you have heard the saying "every dog has its fleas and every flea has his"

The natural method of controlling fleas is with nematodes. The are a parasite of the flea. They bore into the flea lay eggs and the flea is eaten from the inside out. NO MORE FLEA. You can get them at a good pet store or farm supply house. They usually come in a one pound container as a powder. Apply them liberally throughout the yard and on the carpet in your home. Follow the directions. I had two shepards and a Bishon for years. Early on they got fleas every spring and we went nuts trying to get rid of them. When talking with the farmer down the road, I had told him of the problem. He handed me a bottle of the nematodes and told me how to use them. Did it and within a week or two there were no more fleas.

Answer 5

First a bath for the animals then Frontline on every month. For the house a cheap mode of starting to rid yourself of these uninvited guests is to use a palte of water with a few drops of lysol or Dawn dish detergent in it. Put a small lamp over it in a room overnight. The fleas come to it. By night two you will see immediate increases within the plate. (I turn it off during the day) Several other friends also use this method for the house as well as shampooing the carpet and flea collers. Good luck.

Answer 6

I always use Advantage starting in MAy and put it on all the dogs and cats every 6 weeks and have never had a problem!!!!!!!!

Collars and powders do NOT work and are not safe. Shampoos only kill what is on the dog. If there are fleas ON the dog, there are fleas in the house!!!!!!!! More will hatch out!!!!!

Answer 7

Dog collars are useless, they move the fleas from the neck to the butt. Frontline is a good flea product and can be bought online or from many vet offices.

Answer 8

Frontline is a great thing to use, I also feed my dogs garlic in the food, flea bomb the house and spray it well after to make sure you get the eggs, take the dog to the groomer or to the vet to have it defleaed, flea infestation can cause anemia which can lead to death. signed: a vet in Maine

Answer 9

Yes, you can use the flea collar which does not work.. You can use flea spray which is questionable. How I get rid of them for a long time is to use a sarcoptic mange liquid(with rubber gloves to apply it)... I get the sarcoptic mange at an animal feed store. The general Walmart's, PetSmart, does not carry the good stuff.

Answer 10

Spray your house for fleas and vacuum like a mad person. Throw the vac bag away. Then vacuum everyday. It really helps!

You are right not to use the over-t counter stuff. Can be very hazardous to your pet especially an older dog.