The Fleas Won't Go Away!!?

Question

We have tried EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything. We have tried both the major brands of topspot treatments (advantage and Frontline), flea baths and dips, powders. We treated our apartment with a spray we bought from the vet (Mycodex flea treatment). The fleas aren't getting on us, but they are driving my little dog NUTS! He isn't infested with them, but when I bathe him I find at least three or four fleas. What do you do when the fleas just won't go away??? Is it possible for fleas to travel from apartment to apartment? Our downstairs neighbors have a flea infestation that they do absolutely nothing about, and I think once I get rid of the fleas we have, they travel up from their apartment! Help!

PS. The dog has gone to the vet for the problem. The vet recommended the Frontline and the Mycodex Home Treatment, to no avail. My dog sees the vet on a regular basis.

I refuse to use a flea collar. I have an infant in the household and if she got ahold of the collar, or touched it and put it in her mouth, this would most certainly be poisonous. Plus, my dad told me a story of when he was young, a cat of his got her flea collar in her mouth and it poisoned her.

Answer 1

Wow, sounds like you've got some trouble with this one! The problem would probably be that you have sloppy neighbors that could care less about their pets. Be sure to keep up the flea prevention treatment even if you are still seeing fleas. Also ask your vet about ADVANTIX (But only if you don't have cats around in your house) or Revolution (which is a flea and heartworm combo). Flea prevention can get pricey if you have people living around you in the same complex that don't care for their pets properly. Also check about some Capstar pills just to have on hand when you do see fleas (they usually start woking within 30 minutes or less). Be sure that you are applying the flea prevention to your dog on the same day each month, and if its a larger dog you can spread the treatment over the body ex: One spot between the shoulders and a spot on the back before you get to the tail. Also a pretty good idea to treat the pet and about 1 day afterwards treat the house (as you said you have been doing). Good luck and hope you get your flea problem taken care of!!!

P.S. FLEA COLLARS ARE A BAD IDEA. THEY DON'T WORK AND CARRY A PRETTY HARSH POISON FOR OTHER PETS OR CHILDREN!

Answer 2

I moved from Colorado, where there are no fleas, to Kentucky, where there was a flea infestation last year and this is what I ended up doing. Ask your vet about a pill called Capstar - it's for dogs and cats. I had to use it for my cats last summer. It kills the fleas within 24-48 hours, and it's very effective if you use it with Frontline or a similar product. One of my cats is allergic to the fleas, and she stopped itching just a few hours after my vet gave her the pill. My vet told me it's safe enough to give your pet every day, but that shouldn't be necessary. As for fleas in the house, I used Raid flea spray all over my house (even the furniture and especially the dog's bedding) and it seemed to work. When you vaccuum, take out the bag as soon as you're done (even if it's the first use) and put in a trash bag, tie it, and take it to the outside trash. Fleas can travel, in fact you can carry them inside with you on your clothes and shoes. Hope this helps some

Answer 3

Appears you are on the right track. First, I would remove the dog from the apartment for a few days (to a place that definitely does not have fleas), then I use the Ortho Home Defense in my house and give it a good spraying morning and afternoon for two days. Vacuum real good. Also, spray the yard (at least a 20 foot perimeter. Ensure your dog is not bring in fleas when he goes outside to the bathroom. If this is still a problem, contact a pest control agency (because Frontline on the dog should work perfectly, but with flea infestation outside, it only complicates the problem.

Answer 4

First of all tell the landlord about the renters with the flea problem, you will have to bomb your apt. more than one time and will have to go thru the treatment on the dog more than one time, a bath with Dawn dish washing soap will kill the fleas on the dog, but after bathing and making sure the dog is dry, you will have to leave the house set off the bombs and apply the advantage, plus you can get a pill from the vet to give the dog that will kill the fleas after they bite the dog. This has been a bad year for fleas, and the regular bombs that you can buy at the store are effective and probably cheaper that what you can get at the vet, just make sure they kill the larva, also you can sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax on any carpet you have and leave it lay for several days and vacuum up, and repeat in 20 to 21 days, dispose of what you vacuum up, wash all throw rugs and dog bedding, spray furniture with flea spray.

Answer 5

I live in a very seasonal climate, the seasons are up and down from mildy cool to hot. I have 4 dogs, and NO FLEAS. I show them so this is paramount. I use Advantage. Have been using it for years, maybe that is why I have such success. It rids the dogs, the household and their bedding. You have to be consistant, when you rid the dogs from it, the bedding from it (fleas) it works.

A little expensive to begin with but in the long run, well worth it.

If you take your dogs swimming, well you just need to keep up with the pestules, as my dogs do swim, I mean swim, all the time.

Answer 6

Clean and sanitize your apartment. Vacuum almost daily, even if you don't have carpeting. Vacuuming is essential! That should kill a good chunk of them. Continue to use the flea treatment that has worked best (even though none of them have worked perfectly).

Have you tried flea collars? It isn't listed up there. Try that. Also, be sure your dog doesn't rub off any treatments you put on him.

Answer 7

its kinda like this, u get rid of the fleas but when he goes outside to use it, they get back on him so my suggestion is
use some like baby oil or something and coat the fur, kinda messy but if the fleas can't jump on him then he won't have none

or u can buy the stuff that goes along their backs and coats the fur same way. other than that, if u can take him outside elsewhere then that would probably help too

oh and u can bathe him in lemon liquid dish detergent to kill fleas too , it sometimes works better because they can become immune to the current shampoo u use

oh yes and as the person above me said give a garlic capsule too,

Answer 8

Do what a dingo does. It goes swimming with a stick in its mouth. The fleas crawl up onto its head to escape the water, then the dingo dunks its head under, the fleas run onto the stick and are left to float away while the dog is givin some relief.

Answer 9

Fleas are so tricky. I wouldn't be surprised if they can travel from apt to apt (possibly in the air ducts?).

Some other things to try: flip all mattresses, vacuuming upholstered furniture (then throwing out the bag), bag pillows in garbage bags for as long as you can stand to be without them

I talked to the vet the other day and he said he finally told one couple with the same problem they had to get rid of their favorite chair (as it had deep crevices and was heavily padded/upholstered). The fleas just dug down in the padding and held their breath (I guess) until the fogs and sprays and powders cleared.

Answer 10

FrontLine and benefit are very stable strategies. i do no longer propose flea collars as they simply keep fleas faraway from that many times used area and don't artwork to boot. additionally, I propose paying for Frontline and make the main of Vet workplaces. do no longer purchase knock-off flea drugs. The knock off drugs are somewhat insecticides and can harm your puppy. benefit and Frontline in spite of the fact that that's a pesticide, it in user-friendly terms kills the flea. additionally they artwork lots longer than flea collars. i wish that made experience and enables.