FLEAS? Just one or maybe two, but what is the quickest way to help my dog? Does anything out there work FAST

Question

My dog's been biting the top of his tail where it connects to his back and his inner thigh. I followed all the advice given to me a few days ago and it seemed to work, but now I think he might have flea/fleas. I saw a single small thin, black bug his coat on 2 occassions. Might be the same bug or another? When I tried to grab it, it was so fast and disappeared into nowhere! I put the topical oil on him (Sentry - a kind that does NOT absorb into the blood) and gave him a flea bath (Hartz). He is still biting a few times a day. I don't know if there is a bug left or not since I can't find any or if he is just irritated. Now what do I do? Will Frontline Plus take too long to work at this point? Someone suggested the oil sold at Wal-Mart. Did that work quickly - the same day? PLEASE - ALL SUGGESTIONS!

Answer 1

Just had that question answered at vet yesterday. He said that because of mild winter and resistant fleas to Frontline and Advantage that the companies are suggesting using both "Program" along with Frontline or Advantage. Program makes fleas sterile and Frontline or Advantage is topical and kills adult fleas. That way if the adult fleas are resistant to one product the other will create a sterile flea unable to reproduce and the problem will extinguish itself. Of course treat the house as well as pet with shampoo and spray then use these products. Good luck!

Answer 2

We have had the occasional infestion on our dogs here and there and Frontline is all that we use. It's very fast and effective, within a day or so they will start to die off.

We've tried the "Walmart" type stuff, and it's got a really bad smell to it compared to Frontline that lasts a couple of days before it fades away. It seemed to work, but not a quickly. If it's only a single dog, I'd say spend the money at the vet to get some Frontline.

Another thing to consider is possibly where your dog may have become exposed to fleas in the first place. We discovered a campground we went to was where our dogs were getting them from this year. So we treated each time before we went to make sure they didn't bring any home with them. Our yard is flea free, tho, so we don't treat unless we are going somewhere we think may be a problem.

Sounds like it's early on too, so you are probably saved the need to spray your carpets at home.

Edit: We've never bathed our dogs prior to using the Frontline, and since you're in the early stages of it, you can probably get by without a flea dip. The Frontline will be fast and effective and I'd only suggest bathing first in the case of a major infestation.

Answer 3

Oh fleas are such a pest and a pest to get off them to once they get them.
Give them a good flea bath first that will kill a bunch of the fleas right on the spot even if he dont have that many fleas.
Then put frontline on him . I know frontline isnt the cheapest thing to buy its about 45 bucks for a 3 month supply It's the only effective way to kill the fleas. I have tried the brands at Walmart, Pet stores, and flea collars , you are just throwing your money down the drain buying them products they do not work at all.

Once you put the frontline on them it will start killing the fleas within a matter of hours. I put some on my cat the other day and picked off 10 fleas within 3 hrs of putting it on her so it does work very very well.

Now, I have three cats and three dogs and it gets very very expensive for me and some people do this and some dont its a matter of choice and how your money situation is.

Once you get the fleas off your dog, you need to bomb your house with a flea killer and then vaccum . Make sure youclean your vaccum cleaner out and take it right out the trash they can live in your cleaner if they are still alive. For the months of Dec- April sometimes May I do not use frontline on them. I have never had a flea problem in the winter months because it gets so cold here in the winter and then in the spring I start it back up again .

I have checked on that site 800pet meds and to be honest Im not saving that much more from the vet.

You want to make sure you get this done very quickly. Most dogs have a allergic reaction to fleas and then they will lose their hair from digging and biting all the time been there with my dogs because I didnt have the money for frontline at the time. Also, if you dont get it taken care of then you will be dealing with tapeworms and then you have to get pills from the vet to kill the worms off. It's a vicious cycle if its not taken care off.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Frontline should work, but I'd recommend Revolution for a dog instead of Frontline or Advantage. Revolution protects against a whole slew of things, including heartworms.

Please don't use OTC flea products. Especially anything by Hartz as their products have poisoned and killed animals before. A regular bath without pesticide riddled shampoo works just as well because the fleas drown.

Answer 5

Frontline works great for my 2 small dogs. I would go to the vet and get some, and while you're there might ask for some kind of shampoo that kills fleas too. You would have to bathe him first, as have to wait two days after putting frontline on a dog to give him a bath.

Answer 6

you can also get a pill at the vet called capstar, it RULEZ!! It works for 24 hours and ever flea will drop dead and it gives the advantage a chance to sink in. The flea stuff sold at wal-mart and such sucks, dont waste your money. That capstar pill runs about $3 a pill, and wow it is so worth it. I wish I could afford it al 30 days outta the month!! I know here you do not have to make an appt at the vet either, you can walk in and ask for both products, just tell them the size and weight of your animal. Good Luck, fleas are the Devil!!

Answer 7

ADVANTAGE!!!! Only one of my dogs ever had fleas, I only gave her advantage for 3 months, that was 3 years ago, have not seen a single flea since then on any of our dogs. You can go to www.advantageflea.com and it's only $25.95

The first time I gave it to her, the fleas were all off of her within 20 minutes.

Answer 8

Go to the vet and get Frontline Plus. Nothing works better!

Answer 9

They may be in your carpets by now. That's what happened to us last year. If treating your dog doesn't work, spray all your floors where the dog frequents, and take everyone out of the house for a few hours because it stinks. I got mine from my favorite pet store, and the brand of the spray is called "Zodiac". The spray lasts for 6-7 months.

Answer 10

Get a product called Frontline from your Vet. It works really well.