how do i get rid of these FLEAS!!!!!!?

Question

OK.... cocker spaniel... and she has fleas! They were REALLY bad! But about 10 days ago, i took her to the groomer and they shaved her and gave her a flea bath. While she was there, i bombed my apartment. I have given her a bath myself almost every day and sit for hours picking fleas off of her. She keeps biting, she keeps scratching and i keep washing my sheets! <-- (for my own sake since she has NOT been sleeping in the same bed as me!) i continue to have new flea bites on MYSELF almost every morning. HELP!!! How do i get rid of these nasty pests ASAP?!?!?

She also has advantage and since i noticed she had fleas have put it on her twice in the past week- (advice from my sister who is a vet technition).

BTW-- does anyone mind answering this question while you're at it.... where do these darned things come from? How did my baby get them? And when they're not living on an animal... where do fleas live?

and FYI.... i'm a college student... working 3 jobs... the flea bombs were pretty expensive... getting her groomed and flea dipped was about $60... i DO luckily get her frontline free from my sis... and BTW, i live in FL... it isn't too cold down here, and i thought fleas, like most bugs, like the warm weather...? thanks for all your help ya'll... keep em' coming... poor dog is chewing herself like crazy and keeping me, and herself, up at night from scratching... :(

i live in an apartment complex... :)

i shouldn't be a pet owner? way to call someone out that you don't know. i'll have you know that my dog is allergic to grass, most shampoos, most foods and goes to the vet prob once or twice a month. She takes 2 types of pet vitamins daily plus an antibiotic to treat her allergy to the grass so she can use the bathroom (in the grass). i pay xtra for her food that i can only buy online suggested by my vet. i take her on bike rides plus 2 walks daily. i spoil her like crazy with toys and fancy collars. i have taken more pictures of this dog than myself, my family or friends. i bathe her twice a week and get her groomed once a month. this dog is my CHILD. my friends get so angry when i leave a party or leave from just hanging out because i have to go home and hang out with my dog. she is purebred, which means she cost xtra. ppl compliment me on her coat EVERY DAY. thanks for assuming... but i'm not a bad pet owner. she couldn't have a better home.

Answer 1

I also live in Florida and fleas are a problem year round. I do like Frontline the best, but you might have to treat the grass outside with something too. The flea eggs can develop in the carpet, but then will need to get on your dog to live.

To treat the carpet cheaply, buy some 20 mule team borax, it's with the laundry detergents. (I know for sure they sell it at Winn Dixie or did a few years back, I haven't had carpet in years though.) Sprinkle lightly in the carpet, be careful with your dog during this, crate her, or just make sure she's not licking the carpet. Leave it on carpet for 48 hours then vacuum, treat the dog w/Frontline or Advantage, and in 24 hours do the carpet again, making sure if it's a vacuum with bags to throw the bag out each time you vacuum, then wait 3 days and repeat, then repeat in a week. If the fleas are only within the house you should be rid of them, but if they are getting on your dog from the grass you will still have a problem, you can buy a canister sprayer at wal-mart, but you'll need to go to a bug store to get something good to treat the grass - it's like $65 bucks for the good stuff and you mix it with water, so try the $4 box of 20 mule team borax first. Good luck!

PENSS27 - In most of Florida, 70 degrees means it's winter - FLEAS DO NOT DIE DURING THE WINTER in most of Florida.

Answer 2

When I had a black lab I had the same problem! I know it's painful okay! What I did was I took the real flea drops the ones you put on dogs on my bed sheet or on the bed. If you can wash your bedding in hot water in the morning and put it back on the bed. Then put the flea drops on the sheet. So at night, you won't smell the drops and it will be dry do this every morning if you can. It depends on just how bad they are for to judge the how long it will take affect. you don't have to wash your sheet every morning in fact it's better if you don't because then it won't help because you wash it off to Quickly. On your soars from the bites you can put Germ-X or water-less hand cleaner, hand sanitizer. Which ever rings a bell! If this doesn't help by 2 months get a flea bomb you might want to go ahead and try that it didn't work for me but ot might you, if it still doesn't stop even with th bombs at a maximum I mean MAXIMUM of 3 months call an exterminator!! GOOD LUCK!! be sure to use that Germ-X it will get rid of the sores I use it on ants and other bug bites.

Answer 3

Advantage is NOT the best even though it comes from your vet and is expensive. You need to get frontline because it offers protection from ticks and fleas. I used advantage once and the fleas were back in a matter of 2 weeks. Frontline keeps them away much longer. You need to take your dog to the vet and the vet will give your dog a pill that kills all fleas on your dog in 30 minutes but WONT keep them off so you will need to have some treatment to apply. Fleas live in yards and carpets. If you have a home you need to flea treat your yards and if your neighbors are dirty they might have the fleas. Treat your home, wash your dogs bedding and buy some LICE carpet and upholstery spray because it works on fleas too. For temporary relief wash your dog with dish soap because the fleas HATE that stuff (its safe I have done it before) and then vacuum the hell out of your place and take the and or empty the filter in the dumpster or trash outside. Fleas are a pain if you live in warmer climates and wont go away during the "winter." I live in Texas so I always use frontline for Buddy.

Answer 4

My cats had fleas and I tried everything. I finally had to wash all my clothes, even the clean ones. Wash the carpet. And I had to bomb my apartment twice. They can even be in your car and you don't know it. My cats are indoor cats and I took them over to my Mom's and they got them from her cats. Advantage is the only thing I found that worked along with what I had to do. No powder, shampoo, or collars helped. I use to let them go outside to everyone and awhile to get some exercise when it is nice out. I don't do that anymore. Also make SURE you get rid of any bags you have in your vacuum cleaner after you have vacuumed the floor.

Answer 5

Had same problem last year with two cats. We tried bombing, vacuuming, giving them weekly flea baths, collars and washing everything in sight.
I
n addition to all this we found out that fleas cant leave in a cool/cold environment. I'm not saying freeze yourself out of your apartment but knock the heat to about 50. You might be really cold for awhile but at least you wont get bit.

Remember they live where it is warm. So check EVERYTHING!

Answer 6

we use advantage for our two dogs and i works great. if they are real bad we also make sure to get a flea collar on them for a week or so......the fleas are here because of the cold weather....

keep your dog away from other animals for a little while..cats, other dogs...

the fleas are prob in the carpet. the bug bombs usually work, but sometimes only float and land on the top of the carpet...your going to want to shampoo the carpets, then use the powder and vacuum real good.

good luck.. this prob sucks...

Answer 7

try using sergeants gold flea and tick carpet powder on your carpets i had a bad problem with fleas last summer and nothing else helped control them but this. also try getting plain dog shampoo, with no flea stuff in it, buy some tea tree oil and mix about an ounce into the shampoo then bathe your dog with it and leave it on for five minutes before washing it off this should really help and also try to leave the powder on your floor for at least 24 hours before vaccuming dont forget to vaccum couches chairs AND your mattress to help get rid of them. hope this helps ps .. you can buy the powder and the tea tree oil at walmart

Answer 8

Gosh, I had this problem several years ago and it was AWFUL.

Is the only thing you did was bomb your apartment and clean your sheets? I remember having to vacuum everywhere and then throwing the bag away. I did that several times. I made sure I vacuumed under my couch cushions, my mattress. And if the bombing didn't work the first time, you might have to have them come again! You never know where those critters could be hanging out.

I just hope they're not living in your hair on your head OR your pubic hair. Not trying to freak you out, but it's possible.

Answer 9

maybe you might be bringing them in on your clothes from outside, also try and add a little garlic to her food as this is a natural repellant. Also you can get Capstar from your vet, it is a tablet and the fleas fall off dead within 2-3 hours, it can be used daily but a bit expensive, I think you'll have to search for the source.

Answer 10

Fleas are a major pest. There are various species of fleas - cat fleas, dog fleas, rat fleas and rabbit fleas.
You can get rid of them by the safest and cheapest methods like boric acid.
More details are available at http://pests.in/fleas.html