FLEAS, suggestions please?

Question

my dogs recently got fleas. they really had never had a problem with fleas before (i have been using topical treatments for a while now) but for some reason there was just an outbreak of them. so...i just gave them a flea bath, combed out their hair and decided to try flea collars instead. i sprayed their bedding areas, couches, carpet and changed the sheets but i dont know if there is anything else i should do. please no criticism like "GO TO THE VET" or "TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG". that's not what i'm asking for. i know frontline and advantage work well as far as keeping fleas off. is there any other brand that anyone else uses?

Answer 1

if you know frontline and advantage work why dont you use them?
instead of doing all that stuff that doesnt really work like baths and collars just flea them every month. you can also buy flea powder to put on the carpet before you vacuum to kill any that might be on there. there are other brands, but the cheaper ones dont work as well or last a month. i use frontline and it works for the full month.

Answer 2

I work at a veterinarian's office and we get this question all the time. First, get your dog a good flea bath. Your groomer can do this if you can't. While your dog is being groomed, spray your carpets, and the dog's bedding with a quality home and surface flea spray. Don't but cheap stuff from the grocery store. Go to your veterinarian's office, your groomer or a reputable pet supply store and ask which products they recommend. After your pet has been bathed (not dipped, too harsh on the skin), purchase a product like Frontline or Advantage and apply it to the skin once a month. This will prevent further infestation. Advantix is another product that also protects from ticks and mosquitoes.

Answer 3

Things like Frontline and Advantage are good for prevention (they will not get rid of fleas immediately as they work by interfering with reproduction, not by killing the fleas).Other products you could use would be ones like Advocate or Revolution- these are also preventatives for heartworm and most intestinal worms.

Basically, don't waste your money on flea collars, they don't work. They might keep fleas off the neck area, but that's about it. Also be wary of flea bath products as many contain nasty chemicals that have the potential to make the dog quite sick. You've done the right think by changing their bedding etc., as most of the flea population will be in the environment as eggs and larvae.

To get the problem completely under control, my advice would be to get a product called Capstar (can be bought over the counter from your vet)- this will kill all the adult fleas within a few hours, and you can then put them onto one of the preventative treatments to stop the rest of the lifecycle.

Answer 4

There are several homemade flea repellents you can try. Here's a few....
Brewer's yeast (or nutritional yeast) added to your dog's food. Add one teaspoon for every 30 lbs of body weight.

Apple cider vinegar to your pet's drinking water. About a tablespoon for a medium sized bowl.

Add a bit of freshly grated garlic (not the powdered stuff) to their food every other day.

For shampoo, try using a citrus-based shampoo and rinse with apple cider vinegar. Fleas don't like the smell or taste of the vinegar.

Lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella, lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood oils repel fleas. Dab a bit between the shoulder blades, under the armpits, and between the toes. You can also add some to their collars.

Boil about a half dozen lemons in water and then strain it. Use the liquid as a flea spray. Don't spray the face though, instead spray a cloth and then wipe the fur, taking care around the eyes.

And lastly, your local Avon lady sells a really effective product called "Skin So Soft". The original stuff works great and doesn't smell too bad either. You can dilute it and spray it on your pets and your carpets.

Personally, I prefer not to use chemicals if I can avoid it. There are plenty of natural alternatives and these are just a few.
Good luck on your flea problem and don't forget to deflea your home at the same time. ;)

Answer 5

fleas are a pest for dogs.

if you have had them for more than ytwo weeks, chances are they are EVERYWHERE by now.

treat all carpeted areas and farbic upholstery with flea-killer (CLEAN WELL AFTERWARDS, POISON!), wash EVERYTHING , pack everything you are not using air-tight (oxygen deprivation kills fleas in a week or so), and THEN use a flea detergent like advantage (non brand items work as good afaik)

the only sure-fire way to get rid of them is literally to move house and burn everything that could POSSIBLY support fleas (which is exactly what the police did to my (and everyone elses) stuff in the squat where I then lived that was evicted (even my micro-wave and my wooden chairs, but then pigs are pigs, eh?)

didn't get rid of ALL the fleas, though, as they didn't burn the house.. a MINOR oversight..

oh, we re-squatted the place 6 hours later, in the face of half the local blue-bellies... and thanked them for spring-cleaning...

Answer 6

I use a couple of other organic methods to keep fleas and any other insect or bug out of the house. I sprinkle powdered flowers or sulfur around the outside of the house and use ground black hellebore root inside just sprinkle it around the baseboards in the house. I also use the root in whole form in my cabinets. I live in the country and when it gets cold I have little field mice to come in; since I started using the hellebore root; Not a single one has came in. You can find both at health food stores and some vitamin shops.

Answer 7

I agree with Goddess on the flea treatments. You can also go to http://www.earthclinic.com and do some reading there on Apple Cider Vinegar and other flea treatments!1

Answer 8

you can go to any dog doctor...a vet...a dog hospital...and tell him what is the suitable medicine for the dog..