do we take it they're gone?

Question

hi

we were treatig our dog 4 fleas with frontline. for 2/3 weeks. we were spraying the house carpets with RIP spray and hoovering.

at first we didnt think it was working as we still seen them but recently we havent seen any. we got our dog a haircut as well, he's still itchin but we think thats just from the scabs.

trouble is. im scared to put heating on in case it resurrects them. so at the moment we are sitting freezing in our house which is silly as we know the heat can cause them to hatch.

i really hope they are on their way out. but just cos we havent seen any does this mean they;re gone, or eggs r still there? the spray we used on carpets kills eggs aswell (supposedly)

what do we do now...carry on as normal? i still would like to get the carpets cleaned.

please advice thanx

Answer 1

Keep spraying and vacuuming for a few days after the heat comes on. Getting the carpets cleaned would certainly help from being re-infested. I treat my house twice a month and I dont even have fleas. I do it as a preventative measure. As I'm sure you will find out it is easier to prevent them rather than get rid of them once they're there. Good Luck

Never bath a dog once a week. You will damage its coat and skin.

Answer 2

Don't sit there freezing! :-)

You're doing good things - the only thing I would suggest is maybe using a different spray? I haven't heard of RIP but if it's from a store, I'm afraid it's unlikely to work. It's true that turning on the heating stimulates eggs to hatch, but I wouldn't freeze over it - just spray a few days after turning on the heating to get any that may have hatched. Or, just get hold of some Skoosh- www.skooshthefleas.com - it's the only spray that kills fleas eggs and pupae too.

I'll just also check that when you use the Frontline, you're getting it on your dog's skin, and not his fur. If you are, you can be sure he's flea free - well, so long as you're using a good house spray!!

Total flea eradication is complicated, but you're nearly at the stage where you can have total peace of mind. Turn on the heating and get your carpets cleaned if you want!!

(Oh, and if you switch to Frontline Plus, that kills flea eggs too, so you shouldn't have to spray any more)

Chalice

Answer 3

The fleas only hatch with movement - having the heating on will not cause unhatched eggs to hatch. If you can get a decent flea comb get one and comb the dogs in the bath (no water you are just using the bath so that any eggs that fall from the fur are easily washed away)- you may be surprised by the number you collect. I keep some tabs of cellotape ready to squish the blighters as I find them. Rinse the bath after you have finished. You should use the comb fairly regularly just to keep an eye on the situation then you won't be hit with a sudden infestation like you seem to have experienced. Hoover the carpets daily and empty the hoover each time - also hoover your soft furnishings. Hoovering is more important than getting the carpet a wet clean.

Answer 4

I would recommend you switch to frontline combo first, don't overbath your dog it strips the coat and skin of oils that the frontline bonds with.
RIP is a great new veterinary product that helps to kill off house dust mites too, so your heading in the right direction.
If your dog has a flea allergy just one flea will make him itch but as you say if he has scabs that's probably irritating him too.

Don't freeze!! Yes the heat will produce the ideal environment for them to hatch in, but I would think after all your treatment you should be fine.

Good luck :-)

Answer 5

Vaccum your carpet daily,for the next week or two.I would wait to clean the carpet till then,in case you may need to spray the pesticide again.As for the itching on your dog,dogs can take over the counter Benedryl,to control the itching...same as we do.BUT,call your vet for thre proper dosage.It is also listed in most dog books.Check him daily for fleas.I hope you meant that you gave your dog one dose of frontline,2-3 weeks ago.....and not one dose per week,for the last 2-3 weeks.This is a monthly med,and unless heavily infested,it can be used once every 3 months.Good luck.

Answer 6

Firstly - get that heating on it's not worth freezing to death!!! They're probably all gone but make sure you hoover every day, hoover everything, all soft furnishings, any stone or woodwork you have on floors or walls. This helps to keep them at bay. Keep your Frontline up, because we live in a high tick area I use mine every month.
Good luck
Edit: I agree with stbern don't bath your dog every week, they need the oils in the coat for a healthy skin.

Answer 7

i would just carry on like normal now as that is a long time that you have been treating them so get on with your life like normal.just bath your dog once a week and clean the bedding often to stop them coming back.