really bad fleas?

Question

I have a puppy and shes about 5 months old. She has the worst fleas. They are so bad shes starting to get sored and scabs all over her because she scratches her bites. I give her a flea bath everday and use a flea comb to comb them out but they just seem to be coming back. What is the best way to get rid of these fleas?

Answer 1

Are you also using a preventative? Like frontline plus or advantix?

Try taking her to a groomer and having a professional "flea dip" done. (Not a flea bath, a dip). After this has been done, buy a good, high quality flea prevention. I use fontline plus because it kills fleas AND their eggs.

While she's at the groomer, bomb your house for fleas. If you don't get them out of the house, then its not going to do any good. Wash her toys, bed, blanket, etc etc.

Once you do all this, as long as you keep applying the preventative every month, you shouldn't see them come back.

Answer 2

Flea baths don't work, so don't bother. Bathing her every day will also dry her skin out and make her even more itchy!

Go to a vet to pick up some proper treatment, like Frontline, Advantage or Revolution. These ar spot-ons that will kill all fleas and keep the dog protected against them for at least a month. You need to wait 48 hours after the last bath though before you can apply them, as you need to wait for natural oils of the dog's skin to be replaced. In the meantime, buy a Capstar pill from a vet, it will kill all fleas on the animal within a few hours. You need to treat with a spot-on after however, or the dog will just get reinfested. The fleas are now living and breeding in your house, so you need to spray too - get a housespray from the vets while you're there.

Don't bother with any pet store treatments, because none work. Pet stores aren't licensed to sell the proper chemicals for flea treatment - anything you find in store is just going to be a basic pesticide that you can't expect to work.

Chalice

Answer 3

I normally only have to treat my house once or twice a year. This process has worked very well for me.

1) Give the dog a bath with a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the bath water and bathe with a mild oatmeal shampoo, not flea shampoo.

2) Sprinkle borax laundry detergent on your carpet, rub in with a broom, and vaccume 24 hours later.

3) Spray furniture with a flea spray. Any cheap one will do. You don't need the most expensive product for good results.

4) Maintain your yard. Clear all grass clumps, leave piles, still water, and high grass and weed areas. These are breeding grounds for fleas and ticks. Also, try sprinking insect granules such as sevin dust granules around your yard to prevent flea infestations. Do this about every six months or so.

5) Use flea drops monthly on your dog. Bathing frequently dries out the dogs coat and causes dermatitis which can be more irritable to the dog than fleas. A monthly flea drop system breaks the life cycle and prevent reoccurances. I use natures guardian and honestly the only thing I've found that works better is Revolution. Even Frontline and Advantage don't work as good as Natures Guardian plus it's all natural, smells good, cheap, and sold over the counter.

Whenever I get fleas in my house regardless of how bad it is I use this method and the fleas are completely gone in less than 48 hours. Just keep in mind that fleas don't just infest your dog but also your home and yard so these areas have to be treated as well.

Answer 4

Not only do you have to wash your dog and take of your dogs fleas but you have to clean your house.
One of the main reasons she is still getting the fleas and so bad is probuably because you have to clean your house.
Be sure to change all the bed sheets and you can buy a special spray that you can spary in carpets and on frabric that will kill what ever living fleas that are living in your home.
Have you taken her to the vet? and is she wearing a flea colar? If you answered no to any these questions then you need to do so. Also i knwo a little home remedy to get rid of fleas.
You can use dish detergent. When my puppy had fleas the dish detergent worked very fairly well.
But if she has them as bad as it seems the dish detergent just might not work.
Sorry that your dog has to go through all that and you as well.
BUt i hope for the best for yous two.

Answer 5

First, go to your vet and get her treated for fleas. Second, you also have to treat your home for fleas. If you pet has fleas they are also in your home, everywhere. Here are some tips:
Flea Control for the House


*You can try foggers, but you will probably need one for each room.
*They are flammable, so turn off all pilot lights.
*Remove birds and fish.
*It's toxic, so don't breathe the fumes.
*Protect surfaces by placing the fogger on a newspaper.
*Leave the house undisturbed a minimum of two hours or as directed.
*Thoroughly air out before introducing small children or vulnerable animals to the environment.

A safer and more environmentally friendly product, which I have personally found to be highly effective, is called Fleabusters. The product is a powder.

*Remove all bedding - wash or dry clean.
*Thoroughly vacuum all carpeting and rugs.
*Sprinkle powder inside sofa cushions, along the perimeter of all the walls and cover your floor area with it.
*Scratch or brush into the carpet.
*Vacuum excess and at least two to three times a week.
*Discard vacuum cleaner bags.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

I wouldn't use a flea bath everyday. Try one more bath with Palmolive soap. Make sure you get ALL the suds out. Wait 24 hours and apply some Frontline. Also go to the vet and ask for a pill called "Capstar". These 3 things should neutralize your flea problem along with bombing your residence. Good luck to you.

Answer 7

you need to go to the vet and get some advantage. flea baths arent going to work cuz the fleas now live in the house too.
bathing her everyday is going to make her skin dry and u will cause more problems only bath her once a month.also put a pan of h2o and thick dish soap on the floor with a lamp net to it at nite,the fleas will jump into it and drown.vacuum, vaccum, vacuum

Answer 8

Well it is difficult to get rid of fleas. we are battling that right now. I would suggest taking the puppy to the vet and letting them treat her. Then aske them for the best flea killing safe [product to use in the house to rid them in your carpets and couches and cusioned chairs. You have to get them all over cause they don't just live on you dog. They live damn near every were. Make sure to wash all bedding in hot watter about twice.

Answer 9

You should NOT bath a puppy everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why didn't you call the vet to get something that will take care of the fleas immediately?

Over the counter products DO NOT work and are harmful to your dog.

Answer 10

I have written a page about natural flea control. At 5 months old you should really try to steer away from toxins....Here's the link:

http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/natural-flea-control.html