Fed up with fleas.

[iLLt3cK]

 

Both of my dogs seem to have gotten fleas that I just can't get rid of. Here are some things I've tried so far to get rid of them without much success:

 

1. Used frontline, and other flea preventatives ad nauseum including flea collars etc.

 

Result: No noticeable differences

 

2. Bathe both dogs in Dawn and let them sit for 5-10 minutes in a thick lather before rinsing completely.

 

Result: Didn't really do much except dry their coats out and make their skin dry as well.

 

3. Put both dogs in their crates while I laid down a flea killing powder in the entire house, let it sit for 1hr, then vacuumed the entire apartment. Then, bathed both dogs in a flea killing shampoo.

 

Result: Annihilated all fleas on both dogs but within a day or so I was able to find a couple on each dog.

 

4. Wash both dogs every 3 days for 2 weeks while also vacuuming the place along the same duration.

 

Result: Same as before

 

 

 

What are some things that I can try to get rid of these fleas? I take my dogs out 3-5 times a day to a community park where a lot of other dogs come & go and I'm sure that's where they originally got them.

 

What can I do?

[Liz P]

This is a modern adaptation of how I used to rid the house of fleas before products like Frontline...

 

1) Remove the dogs from the house. While out give them a Capstar. About an hour later give them a thorough bath with baby shampoo so you can get their heads without worrying about soap in their eyes. While soapy clean out their ears with an ear cleanser (fleas can hid in the ears!). After washing and drying apply Frontline.

 

2) With the dogs still gone (if you live alone you might have to use a groomer) sprinkle flea powder in the brush/flower beds/bushes immediately around the house and any brushy areas in your yard.

 

3) Vacuum, remove the bag/stuff the vacuum picked up and seal it in a plastic bag then throw it in the outside trash bin. Spray a flea killing product on the carpets and upholstered furniture like couches. Remove ALL blankets and dog beds and wash them. If you have a lot of loads seal the blankets in plastic bags while they are waiting to be washed.

 

4) About an hour after spraying the carpets STEAM CLEAN them and the furniture with the hottest water you can get. The steam kills fleas hiding deep in the carpet fibers. It also kills eggs.

 

5) Bring the dogs home.

[jvw]

I thought you had to wait 48 hours after bathing to apply Frontline.

 

Jennifer

[1sheepdoggal]

Fleas in some climates can have eggs that lay dormant in the ground for up to 7 years. Then one day, all things come together, and poof! You have a whole new population of fleas. Some times, neibors fleas can infest your dogs area. You can do all the right things to erdadicate fleas in your nitch, but if neibors dont, your just wasting time and money. I wouldnt suggest putting front line on just after a bath, wait at least 24 hours so that the natural oils have time to distribute back through the dogs coat. Some vets say its better to rotate fleas meds, so that the flea's dont build up an immunity? to the product. I just had a dog in the other day, that had a flea collar on, and it smelled like vanilla! Dont know if it was working on killing the fleas, but it smelled darned good! ( dog didnt have any fleas either, if that helps) When you bath them with flea shampoo, make sure you get ample amounts into the groin area, arm pitts, chest, between the toes and pads, face and ears, fleas like the warm damp areas of a dog. Even if the directions say "kills fleas instantly", Ive seen that it kills some instantly, but not all, and I leave it on for about 5 minuets, but cover the dog while its sitting in suds, with a towel so that its body heat drives the fleas to move about in the shampoo. And remember, depending on what products your using, and depending on the age and fraility of the dogs system, anytime you use a flea and tick product, (unless it is totally natural) you are dumping pesticides into the animals blood stream so dont over to it. I dont use dips anymore , and havent in years, because of the strong reactions that some dogs have to the amount of pesticides in them. So if you decide to go that route, be careful with the mixing. If you have done all the right things, and it sounds as if you have, I would check with neibors about thier flea problems, and what they are doing to control them. I have had this problem myself years ago with some neibors, once in a home with yards, and once in an apartment situation. Turned out, that thier flea problems became my flea problems. Good luck, I hate fleas!

[MaggieDog]

Remember that Frontline doesn't repel fleas, so you may still see fleas on your dog, but they'll be on their way to being dead. Z brought some home from work, but they were sluggish and easily squished. The thing you need to watch for is flea *dirt* as that's a sign the fleas are actually living on the dog.

[Liz P]

I thought you had to wait 48 hours after bathing to apply Frontline.

 

Jennifer

 

Not really. It's more important that they are not bathed after you put it on.

[bc friend]

I had used Frontline since it came out - generally needing only to apply it every other month during spring/summer/early fall. This summer, I used Frontline every month and my dogs still had fleas. My vet recommended changing to Advantix and it worked as long as I applied it every 3 weeks. After the 3rd application, I no longer saw fleas in the house or on the dogs and we seem to be back to normal.

 

Back in the old days before the topicals, I used a flea bomb in the house and had the dogs dipped - always a big concern because of the toxic nature of the dips. I still think the topicals are one of the greatest inventions in the last 15 years!

[bcnewe2]

Way long ago when there wasn't frontline and I had a cat extremely sensitive to flea products we used pine-sol mixed at a rate of what you might use to wash your floors. It would really dry out my hands and they would peel a bit (didn't hurt or cause lasting dryness) and I bet the dogs and cats had the same reaction but it didn't hurt them and got the job done.

 

I've also used Diatimatious (sp?) Earth around the house and barn for other bug control and would think it works for fleas. It's safe to use around the dogs and you wouldn't have to vaccuum it up right away. Make sure if you choose to use DE that you buy the food grade instead of the swimmingpool kind.

 

I've never had a problem since using frontline and would bet your dogs are some how reinfesting themselves on a regular basis. Do you have neighbors close with flea ridden dogs or cats? Have you done something to your yard? If it's the dog park, I'd skip the park. Fleas are totally aggraviating!

 

Good luck

Kristen

[BC'sR4Me]

Here's an old wives "tale" or in this case tail......From before Frontline, advantage and all those nifty little products on the market. It still works for those of us with dogs who have flea sensitivity.

 

I've used it, and it does work, or at least seems to.

 

When bathing your dog add about 6-7 tea bags to about two inches of h20 in the bath tub.

 

The tannic acid in the tea will actually help draw out some of the sting of flea bites (one of my collies has flea allergies, so I still use it when fleas bite her) and helps to deodorize as well.

 

I'm not sure if it will kill the fleas themselves or not, but I don't ever remember having a flea problem before I started using topical flea products.

 

:::shrug::::

 

Hope that helps!

[herdcentral]

I also had an infestation of fleas for years before the new products came out and struggled without much success to control them.

 

I remember vaguely that once the new products came out it still took months for the flea problem to resolve. I rotate frontline, revolution , advantix and program and have not had fleas for years although I live in a situation which is awesome flea breeding conditions - warm weather and sand and lots of neighbourhood dogs.

[Lizmo]

OMG. I'm having the same problem. It actually got so bad my dog's on pills for a while to get rid of the sores she got from scratching herself mad.

 

Nothing seemed to work. I washed bedding, vacuumed like mad, washing my bedding (where she sleeps sometimes), and washed crate blankets.

 

I used Frontline too. We fanilly switched to Vectra 3D and it's gotten a bit better. I'm SOO thankful that we've had a few freezes so the fleas are gone.

[jrid]

There is a new monthly topical flea preparation made by Fort Dodge called Promeris. It is supposed to kill fleas for up to six weeks and ticks for 4 weeks. I think you can only get it at a vet's office.

[juliepoudrier]

I've never had a problem since using frontline and would bet your dogs are some how reinfesting themselves on a regular basis. Kristen

 

Kristen,

Actually a number of folks have had trouble with Frontline (there have been numerous discussions here and on other lists about this), me being one of them. Like with any other flea-control product, fleas seem to eventually become resistant. This process may be occurring at a faster rate in some parts of the country, which is why some people are still having luck with the product while others are not. It's fortunate that new products are coming out because I think it's just a matter of time before the "old" products stop being effective.

 

J.

[Lenajo]

I haven't had fleas like this in years either (and yet it's nothing like 20 years ago when we had to do the horrible dips - I guess we'ved gotton spoiled) My dogs rarely had a problem and I hardly ever had to use a chemical until this year. Even when we traveled a lot, my bunch just didn't get fleas.

 

But this year.... well It's been the year of the parasite if you ask me - the weather was just right for every flea, worm, and nasty out there for dogs, sheep, horses..... Thank doG for cold weather finally as Lizmo said!

 

Tea is soothing for the outside as well as the inside. I'll rinse a dog in chamamile tea if they are really raw. I also put lavender and neem oil in my grooming spray conditioner and it helps with prevention.

 

Frontline used to work down here really well. Now, it's only for a few weeks at best. I have several who have reacted to Advantix - so I really try to avoid that.