urge to herd Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 I was using Advantix for Gibbs and it did the job. The last time I applied it, he was very uncomfortable - rubbed against the furniture, did the upside-down boogie against the carpet, etc. for several days. I figured something in the stuff made his skin burn. So I got Frontline. Not 2 weeks after applying, I saw fleas, and lots of them. The vet says the options are to apply 3 weeks apart, which is still a week away. I'm thinking about getting some Capstar, and applying diatomaceous earth to the carpets, etc, then going to Revolution. Any other suggestions? Ruth and SuperItchyGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 This year I'm using a collar called Seresto, don't know if it exists in US. It lasts 7 to 8 months, and Tess had zero fleas and ticks for the whole time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Poor Gibbs! Seresto is available in the US and I used it the summer before last. I found that after five months, it seemed uneffective on fleas while still very effective on ticks (I have to say that we don't normally have fleas here and so the fleas that we did pick up were after the collars were on for five months already, still killing ticks but apparently not affecting fleas at that point). I have also used Comfortis very successfully against fleas, as well as Trifexis. Again, because we rarely have fleas, I rarely use either product, really only when we are traveling to areas where I feel they might pick up fleas. I've used Revolution on the cats (and when we had house rabbits, on those, when fleas were introduced to our house by a visiting dog). Seresto is pricey but when used for the five to eight months (five months is suggested as the effective life if your dog gets bathed or swims, and eight months if not), it works out to a very reasonable price per month, much cheaper than any other effective treatment I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEC Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 I was using Advantix for Gibbs and it did the job. The last time I applied it, he was very uncomfortable - rubbed against the furniture, did the upside-down boogie against the carpet, etc. for several days. I figured something in the stuff made his skin burn. So I got Frontline. Not 2 weeks after applying, I saw fleas, and lots of them. The vet says the options are to apply 3 weeks apart, which is still a week away. I'm thinking about getting some Capstar, and applying diatomaceous earth to the carpets, etc, then going to Revolution. Any other suggestions? Ruth and SuperItchyGibbs I can sympathize. My BC has not had a problem with fleas, however previous dogs in warmer climates developed infestations. We invite dogs onto our bed, so fleas/ticks -- we just say no. My BC has picked up a tick occasionally (If I forgot monthly applications), I assume from frequent farm work. The day I brought her home from the farm as a little puppy, she had a tick on her back. Almost named her Tick to match the ticking behind her left ear. We have been happy with Frontline. I'm not sure any product is going to rid a dog of all fleas in two weeks. I'm no expert but this website describes the flea life cycle, as well as the fact that most eggs/larvae/pupae live in the environment, and the pupae can take days to more than a month to emerge from sticky cocoons and reinfest. Depends on temperature and other stimulants for time of emergence. Just a heads-up. -- Good luck, TEC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Seresto collars only seem to work about 5 months down here and many people report that their pet seems to feel sick for the first 24 hours after putting the collar on. Frontline doesn't work at all any more here. I've been resorting to Comfortis lately. We seem to have the most fleas in years where we have a wet fall, and guess what we've got this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Seresto is still a bargain, even for five months, if you buy it at a good price - you usually can find them for about $50 online, which works out to $10 a month for both flea and tick control.The application of the Seresto collar did not seem to bother any of our three but some dogs are more sensitive. If you have multiple dogs and Frontline Plus or Advantix works for you, you can buy the larger size and divide up (I use a syringe to pull out doses, measuring carefully), and so save quite a bit per dog. When Frontline Plus or Advantix don't work for me, I find Comfortis and Trifexis do but neither is good for ticks so that's another issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Tess was flea and tick free for a whole 7 months and we live in a warm climate, maybe I lucked out, maybe second time she uses it it won't work for so long, I don't know... but I agree if only for 5 months it will still be a good price for the duration. I buy it for 28 euros at the place I train. She showed no discomfort. She sleeps with me so, please, no fleas or ticks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 I buy it for 28 euros at the place I train. It's cheaper than in a store, don't know how much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Thanks for the replies. I bought the Seresto already and have it on him now. Will observe carefully. TEC, it's not that he still has fleas, it's that he has more today than he had when I applied it. I boarded him for a few days in mid-October, and he had fleas then, again only a couple weeks after I applied the FL. I also applied DE to my carpets, but I didn't do a very thorough job. The best results are from sprinkling it into the carpet and fabric areas then using a broom to really brush it into the fibers. I didn't do the second step, thought I could get away with it. So will do it again, using the full process this time. GG, we're having a wet, warm fall here in Northern CA, too. Last year we had a very cold, very dry winter. Apparently the fleas prefer a moister environment. Will report back on the results. Thanks for all the input. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Knock on wood but when we have had fleas on the dogs, cats, or rabbit, I have not had to treat anything but the animals. Since fleas prefer their chosen host (dog, cat, etc.), an effective flea treatment that both kills fleas and prevents hatching has always worked for us - but we also don't tend to have any *noticeable* resident flea population in our house environs. When I did have two guest dogs and guest rabbit that came complete with a standing case of fleas, I did do some spraying in the house but only in the room where they resided. When we lived in northern VA, we had guests who brought along two Irish Setters, complete with fleas. We had no idea they had fleas. We had guests several weekends in a row, and they all stayed in that room, including the final guests, a couple with a baby. No problems. But when I went into the room (we always kept the door shut to save on heating as we did not have central heat) to get something out of the file cabinet, I noticed all these little "pin pricks" on my lower legs. I pulled up my pants legs to see *fleas* all over my calves! I brushed them off and got out of there, fast, and shut the door and blocked the crevices. We certainly did bomb that room! They must have gone through the stages of the life cycle between the visit of our last guests and my entry into the room, and those emerging adult fleas were ravenous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Frontline quit working for me years ago. I have had the dogs on Comfortis and it worked fine for the past year to 18 months. More recently I have tried Nexguard since it also is effective against ticks. I have been happy with both products. Meanwhile I tried the newer Frontline product (Tritak) on the cats and found a major infestation on one of them, so I fear even that Frontline product isn't working on fleas around here. You can use Comfortis on cats, though, and I will try either that or see if I can find Program somewhere. I think Advantage/Advantix may be losing its effectiveness as well for me. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brndlbc Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 I have been in the structural pest control industry for the last 30 years. Thankfully fleas have not been a huge issue for "us" since the invention of the topical products and IGRs. That said, conversations at some seminars I have attended of late have mentioned that some populations of fleas are becoming resistant to many of the products that are out there. As with bedbugs and roaches, the type of products they are resistant to may vary from region to region. When dealing with fleas indoors, a strong vacuum is one of your best tools (works for roaches too but bedbugs will just flip you the bird and hang on tighter). Flea eggs are not adhesive so will fall off the pet and will usually be found in the areas where the pets sleep or jump down such as off the sofa or bed. Larvae like to hide in cracks and crevices where they will feed on a variety of debris such as flea droppings, dried skin etc as well as hide in pet bedding, carpet etc. Vacuum these areas thoroughly. Vacuuming can also help stimulate the hatching of fleas from their pupal case in which they will often stay until they feel vibrations which indicates to them a potential meal. This is a benefit if you have used any products on the carpeting or floors as the fleas that remain in the pupal cases are protected from the treatments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Spinosad (comfortis, trifexis, comboguard, acuguard, etc) is my favorite for getting rid of fleas fast. You need to speak with your veterinarian about whether or not it would work for you. I do like that it's safe to use in conjunction with topical products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Meier Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Makes me wonder what we are doing different that we don't see fleas, been 6-7 years, knock on wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Throw a piece of a flea collar into your vacuum cleaner bag... that'll kill the buggers you've vacuumed up. I'm lucky, we haven't had a problem with fleas with any of our three. The combination of Sentinel (for heartworm, but also effective against fleas) and Seresto collars (which we get mainly for ticks, but which also helps for fleas) seems to provide enough coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Liz, I have had people swear to me that spinosad (Comfortis) killed their dogs. They are aghast that I'd even consider the product. We all know about correlation and causation, but for the folks who are convinced the product is deadly no amount of noting that it's been safely used by many seems to make any difference. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Alchemist, I'll do that with the excess Seresto collar. Julie and Liz, I'll check with the vet about the spinosad. I don't know why it is, but this the worst that we've had fleas in many years. I'll be vacuuming daily for a few days, then will re-apply the DE and do the whole process this time. Updates to follow. I love having everyone's ideas and experience - you guys ROCK! Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 You think we're not just a bunch our-way-or-the-highway meanies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 No, I don't. I NEED the expertise and perspective of all of you. I get to choose whose advice I take, but I almost always take something away that I really needed to read. And I appreciate the options that are laid out for me. I find it tiresome that some individuals only want to read, "Oh, that's a FABULOUS idea - I'm sure you'll be brilliant!" they picked the wrong board. Ruth and SuperGibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess's Girl Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I've used Revolution and Sentinel, both have worked well for fleas. Revolution much better for ticks. This summer I used the Scalibor tick collar. My vet was doing a deal, buy 6 months of Revolution and get it for free. Worked excellently. Didn't find a single flea or tick on Tess the all summer. It worked for a solid 6 months, but it was also cold by that time so it may be that there just weren't any fleas at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippin's person Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Ruth, we had a serious flea problem one summer. Neither FL or Advantix worked. Comfortis did and none of ours had any trouble handling it. Like Julie, we used Nexguard and it was also excellent. Both are pricey but they worked well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to spend a lot of $$ the damn stuff better work, so I'm okay paying the price for Comfortis or Nexgard knowing that at least the fleas will be dead. It irks the hell out of me to pay that kind of money for Frontline or Advantage and find that I could have spit on them and gotten the same result... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilyfalk Posted December 10, 2014 Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 I'm a fan of Vectra because it has a fast kill time and repellant property for ticks. I hate tick-borne diseases so much, and some products take too long to kill the attached tick. Works great for fleas, too. Just providing another option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I had not heard of Vectra, Emily. Another product to consider! PS - The Seresto collar is supposed to have some repellent qualities, at least with regards to ticks. I'm good with the concept that it not only kills a tick that bites but that it (or any other product) reduces the likelihood of bites in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippin's person Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 I think you have to be careful with Vectra if you also have cats. Is that right, Emily? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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