Best way to deflea when frontline hasn't worked?

[PigPigTrotters]

Both dogs were dripped with frontline two weeks ago, one dog is still scratching.
What would be the best thing to use?

We use advantage on our cats because frontline stopped working, but can I use it so soon after using frontline?

[toboldlygo]

Possibly a silly question (sorry) but have you actually seen fleas on the dog?

Assuming it's the non prescription blue pipette Frontline then the next stage is environmental control - a house spray like Indorex, RIP Flea, Acclaim etc.

[PigPigTrotters]

Yes, we've seen a flea (assuming one flea is enough to say that's the problem?)

Is it likely that the house is infested then?

[takesnoprisoners]

Have you asked the Vet? We use Advocate and it works well. Good luck!

[insan1tyscartching]

We had Eric itching about three weeks ago, never found any fleas though. Have switched to Advocate though after advice on here. He's no longer itching so suspect it was fleas even if we couldn't see anything.

[SonicSpotlight]

Frontline doesn't seem to work anymore. Advocate is effective.

[BishopBrennansArse]

I use advantage, can be ordered from online pet med stores.

[NeedATrim]

Fleas are now resistant to front line. Advocate is whats used now at my vets. Frontline now rubbish and thats why it can be bought non prescription and found on supermarkets or on Groupon deals

[unlucky83]

I hate frontline!!!
Cat not a dog but we got infested when frontline stopped working . I lost all faith in spot ons. Now I don't regularly treat her and she is outside cat (and we have eg hedgehogs outside so she does bring them in)
Was a battle to get on top of the infestation but now my cat gets a weekly flea comb (with a decent long toothed metal comb) and the house gets a weekly hoover. Until a few weeks ago she had been flea free for 6 months or so - then because of holidays etc neither the hoovering or combing happened as regularly so she did have a few fleas. I gave a Johnsons 4 fleas tablet (kills the fleas on them for 24 hours), more regular flea combs and vacuum every 2 days - now she is more or less clear again.
Fleas can only breed on the animal and the adults stay on the animal - so if you don't let them breed - get rid of them every day or so and let the animal go round acting like a flea attractor to pick them up from the environment you can get rid of them within a few weeks (unless you have a heavy infestation and they are everywhere).
Some research showed that vacuuming picks up 90+% of adult fleas...

[PigPigTrotters]

Can I use advocate now even though he was dripped two weeks ago?

I think I'll ring the vets quickly and ask. Thanks for he replies.

[Fuzzywuzzywasabear]

We get an oral treatment from the vet, we went through weeks of hell when our dogs ended up infested after frontline stopped working, within a week all the fleas were gone! It lasts 3 months can't remember what it's called I think it starts with a B.

[toboldlygo]

Frontline still works (plenty of studies showing that Fipronil is still perfectly effective), it's just so often used incorrectly, IME. The over the counter stuff needs to be used in conjunction with a household spray to be effective against all life stages, otherwise you're going to be continually battling new crops of fleas from the house, they hop on the pet to feed, have time to drop off and reproduce before they cark it, the new eggs hatch anything from days to months later, repeat ad infinitum...

The prescription only Frontline Combo (may now be Frontline Plus?) includes this environmental control as do many others, Stronghold, Advocate etc. Despite this because of their ingenious life cycle it can still take months of consistent treatment to eradicate fleas.

OP do speak to your vet for advice but I would probably spray the house and repeat a spot-on treatment in another two weeks.

[PigPigTrotters]

We have a problem with the spray - household of ASD people who are averse to smells!
We may have to move out for a few days

[OdinsLoveChild]

Bravecto (I think that's what it's called) is very good but only on prescription from your vet. It's a pill and lasts 3+ months each dose.

There's a minimum weight for it though so you will need to go down and be weighed.

[Fuzzywuzzywasabear]

odins that's the one! It's excellent

[PigPigTrotters]

I'm taking him to see the vet nurse on Saturday so I'll ask about that.
They want to see him in case it's not fleas and he's scratchy for another reason, which I hadn't considered.

[Lilmisskittykat]

My vets says frontline doesn't work anymore (and we had the fleas to prove it!)

I got recommended bravecto (sp?) brilliant stuff little dog treat sized chewy that works for months.. No issues since

[chough]

We've always used Advocate on our 11 year old rescue dog, who's been with us for over 6 years.
We just collect at the vets.
They will advise you about changing to the new product.

[unlucky83]

toboldlygo My experience was a few years ago - before this was more widely known - so the vet said exactly what you have - Frontline works. So even though I'd be applying it for months and it had been working - I had to reapply it.
Still had live fleas jumping around on her - mature fleas - not ones that had just jumped on -ones with egg filled abdomens. I started flea combing...cos it was so bad.
(I suggest you reinvestigate the lifecycle of the flea - they stay on the pet (host) lay eggs which fall off with the flea dirt (flea poo - dried blood) -the eggs hatch and the larvae eat the flea dirt. They go through a couple of instars (moults) and then pupate. They can remain dormant as pupae for years until they are disturbed ...that's how they over winter outside - but as long as it isn't freezing as soon as they are disturbed (CO2/vibrations etc) they emerge as adult fleas - jump on a pet, feed and breed - which takes about 48hrs. They can survive on human blood for months they jump on and off but they can't reproduce. )
Anyway the vet said what you did and actually applied it for me - still had mature fleas on her...applied it again and was told I need to spray the house etc. Hmmm - if the frontline is working - killing fleas on the cat and disrupting the lifecycle -why do you need to treat the environment? It would speed the process up - but they would eventually die out ...
Fleas have such a short life cycle that it is believable that some have become resistant. We have issues about antibiotic resistance - bacteria do have a shorter lifecycle but rats (much longer lifecycle) became resistant to warfarin....actually headlice are known to be becoming resistant to some treatments. And if you continue to use these ineffective treatments you are 'selecting for' resistant fleas/bacteria/etc - only the resistant ones survive and thrive (natural selection).
The resistance tests would need to be performed on 'healthy' fleas from a frontline treated pet to be believable ...

[Fuzzywuzzywasabear]

We were exactly the same as unlucky within a week of changing to the oral treatment the cycle was stopped.

At least one other dog at our daycare has had the same problem it was the owners of the daycare that suggested we see the vet as it maybe "super resistant fleas"

[PigPigTrotters]

Frontline has worked on one dog but not the other. Maybe the dog is just an awkward bugger!

[unlucky83]

That is odd pigpig ...
For me even more annoying than the cost of the final treatments before I gave up (although I didn't have to pay for the vet to apply it) was the fact that during that time the infestation was getting worse -and it was already bad because it took me a while to realise I had a problem cos it had been working so well I hadn't been checking. With a flea collar I used to check her with a flea comb every few weeks/months to make sure it was still effective.
Like I said I don't use any regular treatments now but after my frontline experience if I did I would still do regular flea comb checks.

[acatcalledjohn]

PigPig. Indorex is fab, but I get your point about the smell. What I do is open some windows, spray the rooms, and head out for the day. By the evening the smell has almost completely gone (with windows on the smallest opening). I also do upstairs and downstairs separately, so that I can spend time on the non sprayed level if the smell hasn't quite disappeared yet.

[Darklane]

I find using Frontline & Indorex works for us. You do need to give a good hoovering before using it, & washing their bedding regularly, along with the sofa throws helps a lot.
I don't use Frontline on my smallest girl, nor any other spot on, oral treatment etc. She only weighs 5lb &, having a long silky coat, gets bathed once a fortnight. I use a tiny amount of Neem oil in a carrier oil, just a little on the brush, as a detangling coat dressing when she's blow dried.
It seems to work fine to keep us flea free.

[RockinHippy]

PROGRAM anti flea Jab!!

[PigPigTrotters]

Thought I'd update that the dog doesn't have fleas, he has a slight skin infection.
Thank god we went to the vets, poor boy!