Fleas AAAAGH! (Long rant)

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Sorry I know the subject of fleas has been done to death but I am at my wits end.
Old cat left us with a flea problem when she died. She had been treated but towards the end of her life she seemed unable to get rid of them. After she died poor DS and Dh were getting bitten. Myself and other Ds not touched.
Treated house with Acclaim, washed everything I could on high, hoovered like a loony, re treated house, you get the picture.
Fleas seemed to be going. On return from Holiday several fleas hopped on DH and Ds. We caught them and drowned the buggers. I was expecting this as I know flea spray doesn't kill the chrysalis stage of their life cycle. Re hoovered, re sprayed, re washed.
Got new cat who has been treated. Thought that was the end of it.
Today I saw a large adult flea on her! My beautiful new cat has now been infected. She's scratching. I feel really guilty and stressed to be honest. I don't know what else to do. Her next treatment (advocate) is due beginning of Sept. Having extensively (obsessively!) googled, I have read that sometimes the only answer is to get the council out, which involves leaving the house for the day, then again for the day two weeks later. Am reluctant to go through this but obviously will if we have to.
Any help/suggestions very gratefully received.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Advocate will kill the fleas, it'll be in her system. It won't stop her getting fleas and you kind of need her in the house getting bitten for it to work.

You can get program injections twice a year to stop any fleas that bite her breeding. It's £35 in our surgery.

Indorex is available in pharmacies for the house, it kills eggs and larvae if memory serves.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Thanks fluffy that has reassured me a bit. I will ask vets about the injections. Would that be in addition to, or instead of the advocate? Thanks so much for replying, I am feeling a bit irrational about the whole situation!

[CreamCrackerundertheSettee]

I'll join you in a flea rant if you like. My two have been treated religiously every month with Broadline for over a year yet I discovered last week that they are riddled with the buggers. £120 at the vet on some 3 monthly stuff, a steroid injection and a tin of flea spray. It better bloody work.

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's in addition to the advocate. You can ask for private prescriptions for flea meds & buy it online for much less.

The script will be £10 or so.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Thanks again for that advice fluffy I am going to call the vets and get that sorted. Cream it is a nightmare isn't it? I have asked about broadline on here as my vet originally suggested it - apparently broadline contains the same active ingredient as frontline which is becoming less effective. I asked them to swap it for advocate. I know more about the flea life cycle than I ever wanted to. Not sure we'll ever get rid of them completely. Ugh.

[CreamCrackerundertheSettee]

It is a nightmare! I have no idea what they were given but is given 12 weekly and not long been licensed in cats. I've found one sick looking flea since spraying the house but nothing else yet. I popped it between my thumb nails. Very satisfying.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Or drown them in soapy water. Also satisfying. Let me know if that treatment works! Apparently only 5% of flea population are on your cat, the rest are in your house! (sorry you didn't want to know that did you?)

[Daffodils8]

Agh! I'm having a major problem with fleas too! I have a gorgeous 8 year old cat but last week I got a kitten. He's absolutely adorable but arrived with hundreds of fleas!

The seller told me she had put flea treatment on him the day before I bought him but I'm not sure if it's true because 4 days later, I am still finding them everywhere. . I've been using the flea comb twice a day but the vet said I can't use any treatment as the lady told me she had.

My lovely 8 year old cat is now starting to itch too.

Let me know if you find a miracle solution. (Sherlock is getting his jabs tomorrow so I'll let you know if the vet tells me anything!)

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Oh dear daffodils you will have to treat your house really thoroughly, but if the kitten still has fleas it will be a losing battle. Hopefully the vet can give you some good advice. Good luck!

[Fluffycloudland77]

The vet will know what to do. It's a different treatment if the kitten is very young but there's options.

Prescription meds are the only option these days.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

This year is proving to be a particularly bad year for fleas and remember if the summer has been bad the Autumn will be bad so don't let up you vigilance.
In several cases we have had to move this summer to off licence use of prescription meds to bring problems under control, this advice can only be given directly to you by your vet, so seeing them is essential. In the worst cases we have needed to combine the use of three different products along with fortnight house treatments.

[Cakescakescakes]

We had to have our home treated by pest control. And we don't even have pets! Problem was bird mites/fleas apparently. It was fine. Lifted everything off the floor where possible, went out for the day then came home and no more problems. Best £130 I ever spent. Had tried loads of things (hoovering, salt etc) before this.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Thanks lone for your advice. Our vets don't seem particularly clued up about it but I will ring today and ask about the injection, seems to make sense. Also makes me feel a bit better that I am not alone!

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Have just booked her in for a program injection. Fingers crossed it works!

[cozietoesie]

Don't forget to worm them as well.

[Itchyyyy]

I feel your pain! I'm having a nightmare too. The thing is you don't actually know what's working and what isn't. Remember to treat your garden too as well as your house. I've found my garden to be riddled!

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Urgh I didn't even think about the garden, she hasn't been out yet but she will be in a week or two. Our garden is huge with loads of hidden areas to explore so I don't actually think I'd have a chance of treating it, it would be like trying to treat a paddock! So I am pinning my hopes on the injection and advocate working together to get rid. Alongside more hoovering and spraying I guess. Such fun.

[currytoohot]

Can I join the rant. Dcat is 4 and never had them before. I get the flea treatment from vet every month but house has been riddled for the last month. I have sprayed everywhere 3 times with the spray vet has given me that is supposed to work for 12 months. I have used salt, bowls with washing up liquid and water, you name it, I've tried it.

I spoke to the vet last week when Dcat went in for his yearly injection and they said it could be fleas in the garden. There a a couple of neighbourhood cats that use our garden to toilet. How do I get rid of them from the garden? Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Fleas in the garden was being discussed on another thread on this board. Its called FLEAS. Weird cat. Maybe have a look for some hints. I am hoping that the program injection tomorrow will help us in our fight. DS thinks he had another bite today but the rate is definitely slowing down, so maybe we are winning. I bloody hate bloody fleas.

[currytoohot]

Thanks, will have a look now :)

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Just thought I'd update. Took Lottie to the vets for her program injection. The vet did a flea comb and found one very dozy but large flea, she said that's the advocate working. She explained how the injection means that female fleas will no longer be able to lay eggs and said the problem should be gone within 3 months. I am so hopeful that she will be our living flea destroyer! Thanks so much to fluffy who suggested this, I had no idea it even existed as an option and cannot understand why the vet didn't recommend it in the first place. It just seems to make sense.
The best thing, as an aside, was bringing Lottie home, she could not get out of that cat box fast enough and is now flaked out after all the excitement. Think she wondered where on earth she was going next, was so nice to bring her home!

[acatcalledjohn]

Quickly glanced through and have seen no mention of Indorex. It has killed a massive infestation here before when combined with Advantage spot on.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virbac-Animal-Health-Indorex-Spray/dp/B004M9SA0C?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Geraldthebug]

I haven't seen any mention of worming here? Maybe that's the problem? My vet says fleas & worms are linked and the two must be treated in tandem for the fleas to go. My vet also says Frontline is ineffective now as the fleas have built up resistance.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

She's being wormed too. I didn't realise the link between fleas and worms actually but she's set up now with a monthly payment at the vets which covers everything. Indorex and Acclaim have both worked for us but its keeping on top of the newly hatched ones which has been tricky. I believe the sprays cannot kill them in the chrysalis stage which is why you need to keep the cat treated too.