Fleas. Any tips please.

[1805]

We have put stuff on dog, hoovered EVERYWHERE, washed EVERYTHING, bathed dog. And still the dog has live fleas on her.
What else can we do?

[theodorakis]

Borax really works, you can buy it in the chemist

[vampirestakeknickers]

Our local fleas (NE Wilts) are now immune to Frontline. Advantix still works though.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

How quickly after applying the spot on did you bath the dog? If it is less than 48 hours and it was anything other than Advocate you will have washed the flea treatment off and need to apply again.
As well as hoovering spraying with a household spray with an insect growth regulator in it (not in all of them) is also really important.

[froopyfraps]

Ask your vet for Comfortis .....

www.comfortis.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

[froopyfraps]

Some vets argue that Advocate is not water resistant to treat fleas. It treats endo parasites by entering into bloodstream but if advocate is washed off or coat gets soaked you will still have problems with fleas (ecto parasites)

[theodorakis]

Sorry to say but the only way I got rid of ticks in my 12 dogs was to kennel them separately until I was convinced the house was clear. Pulling out furniture and spraying every single thing was not enough, we had to have a UPVC window removed because they were laying eggs in the recess. It is well worth considering sending them away for a while, that way the fleas come out of the woodwork and you can zap the bastards, especially if you spend money on a pest control company.

[hattifattner]

We were inundated with fleas from our moggies, even though they were frontlined every month.

we switched to advantage flea drops, away from frontline, (after frontline seemed to become completely useless.) Also allowed us to choose different strengths for different sized moggies.

We hoovered and then washed the carpets using flea shampoo instead of carpet shampoo. Then we sprayed the whole house with a flea treatment too - cant remember the name but got it from the vet - white can with red writing.

We were told that flea spot treatment must be applied to an oily coat for dogs...- so if you have just bathed your dog, there will be no oils on their coat so the treatment will not be as effective.

[pegster]

I recommend advocate on the animal (not closer than 48 hours either side if a bath/swim. Indorex spray on all your floors & soft furnishings. Flea collar inside your Hoover bag.

[1805]

Thanks everyone,
We put Frontline Combo on her last wednesday, and bathed her saturday evening.
We have been using sprayers around the house too.
Today I phoned the council, and they are sending PEST CONTROL out "within 3 days" to blitz the house.

Interesting to hear some fleas have become immune to Frontline.

[1805]

Flea Collar inside the hoover bag?!!
Blimey, can they jump out of the hoover?

[Samvet]

Defo issues with frontline, try another treatment after the house is treated.

[scurryfunge]

Frontline stopped working for my dog. Advocate seems to be working at the moment.

[1805]

ok. votes for Advocate, or Advantage please.
I will treat her again just before the pest people come.

[Screaminabdabs]

Any other experience of Comfortis? Sounds like it could be good for us, because the dog picks up fleas from the garden, left by foxes, then comes straight in with them on him. We could do with a quicker kill.

[ScorpionQueen]

Having similar issues here. We have been told that they are worse this year due to the weather and that they are becoming immune to most over the counter treatments. My next step is new bedding for the dog and a trip to the vets for something strong.

[Screaminabdabs]

Well, I was wondering aloud today if a hard winter would kill the fleas in the garden. Smartass ds suggested that that would be evolutionarily improbable - if a species were easily wiped out by frost/snow. Sigh.

[Screaminabdabs]

I recently asked the vet if there was anything stronger than Advocate that we could put on our dog, and was told no. So I wonder why he didn't prescribe Comfortis?

[hconfused]

[ScorpionQueen]

Are you having to pay a lot of money for the pest people? I think my dog must be picking them up in the field where we walk.

[1805]

£85 through the council, but another company quoted me £160!! I'm guessing the council must subsidise somewhat.
I AM SO ITCHY!!!! I have bites on my legs now.

[Screaminabdabs]

Yes, the bites are itchy beyond belief.

I do wonder how many people are coping with this. At the vet's I said I couldn't believe pet owners routinely put up with it. Not least because it costs a fortune.

[SpicyPear]

We use advocate and it does the job nicely, but then I would hope so for the price!

[hattifattner]

advantage here, we have been free for a year. Plus you can buy it OTC at pet shops.

[1805]

Any vets on here? If we did frontline last wednesday? It doesn't seem to have worked, can I use another product on her tomorrow morning?

Pest people coming tomorrow.

[pegster]

You can do another spot-on product a week after the last. There's nothing in them that reacts together but 2 applications of the alcohol solvents could be irritating to the skin closer together than that.
Oh and the active flea killing ingredient is the same in advantage & advocate (same drug company) but advocate has additional ingredients that do mites & roundworms. Not tapeworms however do would be worth using a good wormer too coz fleas & tapeworms are involved in the same life cycle