Just found a flea walking on my baby!!

[SpikeGilesSandwich]

I've been using very expensive Frontline plus religiously this year but I've woken up to bites on my ankles today and just found a bastard flea walking on my baby's head!

(Human baby btw, not Dcat, although I will be checking her too as soon as she'll sit still)

[ownedbySWD]

My sympathies. We had a horrible time getting rid of fleas and my baby got bitten more than once. The only really effective treatment was combing the cats every other day, hoovering daily, washing cushion covers (I've also packed a load of cushions into vacuum bags) and spreading diatomaceous earth into the gaps between floorboards. We don't have carpet in most of the house so that helped a lot. It was still a huge hassle and I only just found another flea yesterday. Here we go again.

[SpikeGilesSandwich]

Thanks Owned, I'm so pissed off, I was told by the pet shop that buying the really expensive flea drops would kill the eggs and mean I wouldn't have to treat the house. I'm really struggling with life at the moment and this is the last thing I need.
Plus my cat hates being combed, bites me and runs away. 😾

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

I was told by the pet shop that buying the really expensive flea drops would kill the eggs and mean I wouldn't have to treat the house.

That’s not true at all you’d always have to treat the house or your house would constantly reinfect your cat.

Frontline has debatable success at the moment, too, there is evidence to suggest that fleas are becoming immune to it as it’s used so much.

[SilverSpot]

Frontline doesn't work.

You need Advocate on prescription from the vet and you need to treat the whole house with indorex, wash all the pet bedding on a super-hot wash and hoover every day for like 10 days or something.

The fleas don't live on the pet - they live in the house. The hoovering wakes up the eggs so they hatch and get killed by the indorex and you have to do that over the whole life cycle.

[EachandEveryone]

I use Broadline from the vet is that any good?

[SpikeGilesSandwich]

Thanks for all the advice, looks like we will have to find the money to go to the vet.
Stupid sodding fleas!

[SilverSpot]

@EachandEveryone if you haven;t got fleas then I guess it must be!

[thecatneuterer]

Fleas have become resistant to Frontline. If you don't want to go to the vet you can buy Advantage in chemists and in Pets at Home, and that works. And for the house you need Indorex or Acclaim.

[Weedsnseeds1]

Another vote for diatomaceous earth for treating the house. It genuinely works!

[RatRolyPoly]

Yep, Frontline doesn't work. I wish everyone knew this, is such a waste of time and money.

Use Advantage, or Advocate as a pp said, but Advantage doesn't need a prescription.

[Polter]

I use Advantage, it's about £10 for 4 months supply from the online vet meds stores.

[flumpybear]

Get it from your vet only, pet shops can only sell the rubbish stuff - also use the house spray but i tend to spray it, shut all the doors and leave the house for the day then hoover when I get home

Also - fwiw don’t feel bad as I had to take my DD to the doctors because one of the cats shed a bloody tick on her!!!!! Her head too I was horrified, so was the GP - thankfully by the time I got there it had dropped off

[pilates]

We use program which is an injection given at the vets. It’s about £50 and lasts for 6 months, never had a flea since we’ve had her for the last three years.

[Soubriquet]

As long as you keep treating your animals with a vet prescription flea killer, you can actually get away with not treating the house though it takes a little longer.

Fleas don't want to bite humans. We aren't their ideal diet. They do it out of hunger and desperation. So by treating the animal, they are jumping on them and dying before they have a chance to lay eggs. The eggs that have been laid hatch, jump on the animal and die. Therefore breaking the cycle

Like I said it can take up to 2 weeks using this method and you must religiously deflea the animal every month, but it works

[Polter]

That's not true flumpy, Advantage does work.

[LadyWire]

Urgh I'm having a terrible time with fleas atm. Indorex has helped and the kitten isn't too bad but the bigger cat is all scabs 😔 I'll have to try advocaat

Poor you and poor baby though xx

[LadyWire]

Ha! Think I mean advocat not advocaat!

[sandgrown]

My dog has a Seresto flea collar prescribed by the vet after nothing else worked. Expensive but it lasts 8 months and seems very effective (available for cats)

[GerrytheBerry]

Was just about to post exactly what silver spot said

[schoolgaterebel]

I agree, advocate from the vet is the only thing that works, frontline is rubbish (expensive rubbish!)

[Sparrowlegs248]

I had this exact same thing. Flea on ds head.

Advocate for the cat, indorex for the house. Hoover thoroughly, spray house, wash cat beds, treat cat. Repeat hoover spray and beds after two weeks and again two more weeks on.