Frontline & fleas

[HammerHorror]

I've recently found a couple of fleas on my younger DCat. I know they can jump on from other sources and survive 24 hours but I don't know where they're coming from.

I frontline her every 4 weeks and she had a dose on Saturday. I've just found another one!

There's no sign of any on our old girl. No one in the house has been bitten.

In fact, our old girl has a bad leg so both DCats have been housebound for a couple of weeks... so... where are the fleas coming from?? Does frontline definitely work??

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Frontline is a very old product, it first came to market in about 1987. It is not as rapid kill around ( 24-48 hours) as modern products (kill time in some products instant though not long lasting, but long lasting formulations 2-4 hours).
At this time of year most likely source is your carpets.

[Wolfiefan]

I’ve read on here it’s ineffective. Vet I spoke to said it did work but you also needed to treat the house every 6 months. I would use a better product. Speak to your vet.

[wombatsears]

Frontline doesn't work anymore. Fleas are resistant to it. Try Stronghold or Advocate from vets.

[HammerHorror]

How have the fleas got into our carpets??

[HammerHorror]

Are other products only available from the vet?

[gamerchick]

Fleas don't live on the animal, they live in the house. If they go out then they have picked them up, brought them home and now they are busy laying eggs all over your house.

You need to treat the house and change your spot on to one that works.

[Wolfiefan]

Indorex the house and speak to the vet about a better treatment.

[wombatsears]

Are other products only available from the vet?

The ones that work are because they contain stronger chemicals. Supermarket and pet shop brands won't work at all. Get a room spray from the vets too to treat all carpets in your house

[HammerHorror]

Oh FFS! Right ... we have tiled floors downstairs and carpet upstairs. Do I need to get flea powder on all of it or just the carpet? Furniture? Bedding?

[Wolfiefan]

Flea powder and flea bombs are a waste of money. Indorex the house.
There is a spot on you can buy OTC that does work but given you’ve recently dosed with frontline you should consult a vet.

[HammerHorror]

Luckily/ or not-so-luckily, old girl is going in for an x-ray tomorrow so we can ask about other products.

Fucksake, fleas!!!!!!! They've never had fleas!

[HammerHorror]

This stuff?...

[Wolfiefan]

Hope all is ok. We use advocate spot on. Never seen a flea. Bloody things!!!!!

[Wolfiefan]

That’s the stuff. Read instructions very carefully!

[gamerchick]

Get about 4 tins of this stuff.

www.amazon.co.uk/Virbac-INDOREX-Indorex-Flea-Spray/dp/B00GKHI2PW?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Hoover everywhere to an inch of its life and spray around the skirting boards of every room/passage/carpets/rugs and where cats sleep. Don't spray the cats and cover any tanks with fish in and whatnot.

Treat the stuff with respect, it's quite toxic. Ventilate well.

Get advocate from the vets for the cats.

Or get a dude in to treat the house, might be worth the money.

[LEMtheoriginal]

Indorex

Fleas live in nooks and crannies and carpets, bedding, soft furnishings.

You need to break the life cycle - so kill those in the environment and those on your cats. Also will need worming as fleas carry tapeworm

[HammerHorror]

What about tiled floors? There's no carpets at all downstairs.

Fleas carry tapeworm??? WTF???

Our cats were born overseas in a country with no fleas but lots of tics. I thought tics were the worst, apparently I was wrong!!

We have two toddlers. Do we need to evacuate them for a weekend or would a day at nursery be ok?

[LEMtheoriginal]

For indorex a day at nursery would be fine. I would not use it in their rooms either. But would wash all bedding on a boil wash.

They get anywhere dark and warm. You have eggs and larvae to get rid of . Once you have blitzed the place regular treatment with a spot on such as advocate will be sufficient with six montly tapeworm prevention. You should also be treating for roundworm every three monyhs if using frontline. Advocate does for roundworm but not tapeworm.

Don't freak out. I defy any pet owner to say they have never had fleas. They will at some point have had them.

Please avoid supermarket/pet shop preparations as they can be dangerous to cats.

Your vet or nurse will advise on the best combination they offer.

Fleas are irritating little fuckers and no one wants a tapeworm but tgey no longer carry the plague so stop panicking!

[Wolfiefan]

Yep. Old girl had a flea allergy. If we were even a couple of days late treating her she would generally pick up one or two and ITCH!!!!
I’m really careful now. We have cats whose main mission in life is to torment the dogs. If they could infect her with some parasite or other then they would consider it a job well done.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

It takes one flea to infect your house as the breed rapidly. Five fleas will have 4000 descendants in 1 month assuming 25% of laud eggs due. When you turn on the heating the lifecycle gets faster.
The most common time of year for severe flea infestation is November.
Treat the cats with a prescription product I would use advocate, primo box or bravecto and spray the house with Indorexx, RIP or acclaim.

[HammerHorror]

It's making me itch just thinking about it!

Old girl has her prescription flea treatment and I'm taking the younger girl next week to get her prescription.

Indorex has been ordered and is on its way.