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Original poster

AAAAGH! Fleas!

20 replies

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 12:36

Just back from 2 weeks away... dog and two cats boarded out elsewhere... place is hopping.

I am blitzing the house with a spray of something toxic but what is the best flea stuff for the pets themselves?

They were flaming well Frontlined FGS!

OP posts:

GetOrfMoiRing · 06/08/2012 12:39

I feel your pain.

Frontline stopped working on my cats this year and we got fleas.

I tried Advantage (no good) and then got Advocate from the vets (prescription only). This worked brilliantly and we also got a bottle of Indorex flea spray for the house, which lasts 6 months apparently. Gutted the house and sprayed this stuff and haven't seen any fleas since.

TantrumsAndOlympicGoldBalloons · 06/08/2012 12:43

Yy to advocate. Also the vet can prescribe a spray and a powder for the house.

It's bloody expensive but works really well.

Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 13:00

I will give Advocate a go - is is a back-of-the-neck kind of thing? Having googled it, is is Advocate Spot On?

I am doing the house with Canovel "Home Blitz PLus" which was what I got at the local pet shop. I think it will do the job.

OP posts:

BadRoly · 06/08/2012 13:02

We use advocate on the big cat but our new kitten is hopping we took him to the vet to be frontlined but I have picked 2 off him today - I use a nit comb on him

Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 13:04

Advocate doesn't seem to do Ticks, which Frontline did.

[weeps]

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Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 13:04

2? 2? I got more off my son than that! [wail]

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ShowOfHands · 06/08/2012 13:09

Frontline stopped working here last year. Fleas are resistant to it now. We had a major infestation and it took several rounds of spray, the council coming in and spraying, several flea bombs and daily hoovering for 9 weeks before we were clear. I was in a very, very bad mood. We use Advocate now.

ShowOfHands · 06/08/2012 13:10

My Mum is hand rearing kittens atm and they're having to be nitcombed daily. She thinks she's beaten it. They were frontlined with the kitten stuff but it didn't work.

GetOrfMoiRing · 06/08/2012 13:13

Advocate does worms and ear mites, which is a bonus as one of my boys had to have ear drops for his mites (which was fun).

It is expensive, and I have 4 cats

They do it in 2 strengths soup, 8mg for cats over 4k, 4mg for little cats, so you will need to take the cats to have them weighed if they haven't been to the vet recently.

I have never had fleas before, I thought I was safe because I don't have carpet. But no. Apparently they can live in floorboard cracks, the bastards.

GetOrfMoiRing · 06/08/2012 13:13

I never thought about nitcombing the cats.

How would that work anyway? They just hop off to pastures new when you comb them out, surely.

Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 13:22

I really need one that does ticks... I think this is how we ended up with Frontline.

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GetOrfMoiRing · 06/08/2012 13:53

Yes I am worried as one of my cats is really susceptible to ticks, and frontline helped with that.

JustinBoobie · 06/08/2012 17:01

We have one cat, I've never had cats before (she was rescued) she was hopping with the feckers a few weeks ago and the only reason I knew they were in the house because I noticed (going to the loo in the night) that had about 9 on each leg!!!!!!!! FEASTING!!!! OH GOD!!!!!!!!! Of course they only eat me, otherwise I think I would pack everyone up and leave!!

I have bought most every single product from Pets At Home, not knowing any better - I keep hopping (pardon the pun) on MN for the wonderous advice from fellow flea haters/eradicators!

I really, really appreciate all the advice - anything else??? Do I need to strip my home bare? (DH, 2DD's plus one mog) Take the beds out etc? I noticed two yesterday and one this morning, so we are definately not flea free yet!!!

Another cry for help and soup sorry for the hijack! I'm stuggling massively with this - loosing sleep the lot. I feel so DIRTY...

Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 17:10

Oh, I wanted to weep when DS1 complained about the "little flies" all over DS2's legs. I knew what they were.

You need to hoover every day and empty your hoover bag after each time according to the nice lady at our vet. She agreed that Frontline had outlived its effectiveness now. I have just Advocated the cats, having picked them up from the cattery and am hoping they will work like a flea magnet in the house and attract any of the stray feckers who will then die.

The Home Blitz Plus (£10.50) I bought from the pet shop seems to have done the job as I've been in the affected rooms (i.e. the house :o) and waited to see if any were on my feet and legs.

I am washing the children's bedding and linen and will most likely wash every item of clothing in their rooms along with any stuffed animals whilst they are at their fathers.

OP posts:

FlyMeToDunoon · 06/08/2012 17:23

I did Frontline every three weeks, Indorex around all skirting boards and hovered every day. I didn't change the bag as Miele one are too expensive. I also bought a flea trap which was very satisfying!
Worked well.

FlyMeToDunoon · 06/08/2012 17:24

Hoovered.

JustinBoobie · 06/08/2012 17:24

I've given myself bum strain from hooving so much, (you know, that ache you get if you go bowling... random) I wont stop until I am absolutely sure they are all gone...

I've got a George (Henry's big bro) so pretty sucky! I need empty the bag? Are they that clever? Okay. They are tough to empty, but I'll make it so. I will definately be washing everything! Although wont they be able to just hop back into my clean clothes while I'm still treating the house?

WOE IS ME!!!!!

We throughly skint from buying so much stuff that doesn't work I can't live in a home with fleas. DH says if you have a pet, you have to put up with the fact you might get fleas at home... No. Can. Do. But see, that's because the fucker doesn't get bitten by them.

Original poster

SoupDragon · 06/08/2012 17:33

I have treated the house and am now washing stuff mainly because I realise I shouldn't have sprayed bedding or clothes but I panicked and sprayed everywhere.

I think your DH is right - you do have to accept a certain amount of parasites with pet ownership (much like owning a child!). That doesn't mean you should do nothing about it though.

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BettyandDon · 06/08/2012 17:36

Sorry for the hijack, but has anyone tried the Program flea jab that you can get at the vets ? I'm thinking about it as I seem to be spending a fortune on Frontline (vet prescp), plus Advocate. I am treating my kitty every 2 weeks. Nothing works longer than that.

Does anyone know if long haired cats are more problematic with fleas ? I am wondering if they can live in their hair without being killed...

tim6587 · 07/08/2012 21:12

Here's 2 tips for fleas.

If you suspect you have fleas, or know you have them if you put a tea light thingy into a bowl of water so it floats, close the curtains in the room, turn off the light and making sure there are no fire hazards light the tea light. Leave the room for a bit, making sure theres no chance of burning the house down!! when you return you will find lots of the little fleas floating in the water.
Buy yourself some decent flea treatments and sprays but NOT and i mean NOT from your local vet. Vets charge a lot for things whereas you can buy flea treatment and sprays online from companies such as www.buycatinsurance.co.uk via their medical supplies links.

There are an absolute nightmare but believe me once they have been eradicated it's fine. We have always used frontline and never had a problem, we only got fleas because someone IE: ME forgot to treat them.

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