flea control

[clgirl]

our sweet 3-month-old shepherd puppy is getting eaten alive by fleas and she's on the frontline one-spot formula which cost us $75. what should we do? it just doesn't seem to be working. tonight we're going to the pet store to buy flea fogger for the backyard and yet another flea shampoo. we don't seem to have them in the house, but she seems so miserable and it's making us miserable, too. any suggestions? does anyone have any experience with frontline or revolution?

[MrsReber]

I've been using Frontline for years and have never had a flea problem. Does your dog maybe have a flea allergy? It only takes one bite for that to flare up. I had a dog who had a horrible reaction to flea bites. Just a thought. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you about the fleas. Frontline has been the best thing I've ever used. Good luck!

[clgirl]

i actually see the fleas on her-of all sizes. we gave her the first dose on june 12-should we give her another one now, or do we have to wait for exactly 30 days?

[lhall]

I've only used the front line spray, which is supposed to be good for 90 days on dogs.

I did have a dog who got infested with fleas after staying with my grandmother for a week. It was awful getting the fleas under control, and it took months.

I would bathe her, but the next day she was covered in just as many fleas. I ended up treating the carpet, bathing the dog, and fleas spraying the dog several times a week.

Oh, and you do probably have them in the house if she's that infested. Vacuum and toss the bag! Fleas can and will breed in your vacuum cleaner.

Have you called your vet?

Leigh

[RunnerKim]

Your poor pup! He sounds miserable. You probably do have fleas in the house (their eggs at least) if your pup has that bad of a problem. Vacuum daily (if not twice) and throw out the bag. If you have a steam vac (you can rent them) it would be ideal to use that on your carpets. Wash any linens that dog sleeps on. Regular soap and water kills fleas.

Here's a good web site that discusses the uses of different products that are available.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?siteid=12&acatid=169&aid=315

Generally speaking fleas only infest un-healthy animals (stressed animals included) so work to get your pup as healthy as possible to prevent re-infestions (start with feeding quality food). Talk with your vet if you can't get the problem under control soon though - dealing with fleas is a big pain (for both you and the dog!).

Kim

[beckms]

We've only heard raves at the vet I work for with regards to Frontline. However, you are supposed to wait at least 48 hours before bathing after you've applied the dose. Could it be that your dog got wet or was bathed too soon after you applied it?

Also, many people simply apply the Frontline just to the surface of the fur, when in fact you have to part the fur and apply directly to the skin. Maybe that's the problem?

And I agree with others...you most likely have a flea infestation in your house and yard if your dog is being bothered that much. If you're not already, you should use Frontline PLUS, as opposed to Top Spot; the Plus gets rid of flea eggs in addition to killing the adults.

Do you get the Frontline from your vet or do you mail-order it from one of those cheaper dealers? The company that makes Frontline only guarantees their product if it is purchased from a vet clinic, because that's the only way they are sure of the storage and shipping conditions. Maybe you should try another dose from your vet, or another brand, like Advantage?

Did you mean to say that you applied the last dose on July 12th? Because June 12th was a long time ago...

But regardless of the advice you receive here...I always tell people to call their vet to confirm!

[stefania4]

Hartz also makes a spray for upholstery, doggie bedding, carpet - anything porous on which your dog may have settled and could therefore be contaminated with fleas. We got it at Target.

One word of warning - there is a new product called Advantix K-9 (or something similar), that is supposed to repel mosquitoes as well. Our vet tried it on a few dogs and they all threw up and got diarrhea; I heard from someone else that their dog got a chemical burn from it. Stick with Frontline, regular Advantix, or some other reputable product.

[beckms]

Originally posted by stefania4
Stick with Frontline, regular Advantix, or some other reputable product.

Unless there's a product that I'm not familiar with, the correct name is Advantage, NOT Advantix. Beware similar-sounding brands from pet stores that are not sold by veterinarians. For example, Bio-Spot is a knock-off of Frontline Top-Spot...but can cause problems in your dog and (I believe...) is downright harmful to cats.

Although it may be more expensive, it's a good rule of thumb to only buy flea products from your vet, not from a pet-store.

[hlao23]

Regarding vacuuming...I've read that it helps to keep a cut-up flea collar in your vacuum bag.

I'd definately talk to the vet b/f you give a flea shampoo...especially with such a young dog. You don't want to harm a developing nervous system by over-exposing her to chemicals.

[dixie]

We had a similar problem this year. We've successfully used Frontline for several summers and never had a problem but this year my little jack russell was still getting lots of fleas within about 2 weeks after the first application of the season. I called the vet and she said that it is a really bad flea year and to go ahead and give our dog a second application at 3 weeks. We did, and it seems to have worked this time....so if you applied on 7/12, then go ahead and reapply now. Then follow everyone's suggestions about the house! And btw, our dog does get a really bad reaction from even one flea bite and she's on oral prednisone for that which helps SO much.

[Leisa M]

we also use Frontline. We use Sentnel(sp?) as well. Our dog has oral and topical. We have only once had a problem with fleas, but not since the Frontline and Sentnel (sp?).

We also give year round since we are in TX and don't get cold enough long enough to kill fleas.

Also, vaccuum you house and wash everything! Maybe even a fogger if you have that much problem. Our dog got the fleas at a friend's house and we started bathing her and cleaning the house ASAP.

[clgirl]

thanks everyone! yes, we live in alabama and my vet also said that this was a really bad year. i gave her a flea bath and it seemed to help, but i'm going to ask the vet if i can give her another round. i'm the type of person who usually gets flea bites, but i haven't had any and i haven't seen any in the house-but we just bought it and the woman who lived there had 2 poodles, so maybe the yard is where they're lurking. all i can say is that i'm glad the summer is almost over! she's going to love the cooler (well, not that much cooler!) weather in the late-fall.;)

[luv2cook]

This is what a severely allergic cat to fleas and food can do:
My vet said you can give Advantage once a week if you have to to quell the flea epidemic (or in our case to eradicate!http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/pe1f52c5a7b0575e823ef53b6704a3572/fb75df95.jpg.thumb.jpg

I'm not sure why these pics are so small....I'm really not liking ImageStation at the moment. It's very slow and I can't figure out how to directly upload them. The only choice is upload again after you've uploaded!!!http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/p0080ffd6dc5e6ca977aebf47fe156078/fb75d723.jpghttp://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid73/paa05d0cb8dcd0c32b29b401cc32fbfd1/fb75d54f.jpg

[luv2cook]

ok. I'm tired of jacking w/ImageStation. My point is that it is safe to use Advantage more than once a month to get fleas under control.

[mbrogier]

Avon Skin so Soft also repels fleas...they hate it. It does make the hair greasy, but that could keep the fleas off until the flea medicine kicks in. Of course, if you apply that inside the house, the fleas are just going to jump off the dog and into the carpet...

You might want to get the yard sprayed for fleas.

[Leisa M]

Originally posted by clgirl
thanks everyone! yes, we live in alabama and my vet also said that this was a really bad year. i gave her a flea bath and it seemed to help, but i'm going to ask the vet if i can give her another round. i'm the type of person who usually gets flea bites, but i haven't had any and i haven't seen any in the house-but we just bought it and the woman who lived there had 2 poodles, so maybe the yard is where they're lurking. all i can say is that i'm glad the summer is almost over! she's going to love the cooler (well, not that much cooler!) weather in the late-fall.;)

Check with your vet and see if you can keep your dog on it yearround. That way you have a jump on next year's fleas as well. Also, spray the yard and get the house cleaned, even if you have to have a steam cleaner come.

Sooner or later you will get them eradicated;)