# Fleas!



## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

We are having a huge flea problem. We have 3 dogs and 5 cats. All of them are on flea prevention: Advantage for the cats and Advantix for the dogs. Riley, my 15 month old golden is the only one that I can easily check regularly for fleas (one's coat is too thick and the other doesn't hold still long enough). Every time I check her I find at least 2 fleas (alive). Yesterday I found 5. She is not due for Advantix for 2 weeks. We gave this dose 3 weeks after the last with the approval of the vet. I know the fleas have to bite to be killed. Is it possible they are picking them up each and every time they go out. Shouldn't the fleas be dead hours after the dogs come in from outside?

I'm not sure what to do now. I thought about having the yard sprayed but they walk twice a day in other areas where fleas are likely. So will I be wasting my time spraying? My house is all solid surface floors so I don't plan on having it treated.

In the past we have tried Revolution and the vet is not recommending Frontline, says it's not working very well in this area. I am considering Comfortis. I know several people on the forum use is. Any advice?

Also, Riley has begun allergy shots. Her main allergy is to fungus. I am wondering now if her itching and scratching isn't due in part to fleas. At first glance you see no sign of fleas (no flea poop). But I find them when I start looking. She is driving herself and us crazy with the scratching!


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

Have you looked into giving Capstar to your animals along with the other treatments? http://www.capstar.novartis.us/

This may help with the current fleas that are on them?

Good luck with it all, fleas are such a pain to deal with.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I can't offer much help but I do understand your problem. We lived in FL many years ago when hubby was in the USAF. This was before the day of Frontline, Advantix etc. When we were getting ready to leave the state I took our dog to the vet to get a flea dip. When I picked her up I was told "Carry her to the car & don't even let her feet touch the ground". Fleas were a terrible problem for us in FL.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

It may be time to get a professional flea exterminator. When I lived in an apartment back in the early 90s (luckily a tiny apt!), my new poodle had fleas, so I had to "flea-bomb" the house. Basically I had to set off a canister of flea poison. Obviously no people or pets should be in the house during that time, nor for several hours afterwards. Not even sure if this method is available any more, though.

Bottom line, an exterminator may be your best bet. And, of course, keep the pets on the flea meds.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Yes definitely treat the yard and the house, any fleas they bring in from their walk will be killed by the residual treatment.

Give all your pets a Capstar pill, it can be given daily, or Comfortis which is a once a month oral pill, that will kill any fleas currently on them, but you have to get the fleas out of the environment or they will pick them up again.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

If a dog has a super thick coat you may want to get him/her professionally groomed... during the bathing and drying process the loose hair will be brushed/blown out and you can check much more easily. This may also make it a less desirable habitat for fleas...

Vaccuum vaccuum and...vaccuum... Dump the bag/canister each time. Fleas and flea eggs like to hide in all sorts of cavities in the floors. Get some sort of (fairly) safe spray to put on your couches. Wash dog beds often. Spray the interior of your car with a flea killer...


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Sprinkle borax on the carpets, work in with a broom and leave down for 2-3 days then vacuum up. Repeat a couple of times. Start them all on Capstar to kill the adult fleas that they have on them. Between the two, you should get the infestation under control.


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## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

So I spoke with the vet. They said I cannot treat again with Advantix for a week. I am going in to pick up the Capstar today. They are willing to let me try Comfortis and I have ordered it online. 

Spoke with the lawn people too. They said that they don't recommend spraying the yard unless there is a big infestation, like seeing them in your house and on you (which we have not), because it only lasts 30 days and is pricey. They also discouraged it because we walk outside of the yard frequently and can pick them up there as well. 

I vacuum every other day and empty the canister each time. I have tile and wood floors and leather furniture. So really the only thing left I think is to wash the dogs beds and I only have 2 of them.

Thanks to all for your help.


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## 2DogsN3Cats (May 25, 2010)

For your yard and home...

I use Ortho Home Defense Max. Its a do it yourself spray for in and outside of your home. Its about $20 (generally less) for a container that has a spray nozzle on it. It works for fleas and lasts a year. I go EVERY spring and get a container for the outside of my house and go around the whole house, all the windows, doors, the whole front porch everything and spray the bejeepers out of the outside. I do about 2 ft up the siding, and about 2 feet in the grass and ground making sure I thoroughly soak the edges. The next day I take the dogs outside and basically do the same thing with the inside even going as far as treating my whole living room carpet, the underside of the couch cushions and flipping my couches over and spraying the under side of them. I also spray between my box spring and mattress and under my bed, I take the vent that goes under my tub off spray in there everything imaginable gets sprayed. 

In the 2 years I have lived in this house with 3 cats and now 2 dogs I have NEVER had a problem with fleas and I dont use drops on any of my pets. The dogs get bathed every 3 wks with Biospot flea shampoo and in the weeks in between Dawn dishsoap and once a month all my cats get baths with Dawn soap. The only time I found fleas was when Max came to live here and had them on him.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I would use the Capstar, vacuum daily and give your dogs baths weekly . The fleas will drown in the bath. That should do it and then when you can use your monthly flea stuff again.


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## animallover (Jul 18, 2010)

A long time ago when we had 2 maine **** cats they got fleas while on leash in the front yard. I saw these little drops of blood on the sink and thought one of them cut her mouth (they drank from the sink faucet). A lady at work was so thrilled to tell me that my cats had fleas. NOT ONLY did the cats have fleas but so did our house. Had to spray at least twice. Once for the fleas, then a second time for the eggs. YUCK!!!


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## jason37 (Mar 28, 2012)

*killing fleas*

You can use borax sprinkle around the house and yard. It really works well and you could even do your porch.hope this helps.


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## jason37 (Mar 28, 2012)

I cleaned apartments. And always had to kill fleas,you have to do it twice and treat the ani.al as well for a couple of weeks


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## goldhaven (Sep 3, 2009)

I have used garlic to keep the fleas off of my pets. I know that garlic is now on the poison list for dogs but I have used it for years with no problems and my vet is fine with it. They sell lots of garlic tablets for dogs so how can it be toxic. I just made them garlic meat balls. They loved them and no fleas. Also, that is one less toxin that I have to introduce to their bodies.


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