# So embarrassed- flea help?



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

This is tough if you believe that putting treatments on your dog is akin to poisoning them.... 

I recommend giving both dogs a flea bath using something like Adams. And then applying something like frontline or whatever works in your area. You need something that wipes out both the fleas and flea eggs. IMO. 

When we had a flea infestation (the one time we boarded a dog just overnight) - we did the flea bath and then used a flea comb to get anything that wasn't killed by the bath. And then we put him on sentinel which had just come out at the time. 

All the animals probably need to be treated.


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## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

I don't like poisons, but I hate fleas and ticks worse.
My dog homer died and was lame from tick borne illness, a three year old Golden down the road, and a 6 year old poodle all died from Lyme, so to me it is a crap shoot; possible cancer or lyme.
With Ollie, I even switched from Frontline to Advantix as the ticks were still all over and Homer has lyme 3 x on Frontline. The Advantix repels as well as kills.

That being said, for the natural route, I got a spray from my vet called:
Ectopamine Flea & Tick Spray for Dogs | ProbioticSmart.com

Its made from various natural oils, like: Peppermint oil, etc.
In prime tick season, I spray it on my hands and rub Ollie all over. Smells spicy but not unpleasant. It is oily tho, and with all those carpets I would wait til it dries.
(I just tore up the last of my shag in this old house, after the cat puked for the third time on it, the crowbar came out.)

I actually grabbed a tick off me, and doused it in the stuff and it did die, another one squirmed around for a bit, so cant guarantee, but might help.

Homer had fleas from vacation in the woods about 4 years ago. Grossed me right out. (He was 2 weeks late with his Frontline). I shampooed him with Flea Dip. Then vacummed like mad and put Diatamacouse earth all around and flea bombed the house.
The vet said, the fleas will jump on to any warm blooded creature, so whichever ones were still hanging out, they would go on Homer and the Frontline would kill once they bit.
We were good after that and I am never late with my topical.
I too hate chemicals, I have numerous enormous gardens on my property and use only natural repellents and the like to organic garden. But I just cant do the crawly things.
Good luck!


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Where there are mice there are fleas. Hey, don't feel bad.  We've had fleas here too, and we live in the city. But there's a big field behind our house with field mice who've found their way inside. Haven't had the problem for a few years, but we have had it happen. Got rid of the problem as described below ..

In addition to treating your pets with Frontline, etc there is also Capstar, available most places like PetSmart, Walmart, etc. that will kill the fleas and eggs that are on them within hours, but if you don't kill the fleas and eggs in your house you'll never see an end to the problem, even with winter approaching, which will take care of a lot of the problem in and of itself, but only outside.

It's a two pronged approach you have to do at the same time:

- Kill them on your pets
- Kill them and their eggs in your house by bombing, then wash all the bedding and vacuum like crazy. You'll need to have your pets and you out of the house while the flea bombs do their thing. We took our dogs to the groomers for a bath and a dip while the flea bombs did their thing. Since cats don't like baths, you'll want to give them a Capstar to kill the fleas and eggs and leave them outside while you bomb, then clear the house of the odor.


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## olliversmom (Mar 13, 2013)

p.s. I would never judge you 
Ticks/fleas/mud/dried feces/vomit...............
All comes with the territory of animal ownership.

Once, when I was 20, I picked up a little kitten at garage sale.
That poor baby was crawling with fleas!
This was before all night pharmacies, so I sat and picked off every one of those buggers with my fingers.
Happens to all of us.....


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## JayBen (Aug 30, 2012)

I'm not so sure the natural route is going to solve your problem. I don't think putting flea/tick meds on your dog is the same as poisoning them, IMO there's a greater health risk of not using it. I wish you the best with whatever you decide to do.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Thanks everyone. We'll see what the vet says. I gave both the dogs baths and got 5 off Lila (in hair wad of drain) and picked 4 off Pearl (didn't think to check hair wad). Just regular shampoo. Soap made those buggers not have a chance! I'm about to bathe one cat, who does little grooming. No way can I bathe the other 2. 

I'm just really leery of tresting the girls in a way that they can ingest the toxin. And bathing with it seems nasty to me too. Frontline is probably the best bet to get ahead of it, I just hste to exp9ee them to anything. DDT used to be considered safe and there is no long term testing of chemicals. We don't know what is causing cancer....

Pearl is only 5 months old, would you all use frontline or such on a pup?

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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I'd use Frontline on a 5 month pup, and I have. Definitely get Frontline Plus, though. The Plus has an extra ingredient to kill fleas in more parts of their life cycle, and you need that to break the cycle now that you've an infestation going.

I'd never judge you! Our dogs are always clean and current on Frontline, and I will still see fleas at the end of the month of the dogs have been bathed too many times and have also been to the training center every week (that is definitely where ours pick them up).


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## Sabine (Nov 10, 2009)

I have used Frontline plus for as long as it has been available. 3 dogs and 2 cats later, never had ANY issues, and neither have I had a flea or tick problem. 

I understand not wanting to use harmful chemicals, but again, Frontline has been out for at least 10 years (I don't remember for how long), and having dealt with fleas before this product, and having had dogs and cats with flea dermatitis, I consider this stuff a gift from God. No more allergy shots, monthly dipping, fumigating my house, vacuuming twice a day. flea bites on my ankles.

I got Rufus at 9 weeks and he has been on it since I got him.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Ok, thanks everyone. I can't believe how icky I feel. Perhaps because it is not common here. I sure am hating this large carpeted house. Good thing I am self employed and no pressing matters today. I do wish my washer was faster.

Should I try to bathe the cats, or not? One I will do, she could use it for general hygiene anyways. But the other 2, I can't imagine.

Flea bomb- yikes, we work from home so that is all but impossible. Am now leaning towards frontline, vac vac vac, launder, diatomaceous earth, flea trap to continue assessment.

But should I start w a flea bath or was a general bath good enough if I get frontline today?

I'm assuming our.camping bedding will be Ok as it will sit in the camper all winter.

What about guests? My dad is set to arrive in a week. I'm going to tell him but he should be ok, right? I'm thinking here if there is a chance for him to bring thrm home. He has no pets there. Our guest room is usually closed off, but we just got new carpeting and the bed is leaning on the wall in the family room. Right next to where one flea jumped off the tape.

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## Sabine (Nov 10, 2009)

My vet back in the day would not let you put the frontline on right after a flea bath. So I would say, leave it as it is.


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## Kelev's_Dad (Oct 23, 2009)

It is the time of year for fleas to find a winter host and mice to try and get indoors. I use advantix flea and tick. We have unreal ticks here in the spring and some lyme disease. You have to weight he benefits with the risk jsut as you do with innoculation. To me the risk of fleas or a tick borne disease far outweighs the risk from prevention.


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## Capt Jack (Dec 29, 2011)

I give mine Triflexis(sp?) & they have no fleas. I bathe them in Dawn dishwashing detergent & rinse with ACV. I live in a place where fleas are a common problem & we too have two outdoorcats that come in when they want. We sprinkle this powder called flea terminator in the carpet if it gets bad. Good luck I hate fleas!


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

You can wash the dogs with Dawn dish detergent and that is supposed to kill fleas. You can buy food grade DE and sprinkle that on your dogs (be careful they don't inhale it) and sprinkle all of your carpets with it and work it in with a broom. Vacuum and repeat 2-3 times. I also understand that you can sprinkle apple cider vinegar over their food as a more natural flea and tick repellent.


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## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Flea bombing doesn't take that long. An hour is all you need to be away. By the time you get back the bombs will have done their work. 

Before you go out and set the bombs off:

Stand the mattresses and couch cushions up, strip the bedding and put it in the wash before you go

When you get home, open the windows and air out the house, then vacuum and put the mattresses back on the beds. Doesn't really take that long. It's the only way to get rid of all the fleas and their eggs. Capstar will kill them on your dogs and cats. As long as there aren't any left in the house your problem should be over.


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## havana13 (Jul 15, 2012)

*Fleas*

I don't blame you for not wanting to treat. I have seen some bad reactions to flea medication and do not treat my dogs for fleas. I personally don't feel that 10 fleas is an infestation that would require medication. If you bathe them, diatomaceous earth them, the carpets, the yard, the cats, etc you should be able to combat it. If that doesn't work and you MUST treat, use Frontline or Advantage from the vet and use one tube for both dogs. Good luck and don't feel bad!


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Well we decided to flea bathe and frontline. I want to hit it hard and eradicate them. I spent today giving baths and cleaning th main floor of the house. Vacuumed everything including along the baseboards. Went to town to.get some supplies and put DE along the oerimeter of all carpet and furniture I didn't move. I have rheumatoid arthritis so my ability to do a normal level of work is limited. Tomorrow I'll do a thorough vac of the downstairs and DE those perimeter areas. Start vacuuming every flipping day..... will put DE on all dog beds once they are cleaned. Why do we have 8 dog beds for 2 dogs???? Will put out a few flea traps tonight and see if we get anything. Gosh I hope this works. Will likely put down more DE in dog frequenting areas that get vacuuming.

Don't plan on flea bombing, hopefully we can by without.

So creepy!

Thanks again everyone.

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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

If you use a bagged vacuum you can put a tablespoon full of DE in the bag to kill the fleas you do vacuum up just in case. I usually just throw the entire bag out though if I think there are fleas. We had an incident this summer when we took the boys to a sunflower field and they picked up fleas despite having a Frontline applied. Our vet advised washing in Dawn, twice, to strip the Frontline, then using a flea shampoo (we used a natural one) and then applying Activyl, which is a topical, but with a different active ingredient. This topical works for us, for now at least. I believe you can space out some of the topicals beyond 30 days if that is a concern, maybe someone will chime in with the days. I seem to remember 42 or something. We applied food grade DE around the house perimeter outside, but you need to reapply after each rain. We laundered and vacuumed like crazy and it took care of our problem. 

Hope you get them eradicated.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Apparently FOOD GRADE DE is necessary. I got some from a pool place, which is heat treated and not effective. It also has more respiration aggravation because the heat treating results in it converting to more straight silica. Ugh, the entire upstairs I will need to redo. Good thing I didn't do the downstairs yet. Our vet told us to put a flea collar in the vac bag. 

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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

Oh my gosh. For future reference, which is why I keep talking, in case someone searches the forum and finds this thread, here is some application advice. Do NOT sprinkle it on the carpet. Make your own shaker. Punch some tiny holes in the bottom of a plastic food container. I used a large yogurt container and a sharp knife and made a bunch of X's around the perimeter. I found a website that described the application rate like salting food. Then brush it into the carpet with a broom. This not only works it into the carpet but also pesters the critters so they get moving and increase their contact with the DE.

I discovered this application procedure AFTER I fogged the bedroom. There is so much DE in that room there is no way a flea will be able to live. Too bad I created a mess, and will have to wipe down every surface. That is for another day. Today I will finish the downstairs.


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## elly (Nov 21, 2010)

We went to a companion dog show and brought some home unknowingly!! The best treatment was a battery operated head lice comb..as you comb through it has a high pitched tone and as the teeth hit a flea it stops or changes tone and it fries the flea  It just feels like normal combing to the dog but wow it's so satisfying as you hear the fleas being zapped!! We did spray the house, the house is the biggest battle really as the eggs mean you will find it hard to stay on top of the problem unless you use a good chemical. 
The combs not cheap but it's the best £20 I ever spent. Here's a typical example of one [ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Robi-Comb-Pro-Electronic-Lice/dp/B005DCCSQY[/ame]


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## ellisda1 (Jul 24, 2013)

Systemic is the way to go. If the dog (cats!) ever go out, they're going to bring in fleas, and you are eventually going to have fleas everywhere. Here in the South, we rarely kill all the fleas and mosquitos in the winter. Our dogs and cats are on Trifexis for heartworms and fleas year-round. Never had a problem, and adult fleas are killed immediately. Never had a flea infestation. Note that Trifexis does not kill ticks, so if there is a problem in your area an additional tick control product will be necessary.


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## lhowemt (Jun 28, 2013)

It is really odd because we don't typically have fleas here. My vet has seen 5 cases in 15 years. It's possible Pearl came with them, from Vancouver BC where the climate is more conducisve to fleas, but 2.5 months until they show up seems a stretch. Could be a mouse, but if that were the case many other pets would have fleas. It's just weird, hence my feeling so icky about it.

All toys are now laundered, that was a tough 2 days for Pearl. I had bought 2 new ones but apparently a minimum of 20 are required.


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