fleas fleas and...more fleas! - Page 2

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

I used to be concerned about the topical treatments also, until I reached desperation level! My DH applies it and then DD and I don't touch the pet for a few days. I'm sure it rubs off and everything, but... Desperate to get rid of the fleas!

The DE we have is food grade but it can't get well enough into the fur of our long haired cats to kill the fleas. I've tried and tried! We were going to get the cats shaved but it cost $102 per cat! holy crap!

I don't worry about the topical flea treatments in pregnancy. I just don't touch the spot if I can help it until it's completely dry. If I do touch it I make sure to wash my hands really well with soap and water.

102 dollars to shave the cat?! That's crazy! When I lived in NY it only cost us about 25 dollars at PetSmart (not all petsmarts have a cat groomer, but this one did). Moved back to NC and it was closer to $50 dollars at petsmart. Took him to his vet to get shaved and it was about $60. I wonder if they're charging you more based on his weight? My cat is "only" about 12 pounds... but he's a himilayan, so certainly not lacking in the fur department. And I just tell them not to bathe him if they want to keep their fingers.

Originally Posted by CvilleC

Lots of differing recommendations here, which makes sense since fleas seem to respond differently to treatments, for some reason. I was surprised that Frontline stopped working for my dog, and my vet explained that they think fleas might build up a resistance to a medicine that has been used for awhile.

I switched her to Advantix one time (not a possibility for cat owners as cats will die from it) and she had an awful reaction.

My vet said that they've seen Frontline stop working on a lot of pets. We switched the cat to Revolution. But honestly, we hadn't had any problems anyhow... I still don't think that what she thought was flea dirt was flea dirt. I think it was our regular red clay dirt... so that's why it turned rusty colored when she wet it.

We do use Advantix even though we have a cat. Our cat does not lick our dog. We make sure to put it on just before bed. And it should be safe after it's dry, unless your cat really grooms your dog a lot.

[Pepper44]

I tried calling both of our Petsmarts in town but neither of them have a cat groomer. My vet used to have one, but as luck would have it she just quit! The only place I could find that would take a 25 pound long haired cat was The Cat Hospital and it was so expensive for just a shave. He's not even matted!

He came from a shelter, but he's like a Turkish Van. Very heavy bodied and large with extremely long cottony waterproof fur. He's all white with an orange patch on his back and the two orange spots on the middle of his head just like the Turkish Van should be. And he likes to swim, but not by force...then you're battling 25 pounds of pissed of flying fur and claws.

That's good to know about Advantix...my cats actually do groom my dogs! They attack the dogs' tails when they wag, and they play wrestle and bite the dogs' ears and faces. Sometimes when the dogs are curled up sleeping the cats will come up and groom them.

My cats also groom each other a lot, which has been a problem before because they'll lick off all of the topical flea treatment before it can soak in.

[AprilDaisy]

Here's my recommendation. It takes a little time, lots of care, and is really effective (at least for me it was both times I did it).

You know those plug in lights with the water bowls underneath that you can buy to get rid of fleas, it works like that.

Since you have carpet, you'd need to be extra careful I'd think. I didn't have carpet.

I put out a white shallow wide bowl, with soapy/dawn water in it, then put a candle (in a sturdy holder) IN the water. You do need a nice ring of water between the candle and the edge of the bowl. You don't need a large candle...just a reasonable one. Light the candle. The light attracts the fleas, they end up in the water and die. I did this for several nights in a row...like at 4 am til 6 or I'd stay up til midnight with the candle lit. Usually by the third night 80% of the fleas have died and you can tell the difference. Our animals, we just bathed them with dawn once I think.

[buttercup784ever]

Originally Posted by wahoowhippets

I use and like Comfortis for our dogs...haven't seen a single flea since we stared using this about two years ago

Ditto. Comfortis is great!

It does say on the packaging to give with a meal, so I assume some dogs may have tummy issues with it. My dog hasn't had a problem though.

[lonegirl]

I did not read responses....

I am a vet tech and have seen lots of fleas...and lots of products. The average product sold in a pet store...is not efficient enough.

Advantage(and Plus) are both great:

It is safe with children...I advise just putting on before bed and then it has time to dry....need to spread the hair and squeeze tiny tube on skin....do not need to shave pet. Is absorbed quickly!

•stops biting fleas in three to five minutes1
•kills fleas quickly, which helps reduce the risk of secondary problems such as flea allergy dermatitis and tapeworms
•within 12 hours, 98-100 percent of fleas are dead
•kills over 99% of flea larvae within 20 minutes2
•kills 100% of chewing lice within one week and lasts for a full month3
•waterproof

It is a once a month treatment/preventive

Vacuum the house (throw away bag) launder pet bedding.

[Penny4Them]

Here is a really interesting link to the dos and don'ts of DE and pets. Not sure where the research came from, but I've heard that pool=grade DE is unsafem esp if you vacuum it up as it's bad for people.
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

Pepper44 I think eucalyptus is harmful to cats so be careful!

I'm in the south and it seems many people are complaining about increased fleas this year, I wonder what the cause is? Our vet says that fleas are hearty and can withstand cold temps outside.

[Penny4Them]

Originally Posted by AprilDaisy

I put out a white shallow wide bowl, with soapy/dawn water in it, then put a candle (in a sturdy holder) IN the water. You do need a nice ring of water between the candle and the edge of the bowl. You don't need a large candle...just a reasonable one. Light the candle. The light attracts the fleas, they end up in the water and die. I did this for several nights in a row...like at 4 am til 6 or I'd stay up til midnight with the candle lit. Usually by the third night 80% of the fleas have died and you can tell the difference. Our animals, we just bathed them with dawn once I think.

Great idea! Hiw did you know where to put the trap though?

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by lonegirl

I did not read responses....

I am a vet tech and have seen lots of fleas...and lots of products. The average product sold in a pet store...is not efficient enough.

Advantage(and Plus) are both great:

It is safe with children...I advise just putting on before bed and then it has time to dry....need to spread the hair and squeeze tiny tube on skin....do not need to shave pet. Is absorbed quickly!

The problem I have with this is that, it may be absorbed quickly, but the way this chemical works is that it gets absorbed through the hair follicles and then gets distributed to EVERY part of the dog's body. That's how it keeps working for four weeks. It's not just like you put it in a few spots on the top of the dog, and then it kills the fleas and then once it's dry, there's no more chemical. That's not how it works. I really struggle with thinking that this is safe for my dog, myself, and my family.

[earthnut]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

I'm definitely buying the Nylar! What do you use to spray it? I saw a pump sprayer on there, but it was $59. Can't afford that along with the $43 Nylar.

I have four cats and two 60 pound dogs, so I have to buy a lot of flea treatment. That stuff is expensive, but of course my rescue pets are worth it...I have to keep telling myself that.

If I just spray the Nylar everywhere in the house and then rub DE on all the pets (assuming it won't kill 100% of fleas on the 2 long haired cats) do you think the flea problem will go away eventually? Even if the 2 long haired cats still have some live fleas, they won't be able to lay eggs and reproduce so they will eventually just die off, right?

Nylar has a pricey upfront cost, but it's concentrated and each treatment lasts for months, so it's not as pricey as it seems. You can use hand sprayers, but if you want to do your whole house, I highly recommend getting a small pump sprayer to save your hands. I bought mine for about $25 from a local store.

Be sure your DE is food grade if you put it on your animals, because the garden/pool type is poisonous to ingest. I found DE a bit tricky to apply to my dog, it gave a weird texture to his fur, but it worked wonders on my chickens. Experiment with how you apply it and you may find something that works. You don't need much at all.