HELP FLEAS??????

[lshelley21]

I went to my oldest sisters house (not the Josh one) and her 4 cats have fleas...(she should never have pets) I didnt know they had fleas until i came home and on the phone she told me. Now ... Jaz is on frontline plus... but she is biting herself and itching now. I have found 3 fleas on her... is it possible that is all there is? I used the flea comb, and the furminator and didn't find any more... any help?

[lshelley21]

Capstar, that you can use in conjunction with monthly treatments.  It basically just kills off the adult fleas in something like 24 hours.

You could also get some Diatomaceous Earth.  Its great, and natural.  You can put it actually ON your dog, around the house, etc, and it should take care of any flea issues.

Good luck!  Fleas are nasty little buggers!!!   

where can i get those?

[brandon]

Warning on DE, don't breathe the dust.

It also becomes ineffective if it gets wet.  I would love to be able to use it outside here, because it is a natural product, but we've been getting a little drizzle every day.

[Binky]

This happened to us when a friend's dog visited.  The frontline took care of any on the animals but we had fleas everywhere in the house.  I took all our blankets, etc to the laudromat and washed.  Then we sprinkled flea powder on all rugs and put a bunch in the vac cleaner cannister and vaccuumed the house top to bottom (with all animals outside).  I repeated this about a week later and we're flea free! Make sure to empty the vac outside! Hope this helps.

[brandon]

I havent tried it , but I've recently discovered there is a Frontline spray also with the same ingredient the drops/oil stuff has... Firpronil.  I want to order some but haven't gotten around to it.

[sc.trojans]

Yikes....as if Frontline Plus isn't toxic enough, some of you pile on and add even more toxic chemicals? My vets would never endorse this.

If you have a breed known for auto-immune problems, or simply have compromised immune problems in your individual dog, such as allergies, then I believe it is even more incumbant on you to avoid toxic chemicals that harm the immune system. If you are unaware of the side effects and damage of fipronil and the other EPA registered pesticides used in these drugs, please do some research and feel free to let me know...I will happily post here for those who are interested.

Fleas to do not mandate the chemical/pesticide assault that many feel compelled to do....a healthy dog doesn't get infested and it doesn't take long to address a few fleas.  Build a healthy dog and you wont need these chemicals.

[brandon]

I'd love to see where you get your information from. I have never heard that a healthy dog doesn't get fleas, or you live in a different climate than I do.

That to me, that is almost like advocating not giving heartworm prevention if your dog is healthy. Ivermectin is a pesticide also, but it greatly benefits my dogs health in the swampy area I live in.

[lshelley21]

The fleas have subsided, i only put frontline on her once two months ago. I have recently purchased k-9 advantix and read al l of the ingredients as well as the harm that they can cause. Just to let you know, there have been no side effects with the advantix, and the ingredients in the advantix is safer than frontline, not only that, it comes in packages of 4, kills mosquitos too, and less expencive. She does have a health immune system, and her body is wonderful. She is just great and the fleas have gone away...granted there was only 3.. but that could have turned to 3000000 real fast... so we are all good thank you for all the advice. I would never mix the flea medications together.
I did try the "all natural" sentry''s naturals which claims it is all natural oils that repel the bugs, not a pesticde...wel l all her fur came off her back... natural my- @ss. So needless to say i will not be using that again.  Oh and my sisters cats... boy oh boy... she denied they had fleas, to which now she knows that they do. She noticed 2 weeks ago that her cat was not eating food..and waited in until today..  08/17/06 to call the vet. So the cat is super skinny, probably anemic, starving, and not drinking.  This is my other sister, not the one with Josh.  My sister said that the vet cost too much and yet she wants to get a BOXER!!!! See she got married, moved to a house. The cats (3) were inside cats..then when she went into a house they went in and out..and now since two kids the cats are kept in the garage with a cat door.  She doesn't want the cats, but is making no innitiative to find a better place for them. They are all (3) riddled with fleas....and that is how jaz got the three..but the poor cats. I  dont understand how this happened. We were all raised the same, and yet neither of my sisters care enough for their pets.  She is putting her cat (the skinny one) to rest today because she doesn't want to spend money on the cat...and yet she wants a boxer.... i am trying so hard to keep my cool...... I need to do something can anyone suggest anything?

[lshelley21]

OH NO!! well she doesn't live with them, she (used to) go to my sister's house until the fleas came around...she doesn't go there any more until the fleas are taken care of. But thank you so much for telling me that