AACCK! Jackson's got critters!!

[JacksonsDaddy]

help2:

We just moved into a new complex, and apparently they don't spray for fleas.

I was giving Jackson his bath last night when I saw one jump off him and commit hari-kari into the water. (Good riddance). Well, I went and bought a flea comb and found ~15~ of the little buggers on him.

He's on Sentinel, but of course that doesn't kill fleas. It just prevents them from reproducing. In the meantime, I want to kill the ones that get on him and prevent the ones that are in his potty area from thinking he's a tasty treat.

Does anyone have any experience with K9 Advantix or anything similar?

Much thanks!!

[Cocoa and Me]

My two are on Advantage and are doing great! At first, I wanted to make sure that ALL the stupid fleas were dead and gone, so I got this pill from the vet that kills all the fleas. Then I gave them both a bath, and then gave them Advantage. No more fleas :thumbsup:

[red&black]

I understand that most of those commercial formulas work well.

But for killing fleas that he already has, bathe him in dishwashing detergent like Joy or Dawn. I had heard this before and didn't know if it worked or not, but the other day my cousin was telling me she ran out of shampoo and had to bathe a flea infested pup in Joy instead, and she said the fleas just fell off her.

[Suzanne R]

Eeeeeeewwwwwwww - I WANT TO GO ON RECORD THAT I OFFICIALLY DESPITE THOSE LITTLE BEASTIES! I've had a 2-year run-in trying to rid my house and yard of those awful monsters, even though I've been using Frontline Plus religiously. So far this year, so good - GOOD LUCK! :rayz: :rayz: :rayz: I used DE and borax to do most of the de-flea damage, and it worked pretty well. Everything else is too toxic to use near my furkids. I'm going to get ahead of them this year! So far, we've had too much rain for them to proliferate - :wahooo: !

[JacksonsDaddy]

Eeeeeeewwwwwwww - I WANT TO GO ON RECORD THAT I OFFICIALLY DESPITE THOSE LITTLE BEASTIES! I've had a 2-year run-in trying to rid my house and yard of those awful monsters, even though I've been using Frontline Plus religiously. So far this year, so good - GOOD LUCK! :rayz: :rayz: :rayz:

Suzanne, What is the typical flea season here in our area?? I have NEVER had an issue before. When I lived in my house, I used a general insect killer out in the yard. Between that and the Sentinel I didn't even know what an actual flea looked like until yesterday. I'm hoping it's like May to October, anything longer than that and I think I'd explode! I don't know how people in Florida or other more southern areas do it!

I really hate the way they jump. There one second. gone the next. Disgusting little things!

[Suzanne R]

It's hard to say what a "typical" flea season is in our area. If it's hot and DRY early, then it begins early - when it's hot and dry. They thrive in sand (at least in my area) and I am very careful to use DE in any sandy areas we have; I also rake DE into the grass in their run. There's probably a temperature zone for fleas, but I'm not aware of it. I use Frontline Plus year-around, because of the HW situation, and if we run across a spell of no rain for a week or two, I start using the DE, just in case. With all our rain, I'm not concerned yet. They love heat and sand. Ask your vet about your area. I don't use a "general insect killer" in my yard because of the toxicity and the furkids; I only use organic, natural stuff, such as DE. It's slower, but much safer. If you're in an apartment, and the entire place isn't treated, you may have a serious problem.

[JacksonsDaddy]

I also rake DE into the grass in their run. There's probably a temperature zone for fleas, but I'm not aware of it. I use Frontline Plus year-around, because of the HW situation, and if we run across a spell of no rain for a week or two, I start using the DE, just in case. With all our rain, I'm not concerned yet.

Sorry, but what is DE and HW? I'm guessing the HW is heart worm, but DE I don't have a clue. :P

[Suzanne R]

DE - diatomaceous earth, (food-grade should be used around animals). And yes, HW is heartworm.

[TessieMom]

If you listen to my vet, it is year round. You may have a 1-2 month break in December - January, but some years, fleas will be around all 12 months and I give heartgard all 12 months. My vet switched us to Advantage because Frontline was not as effective around here as it used to be (fleas built up tolerance to it). Dallas should not be much different. I started mine back on flea control in March.

[Suzanne R]

I give Frontline Plus and Heartgard all year long, too, just to be safe. I hate to expose them to so many "chemicals" year-around, but the alternatives are not acceptable, either!

[Joyce]

Here in Fl. the Dr. says heatguard and frontline all year round.

[FourOrchards]

I guess we are lucky living in the desert...no mosquito's or fleas! :cheer:
We have scorpions, snakes, lizards, spiders and hot, hot, hot heat though! :faint:

[HawaiiDoxieLover]

Mine rarely get infested because I don't have a yard, but there's always work and the stray cats outside. :faint:
But that comb really does work! I recommend that everyone have one on hand. What I did was fill up the sink with warm soapy water, run the comb through their hair over and over and shake the fleas out of the comb and into the soapy water...dead on contact.
Then they got baths and the drops behind the neck.

[fredownsme]

is an all-around product for worms, Heartworm and fleas. I recommend doing an internet search for more information on the product, if you are interested in it and asking your vet.

Also, use the Original Dawn dishwashing liquid to get rid of the fleas that are on your pup right now. But of course you should use something like Advantage or Frontline if you don't want to use Revolution. If you already used a product on your pup, wait at least 2 weeks to start another one!** Do not buy anything over the counter!!

You also need to get rid of the fleas in the house. Use flea bombs or a good spray. You will need to turn off the gas if you use the flea bombs. If you use a spray, ask your vet for a good one. I forgot the name of the one my vet has but it works great. Sorry.

**I used to work for my vet and he advised a few patients about this.

[Jacqueline]

I've changed Daisy over to Revolution because she throws the pills up, and will change Taffy over as soon as I run out of Heartguard. I used and still at this time use Frontline (on Taffy) for fleas, and if they bite, they die. Revoulution is supposed to cover heartworm, fleas, ticks, worms, etc.

You can wash down your yard with Dawn dish soap. Put it in the sprayer bottle that hooks to your hose, and wash the yard with it. Remember that the eggs keep hatching every few weeks, so keep the treatment up for at least a month.

Don't overuse the Dawn on the puppers, tho, because it will dry the skin out.

Lemon dawn used in the sprayer on bees will kill them dead, too. I had to do this one year when my trees right at my front door was infested with bees and I am allergic. They just dropped right out of the air.

[billytommymommy]

I just wanted to remind everyone that advantix and advatage should NOT be used around cats. It is toxic to cats, so frontline and frontline plus are your best choice (I have not researched revolution yet as the first time I heard about it was Wednesday).

[cadoxie]

I've been having a flea problem also. The ONLY thing that worked was getting a pill called StarCap from the vet. The fleas were dead within 4 hours. The same day I gave Maya her pill I also took the cat in to the groomers and had her bathed and Aadvantage applied to her as well as the bug man come and spray inside and outside. We saw a few fleas on Maya a couple of days after that but much much better than combing 40 fleas off in one night. YIKES!!!!!!!! We were told to keep vacuuming the house and to retreat again in a few weeks to kill the newly hatched eggs. Hopefully we'll have things under control.