FLEAS!? Posted in Pets too, but its slow there...

[midnightmare81]

OMG I am SO frustrated! All of our animals are treated (frontline/advantix). After having 140 itchy red bumps appear in 2 days, I went to the doc. He said it seemed to be bug bites. We bombed the whole house, and proceeded to vacuum EVERYTHING! I also bathed the animals. We are working on washing EVERYTHING (clothing, bedding) as well.

A flea just jumped across my lap +o( HOW DO I MAKE THEM GO AWAY!?

[caprisun]

Can you treat the outside of your home? Along the perimeter and the yard?

Our vet recommends peppermint plants outside and spraying peppermint oil inside to repel fleas if you want something more natural.

[celeste]

You might want to try an internal med rather than a topical one. We had frustrating results with Advantage & Frontline so we switched to Program (plus an occasional Capstar) for our cat. It took a little while, but after 2 months we finally were flea free (it takes a little while to break the hatching cycle).

[dancingpanda]

Ugh, we have been dealing with this too. It seems since the area I live had a super mild winter, that the fleas and ticks worse than normal. Our animals are on flea medicine too. So we give them their meds, and we are giving them flea baths about once a week, and just keep doing it. Things seem better, although, the furbabies haven't been super itichy whole time we have been dealing with the fleas. So I'm not sure what to make of it. I haven't been bitten, so I wonder if our dog is bringing them in some how. We have also done lots of vacuuming, and we bombed the house. I read somewhere that vacuuming, and making sure you don't dump the bag or canisiter inside is the way to go. I also read somewhere that borax works, but needs to be on carpet for at least 24 hours. I am considering trying that, we'll see though. Also talk to your vet, they might have some spray that you can spray on the carpet and furniture, mine does. Just keep doing what your doing, and they'll get better hopefully, and you're not the only one dealing with this summer.

[midnightmare81]

We treated about 2 weeks ago. I will ask the vet about something else. I had been dealing with fleas being resistant to frontline, but vet said its still the one that works best. UG. I called the vet and they said I had done all I can and just need to wait for the fleas to all hatch and starve to death, which is all fine and dandy, but it doesnt save me until then! I should mention that our house is ALL hardwood, and only rugs of any kind in the bathroom. We have washed those too. As for outside, we live in a highly wooded area, tons of wildlife, so treating outside would be silly according to the vet... Its just frustrating because I feel like there is nothing more to do until they all die, and until then, I will be eaten alive.

Does anyone have any ideas to keep them off ME until they all die at least? This is so grossing me out!

[sawyerthedestroyer]

Comfortis really really helped our dog.

[midnightmare81]

What is Confortis? Never heard of it

[birdistheword]

Comfortis is a gift from God. That's what it is.

[birdistheword]

It's a pill (for dogs only) that kills fleas within 30 minutes and prevents new fleas for a month.

[midnightmare81]

We have 3 cats too :-( is there a similar? I know about Capstar, but that wont help much in this case...

[TrickyBob]

My Mom is dealing with a pretty big flea issue.

We looked up stuff online and it says to use Brewers Yeast for animals, put a small amount in their food and on them. The yeast repels the fleas. (I am talking 1/4 teaspoon of yeast in wet food).

Diatomaceous earth; food grade sprinkled in out of the way areas near the bulk of the fleas. My Mom bought that and she said so far it is working wonderfully. You don't sweep it up, you let it sit and it isn't toxic to pets as long as they aren't eating it by the shovel full.

Baking soda (as someone here mentioned before) can do the same thing if sprinkled around.

I've noticed as far as chemicals, there is flea killer in the same section as wasp spray and such by Raid, if you're really in a bind.

[birdistheword]

Sept 9, 2012 1:05:09 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

We have 3 cats too is there a similar? I know about Capstar, but that wont help much in this case...

Check with your vet about Comfortis for cats. I was previously told it was only for dogs, but I just looked around a bit online and I'm getting conflicting info about whether it can be used for cats as well.

[Lovecows]

The FDA just approved Comfortis for cats. finance.yahoo.com/news/elanco-announces-comfortis-spinosad-cats-130000488.html

If your vet doesn't have it, ask for a prescription you can fill with another vet.

[celeste]

Sept 8, 2012 23:39:04 GMT -5 midnightmare81 said:

Does anyone have any ideas to keep them off ME until they all die at least? This is so grossing me out!

Try Capstar. It's a pill that kills all live fleas on the animals within 30 minutes and works for 24 hours. You can treat daily, if needed. Works on both dogs and cats.

Both Comfortis and Program are monthly pills that work for dogs and cats. If you are married to a topical treatment, my vet's office is now recommending Revolution over Advantage and Frontline.

[saraandmichael]

We recently had fleas, too. The frontline wasn't working to get rid of them so I went to the vet and got my dogs the flea pill (comfortis). I think its called something different if you have cats.

You need to be sure to give it to them for at least three months, though I would just switch to it permanently and forget the topical. Fleas have become resistant to it.

Also, you will need to treat your house several times...the life cycle of a flea is three months. Egg to larvae to adult. Bomb every room in your home. When you do it, take all of the cushions off of your couches as well so that it can get onto every surface under them as well.

Vacuum after you go back into the house. Empty the vacuumed stuff into a bag and seal it and put it outside until trash day. Wash your vacuum out with clorox wipes after. I also would be sure to clean the filter each time (this is assuming you have a canister and not a bag).

The vet also said something about lining the baseboards with borax, but I didn't do that because our house if mainly tile (except for the bedrooms) and I didn't want the dogs to lick it or look at powder all around the house.

Also, not sure where you live but we are in Florida where the winter was very mild so the fleas didn't die last winter so there are a ton of them outside. If thats the case (and maybe even as an extra preventative measure) I would treat your yard as well. You can buy the stuff to spread at Home Depot.

[troopersmom]

My go to things when I see fleas in my house b/c I foster a few dogs a year.
1. Buy a cheap flea collar and place it in my canister vacuum then dump and repeat several times.
2. Wash everything bedding, blankets, rugs in hot water and use some borax in your wash.
3. I do have carpet so I sprinkle borax on the carpet try to leave for 24 hours then vacuum that up dump and repeat.
4. I also have switched to comfortis for my dogs this year.
Good luck I HATE FLEAS so bad my dogs got dumped in the shower when I just saw one on my pup.

[midnightmare81]

Thank you everyone! I am going to call my vet tomorrow to get the pill for the animals, as well as try mixing peppermint oil in with my shampoo and spray myself. Its such a frustrating task, as everything I know to try hasn't worked. Does anyone know if DE is safe for pets? I have seen it listed online for lining the baseboards and and under furniture to help kill eggs and larve, and it says is safe, but I am still weary. I would obviously not put it on them, just in harder to reach areas where I think the fleas might be hiding. I will break down and the furniture with flea spray as well, and washing all bedding and clothes at the laundromat. I feel like this is overkill, but I need these things GONE, as I am allergic to them and cannot simply wait for them to starve to at least try other options

[gozf]

Thor's cat recently got the fleas. Right before we moved in. We beat 'em. She's deloused, and my car remains flea-free.

Get the pill; it's a godsend. Do a topical, too. Then 48 hours later give the pets a bath with Dawn dish detergent. That'll clean off any larvae.

Good luck!

[troopersmom]

I would get food grade DE and it should be safe for both humans and pets.