Monday, November 23, 2009
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Need Ideas To Rid Dog and Apartment of Fleas
Just a week ago or so, I noticed my dog scratching and upon inspection, i saw she had fleas. I have had her ove r8 years now and this is a first. in a short time they have spread and i am getting chewed up too. Need help , step by step process to rid them, hate to see her in ichy torment. i have tried flea baths .
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Post a commentOk, here's my advice for getting rid of fleas. I'll pass to you what I've learned from working in a vet clinic...Note: it does involve chemicals. If you want to go the natural route, you'll need to keep searching, but it's not as effective I have found.
1) You'll need a premise spray, something that you can just lightly spray around the house. Try to get all the corners, move the furniture around. Vacuume well.
2) No flea collars please. They are not good for pets AT ALL.
3) Generally, Hartz products and cheaper, no-name brands you get in the grocery store are harmful for your pet!
4) You'll need a topical for the dog. You apply it to the scruff of the neck once a month and it's proven to be safe.
The topical starts to work immediately and, depending on the type you get, it works by getting into the blood stream where any flea that bites dies.
Brands that are vet recommended:
Premise spray would be Siphotrol Plus.
Topical would be Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution.
Start today, it will be a process.
To rid your dog of fleas, you also need to treat the house. One way to kill fleas in the house without using bombs or sprays is to sprinkle borax powder throughout the house, especially around baseboards. Also use it on the furniture. Let it stand for about an hour and the vacuum. Another way to remove fleas is to take a shallow baking dish and fill with water with dish soap added. Set this on the floor and place a votive candle in the center of it. The fleas will be attracted to the candle light and jump into the water. The dish soap prevents them from jumping out.
Dawn dish washing liquid is a very effective flea shampoo. The regular type, not the ultra. Only use this once, because it can dry your dog's skin if used to often.
There is a new pill on the market that I have been giving to my dogs that works wonderfully. It's called Comfortis, and you have to get it from your vet. It is supposed to keep fleas off for a month, but one pill has worked for two months with my dogs. I live in the south and fleas here are far worse than what you see. It doesn't work for ticks, but I don't think you would have a problem with those, anyway.
Another thing you can do is, after washing all of the dogs bedding, apply the Frontline spray. You can also get this from your vet or the internet. I have found it much cheaper on Amazon.
Good Luck.
I agree with the above--you need to bomb the house and go away with everyone and the dog for a couple of hours. I was told to wash the dog's bed and any blankets he/she lies on in bleach. If you have a groomer, take the dog there and have them deflea him. Then some type of good anti flea pill or topical -- your state isn't immune to Lyme disease so you should get one that does both.
When our cat had fleas, my vet said to start him on Revolution and to not worry about killing the fleas in the house. After a couple months, they would all be dead naturally, as long as you keep all your pets treated. I'm a fan of Revolution, available by prescription only and buyable online. It protects against many things and is considered safe.
I just finished posting my second blog post about dealing with fleas for the first time.
Here are the posts:
http://natalietootie.com/?p=819
http://natalietootie.com/?p=849
The other replies are typical of what I found on the web, but it's not that bad. Unless your house is crawling with fleas you don't need to bomb. Check out the posts for level-headed advice I wish I would have gotten.
Try a natural flea & tick shampoo and/or powder. I like the ones available at Erth Dogs natural dog products .
Two words. Flea Busters.
www.fleabusterswa.com
ive changed from frontline to advocate but my dog still has fleas, i have 5 cats and 1 is a hunter and always has fleas although i treat them all every month. i am looking for somethging like vinegar or something that will work alongside this flea stuff as it isnt working
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