Getting ready for FLEA season

[Marty]

My dogs are notorius for getting fleas every year. Our yards are usually loaded with fleas and we end up bringing them in the house on our clothes. Lovely. We do treat the yard by the way faithfully but it still happens because it's just so big. Our dogs are basically inside dogs and they play host to the fleas.

Tracey imparticulary is highly allergic to flea bites. All it takes is one good bite to set her off and she'll go to tearing herself apart with biting and itching till there is nothing left of her hair or skin. She is so beautiful and in gorgeous condition right now and I'd like to keep her that way.

What will you give your dogs this year for a flea preventitive?

Anything orally?

I really need to go all out to keep them gone and I'd like to start now.

All ideas please!

 

[nootka]

Don't know for sure but we used one of the spot treatments on the dog and the cats about 8 years ago, and I have not seen but a handful of fleas, since.

Glad b/c we had hordes of them in our basement and on our back patio! Yucky.

I know there is a treatment that is non poisonous that you can put in your carpets (have a friend that has a carpet store and I saw it there) that controls fleas.

Not sure what helps w/yards. I do know that a light shining on a pan or plate of soapy water left in a room will trap fleas and drown them.

Is there some herbal oil that you could perhaps spray or wipe on the doggies to keep the fleas off?

Just an idea, sorry not much help.

Liz M.

 

[anita]

We moved to Texas and vet told this is a flea and tick area I should get prepared, which I did. Allof them got a tick color and monthly heartworm meds

Thanks to the lady on the porch with information about dog food I switched from Eucanuba to Nutro Lamb and rice.

And realy, my dogs don't smell anymore! May it help against the fleas

Every second day they get fresh, mushed garlic in their food. It takes care of fleas and worms.

So, I am going from there. To clean a house from fleas is a nightmare.

Anita

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

Marty,

Get yourself a chickcoop. Fill it up with guinea hens. Start out with babies. As they grow only let a few out at a time to start. Locking them all up at night. They soon learn to return to the rest to roost for the night.

They are the dumbest bird you will ever meet. Too funny to watch. When my dad had then here we had no fleas, ticks, ants, beetles. They ate them all. They even went into the dog house. My current dog is 6 years old. I use no flea stuff on her at all. She has never had a flea and only a few ticks in her whole life. The last guinea died two years ago. I would not be surprised to the the flea back this year. The ants and beetles were back last year.

In the past I was like you, I just could not keep up with the fleas.

 

[Pepipony]

Yup, Chickens/Fowl are great, but if you have flower beds, well, then they arent so great LOL I use Spot treatments on the dogs/cat , then I use Adams flea and tick mist in the house ( that is THE best stuff ever) and if needed I will use a spray or granules in the yard. knock wood they usually dont bring in anything from the yard ( because of the chickens) but will bring back stuff from hubbys shop.

Dallas has wicked flea allergies as well, the spot on stuff I use on him every 3 weeks, plus I will bathe him weekly.

 

[Candleliteranch]

ADVANTAGE and GARLIC but, hey, what do I know?

:

 

[billiethekid40]

We use the advantage spot treatments and haven;t seen a flea since we started it. The first year we did multiple treatments and now we only do one treatment in the spring before "fleas season" starts. We are in a bad area for fleas and always had terrible infestations on our dogs, carpets, and yard. Fleas LOVE me for some reason so I always had terrible bites all spring and summer, and even in the winter some years if they got in the carpets bad. I made out worse than the dogs! We can always tell if we have fleas in the house or not, cause if we did, they would find my legs! With the advantage, we don't even treat as often as the package says and our house and yard are flea free and our dogs (and my legs!) are much more comfortable. Its pricey, but worth it, and NO the knockoffs don't work (at least in our experience) and our older dog had a BAD reaction to the Haagan brand spot treatment, and lost all herh air and had a huge scab where the treatment touched her skin.

As a side note, Garlic and oinions are toxic to cats and dogs and can cause anemia. The toxic amounts aren't really known yet, so its best to avoid them altogether. I definately wouldn't be feeding them on a regular basis. Do a web search, you'll see what I mean.

 

[jmejemima]

This is what my Vet/Boss recommends......

For a yard treatment....try the "Over & Out" for fireants....active ingredient will be fipronil which is the same as for Frontline Plus (a topical for dogs and cats). Therefore it is safe for dogs and cats to be around it. (of course, I wouldn't suggested letting them like sleep in a bag of it or anything, you know....)

Just broadcast it out (it's in granules) concentrating mostly on any shady areas of your yard. You may still have to use a topical on the dog/cat but it will help keep the flea population down outside anyway.

It's worth a shot.

 

[Sterling]

Top Spot Frontline

 

[mountain_waif]

Guineas eat fleas and ticks and I think Marigolds repel them and I've heard that limeing your yard will get rid of bees and fleas.

 

[Sunny]

I read somewhere once (probably on her) that sprinking 20 Mule Team Borax all over your carpets and furniture, then vacuuming completely a couple of days later will get rid of fleas. Haven't tried it yet, but I definintely need something to help with those pesky creatures.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I use Frontline on my dog. Only the one Chihuahua, and it works great.

Now, about 2 yrs ago, had some flea heavy flea issues outside and some came into the house on the dog (wasn't using anything on dog prior to that

: ....had no problems). Went to the vet and bought a product by Wellmark called Siphotrol Plus II...premise spray. I sprayed the house and it killed all fleas. Plus, it keeps eggs from hatching....very important :bgrin

Costly at $18-20 per 16 oz can but worth every penny!! Plus, it took very little to do the job. Still have over 1/2 a can and didn't need it last year at all. Only the Frontline was used.

I am gonna get the granules suggested in "over & out" to do the yard...just in case. The "neighborhood" animals may carry some in and they do occassionally "visit".........ya know what I mean.

 

[user 488]

Frontline, Advantage, Advantix......they ALL work and worth EVERY PENNY.

You couldn't pay

me enough to start all the dipping and spraying with those greasy smelly sprays. That works for about 2 days. You don't even want to pet your dog after applying that stuff. I can't even imagine what life was like before Advantage. Six dogs here and I can't tell you when the last time I saw a flea ....................and I have 5 fenced in acres that the dogs run on and I am in FLORIDA..........the worst. I don't understand why anyone has to put up with fleas anymore............

And yes, I remember the 20 Mule Team Borax in the house too. It does work.

 

[luckymeacres]

ADVANTAGE once a month, that works great for us here in Florida to. :aktion033: :aktion033: