Flea Prevention - Not what it used to be.
8 post(s)
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Sat 18 Aug 2007 06:54AM PDT
Unbeliever
67 post(s)
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Find that ol' pooch has fleas even though it's still not time for another application?! Yeah, so is everyone else.
Frontline/Advantage/Advantix/Ect aren't working as well as they did last year. Why? The fleas are getting stronger! Same thing happened with Seven Dust (Yeah, you remember the stuff... the best you could buy) years ago and now it's happening to the drops. Here's a few things that you can do to cut down on the problem -
Switch! If you're on Frontline, try switching to Advantage or Advantix. If you're on Advantage, try switching to Frontline. Ect, ect. Sometimes this could eliminate the flea problem in your area because your fleas may not have come in contact with Frontline before.
Apply More Often! If switching still doesn't help, try applying your flea prevention more often. Try applying it every 3 weeks instead of once a month.
Capstar 'em! Capstar is a wonderful little pill that can be given (so it says) everyday. But I wouldn't recommend it. Giving capstar twice a weeks seems safe enough. Capstar, once given, will kill all the adult fleas on your dog or cat within 4-5 hours. Great, huh? Problem is, it doesn't last. Some owners say that it'll last all day, but by the next day their dogs are covered again. Capstar is used primarily to help out Frontline/Ect. If the drops are too overwhelmed, they can't keep up with things! Capstar will kill all the fleas to help poor Frontline/Ect out for a little while.
You got fleas on your dog? You got fleas in your HOUSE! There's no getting around it. If Rover has fleas, the fleas have your house. Spray your pets bedding and where he sleeps/lounges around more often in the house. Remember - Flea Larva cannot survive without flea dirt (or flea poop). So if Fido just runs out to go pee and runs back in, you shouldn't have a big problem in your yard. But if she has a place she likes to hang out at outside, you need to spray that area too. Make sure to use something that isn't toxic to your dog. Knockout Area Treatment is a superb item to use and you can get it from most Veterinarian Clinics. If they don't have it, you can always ask them to order some! Spraying your house and yard can cut down on a HUGE percentage of fleas in your area and on your dog (if you're using frontline/ect).
Remember - Frontline/Advantage/Advantix won't kill all your fleas immediatly. They take about a day to start being effective.
If anyone else has any helpful information, let us know!
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Sat 18 Aug 2007 11:11AM PDT
TinaValant
845 post(s)
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EXcellent posting ~ where were you two years ago, with this info? ;-) After hurricane Wilma (we got hit badly)... it seemed like every nasty bug was on my dogs. Everyone at our park said the same thing. Our neighbor has a golden retriever. They have monthly pest control spray of home/yard. I am too weird about the use of pesticides to allow this, they had just as bad of a problem.....they even bombed inside a couple times...no change.
For fleas, sprinkle Borax (laundry booster) all over carpets, rake in, leave overnite, then vac up. THAT helped.
Frontline Plus was specially formulated for southern states (where the nasties became immune). We tried everything (vacuuming daily, daily bodily surveillance of all five dogs and six cats). We tried the Advantix collars, no use...ONLY when we switched to Advantix liquid, we nipped the ticks and fleas.
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Sun 19 Aug 2007 11:23PM PDT
FreedomKat
155 post(s)
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On the Borax (laundry booster) what do you do if your dog sleeps on the floor, is it okay to leave it over night or should you vaccume it up before they go to sleep?
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Mon 20 Aug 2007 04:58PM PDT
Unbeliever
67 post(s)
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It might be, but I don't trust anything that's not specifically for dogs. If I were you, I'd just take the dogs into another room while you do one room, ect.
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Sat 22 Sep 2007 05:56AM PDT
Astrid
125 post(s)
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I'm glad I found this post. Astrid has started scratching more since moving to North Carolina and the answer why probably lies in the above post. I'll go to a three week schedule with the Frontline instead of my four week and switch to Advantix when I run out. I'm hoping those Capstar pills are not perscription only. Also, I have a problem with administering the Frontline. Astrid's rottie hair is soooo think I can't part it well enough to really be putting the Frontline directly on the skin between the shoulder blades and I think too much of it remains on the surface in her hair. Is it harmful to put the Frontline elsewhere on her body where the hair isn't so thick.....maybe more to her side?
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Wed 10 Oct 2007 02:48PM PDT
TinaValant
845 post(s)
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Anyone heard of/tried Natural Defense? Kills & repels fleas, ticks & mosq with natural ingredients. Smells divine: peppermint, cinnamon. lemongrass, clove & thyme oils; with 2 phenethyl propionate*, in a base of vanillin and isopropyl myristate. *2 pp = natural botanical extract commonly found in food. I'm tired of being ticked off!
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Wed 10 Oct 2007 03:01PM PDT
itsallmine
114 post(s)
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How come Buddy has never had fleas? Even when his doggy buddies had them they never made the jump to Buddy. Does he just taste bad or something? He gets ticks sometimes but not often as you would think.
Hmmmmmmmm
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Wed 10 Oct 2007 04:11PM PDT
TinaValant
845 post(s)
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Count your lucky stars ~ All parasites are gross; but fleas I find esp nasty. We have seen a lot more ticks since the hurricanes of Frances, Jean & Wilma. Like they got knocked out of trees.....You're on to something about them not biting Buddy. Mosq usually don't bite me ~ I love acidy foods, olives, pickles, etc.
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