Scotimus Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Pretty much their entire lives i've used Advantix, as that's what the vet recommended. At the last visit to the vet I mentioned to the vet tech that I've noticed them scratching and when I checked I found a few fleas and flea droppings in their fur. Keep in mind I religiously apply this stuff, I even have a little border collie puppy calendar that gets the little sticker applied so I dont forget. So she mentioned something about how the fleas can get used to a certain type of medicine, or that it can be less affective over time and suggested that I switch to Frontline. So I did. And still they have the fleas. I've cleaned their beds, bought the power stuff and treated the carpets just in case. Tonight, after reading someone's suggestion on here, I bathed them in the Earthbath Tea Tree shampoo. I've also added a brewer's yeast/garlic supplement to their diet. Is there anything else I can do? Is there another shampoo that I should try that is good for their skin and coat and may work as a preventative? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Have you treated their yard, too? We have a ton of squirrels and roaming cats that drop fleas into our yard and we have to keep it treated. Mine are on Frontline but it doesn't kill them immediately. I have a dog with a flea allergy so even a single bite creates an allergic reaction. If you are having a hard time killing the fleas you have now you might try Comfortis to kill all the live fleas on the dogs now. It might help break the cycle. Comfortis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brndlbc Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 75% of the flea population is not going to be living on the dog. You need to vacuum all areas of the house that the dogs spend most of their time in. This will help remove as many adult, larval stages and eggs as possible. Throw away the vacuum bag (if your vac has one) after each time you do it. Also check your chimney, window wells and under any decking for critters such as raccoons, opossum etc. I once knew of a house that was full of fleas and the owners had no pets...other than the raccoon living in the chimney. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotimus Posted September 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Have you treated their yard, too? We have a ton of squirrels and roaming cats that drop fleas into our yard and we have to keep it treated. Mine are on Frontline but it doesn't kill them immediately. I have a dog with a flea allergy so even a single bite creates an allergic reaction. If you are having a hard time killing the fleas you have now you might try Comfortis to kill all the live fleas on the dogs now. It might help break the cycle. Comfortis Thanks for the info. I had never heard of that. I did a quick search on amazon.com and I'm guessing this can only be purchased from the vet. I'll definitely be making a call tomorrow morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 I think the fleas are just bad this year. I've been battling them on and off. This is the first year I've had them, and I normally do not Frontline the pets. This year everybody is Frontlined, and I'm still finding the occaisional flea, despite the vaccuuming/washing/etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Consider putting a piece of a cut-up flea collar inside your vacuum cleaner bag (rather than throwing away the bag each time). And vacuum frequently. Consider spraying your back yard as well, as Rushdoggie mentioned. My last Border collie had a severe flea allergy. And for a while we were living in a duplex, with neighbors whose dog was flea-ridden. Southern California, so it never got cold enough to kill the buggers outdoors. We'd give their dog a flea bath every time we dogsat for them, but we couldn't sneak into their place to vacuum. It was tough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotimus Posted September 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Consider putting a piece of a cut-up flea collar inside your vacuum cleaner bag (rather than throwing away the bag each time). And vacuum frequently. Consider spraying your back yard as well, as Rushdoggie mentioned. My last Border collie had a severe flea allergy. And for a while we were living in a duplex, with neighbors whose dog was flea-ridden. Southern California, so it never got cold enough to kill the buggers outdoors. We'd give their dog a flea bath every time we dogsat for them, but we couldn't sneak into their place to vacuum. It was tough... Well I use a dyson so there is no vacuum bag to speak of, but I'll definitely treat the back yard. Thanks for the suggestion, funny how the simplest things are never thought of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted September 23, 2010 Report Share Posted September 23, 2010 Well I use a dyson so there is no vacuum bag to speak of, but I'll definitely treat the back yard. Thanks for the suggestion, funny how the simplest things are never thought of. I've got a dyson canister and you can stick a piece of flea collar in there. I think I ought to try that actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pansmom Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 I am having trouble with this, this year, too, and didn't last year at all. I use Advantix. During the summer, I have to reapply like every three weeks (vet said that was okay--Louisiana is TERRIBLE for fleas). I also use a bio-spot repellant spray toward the end... Pest control guy is coming Monday to Talstar the front and back yard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie_Girl Posted September 24, 2010 Report Share Posted September 24, 2010 Get some yard chickens! They LOVE fleas and ticks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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