Fleas!!!!

[Crugeran Celt]

I have two dogs, a springer x collie and a springer and two cats. I use Frontline for fleas and over the summer had to use it every fortnight as one of the dogs was scratching constantly. Today, having treated them all again on Saturday, two weeks since the last treatment I have found two live fleas on her! I have now treated the whole house with a house spray from the vet. Does anyone else have a problem with Frontline or is there something else I could use? It is costing me a fortune as I have to treat all four animals each time but it is only the one dog that is scratching and having combed the other animals with a flea comb the only one I have found fleas on. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[spike123]

is it standard frontline or frontline combi? The combi is the better one of the 2. I used advocate for mine and haven't had a problem so far although need to do all my animals again whereas normally come october i don't usually treat again until early spring.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

It's the standard Frontline, I have used advocate in the past but the colliex had a bad reaction to it so have used Frontline and Drontal for worms ever since. I have never had a problem before but this summer has been a nightmare.

 

[Dizzydancer]

Agree the fleas have been shocking this year. I thought you do occasionally see live ones as they get on said pet and take approx 24hours to be killed off??

 

[PucciNPoni]

Standard Frontline has been known to be less effective for some time now. Maybe try something like Bravecto?

 

[Honey08]

Even Frontline combo bought over the counter from the vets didn't work on ours this year.

Our other vet gave us stronghold for the cats and Advantage for the dogs. He said a lot of fleas are building up resistance to treatments as people are using them a lot. We treated the furniture and their beds with something call Kill Mite that I got for the hen house, it seems better than the household flea treatments.

 

[blackcob]

Standard Frontline (blue pipette) is pointless when treating an existing infestation because it has no environmental control, you will get a new crop of fleas every few weeks. Should be solved now with the addition of the household spray.

 

[AmyMay]

We struggled for two months with Frontline and a household spray. Her last treatment i changed to Nexgaurd. Fleas disappeared within 24 hours, and we've had no more problems.

She's due her next treatment on Sunday, and I'll repeat the Nexguard - wich is a tablet.

(I always use stronghold for the cats, and have never seen a flea on them.)

 

[3Beasties]

So pleased to see I'm not the only one to have problems with frontline! It usually it works well for us but this year it seem to be completely useless, even when combined with household spray.

 

[splashgirl45]

I also found frontline didn't work this year and my vet does not stock frontline now because it is not so effective. I got advocate from the vet and still had problems so now use the tablets once a month,( comfortis )and have been spraying the house regularly and all seems fine..

 

[springtime1331]

I've never had a problem with fleas until this year. Frontline combi just wasn't sorting it so I switched to advocate. Problem solved.

 

[moosea]

Bath the dog once a year in a mild Benzyl benzoate solution. Kills the fleas instantly. Never had any problems with rescues after bathing with this.

 

[mynutmeg]

our vets said that the fleas are starting to be resistant to the frontline

 

[Mahoganybay]

What is everyone using to treat the house, having terrible trouble with my two cats this year. Hoping have now treated them effectively but think the fleas may be in my carpets.

 

[Umbongo]

Normal frontline is not effective anymore, fleas are developing resistance to it so I am told.
I use advocate and have never had a problem. Other products to try are advantage, frontline combo, stronghold, broadline, bravecto, seresto etc.

House sprays: Acclaim, RIP fleas.

Don't forget to hoover your house very thoroughly and wash any upholstery on a hot wash.

 

[CAYLA]

See I don't mind frontline but not in spot in form (I use) the spray (buy 500ml) bottles and I have 8 dogs and 3 cats and never had any flea issues.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Thanks all, glad it's not just me then!! I have been combing the animals every day since Saturday and pleased to say that no more live fleas found and the scratching has stopped after dogs having a bath in a shampoo to sooth the skin. I will have to change for their next treatment and I will spray the house again in a week or two just to make sure. I used Acclaim in the house and I think that has helped. I have never had a problem with fleas before and have had dogs and cats for thirty years. Don't know how my parents managed as I never remember them treating any of our animals for fleas and we had loads including dogs,cats, rabbits, lambs, rats, mice and even injured hedgehogs and birds.