Major Flea Problem - Advice Needed!!

debsg

debsg

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 January 2009
Messages
797
Location
East Kent
Visit site
I have two elderly dogs (a Golden Retriever and a crossbreed terrier) and an ancient cat (20 this year) all happy and healthy but not the best mobility wise.
In the last couple of months I have found fleas on the terrier but none on the Goldie or the cat. All were Frontlined (properly) and the house thoroughly sprayed in the first instance. 72 hours later the fleas were back on the terrier! The house was sprayed again, other two checked - no fleas. I can't re-Frontline small dog for 4 weeks so I have been carefully combing him with a flea comb, then dipping the comb in disinfectant. Every day there are more fleas!!
We are not being bitten, have not seen any fleas in the house. The dogs and cat have access to a concrete yard which is cleaned and bleached regularly, no plants or bushes. The cat does not venture out of the yard and other animals do not come in because of the row the dogs make. Where are the b****y things coming from?? Grrrrr!
Small dog is demented by the fleas and I am reluctant to Frontline again as it didn't work the first time.
Anyone got a 100% guaranteed flea killing treatment that I could try? I need to get it sorted asap. Vet is the last resort as it will be very difficult to get the Goldie there. Would a vet prescribe for her and the cat if I took small dog? Presumably all need to be treated at the same time despite the absence of flea activity on the other two?
Any advice gratefully accepted. Many thanks xx
 
what product did you use to treat the house?

you can use a capstar tablet to kill everything on the animal now but it has no lasting effect

use advocate on the cat and dogs IMO the best flea treatment currently (there is known resistance to frontline)

use indorex spray on the house and furniture but hover well first as it activates the fleas

wash all animal bedding on a hot wash

most vets would see your terrier with fleas and prescribe for all the animals in the house as long as all the animals are registered, this is especially true if the other animals are elderly and/or likely to get stressed coming in
 
Thank you Twiggy xx Can't remember the active ingredient in the spray I used, it was recommended by the 'flea expert' at Pets At Home who assured me that Frontline would definitely work - it didn't!!
Advocate is POM isn't it? What is Capstar and where would I get that? And is Indorex an ingredient or a trade name of a spray? Thanks again xx
 
What we had to do (on advice of vet) was to firstly vaccuum clean the house. A real pain if you hate housework, like me!!

Then exclude all cats, dogs, birds & fish, and use the Indorex spray.

Leave for a few hours, then vaccuum again.

You may have to repeat this every few days or so to eliminate the flea life-cycle.

Frontline is about as much use as a nun in a punch-up. I have had arguments with people who sell it in agricultural-type outlets as they probably I guess get commission for selling the stuff. It doesn't work. Full stop. You might as well buy P!ss-water for all the good it does, and they know it doesn't work but continue to flog it, which irritates me beyond belief.

Ask your vet for Stronghold or Advocate - and alternate them every time you apply it for maximum effect.

Alternatively, for doing inside your house, dogs bedding etc., you could try Diatomaceous Earth. It works coz I use it in the chickens house for red mite. It works basically by being like a sort-of sharp sand which pierces the shell of parasites. Its cheap and cheerful, you get it from agricultural outlets or on-line. Worth a try. Research it on Google, there's lots there about it. Its totally non-chemical.

Good luck! Fleas are a pesky nuisance, and a devil to get rid of.

PS sorry just re-read your post and see your dog is an oldie. The diatomaceous earth might be a good thing to try as its non-chemical, or you could try using Neem Oil shampoo (I use it for my sweet itchy cob). Personally with an oldie I'd give these two things a try first rather than blast with chemicals.
 
Last edited:
Thanks MiJods, I'll look those things up online. Bloody things are driving me nuts, and I'm in the middle of an eleven nights on at work - de-fleaing, vaccing and spraying does not fill me with joy, lol :D
Had dogs all my life and this is the first time we've ever had fleas :(
 
You really do need a prescription flea treatment, as sMijods says the over the counter Frontline is crap, so you are wasting your money really. I would imagine your vet wouldn't have a problem giving you treatment for all the animals as long as he has seen them relatively recently and knows they are generally fit and well.
 
I use Advantage - the vet does sell it but you can also buy it online, I used frontline for ages but like you found it didnt affect the fleas but with Advantage the fleas are gone.
 
Advocate definitely - it kills the fleas even before they bite and is the only product that does. It is a POM so vets will need to have seen the animal within 12 months usually to be able to prescribe it, good luck, they're horrible things!
 
As well as the above advice try giving garlic and fenugreek tablets, available from dorwest herbs. It helps to repell fleas but obviously if you have a serious problem I would seek veterinary advice
 
debsg said:
Thank you Twiggy xx Can't remember the active ingredient in the spray I used, it was recommended by the 'flea expert' at Pets At Home who assured me that Frontline would definitely work - it didn't!!
Advocate is POM isn't it? What is Capstar and where would I get that? And is Indorex an ingredient or a trade name of a spray? Thanks again xx
Click to expand...

advocate is POM yes

capstar i am not sure if POM but is used to kill what is on the animal whilst the advocate or similar gets to work, i have only seen it in the vets

indorex is the trade name (i believe)
 
Thanks all, going to phone my vet this morning and get a scrip for Advocate. Cleaning will be fun as my daughter has come home from uni and her life's belongings are currently living in my lounge!!
 
Years ago we had an infestation of fleas in my daughters room ( where cats slept) we hoovered thoroughly stripped bedding off and set off a flea bomb (you can buy from pet stores) . Did the job
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top