PDA

View Full Version : We've been infested!!



Fluffy
04-25-2006, 10:33 AM
By those dang jumping bugs...FLEAS YUCK!!! What do you guys recomend as far as shampoos or flea dips or whatever?? I am giving them a bath in a few min and then I'm off to the store to get something for them. Right now I have Fresh and Clean flea and tick shampoo....can anyone recommend something better?? Thanks!!!!

quavec
04-25-2006, 10:40 AM
Frontline. NOW. Also, you've got to vaccuum up the rugs and wash the linens. Throw the bag away or the eggs will just rehatch later. Use hot water for the linens. I'd vacuum everyday until I was sure the frontline kicked in. Good luck. I hate those suckers.

Fluffy
04-25-2006, 10:41 AM
Do I have to make a VET apt to get the frontline??

quavec
04-25-2006, 10:44 AM
Don't think so. I use the one that doesn't work for heartworms too. I've purchased it at a pet store from time to time so I am pretty sure you won't need a vet visit. It isn't cheap though. About $40 for a 3 month supply - which, with two pups, means you'd only have enough for one month w/extra. It's worth it for us down here in the south.

Fluffy
04-25-2006, 10:45 AM
Thank you Carrol!! I don't even care about the $$$ at this point...they are SO uncomfortable and SO itchy!! :( My poor babies!! They've never had fleas!!! (Well Buddy hasn't...since she came to live w/ me, Heidi hasn't either but not sure about before) Will the bath help them out too??

Nancy
04-25-2006, 10:54 AM
itchy and scratchy! poor puppers!!

squirrel818
04-25-2006, 10:57 AM
Bex- I know petco sells frontline, I've bought it there. I'm not sure about baths though, at petsmart we used a shampoo that wasn't sold to customers. Ask the groomer though when you buy the frontline she would probably be able to recommend something good. Carol is right, lots of vacuming! :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: here are some flea be gone rays!

quavec
04-25-2006, 10:59 AM
Will the bath help them out too??

Here's the thing that I found (Mom used to have serious flea issues years ago). You've got to kill the fleas on the dogs, kill the eggs, get rid of any eggs that can still be lurking about (linens and even clothes) that havent' died. Then once you manage all that, you've got to use a preventative so it doesn't happen again. The baths help, but try to find (haven't a clue what kind anymore) milder soap that kills the fleas. Sprays are good too, but see if there is a milder, gentler one that won't dry out their skin. Powders on carpets only tend to settle into the rug and cause buildup later on. Unless you've got a REALLY good suction vacuum that will get it all up. And make SURE to throw away the bag. We didn't the first time and those suckers came back. We ended up calling Terminex and they told us it was probably coming from the eggs in the bag - the over the coutner stuff we bought to kill them didn't kill eggs.

Good luck. Again, I hate fleas.

Jen
04-25-2006, 11:21 AM
In 24 hours you should start seeing results with the Frontline.

In future, you can get it cheaper online, but should use a reputable seller like Drs Foster & Smith as some places have countfeit which can do nothing--or even hurt the pups depending on what it is.

Flea killing :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz: heading your way. Do you have bites yet? I was visiting a friend with 3 cats one time and they had fleas. I had tons of bites on my legs by the time I left!

Laurie' s Dachshunds
04-25-2006, 11:25 AM
Frontline. NOW. Also, you've got to vaccuum up the rugs and wash the linens. Throw the bag away or the eggs will just rehatch later. Use hot water for the linens. I'd vacuum everyday until I was sure the frontline kicked in. Good luck. I hate those suckers.

This works! I do the exact same thing.
My pack were always getting fleas, we treated the yard & then only used Puppy Flea & Tick Shampoo.
But since that didn' t help, we started Frontline & regularly vacuum the carpet & washing blankets often. Oxy clean makes 'em smell great too!

Courtney
04-25-2006, 11:48 AM
Google for "diatomaceous earth and fleas" and you will find good info on using that to get rid of them. As far as shampoo, you can use any shampoo and just leave it on for 10 minutes (hard to do if you've got a wiggly dog) and it will kill the fleas. A product called Capstar will kill fleas on the dog instantly and you can use that with Frontline as well. Frontline need only be applied every 3 months for fleas but you might have to use it every 4 weeks if you have an infestation. It will kill fleas and eggs and also prevent them from coming back. But do you live in an apartment? You might have a hard time, because it may be your neighbors who have fleas and unless they get rid of them, it will be hard for you to get rid of them. Adam's cats got fleas in his old apartment and they never ever ever went outside - one of his neighbors must have had them. In that case we caught them early and we only had to use Frontline and treat Molly for tapeworms. That will be another thing to watch out for in their poop in the coming weeks!

Fluffy
04-25-2006, 11:52 AM
Thanks for the tips ladies!! I can remember Ben getting fleas, and it was NOT fun! I can remember my parents "dunking" him in a bucket for a flea dip (we weren't that knowledgable about the right thing to do back then). I'm off to the store now to see if I can get some frontline...Jen, no, I don't seem to have any bites yet, but just KNOWING they are here is making ME itch like crazy!! Poor puppers, can't imagine how they feel w/ those things crawling all over them :(

Patt
04-25-2006, 12:32 PM
Lots of good suggestions given!! Advantage, Frontline, Revolution and Capstar are all good products. Fleas are nasty little critters and very hard to get rid of once they have taken over your home. You need to work on the environment along with the dogs. I bathe the dogs first and then 24 hours later apply Advantage. Also the there is a product called Program used once a month and it sterilize the eggs. If you use Sentinel for HW prevention it also has Program included. For rugs and furniture I use Siphotrol Plus. The environment should be treated again in 2-3 weeks.

I know that Advantage, Frontline, Program and Revolution brand products are not cheap... but they are the only products recommended by veterinarians. You are not getting the same product or results by using less expensive over-the-counter medications.

Ridding your home of fleas
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef602.htm

Bella's Mom
04-25-2006, 02:12 PM
You've gotten great advice so I'll just send you some fleas be gone :bigrayz: :bigrayz: :bigrayz:!

K2
04-25-2006, 03:53 PM
I've had great results with Capstar. Frontline didn't work at all for him and it's what he was on at his foster mom's. He came to me with fleas and I went crazy(shampooing, combing, vaccumming, etc) Capstar killed those little suckers and Advantix keeps em gone!

Sending flea killing :rayz: :rayz: your way!