# Fleas that will NOT go away!



## KatieKate (Sep 15, 2009)

I have been in a major flea battle on my dog for a couple months now. She has a flea collar has had baths with flea and tick shampoos. I then thought they must be on the carpet and bedding so we washed the bedding and I got a flea spray for carpets and furniture. She loves to roll on grass, So I thought maybe that's where she is getting them so I have not been letting her roll anywhere. And she hasn't had any contact with other dogs! She is an indoor dog. She had a bath a week ago and I found a flea on her today! So for right now I'm going to give her a bath with Dawn.*Sigh* I don't know what else to do! Any suggestions would be helpful.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Food grade diatomaceous earth, sprinkle it around the yard, his bedding, on him, and wherever he stays most of the time


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Is she on any flea prevention? Like revolution, advantage, any of the drops that go on the back of their neck? 
Even in the worst cases I've seen, those drops have always come through for me and cleared things up almost immediately.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yep, use the DE around the house, and for the dog, get a good vet-quality spot-on (it's best to ask your vet what works best in your area because the fleas have become immune to some products in certain places). Capstar is also good---it kills all the adult fleas that bite the dog in a 24-hour period so it gives the spot-on a clean slate to work with.


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## KatieKate (Sep 15, 2009)

I have not heard of diatomaceous earth but will most definitely look into it. There are a lot of feral cats in the neighborhood and my neighbor likes to feed them all. So maybe this will help with that as well. Thank-you! Also the drop stuff is waay to expensive. My uncle uses it on his dog and she still has fleas. =/


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

KatieKate said:


> I have not heard of diatomaceous earth but will most definitely look into it. There are a lot of feral cats in the neighborhood and my neighbor likes to feed them all. So maybe this will help with that as well. Thank-you! Also the drop stuff is waay to expensive. My uncle uses it on his dog and she still has fleas. =/


The topical treatments are a lot cheaper than a continual battle with flea shampoos, sprays etc in addition to being safer and easier on the dog's skin. You do have to figure out which works for your area since in some places, Frontline for example is so common that it has stopped being effective and you also have to treat the house because once the fleas are established they aren't just feeding off the dog but probably off the humans too. But for about $12-15 per month, the vast majority of dogs will be flea free the whole time using a reputable topical treatment. 

Here's my two-cents on fixing flea problems:
Get Capstar either from the vet or at a store like PetSmart and give one tablet to the dog to kill any fleas on the dog at that time.
Then treat with a reputable monthly prevention dose like Frontline Plus, Advantix II or Advantage. NOT the Hartz stuff or offbrand topicals from WalMart or similar.
You need to wait about 3 days after a bath to give the topical prevention and do not bathe for about 3 days after. 
Flea comb the dog every few days for any survivors for the next 3 weeks. 

Dawn and such is very drying to a dog's coat and skin. Flea shampoos, especially the cheaper kind, can have very strong chemicals which should be used in very limited frequency or even not at all. 

Meanwhile, if you cannot find food grade diatomaceous earth or cannot afford it, mix up salt and baking soda about 50/50 and sprinkle into the cracks of the floorboards, behind furniture (if the floor is carpet, test a small bit of this for color fast-ness first!), between couch cushions etc. Let sit one day and vacuum up. Toss the vacuum bag into an outdoor trash or empty the canister into outdoor trash. Repeat this every few days for 3 weeks.

Wash and dry bedding etc, the dryer should be on high heat. If something can't be safely washed, bag it in a black plastic bag and tie it tightly and set it in the sun for a full day.


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## KatieKate (Sep 15, 2009)

Ok thank-you for all the information. I have done most of this stuff but will try again. =]


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

It's honestly cheaper to just go buy the proper flea meds than to try a lot of OTC products that don't work well. 

DE is usually found at farm stores (or online). Be sure it's the livestock feed-grade kind and not the kind for pool filters. It's cheap, just get a big bag and sprinkle it everywhere.


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## Burtman (Sep 5, 2014)

I believe that frontline has a guarantee where if you buy frontline from your vet and treat as prescribed for three months and can prove that you bought the product FROM a VET and you still have a flea infestation, the company will pay for Terminex to come to your home. 
also be sure to change your vacuum bag after cleaning them up as they can hide in there! good luck!


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## ujmujm (Aug 27, 2014)

I agree with those above. We have been using a vet-quality spot-on for years now on out dog and cats. One cat spends most of her time outside and we have had really good luck avoiding a flea problem with the drops.


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Having seen Capstar work firsthand, GET IT. That stuff is incredible. 

Revolution + Capstar + Dawn dish soap baths were how we got rid of fleas on our new kitten. Even though we kept her isolated until the fleas were gone, we also vacuumed frequently (and emptied the bag) for the 1st couple weeks, to decrease the likelihood of an infestation. If we'd actually had fleas in the carpets, I would have used DE.


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## StoryTale (Sep 15, 2014)

Here are step by step instructions on how to get rid of fleas. 

1. Throw all that other stuff away. I've never had any luck with it except for maybe the dawn. 

2. Buy a comfortis pill. You can get them over the counter from a vet meaning no check up fee or anything. It works for at least thirty days and within thirty minutes to an hour all the fleas on the dog are dead.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

KatieKate said:


> I have not heard of diatomaceous earth but will most definitely look into it. There are a lot of feral cats in the neighborhood and my neighbor likes to feed them all. So maybe this will help with that as well. Thank-you! Also the drop stuff is waay to expensive. My uncle uses it on his dog and she still has fleas. =/


Pet armor works just as well as any of the big name brands, it has the same active ingredient as front line, and it's 20 dollars for 3 months... if that's too expensive how can you afford a dog?


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

StoryTale said:


> Here are step by step instructions on how to get rid of fleas.
> 
> 1. Throw all that other stuff away. I've never had any luck with it except for maybe the dawn.
> 
> 2. Buy a comfortis pill. You can get them over the counter from a vet meaning no check up fee or anything. It works for at least thirty days and within thirty minutes to an hour all the fleas on the dog are dead.


Ginger starts chewing on herself 20 days after getting Comfortis.


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## StoryTale (Sep 15, 2014)

As in chewing flea bites or as in she is allergic to it?


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

Where are you located? Flea problems vary geographically.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Yeah our dog goes a few days a week with me to our apartment in the city and the hallway carpet is infested with fleas from the buildings' dogs (we have hardwood floors inside)- so a drop of Frontline Plus does the trick, kills everything on her so that she cant bring the bugs home- and we use the DE (feed grade from Tractor supply- its a fine dust you sprinkle I buy the 50# bag for like $20 maybe lasts all year long) and that gets sprinkled around the yard, even used it in a corner where ants where coming in, and that took care of that...


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I'm in coastal southern California where fleas are out and about year round. Back yard backs to a water way so there is a lot of animal activity passing by and we are out and about daily. 

Ginger also has environmental allergies, manifested in eye stains that are controlled by Benedryl. I know I am helped by showering after exposure to known allergens like lawn mowing and vacuuming, perhaps if she was bathed more often allergens might not build up enough to bother her if that is one reason she starts biting at her legs part way through the month. Don't really think so, she has flea dirt on her tummy........


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## kmac99 (Jul 18, 2014)

The vet stuff works. We have 3 dogs, one is a puppy and I have her on the vet's flea/heart worm pill and it works. Now the other 2 are on nothing. Reason being the one is very old and she is going to be put down any day. (She is sick and my boyfriend is just trying to get the nerves up). The other is his ex's dog. She dropped him off on us over a month ago. She was to come back but hasn't (she doesn't live in town). That one is loaded with fleas. We have asked for shot records so we know whats up and we have gotten nothing. This has all happened with in the last month.
We treat the house and yard too, wash the little thing, flea collar but couldn't get it on anything until we got some info. 

Like I said that is is infested while the one on the pill has nothing. To me that's proof enough.


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## Alananicorita (Oct 14, 2014)

Here in Mexico we have this: http://www.bayersanidadanimal.com.m...arasiticidas/asuntol-liquido-y-asuntol-polvo/ I believe that you could also get it OTC in the USA without trouble. I use this instead of frontline and whatnot. you have it in powder, soap and powder. I use it as follows:

*after the bath, a solution of 1 to 8 of water. It will look like merky water. that is one time rinse. Once a month, no ticks and no fleas.
* If I am taking anyone into a high grass area, talcuum on the feet, base of the tail and behind the ears.

Hopefully you will be able to find it in your area.


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