FLEAS!

[Maddy McCall]

Not in the house, not on the dog outside, but all over my inside schnauzer.

I bathe her twice a week in flea shampoo (cheap stuff from Walmart, I admit), then apply spray on Frontline, and she takes Interceptor, which is supposed to kill off the flea population.

Yet I still can't knock the fleas off of her. She stays inside except for her trips outside to take care of business.

She isn't covered in fleas, but one or two on her cause her to scratch and she seems to be allergic.

I have taken her to the vet and have used the treatments (above) that he advocates, but I still can't get rid of them.

The only thing I can figure is that she is picking up fleas at the groomer, who I have used three times, but have started noticing that the place isn't really clean. And the groomer griped about her pet cat that roams the place having fleas. (!!!)

Any advice on how to knock these fleas off Lucinda will be appreciated.

[trotsky]

1. I took in a stray cat once that had fleas.

I lived in a smallish apartment at the time. Fought the fleas for weeks. What finally vanquished them was a multi-pronged attack:

1) Bathe the animal(s) - I had two cats.
2) Dip them.
3) Put them in a carrier, set off some flea bombs, and leave for several hours.
4) Repeat the whole process within two weeks - fleas are impervious to chemicals during part of their lives, so any that were at that stage the first time may be emerging by the 2nd time, and you'll get 'em.

And definitely change groomers - yikes!

[Love Bug]

2. When my sister had outdoor cats she would bathe them with Tegrin

shampoo. She said you could see the fleas drop off in droves. Must be the tar or something in the anti-dandruff "stuff." Your vet will probably have some suggesstions, too.

[mike_c]

3. hmm..., your vet should be able to offer you an interior flea control...

...treatment that contains synthetic pyrethin to kill the adult population and a flea juvenile hormone analog which prevents the larvae (which don't live on the dog) from reaching adulthood. That's the important part-- it breaks the life cycle, and is usually residual for several months. If your dog is picking up fleas elsewhere then you might have to repeat this occasionally when you notice new infestations.

Sorry-- I don't remember any brand names. We don't have much of a flea problem here despite having six indoor/outdoor cats, so ocasional Advantage applications work well for us. Good luck!

[ohiosmith]

4. Sure fire remedy is to put a recently used horse blanket in the dog's

living/sleeping area. It's best to temporarily locate the blanket and dog in a place not frequented by humans or other pets as the fleas will seek out any available food source.

[grasswire]

5. you're living in the stone age

The new anti-flea applications will solve your problem in days.

The product is Advantage. It's made by Bayer and available at your veterinarian's office and some pet stores. You squirt a little tube on the back of the pet's neck. The life cycle of the flea is interrupted. First, the fleas on your pet will die. Then, the fleas in your home will not reproduce.

The product comes in a pack of four little tubes, for monthly applications. With my cat, it only took ONE application and we were free of critters -- it's been more than a year now.

The pack costs about 35 dollars as I recall. You can get a free tube on their web site.

http://www.nofleas.com/FAQ.asp

No more dipping, no more combing, no more powders, nothing.

[ArkDem]

6. I've been using it for years on my cats and

dogs. Inside and out, it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ohiosmith]

7. The stone age? Thanks for your take on my desire to exist as free

of poisonous chemicals as possible.

[ArkDem]

9. But....but ...what about your nasty old horse blanket!

It's got horsey chemicals on it!!!

[ohiosmith]

15. My horseys are chemical free except Cliff who is seriously into

Wild Turkey and peyote.

[ArkDem]

18. Life can't exist without chemicals..

You should switch out the bourbon in favor of a single malt.

[radwriter0555]

8. The DROPS from Frontline work, NOT the spray.

It kills the critters from the inside, systemically. Safe as can be, been using it for years.

THEN, spend the $16 - $20 and buy ZODIAC Flea control spray for indoor use. I've had the same big bottle for about 3 years now, so its well worth it. Spray the house, couch, chairs, carpeting every few months, takes about 5 minutes couple times a year.

I have 3 dogs who are inside and outside dogs, and who have playmates come over for playdates who have fleas; we're also adjacent to several untreated cats who have fleas, and we don't have fleas. My tried and true methods WORK.

Good luck and welcome to flea-freeness.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Be careful about the Frontline drops...

I don't know that any conclusive evidence has turned up to support or negate this; but I've read and heard from secondary sources about possible links between this type of flea product and healthy dogs suddenly having seizures.

Talk with your vet and read the pamphlet that identifies potential complications of use of Frontline. Sometimes certain breeds of dog are more susceptible to problems than others.

I've not had any incidents using Frontline on my Border Collie mix; but I'd check with my vet before randomly using the product on any dog.

Good luck!

[radwriter0555]

13. I've been using them on various critters since they first came out,

without one single siezure... I even use it on my 4 lb maltese, who is the most flea-prone.

I'll vouch for it!

Frankly I've had equal success with Frontline and Advantage; can't find any diff between the two.

[Cleita]

11. I use Frontline drops but if you are hesitant you

might want to get a flea comb and comb the beasts out of her. I had to do this with one of my senior cats that I was hesitant to use flea products on. You need a dish of soapy water to dump the fleas into. It kills them then you can flush them down the toilet. Keeping your rugs and the dogs bedding sprayed also helps. It is a constant battle. Also, a low voltage light like a night light with a pan of soapy water under it encourages the fleas to commit suicide. Just flush the bodies down the toilet with the soapy water in the morning.

[SOteric]

12. Before you conclude with certainty that they're not in the house,

Vacuum the carpeting every day for a week and remove the bag immediately to a sealed plastic container after each vacuuming.

If the scratching goes down, it's your carpetting that's infested, not your pup.

I had this problem recently with my cats. Fleas, mosquitos and other multi-legged creatures have absolutely no taste for me, so I had no idea they were lurking in the apartment.

:hi:

Good luck!

[radwriter0555]

14. That's why that Zodiac spray is the BEST... it kills fleas on contact AND

stops the eggs from hatching for something like 180 days or something wild like that. It's the greatest stuff, I just swear by it.

[Faygo Kid]

16. Is your "inside schnauzer" really a euphemism?

Moderators in a bad mood today. Guess I better watch it.

[philosophie_en_rose]

17. It's probably your carpet.

Fleas are dormant in their adolescent phase and hang out in the depths of carpetting and furniture.

Regardless of how toxic your dog is, the living fleas would still need to make contact to be poisoned. The bites before the flea's death would irritate your dog.

It also might be another kind of parasite.

[nuxvomica]

19. Garlic

And dogs love it too.