FLEAS!

[mrskti]

Ok, I am totally confused here. Last month when we were down here, both dogs got a case of the fleas...I had forgotten to apply their stuff before I left home but did it when i got down here. Didnt seem to do any good. So i had to use some spray on them.

well....move ahead a month. THe dogs were groomed last thursday, and friday I think it was on the way down I put their Frontline Plus on......this morning Ellie is scratching like crazy, I flip her over and she is crawling w/fleas!!!! Of course this is right after she gets out of MY BED!!! So, I take them both out and spray them again. The scratching has calmed down, but i can still see the little critters crawling around, then I pinch their freakin little heads off. Ok, just after i say they arent scratching much, they're both sitting here scratching......

My question: Is there something else I should be using down here with them? Lawn? can I bomb the house?

I itch just thinking about it all!!!! Help!!!!

[Toby23]

Where do you buy your flea meds at ?

[mrskti]

From my Vet. I just talked to Frontline and my Vet's office, so I'm feeling a little better about it. They told me the new fleas on them cannot reproduce because of the frontline, so that's good. I need to treat our yard, so I'm calling the yard guy to check about what he puts down. The problem will be from people's yards that 'dont' treat for fleas. I guess i'll just have to have them do business in our yard and then keep them on the road for their walks. Although, i'm sure fleas will be at Fort Wilderness next week....arrrrrgh! Maybe their frontline will have kicked in at that point. I'm going to go get flea collars for them today for backup.

All linens/quilts are in the washer......

[maggie]

Did you ask the vet about using a flea collar as back up? It seems like I read somewhere awhile back that you should not use mix two products, and I think it specifically said flea collars with topical. I'm not sure though so check with the vet or Frontline people.

PS I think this may be the article I was referring to:

http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=28&sid=1

[mrskti]

I did ask the frontline people, and she said it would be fine. I might call a local vet around here and ask them too, just as backup.

[Cairnmania]

You need to de-flea your house. Wash all the dogs bedding, all our bedding - immediately. Spray carpets and furniture with flea killer, you should be able to find products that are meant to de-flea the house (rather than the dog).

If it is a bad infestation the fleas will have laid eggs all over the place and they will reproduce. Maybe not on your dogs because of the Frontline, but everywhere else.

I would also buy either a flea collar or a flea powder and put in in your vacuum cleaner bag. That way when you vacuum and pick up the fleas or eggs from carpet or furniture they will go in the vacuum and meet their fate there.

I HATE fleas!

[mrskti]

I bought some of the house spray today and a collar for the girls. I hope i can nip this. One thought I had was wondering if they caught these on the way down. There are some pretty skanky roadside stops along the way. No one else down here in our neighboorhood has had a problem and are shocked when i tell them about my dogs.

I hate fleas too....they are a PITA!!!!!

Luckily we have mostly tile in the house, one bedroom w/carpet. I hope their gone by time we have to take them in the motor home.

[Sarah]

There's probably a really good chance you picked the fleas up along the way. I hate stopping at rest areas and places like that because I find ticks and fleas on Henry every time I do. I will do just about anything to keep them off of him and out of my house. I despise fleas and will freak right out if I find a tick. YUCK! I once walked through some kind of tick breeding situation or something and found little ticks crawling all over me. Up my legs, on my shoes, everywhere! Maybe something similar happened to them with fleas at one of your stops. That's what I would assume if your neighbors aren't having a problem.

Can you bathe them? I don't know how effective it is or if it's harmful in any way because I haven't had to do it, but I don't think that I'd hesitate to bathe Henry with flea shampoo if he was infested.

[Toby23]

I agree with you all, I hate fleas. The reason I asked where you bought your flea (Frontline) is, I have been told that some of the products that are sold "online" look like Advantage and Frontline but really are not the same thing. In other words, it's a cheap knock off in packaging-names that look like Frontline and Advantage but do not have the same ingredients.

[mrskti]

OK, i think we might have a handle on this. I havent seen any fleas today! crosses fingers! Ellie has been scratching like a crazy lady, so with the Vets ok, I gave them both a benedryl....they are finally calm....i mean with scratching, ok, maybe a little calm all the way around!!! We've sprayed the cloth furniture/beds/washed bedding etc. tonight we will also dust the area rug, which has also been sprayed, and tomorrow will hit the carpet in bedroom with dusting. So if that doesnt take care of it, I'm moving!!!!! Poor Ellie just scratched all night long, she drove me crazy. I feel so badly for her, i'm sure it's just the existing bites and not from new ones. The vet said we could have a burst of flea activity and that's why it was important to "sweep" the area clean of the little %@!'s. So i will keep my fingers crossed.

Actually, we're looking at new houses, all tile....then i'm buying leather furniture!!! Why does it make me itch to even talk about this!!!!!