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Barnyard Buddies:  Fleas!  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 11:11:28 PM
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My roommate's dog has fleas!
She found one three weeks ago but neglicted to tell me. Luckily my dog Sky was out of the house that week and the next week her dog was out of the house, but yesterday she decided to inform me- and sure enough- my dog had 3 on her!
So of course we rushed out and bought flea combs, flea shampoo, flea collars and tons of borax.
Doing some quick research online told me that borax will kill the eggs (so it effectively will stop the cycle from continuing.)
Does anyone have any other experience with more natural ways to kill fleas? I did end up going to the vet today to get Frontline for my dog since I hate flea collars. They are really bad for your dogs.
For the Borax solution you are supposed to sprinkle borax liberally on your carpet or infected area and let it sit for half an hour, then vacuum. |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 04:19:27 AM
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| The borax really works, I used it In Florida, flea country, and it did control and prevent the house from being contaminated. I also use frontline, it is the lesser of all evils. We have tick problems and lyme disease here in the NE and I have to use it. Flea shampoos, sprays and collars are highly toxic. Your doing the best thing. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 06:37:18 AM
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Borax does help. I used to battle fleas all the time when we lived in Calif. Here there arn't any unless someone brings them in and then you deal with it for the summer. I LOVE not dealing with them. We always ended up resorting to Advantage or Frontline..there were just too many where we lived to ever get a grip on them otherwise. Our dogs went inside and outside. I would treat the cats..even the barn cats and dogs and that helped. I felt like I vacumed constantly. Lots of vacuming helps too. I used to put a flea collar in my vacum bag and then vacum..that would kill the eggs too as they were vacumed up.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2006 : 06:41:42 AM
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That is such a great idea, Jenny. I didn't know about the borax either. We had such a problem this winter, we are just finally flea free in our house. Great post!
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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nh farmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
15 Posts
laura
sullivan
nh
15 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2006 : 3:24:28 PM
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| I want to thank all you girls for all the good tips on fleas. I have three cats and a dog. We also have the neighboors cat who lives in the barn. We are invested really bad. I have tried store bought sprays, shampoo and powders. They didn't help the dog got hides. So we went an got advantage at the vet. Well the dog is still scartching. My mother in law suggested spraying the animals with vinegar and water. She didnt know how much water or vinegar so I did equal amounts. That seem to slow the scratching. I am now going to continue with the vinegar and water. I will also try the boraxo and vacumming with the flea collar in the bag. Thanks again. Laura |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2006 : 4:34:44 PM
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I've tried everything and finally gave up and use Advantage on all my cats. That way I don't have to treat the house with all those chemicals.
Laura -- it sounds like your dog may have allergies from the fleas. That will cause them to scratch terribly. I tried Frontline on both of my cats when we lived in our condo. It didn't work so I switched to Advantage. Maybe try that.
Handmade purses and bath delights at www.rusticcottagecreations.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2006 : 5:17:18 PM
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I hate fleas last time we went home to california it was the middle of flea season. My kid actual got them gross and I had to be the one to get rid of them. Took 4 days going through her hair with a pick and going over every inch. Not fun for me or her. I was hoping my husband would do it as his head is shaved bald no where for fleas to hid but all the girls in my family have hair mid back and down past the waist. It is like telling the flea well I am looking through her hair please come and jump and hide in mine ( none did thank heaven but doesn't mean I didn't think they wouldn't). We got rid of them before we came home but I was parinoide for about 3 weeks and kept rechecking not much fun for me checking or for a 7 and 5 year old who had a few in california.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe
my web store www.sunshines.etsy.com my other web store http://vintagethreads.etsy.com/
my blog http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/ my google page http://sunshine.harbaugh.googlepages.com/home |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2006 : 09:47:11 AM
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Fleas are really, really terrible in Texas. None of the OTC stuff works, none of the "natural" remedies work. Citrus oil doesn't work. Borox doesn't work. We finally had to resort to Advantage and Frontline, but with 8 cats and a dog, it's really expensive (over $150 a month).
One thing we did find was that after the first month or two, we could stretch it out to 6-8 weeks between treatments, rather than the 4 weeks they say to wait. This made me feel a little bit better about using it on the animals.
My Homesteading Journal http://toomyvara.livejournal.com
My craft journal http://bluewrenn.livejournal.com
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2006 : 10:24:26 AM
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I agree with Kay and Erin. We tried all the "natural" ways too and finally used Advantage. We only had to use it once. If you research the active ingredient, can't remember it off the top of my head, it really is not as toxic as you might assume. If/when we ever get fleas again, I won't fool around...just do it and be done with it. Nobody likes to use toxic stuff around their homes and especially their family and pets, but personally, I dislike fleas in my house more!
Di
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Phils Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
1095 Posts
Ann
Parsonsburg
Maryland
USA
1095 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:39:12 AM
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Our current dog has the frontline year round, and we've been free of fleas. Occasionally a tick (dead or dying) can be seen in the house. Our previous dog solved the flea problem for us by rolling in chicken manure....then coming inside, of course. And she was completely psycho about baths. It seems that fleas will not mix with manure. Talk about a natural method!  I prefer frontline.
Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
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_Rebecca_
True Blue Farmgirl
568 Posts
Rebecca
OK
USA
568 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:54:43 AM
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On ticks:
I heard on You Bet Your Garden that you can get these things called "tick tubes" and put them anywhere that there is tall grass, hedges, etc and they virtually wipe out ticks. Most ticks are carried by mice. The tick tubes have pesticide treated cottonballs inside and the mice crawl inside the tick tubes and get the treated cotton out and take it back to their nests. Any mice coming in contact with the treated cotton in the nest the ticks on them get killed.
I thought that was really cool.
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia, Nathanael |
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_Rebecca_
True Blue Farmgirl
568 Posts
Rebecca
OK
USA
568 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:57:50 AM
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On dogs itching:
Our vet said that if your dog has an allergy you can treat them with Benedryl. Make sure to check with your own vets to find out the dosage amount and frequency.
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia, Nathanael |
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_Rebecca_
True Blue Farmgirl
568 Posts
Rebecca
OK
USA
568 Posts |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 08:08:11 AM
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On fleas:
We use Revolution. It has kept our dog flea and tick free even out in the boonies with lots of woods around. She once had gotten infested in fleas & ticks (because of our neighbors)before we started using Revolution and I said that it was never again going to happen. It was sickening. After we starting using Revolution it hasn't happened again. It is worth the money in my opinion. And since I have small children I don't want to use medicated collars, shampoos, sprays etc.
"Revolution enters the bloodstream through the skin. Concentrations of Revolution in the blood and tissues prevent heartworm disease. Revolution selectively redistributes from the blood to the skin, where it provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, American dog tick, and mites."
I only bathe my dog about 2 times a year because she has a very low-maintenance fur that stays pretty clean and she doesn't smell. So treating her with a once-a-month medication is really quick and easy for me. I don't have to dip her or anything.
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia, Nathanael |
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nh farmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
15 Posts
laura
sullivan
nh
15 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 6:37:48 PM
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| Thankyou all on your tips on fleas. I have done alot of research on this topic since we are so invested. We have never had fleas so bad. Ive tried it all. The store bought shanpoos, vineagar and water and advantage from the vet. We userd Borax on the carpets. I dont know if that helped or not. At this time we do believe the dog has had a alergic reaction to the fleas. We have notice they are smaller fleas now. Guess I will continue with trying to kill these fles. Sooner or later we have to win at breaking the cycle. |
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doglady
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Tina
Howard
Ohio
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2006 : 10:41:01 AM
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Hi There;
I thought I would share my method of ridding the house of fleas since I have raised dogs for over 25 years. Here are the steps that I do all on the same day:
1. Start the pet on internal flea products or use the liquid type on top of the backs. The liquid is what I use. Internal flea products have been known to cause problems with breeding for my Schnauzers.
2. Groom and treat any dogs/cats that live indoors. Watch products on cats as they are sensitive. This would be clipping the dogs hair if it is a breed that is clipped and flea bath(I like Zodiac products best)
3. You will need to set off flea bombs in the house. Cover fish tanks, plants, canisters, and put food away. **Important** Put out gas pilot lights. There are flea bombs that have little to no smell. Clean and wipe everything that children or food will be touching. Zodiac has a bomb that kills fleas for 120 days.
4. Wash any pet things like beds, blankets, toys.
5. If you still are having problems with fleas, repeat the entire process after three weeks (Since the flea cycle is very short). These steps will break the cycle!
Note: I have found as a groomer that many fleas are brought in by cats going in and out all day long. You will need to treat them too.
I have been flea free in Ohio (major flea area) all year. I hope this info helps.
Doglady
The dogs own the house but the people pay the mortgage!
www.kennelcreations.com |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2006 : 10:08:50 AM
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Fleas are aweful here too and as a last resort I also used Frontline this summer. My poor baby (120 lb German Shepherd...some baby) was to a point that nothing else was helping at all. To make sure I didn't have a whole nation of fleas in my carpet my mil suggested that I sprinkle borax on the carpet, let it sit a few hours and vaccume up. It worked great and it also pulled excess dirt out of the carpets. They were flea free and looked like they had been shampooed by the time I finished.
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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nh farmgirl
Farmgirl in Training
15 Posts
laura
sullivan
nh
15 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2006 : 5:13:09 PM
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Hello from New Hampshire,
Thankyou Dog lady and everyone else for the great solutions. We are still battling fleas but I think we are getting a handle on it. I have tuesday off and will be able to follow all the steps you have written out Dog lady. Thanks again. Laura |
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lilpunkin
True Blue Farmgirl
368 Posts
Texas
USA
368 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2006 : 05:04:43 AM
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If you are looking for a natural remedy, garlic gel capsules work. you can buy them at walmart or any other store that sells vitamins and they are inexpensive. Put one or two in at each feeding, don't worry your dog won't smell like garlic!
lilpunkin |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2006 : 09:01:00 AM
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I feed my goats raw garlic to help keep bugs and worms at bay, but couldn't get my dogs to take it...even in peanutbutter. I don't know why I never thought about buying garlic capsules! Good idea, lilpunkin!
Trina
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Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2007 : 7:21:54 PM
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Hi ladies!
Flea and tick season is almost upon us so I thought I would refresh this page :)
Alee |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Garden_artist
True Blue Farmgirl
182 Posts
Tammy
Southern Coast Oregon
182 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 12:53:02 PM
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I have three new kittens that have come into my house and all three were covered with fleas.
Blossom was old enough that we could treat her with frontline to break the cycle before we took her to the nursery. But the other two are two young. I tried a spray (from the vet), sprayed a towel wrapped it around her for a couple minutes (not her head), and then flea combed her. Both time I got lots of flea dander and a few fleas.
Yesterday she turned about 7-8 weeks and I bought frontline (or advantage not sure which) for kittens. Your are suppose to wait until they are 8 weeks, but I put the medicine in a needless syringe and put a half dose on Miya and a 1/4 does on Shadow (he's only 6 weeks) I hate using it, but I am worried about Shadow possibly having worms or being anemic from the fleas. They are living with my daughter in her room so she's vacuuming the room every morning and every night and it's really kept the problem under control.
Starting today I am going to have her start using the borax at each vacuuming as well, so keep her room flea free. I am also going to start putting a tsp (eventually a tbsp) of apple cider vinegar in the dog’s water to try and stop the process of the advantage/frontline.
When I feel spring coming I have to plant or I’ll go crazy! |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 1:02:37 PM
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We have no fleas or ticks in Alaska! That was a big bonus for me, and Sophie my oldest lab doesn't get allergies up here at all. We don't use any pesticides around the house and up in the park of course there aren't any, so she doesn't lick her feet at all. If we leave the state she starts picking and licking again.
Unfortunately, I'm allergic to birch, so I sneeze alot! jo
"life is drab without a lab"
http://web.mac.com/thomja/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 3:18:15 PM
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Tammy- you could also dust the kitten's fur with the borax. It won't hurt them.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 5:49:07 PM
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I had tried everything also. Years ago I went with Advantage. I know it is a chemcial and all that, but I haven't had a flea on any of my dogs or in my house for years now. I love it.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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Barnyard Buddies: Fleas! |
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Fleas!
