| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 11:11:28 PM
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. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Alee |
Posted - May 27 2008 : 7:04:12 PM
bump!! :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Georgia Girl |
Posted - May 15 2008 : 7:48:28 PM
Ok, here is the deal....
Advantage-the fleas actually have to bite the dog to die so the dog will still itch
Frontline- repels the fleas
Flea collars - works great in the vaccum but not on the dog. Fleas actually have to touch the collar to die
Promeris- kills all fleas and ticks within 30 minutes and supposedly repels them but I haven't heard much on this one yet, it is new
Ask your vet for a capstar pill if you animal is infested. It will kill all fleas on the dog within 30 minutes. It doesn't keep them off though. A similar pill called Comfortis kills them the same way and will kill fleas for 30 days, however, they have to bite the animal to die.
~Denise~
Proud Farmgirl Sister #113
http://mybigcityfarm.blogspot.com/ |
| Annab |
Posted - May 08 2008 : 03:17:58 AM
Yea, becuase we had a slight problem, it got me into the habit of vaccuuming every Thursday (just easy to remember this way) and also washing the dog's bedding.
I still see her scratcing every now and then, but can't seem to get any off her when she is raked over w/ a flea comb |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - May 06 2008 : 06:15:59 AM
(if this has already been said, I'm sorry for the repeat) I think you can sprinkle Borax powder on your carpets and upholstery and put some in your vacuum canister/bag and leave it for a little while and then vacuum it all up.
But, if you have cats I think Borax is bad for them because they lick their paws. So, don't do the Borax if you have cats.
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·. http://boinglink.blogspot.com/ |
| Bfriday |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 4:31:47 PM
My dog had a bad case of fleas last spring. I found them on her belly and freaked! I took her and bathed her in a flea shampoo, treated my house...make sure you dust and vacuum around your baseboards, I found out when the flea comes off the dog it will look for a crack to hide in! Yuck! Then I treated my dog with Frontline. It is a little cheaper at the feed store than the other similar products. Vacuum as much as possible, don't leave the contents of your vacuum bag in the house take the trash out! We got rid of them in about 1 week. I am determined to be on top of it this spring! |
| Annab |
Posted - May 05 2008 : 03:39:41 AM
We use flea lights and yes they do work.
Do a google search.
Basically the light and heat attracts them. they land through a grid and stick to a sticky pad similar to what is udes for mice. The pad is covered by the gridso no pets can get stuck unless they start messing w/ the grid.
Place the little contraption either beneath the crate or close to where he/she spends the most time. My dog's crate is elevated off the floor w/ some bricks, so the light goes under there and plugs into the wall nearby.
We had a really bad flea problem just before Christmas.
In addition to the topical flea/tick meds. You can buy single doses of something called Capstar. It acts as a booster in addition to the Frontline or other topical. It's just a small tablet that boosts the potency for 24 hours. You give it the day before the topical.
There is also a month long acting tablet out now called Comfortis. It's really new and I haven't tried it on my own dog yet. Supposed to be gentle, but I'd just go w/ the Capstar for now.
I have also read about using Diatomacious earth...also called chinchilla dust!! So I guess this can be found at pet stores
I feel your pain! |
| CountryBorn |
Posted - May 04 2008 : 5:49:07 PM
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 |
| Alee |
Posted - May 02 2008 : 9:29:02 PM
Bump
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 3:18:15 PM
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/ |
| jo Thompson |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 1:02:37 PM
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/ |
| Garden_artist |
Posted - Aug 21 2007 : 12:53:02 PM
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! |
| Alee |
Posted - Aug 18 2007 : 7:34:39 PM
bumping this since we are right in that nasty buggy season.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
| Alee |
Posted - Apr 17 2007 : 7:21:54 PM
Hi ladies!
Flea and tick season is almost upon us so I thought I would refresh this page :)
Alee |
| BarefootGoatGirl |
Posted - Oct 08 2006 : 09:01:00 AM
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
'
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
| lilpunkin |
Posted - Oct 08 2006 : 05:04:43 AM
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 |
| nh farmgirl |
Posted - Oct 07 2006 : 5:13:09 PM
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 |
| BarefootGoatGirl |
Posted - Oct 07 2006 : 10:08:50 AM
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
'
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23 |
| doglady |
Posted - Oct 06 2006 : 10:41:01 AM
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 |
| nh farmgirl |
Posted - Oct 04 2006 : 6:37:48 PM
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. |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 08:08:11 AM
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 |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:57:50 AM
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 |
| _Rebecca_ |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:54:43 AM
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 |
| Phils Ann |
Posted - Sep 26 2006 : 07:39:12 AM
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. |
| DaisyFarm |
Posted - Sep 25 2006 : 10:24:26 AM
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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| Bluewrenn |
Posted - Sep 25 2006 : 09:47:11 AM
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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