Fleas - looking for advice

[SGHILLUSTRATION]

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Hi everyone - i'm sure this is a common theme…… I treat my dog with Frontline every two months, but she's got fleas, and were getting bitten which i think means we have an infestation. Joy.

We blitzed and sprayed the house two days ago, but i'm still finding them on her. Is this normal or do i need to get the experts in??

 

[Blossom_Beagle]

Frontline is a fipronil based product. Unfortunately fipronil is also used at an increasing rate as a pesticide and because of this

fipronil has become less effective in some areas. You may wish to try a Imidacloprid based treatment such as Advocate or Bob Martin

double action spot on. My advise would be firstly try Johnsons flea tablets. These will enter the blood stream and kill the fleas on your dog.

You will literally see them dying within 20 minutes, then treat with a spot on treatment to keep them at bay.

When you treat the house ensure that you treat the whole house and all animal bedding.

Make sure to spray all skirting boards and holes around central heating pipes etc.

These are common places for fleas to live especially this time of year. The eggs lay dormant until the temperature drops and when we turn

up the central heating they decide to hatch and lift they miserable heads. One spraying all cracks crevices etc

I would advise using a flea bomb / fogger these should kill any fleas and larvae on fabrics etc.

Once all of this has been completed use a preventative spray. .. I Hope this helps

P.S Don't forget to clean all dogs clothing / bedding on a hot wash.

 

[SGHILLUSTRATION]

Yes thanks - is 60 degrees hot enough?

 

[eingana]

60 degrees will do the job

When you're vacuuming soft furnishings etc, (one of few valid uses for a flea collar) put a flea collar in your vacuum cleaner bag/bin, so that kills the fleas you're sucking up, and make sure to pay attention to seams, folds and crevices, as that's where the eggs end up.

There's a possibility here which is that your home infestation isn't really as severe as you thought and the Frontline just didn't work to kill them in the first place, so don't fret about it, but if one dose of Advantage, or one of the other products containing another agent, doesn't knock it on the head immediately then go for a full house clearance on the same day.

Good luck

 

[poppy2714]

How often should you be treating your dog with flea treatment? Some people seem to think every month others are saying every 3 months?! Any advice would be great!

 

[eingana]

Each of the products has their own schedule. Most of them are at 4 or 5 week intervals, but then that depends on whether your animals pick up fleas, doesn't it?

I'm not a believer in dosing animals with chemicals if that's not necessary, so for much of the winter when there's no sign that any of them are getting fleas I don't treat them at all. From spring to autumn I usually treat them religiously for the first 3 months (along with worming treatments) and then see how it goes whilst keeping a check with a flea comb.

 

[My Veterinary Nurse]

Hi there,

I hope you are well. I just thought I would give you some additional advice as some of the information on your forum is incorrect.

Firstly the best flea treatment for your pet is always a prescription only product such as Frontline, you generally can only purchase such products from a pharmacy or a veterinary hospital. Flea tablets do not enter the blood systems and are not more effective than prescription only products.

Frontline will 100% kill the fleas that are on your pet but sometimes flea eggs have already been shed in your house, depending on what stage of the life cycle the flea is in it can live for up to three years in your home.

There are many products that claim to be effective against flea eggs and larvae unfortunately some are not very effective. The most effective ones are Acclaim and Indorex. Once you use these products and follow the instructions on the packet you will have up to 12 months protection from fleas in your home.

It sounds like the fleas are hatching from the environment and jumping on your dog but rest assured that Frontline will protect your dog, the fleas that are hatching will die due to the effectiveness of the Frontline.

If you are still having the problem try one of the spray treatments above, don't forget to throw out your hoover bag or spray inside the hoover after use. It is easy to kill fleas in your home with the right product.

I hope that helps.