Flea control suggestions?

[donrae]

We've had a horrible year for fleas. It's not too bad on our other two dogs, but our poor Great Dane has scratched herself bloody and I'm at my wit's end. We've tried....

Frontline/Frontline plus. I don't know if the fleas have mutated against it or what, but it does diddly-squat. Seriously, no noticeable impact at all.

medicated flea shampoo. This helps minimally for a few days, then they're right back. We're repeating at the interval listed on the bottle, I think 14 days.

flea collar--the fleas literally crawl over the collar.

We've sprayed/vacuumed/washed bedding repeatedly.

I've got an appt at the vet to discuss any other options, but they can't get her in until Aug 17th. She's miserable, I'm miserable watching her, it's just totally out of control. Any suggestions appreciated! I mean, look at that face....poor thing.

thx
Rachel BB

 

[naturalfeddogs]

We tried all the top flea topicals out there, and none worked, and the dogs had bad reactions to the Frontline Plus. This year we started using garlic tablets from Springtime Inc. Fleas are totally gone this year. Not one, or ticks and we live in the hot humid deep south. It also comes out cheaper, because they have big quanities, and buy one get one. I bought one container of 1000 tablets and got another free. So, 2000 tablets for around $75. My five dogs are getting four tablets a day, and I've hardly made a dent in the first container. I think there web site is http://springtimeinc.com

 

[enola]

I am in SC, hot humid flea paradise. The only thing we have found that works is Comfortis, a pill that you give them once a month. My min pin has a horrible flea allergy, a flea bite or two and she starts licking and chewing and her hair falls out.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would ask about capstar in combo with a monthly product. Capstar kills all fleas in 24 hours.

I also really like the seresto collars for prevention if your dog will keep it on. It lasts for ten months and is not your typical flea collar. It's totslly safe to touch for people and dogs. You just have to make sure you get it on tight enough so the collar is close enough to the skin. It is a bit more expensive up front, but it last so long that it's comparable to other monthly preventatives cost wise.

After you get rid of the fleas in your dog, make sure that you vacuum every inch of the area they go in. The eggs of the fleas fall off after they are laid and end up in cracks and crevices where they can hatch and jump on the next passing animal. If the area is not vacuumed thoroughly, the animals will easily be reinfected, even after using the drugs!

Best of luck! There are lots of products in the market, but it seems these might be best for you situation.

Also just wanted to add: the more of a reaction a dog has to fleas, the less fleas you will usually find on the dog. This might be why your other dogs seem ok and this one is having an issue. She might actually be having a sensitivity to the flea bites themselves, but you may not actually have a lot of fleas to cause issues on the other animals.

ETA: sorry my grammar is horrendous! I'm typing on the iPad keyboard and it's not so great! I also wanted to mention that you should also ask your vet about treating for tape worms. Fleas can carry tapeworms so we often see those two issues in conjunction with one another. It may be easiest to treat for both issues at the same time!

 

[Peaches Lee]

You could try the Seresto collar, which repels fleas and ticks, or try a chewable tablet called Nexgard. Good luck, fleas/ticks are horrible!!

 

[torilovessmiles]

I live in a place where fleas are absolutely horrible. I don't know why, if you drive 30 miles in either direction, they're not nearly as bad. Chickens do a great job at tick control but I suppose fleas are too fast and small.
The only medicine that's been able to touch them so far is K9 advantix. It has three active ingredients, while most have one or two. Even it, however, can't come close to eradicating them. We have to use several different methods to keep them under control. We sprinkle garlic powder on their food, and it helps. We spray the house with pet-safe flea sprays, to keep couches and dogs beds from becoming breeding grounds. If we could spray the yard, it would probably help, but we have too many free-ranging birds that it may hurt.
I've heard of flea-eating nematodes you can buy and put in your yard. I have never tried this, I wonder if it works!

*spelling edit

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

You could try the Seresto collar, which repels fleas and ticks, or try a chewable tablet called Nexgard.  Good luck, fleas/ticks are horrible!!

I keep forgetting about nexgard! That's a great product also and easy to give. A bit more expensive than the topicals but worth it I think.

Just make sure that any product you use is safe to use around cats (if you have cats) or that you keep the cats and dogs separate for 24 hours after applying the dog product. Advantix is one that is toxic to cats, but it does work well.

 

[donrae]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

The night I posted this I tried spraying her with dilute ACV and it seemed to help---not sure if it repelled fleas or just soothed her skin, but much less scratching. We'll keep doing that until we can see the vet.

We have cats but they're outside and basically live on the fenced off porch or the roof---the better vantage point to taunt the dogs from, of course

. So no real interaction between them.

We've vacuumed and washed bedding repeatedly.

I've heard conflicting info about using garlic. I'd rather not use a lot of chemicals, but I know even natural things can be dangerous. I did try brewer's yeast on a previous dog with no impact, except he loved taking his pills every day

Again, thanks for all the suggestions, for one it's just nice to know we're not alone! I'll bring these up with the vet when we get in and see what will work for us.

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

The night I posted this I tried spraying her with dilute ACV and it seemed to help---not sure if it repelled fleas or just soothed her skin, but much less scratching. We'll keep doing that until we can see the vet.

We have cats but they're outside and basically live on the fenced off porch or the roof---the better vantage point to taunt the dogs from, of course

. So no real interaction between them.

We've vacuumed and washed bedding repeatedly.

I've heard conflicting info about using garlic. I'd rather not use a lot of chemicals, but I know even natural things can be dangerous. I did try brewer's yeast on a previous dog with no impact, except he loved taking his pills every day

Again, thanks for all the suggestions, for one it's just nice to know we're not alone! I'll bring these up with the vet when we get in and see what will work for

Garlic is safe in small doses, in fact it would take a crazy huge amount to even begin to cause problems. The risks are way less than (and for sure no worse) than all the man made pesticide poisons we put on them, that soak into their skin. Springtime Inc. has a bunch of studies over many years you look at showing safety. Stuff we eat or drink in small doses is beneficial, but in huge doses not so much. Red wine for example. A couple of glasses a day are good for our heart, but whole bottles each day not so much. Water. In normal amounts is fine. Over do drinking it and you can die from water toxicity. I forget the official medical name for it. So anyway, some things are beneficial in small doses, for both dogs and us.

 

[pepperpellets]

Nexgard gets my vote to give to the dog.

For treating the house, I've had success with 20 Mule Team Borax, sprinkled around and swept into carpets and baseboards. Definitely a slow kill, but less toxic than sprays and bombs. Back in the day, the company Fleabusters would come to your home and do the application for several hundreds of dollars. They used a powder that was basically an ultra purified, ultra fine borax.