Emergency!!! Fleas!!
Hi guys,
This week I noticed that my Frodo scratches, so today I checked on him. To my big supprise, I think I saw fleas (or some kind of tiny bugs) on him.
Frodo has been on antibiotics for the past couple of weeks so I didn't apply frontline on him for the past month, worrying it would be too much for him. And now..... it is totally my fault!!!
Now my questions are:
1. How can I get rid of the fleas from him? I applied a dose of Frontline on him immediately after I spotted the fleas. Will the Frontline kill the existing fleas and the eggs? i only saw a couple of fleas, but I saw quite a lot of 'black particles', which I suspect are the eggs.
2. What else should I do to be completely rid of all fleas and their eggs from my Frodo?
3. How should I clean my carpet, etc. to make sure that there won't be any left in my home and my Frodo won't get it again?
Really have no experience on this...Any advice will be very much appreciated!!
Thanks a lot, guys!
--Frodo's mom.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Give him a bath ASAP!
Wash all linens!
Buy some diatomaceous earth (food grade), sprinkle it on carpets, couches, chairs, whatever; let sit; vacuum like your life depended on it. Alternately, plan a day out with you and your family and let off some bug bombs.
Fleas suck a lot. Good luck getting rid of them! Sounds like you caught it before it got out of hand. My cats got fleas when we went on vacation once, so they had a week and a half to run rampant in the house. ...it was awful. :|
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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on
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Don't use flea shampoo if you have applied Frontline. There is a pill you can get from the vet that will kill any fleas on him. It does a pretty good job. Leaving the house and bug bombing it is a good idea. The little black specks are flea poop not eggs.
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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on
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The pill is called Capstar and it really works! It will just kill any fleas on the dog at that moment.
If you have already applied the Frontline, don't bathe him. If it still works for your dogs, it will kill fleas and eggs within about 12 hours.
Like Melissa says, we've also experienced Frontline becoming ineffective. We tried Advantage and Advantix also with limited success. We now use Comfortis (the oral tablet) and it is working well.
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Permalink Reply by Monica, Orion, and Laika on
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Comfortis is a great flea product! I work at a vet clinic and everyone has had fantastic results with it, and since it's not topical you don't have to worry about the no bath/swim afterwards
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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Actually, while DE is a natural substance, it is also a very dangerous substance. It kills fleas by shredding the exoskeleton, which is great, but it can also cut up your eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs if you inhale it. I use DE very, very rarely and only internally for worming... even then I wear a mask and glasses and mix small amounts in yogurt.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Darn...if he didn't have the frontline on I would say give him a bath and wash him with peroxide...somepose to kill fleas on contact! I don't know if it does or not but it sure is a "safe" way to kill them and it's suppose to work! The few times I have had fleas I washed the bedding in hot/warm water and dried it! I would check and see how longafter applying frontline you can bathe him. Vacumn and wipe up the floors where he lays.
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I would not bug bomb if you only found a couple and caught them right away...how old is Frodo? I just don't like harsh chemicals if not needed. No it's not your fault. Dogs can pick these up and some years it's worse than others!
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I have never had a problem getting rid of fleas. Two of my three puppies came to me with fleas on them. If you've already applied frontline, great! Don't bathe him, it will strip the skin of oils thereby rendering the Frontline ineffective. Remember, Frontline is waterproof, not soap-proof. You can get a Capstar pill from the vet if you want to be extra safe. It will kill all adult fleas within a couple of hours and the Frontline should take of anything else that hatches. Vacuum your carpets every day until you don't see anymore fleas on Frodo, and empty the canister into a walmart bag, then take directly outside. Wash everything in hot water. Then take a deep breath, it'll be okay. It's an annoyance, yes, but I've always been able to be 100% flea free within a couple weeks (and I don't even use Frontline every 30 days, more like every 45-60).
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Permalink Reply by Melissa Roberson on
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Hi Frodo's mom. I personally would avoid using Frontline at all costs. First of all, it has been highly ineffective at treating fleas for my two dogs and cats. Apparently, I am not the only one that had this experience in my area; The pet stores claimed to be running out of flea shampoo as it was flying off of the shelves for pets that had already been treated with Frontline as well. My vet also confirmed that he had heard a lot of the same stories. I never missed a month of the treatment and kept my house very clean (bedding, carpets, etc.). This seems to be the same for other similar topical treatments such as advantix (spelling?). Secondly, these topical treatments are poisoning your beloved pets body. Google all of the adverse side effects these medications are known to have.
With that being said. I have been giving my two pups a tablespoon of brewer's yeast every day to ward off the fleas and have yet to have a problem this year. Adding a small amount of garlic to their diets as well would surely rid them of fleas but it will take a little while to get in their systems. I personally have not been using garlic with my dogs as there is a lot of conflicting information on what is a safe dose as it can be lethal in excess. But if brewers yeast alone doesn't do the trick I would look into how much garlic would be safe for your pets.
Best of luck!!!
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Permalink Reply by Angela on
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Thank you so much, guys! This is the first time I had this problem, so I guess I panicked a little.
I will try all the things that you guys suggested and I will call my vet tomorrow. Will keep you guys posted.
-Frodo's mom
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Hi Angela!
Before you do anything, read and understand the lifecycle of fleas first, then you'll understand the steps below. A heavy infestation will require bombing and I'll walk you through it. Remember fleas in the south is much harder to control due to the climate.
Before you do anything at home, go get your ingredients.
1. vacuum bags - if your vacuum requires one or you don't have 2 extras at home.
2. a big bag of salt
3. a big box of baking soda
4. trash bags
5. flea shampoo
6. bug bomb
7. 2-3 capstar from your vet
1. mow your lawn
2. cut down all the tall grass bushy area
3. keep Frodo in the yard and have someone supervise him
1. take all dog / human bedding / blanket in the washer
2. Sprinkle salt and baking soda in your carpet
3. give it 30-45 minutes (longer if you are bombing the house)
1. cover all food in the house, put it in the fridge
2. put all baby / in plastic box
3. open all cupboards and drawers
4. place newspaper in the middle of each room and put the bomb there (don't set it off yet)
5. close all windows
6. evacuate the entire family to the yard for the next 4 hours
7. turn off all eletricity to the house
8. put on a mask or bandana
9. go to each room and set off the bomb
10. close the door behind you.
1. Wet him first
2. Start from his head, work towards the back
3. make sure you get his inner thigh, hindquarters and legs
4. let the shampoo sit in for a bit
5. rinse Frodo
6. second shampoo
7. rinse twice
1. Go in with your bandana / mask
2. open all windows
3. turn on the AC
4. air out the house for 1 hour
5. collect all the bomb cans and dispose them properly (call your city)
6. fire up your vacuum and vacuum all the salt, baking soda
7. mop the floor
8. wipe all hard surfaces
9. when your vacuum bag is full, dispose the entire bag, put in a new one and vacuum again.
10. dispose the second vacuum bag and all bomb newspapers in the same trash bag and put it at the curb immediately
1. give Frodo 1 capstar, if there's any fleas on him, it is an instant kill. You'll see them within 3 hours
Normally, frontline and other options are sufficient enough up north, but in the south, I've found the combination of capstar and comfortis the best. I had a heavy infestation several years ago, it took me weeks before perfecting the steps. Remember understanding the flea cycle is only half the battle! GO JOE!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth, Hermione and Luna on
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Hi Angela-
I'm with just about everybody else. The Frontline stopped working for us last year and we had BAD fleas. So don't feel like a bad Mom! I recommend that you do as Sam suggests, ALL the steps (not forgetting the outside). We used Borax on the carpets instead of Baking soda/salt, but same idea.
You can do it! Give Frodo big kiss!
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