SaddleNotIncluded Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) My 2 year old Dane and I recently moved to a new house. The neighbours were really lovely by popping over while everything was being unloaded and informed me that the last owners had an insane flea problem, and got the house and yard poisoned twice a year. They also had an outdoor-only cat, and the neighbours said it brought fleas to their yard so they've had a recent fumigation as well. My boy is treated on a regular basis with flea preventives, and has never had a problem. We switch the brand every two years to prevent the flea immunity. {meant to add, we switch the treatment with the cat. Can't switch it on a dog that's already 2 lol} Last week I noticed the hair on his rump has thinned out, so I had a finger through it and saw he was crawling with fleas. I hosed out his crate with a commercial flea solution, gave him a Capstar and put him in the crate under shade outdoors. He went to sleep while I vaccuumed the house and used the spray inside, then flea bombed the three main rooms and vaccuumed again. I hung his bed outside and sprayed it with the flea killer and left it in the sun all day. Two days later, checked, and he's crawling with fleas again. He's only been on our property so I assume they're in the yard, and I've called a pest company to do a killing and preventative spray of the entire property {to the tune of $1200, mind you!} In the meantime I took him to the vet to get the sore on his rump checked. The vet gave him a Capstar for the fleas we found, and said a good way to kill fleas immediately without ingesting a chemical is to use an organic dishwashing liquid. Wash the dog with it all over, except the face and open wounds, leave for a few seconds, and rinse off. He said stay with him so he doesn't lick it, but it's a good last resort if he has fleas on him after his Capstar dose, and will safely kill every live flea on him. He said do a spot test first, though, in case of allergy. My questions are: is the dishwashing liquid a safe idea? I did it today and it worked. I didn't leave it on, just rinsed it straight away, and picked the dead fleas off his feet where they rinsed off to. It was amazing, they were all dead, and he's not suffered any ill effect. Second, if there anything besides this fumigation that I can do to prevent the fleas returning? Edited October 2, 2012 by SaddleNotIncluded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 My old Stafford got fleas from a kennel.. We used comfortis tablets and it seemed to fix the problem because the fleas die when they bite the animal.. It is good for a whole month.. As for treating the yard and house, you would need something that kills the eggs as well as each stage of the flea... Best to speak to the professionals as it sounds like a bad infestation... I used the flea bombs in the whole house (took the dog to my mums overnight), then used the vacuum throughout... I did this two weeks running and that seems to fix our problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Eucalyptus wool wash (laundry detergent) is what I've used effectively on pups under 4 weeks of age to remove fleas... only problem is it has to be done every 2 to 3 days... Capstar has an effective period of about 24 hours - best to use as an initial dose to kill off the fleas fast, then go and get something a bit more robust to keep the fleas under control on your dog. I use Comfortis with my 3 dogs. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 We use dishwashing detergent to make the whites whiter & remove build up BUT i always ensure i wash the dogs thoroughly & condition . It can be drying We only use the green one . Its ashame they didn't tell you whilst the house was empty ,perfect for spraying/bombing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Look into sentinel. I'm off work for 2 weeks but I'm sure it's then who have a guarantee if in 4 months of using their product the right way they will help pay you and the vet to control the flea problem Won't help right away, but if still there at least you have their help to fix it I don't use spot ons. Rather use the tablets. Seem to get a better result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlingdog Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) We had this problem when we bought this property 2 years ago...fleas AND lice in the millions it was horrendous. This is what we did....treat the dog with Comfortis, wash all bedding etc etc as you have done...then spray the yard, we used Birds Termite Treatment ( after trying many others which did not work) which we bought from the local produce, it also does fleas...WAY cheaper than paying someone to do it....we sprayed the yard at 3 weekly intervals for a couple of months. Keep the dog and cat off the yard for a day when you spray. We have now had a flea free yard and house for the past 18 months. We also got our neighbour to spray their yard too and she was so grateful that it worked as she had been battling the fleas for years and after we all did this we are clear. Edited October 2, 2012 by darlingdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Sounds horrible, but you are on the right track. You need something on the dog which will continue to kill the fleas - but it is going to take a few months to eradicate them. Every treatment kills living fleas, but not the eggs. The eggs are on the ground, or in the bed or whereever, and vibrations hatch them so millions of newly hatched fleas jump on whatever is making the vibrations (ie your dog). I don't know anything about dishwashing liquid. I personally wouldn't use it, but I would flea comb the dog and drop the fleas into a flea rinse or metho. Eucalyptus Laundry liquid --- when this stuff was first marketed by Martha Stewart or whoever it was who brought it out, it was reasonably safe for dogs, apart from being poisonous - and yes, it did leave the fleas dead, and the coat soft. However, the company was sold, and the wool wash now contains other chemicals. The Ph is not correct for dogs. Usually there are no bad effects in the beginning, but if you continue to use it, it breaks down the skin, and a few years on, you are visiting the vet with horrendous skin issues, which it is mostly too late to fix ... the damage has already been done. I know the old "wool mix" recommendation does the rounds, and it might have been ok once but it is not any more. It is the long term damage which is the problem. There are things to kill fleas which are animal specific - use them. The Flea and Tick rinse made by Aristopet or Fidos will kill every flea stone dead and not damage the animal. They can be diluted and sprayed on for a quick fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Daisy Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Morning Fresh is just fine to use and works especially well if a dog is really greasy but yes conditioning after is best. We had a huge problem with fleas a couple of years ago and I also paid to have the house sprayed inside and out but there were still fleas. After two months of comfortis there were no more fleas. Best thing ever!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julesluvscavs Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) Interesting, never heard of using dish washing liquid before! we have an issue with fleas here in Goolwa too Have tried most flea products without much success, has cost a small fortune over the last few years trying different things! Comfortis seems to be the most effective one so far for our cavs, but it doesn't seem to last quite the whole month as it says it does.(depends on the season too) Edited October 2, 2012 by Jules♥Cavs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smisch Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Look into sentinel. I'm off work for 2 weeks but I'm sure it's then who have a guarantee if in 4 months of using their product the right way they will help pay you and the vet to control the flea problem Won't help right away, but if still there at least you have their help to fix it I don't use spot ons. Rather use the tablets. Seem to get a better result If you want sentinel samples cheap pm me I currently have like 30 packs of it as I'm involved in some program thingy.. have a number of single packs up for grabs. May be worth trying before buying a full pack but I'm pretty sure if I read it properly you have to have no fleas to start with. It manages cycles not kills them as in prevents new onews arriving.. If I remember rightly as well there used to be a wash stuff you could wash your floors in.. for keeping fleas away dunno if it still exists but may be worth checking.. I'd be on the phone to the real estate if your renting as I know our agreement despite our dogs never being inside we have to carpet clean and flea spray the place.. so they should be doing something about rectifying this.. you shouldn't be out pocket for this.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Arcane Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Dish Washing liquid has been well known in dog grooming circles for years as a flea treatment wash. the 'Dawn' brand in the US is apparently still a big favourite among groomers! These days of using products off label has seen a decline in practices like this though. Apparently it's not anything in the dish liquid that actually kills the fleas but rather the suffocating effect it has on the exoskeleton. It has been proven that any shampoo slathered onto a dry dog and left for a few minutes will suffocate fleas. It does not offer any residual protection. I do not use this method, preferring to use labelled products for liability reasons commercially, but nothing to stop the individual using the method at home. I would recommend Comfortis as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 yep, sentinel makes eggs unable to hatch, so you need to use it with capstar/flea collar or something else. it means no more eggs will hatch, but the adults will live until killed Comfortis kills the adults but not the eggs. So they will still hatch and jump on the dog, but not live. Its a shame they cant mix the two and make something that does both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Sentinel is a great product. I've been using it for many years and none of my now senior dogs have ever had fleas or worms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Your vet is in your area and treating dogs with fleas so Id be pretty tempted to take his word for it but when your yard is so infested you will need a method of stopping the fleas getting on your dog in the first place as he will suffer constantly until they die when you are using these products which have been recommended. You could look at diatomaceous earth [ food grade] which works like a miracle http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/diatomaceous_earth_fleas.html and you can also use tropical aerogard sprayed on the dog too to prevent them jumping on inthe first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Look into sentinel. I'm off work for 2 weeks but I'm sure it's then who have a guarantee if in 4 months of using their product the right way they will help pay you and the vet to control the flea problem Won't help right away, but if still there at least you have their help to fix it I don't use spot ons. Rather use the tablets. Seem to get a better result I also use "Sentinel" have been for a number of years. My dogs never have a flea problem and the German Shepherd lives outdoors and the Cavliers go to dog shows where, alas, they pick up the odd flea. Sentinel is great because not only does it render the fleas sterile so breaking the flea cycle, it also covers all the major intestinal worms and heartworm protection in a simple monthly dose. I used to add some eucalyptus oil to the rinse when I washed our old GSD, but now just use a simple shampoo as the current fellow has never had fleas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 You basically need to use anything that will suds up well. Dog shampoo, soap, dish washing liquid, whatever it is the creation of the suds which suffocates the fleas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumsie Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 i have started rinsing our dogs with Apple Malt cider, no sign of fleas and don't use any flea treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 i have started rinsing our dogs with Apple Malt cider, no sign of fleas and don't use any flea treatment. Did you have a flea problem prior to using the AMC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 [quote name='smisch' timestamp='1349217587' post='5974108' If you want sentinel samples cheap pm me I currently have like 30 packs of it as I'm involved in some program thingy.. have a number of single packs up for grabs. May be worth trying before buying a full pack but I'm pretty sure if I read it properly you have to have no fleas to start with. It manages cycles not kills them as in prevents new onews arriving.. I'm still awaiting the arrival of the Sentinal Spectrum. No sign of it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 I use the Rudducks Flea Di shampoo on everything, especially new ferrets. You dont need to suds it up too much at all, they seem to die and fall off very quickly As for the bare patch on the rump, go the old Cetrigen purple spray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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