Jump to content

Help! Fleas!


Recommended Posts

Hi All,

I have just moved into a new rental house and last night found my dogs riddled with fleas!!!! My dogs do not have fleas so they have obviously picked them up from this new house (they are large adult fleas).

As I have never had them before, how do I get rid of them!!!!!!

They are on Sentinal monthly treatment but that is obviously not enough at the moment so what do I do?

The house had wooden floor boards? Would they still be in the house or are they outside? How do I treat all of this?

Please help!! I am desperate to get rid of them they are making my pups miserable!!

Mel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I probably won't help you, but when we were looking at changing flea products, we spoke to our vet. He advised that Sentinal(sp?) whilst it breaks the flea breeding cycle, it doesn't kill adult fleas on your dog. We use Revolution, which apparently breaks the breeding cycle, as well as killing adult fleas - however this is a combined heartworm/flea treatment, so I don't know if it will suit your needs. Perhaps give your vet a call???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Killing Fleas in Your Home

There wouldn't be much point in treating your pet for fleas if you fail to treat your home as well. If your pet has fleas, most likely there are flea eggs and larva in your home. If you fail to treat every area in your home that the pet has occupied, you will miss more than 90% of the developing flea population.

Wash carpet and bedding

You're going to need to treat any carpet or bedding that your pet uses or comes in contact with. Wash all bedding in hot water, or destroy any that seems beyond help.

As much as possible, remove all toys, clothing, and furniture that obscure carpeting, so that the largest area possible is accessible for treatment.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!

Vacuuming alone will get rid of many of the eggs, larva, and pupa that are hidden in your carpet. Vacuuming also encourages pre-adult fleas to leave their cocoons, making them vulnerable to insecticides.

Vacuuming also stirs up the pile of the carpet, allowing insecticides to penetrate more deeply. After you've thoroughly vacuumed all effected areas, seal the vacuum cleaner bag, and dispose of it outside.

Insecticides that kill eggs and larva

Once fleas have established themselves in your home, you will probably need to use an insecticide to completely control them. The most effective products combine an adulticide like permethrin, with a growth regulator, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, which controls the egg, larva, and pupa stage.

As a general rule, sprays that can be directed onto the carpet by hand are more effective than the "flea bombs" that you set off in the center of a room. Hand held sprays can be used on all likely areas of flea infestation, and under beds, behind couches, furniture, etc.

What kind of spray should you use?

Both the Knockout and Siphotrol brands of flea control sprays are very effective against adult and pre-adult fleas. These sprays are available from Entirely Pets. Be sure to pay special attention to areas where your pet sleeps or spends a lot of time. These are the areas where the flea eggs, larva, and pupa will be most concentrated.

Keep at it!

You will probably continue to see evidence of fleas for two weeks or longer after treating your home, but don't despair. Continue to vacuum on a regular basis, as this will stimulate pre-adult fleas to leave their cocoons. Also, be sure to continue to treat your pets, to ensure they aren't re-infested.

http://beyondfleas.com/home-flea-control.html

http://www.mortein.com.au/product_fleabomb.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep get an adulticide for your dogs in the interim- Frontline or Advantage.

Buy a few flea bombs - you should be able to order them from the Vet, make sure you read the back and buy enough for the size of your house, close the windows, set the bombs off and leave for the day. (Also turn off any indoor pilot lights or ingnition sources.)

The bombs work a treat- they will kill every other bug and spider as well as all the fleas. :laugh:

Mel.

Edited by Staff'n'Toller
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wrote you a u-beaut epic earlier that disappeared into the techno ether ;)

As instructed above - vacuum everything - use a flea collar in the bag to kill the suckers :laugh:

Wash everything (don't forget the dog jackets too!) - use hot water and eucalyptus oil or Woolwash in the mix :mad

Spray your carpets and rugs - use flyspray (it's much cheaper than flea bombs and special sprays and it does do the job) but make sure there are no animals around for the day - don't forget that flyspray is deadly to fish in tanks and birds in cages :)

Don't forget your yard. It is most likely where they all are seeing as you have wooden floors: Get a watering can and fill it with water. Add 40 mls Fido's Flea & Tick Rinse, 30 mls of Eucalyptus Oil. Water every bit of ground in your yard. Repeat every 4 - 7 days until you KNOW there are no more fleas. This treatment is only toxic to insects. :mad

Contact the real estate if you have only just moved in - they *should* pay to get the property treated for fleas though there might be an issue now that your own dogs are there. QUICK! Hide the dogs! :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you so much for your replies everyone ;))

I think I just went into panic mode this morning (as you do) but I'm feeling much calmer about the situation now and just want to get it all fixed for my pups :D)

Burlof, I just went and bought some Frontline so I will put that on my dogs...

squeak, I remember my vet telling me that as well but it wasn't an issue as my dogs didn't have fleas...

Wow Sugar, thank you for all that information!!

Staff'n'Toller, I just bought some flea bombs as well, I like the fact that they will kill any other bugs as well!!

t-time, don't you hate it when that happens!!! Excellent tip about the flea collar in the vacuum bag!! Thanks also for all the other info especially the mix for the back yard, I think they are coming from there as well and possibly under the house......

I have also rung the Real Estate agent about the issue as our lease states that we must get the property sprayed when we leave as we have dogs which I have no problem with but obviously the person before us didn't do it!! I have also added it to the Conditional Report so I'm hoping the owner will pay for the spraying.

Too late the hide the pups!! They know we have dogs :rolleyes:

Mel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All,

I have just moved into a new rental house and last night found my dogs riddled with fleas!!!! My dogs do not have fleas so they have obviously picked them up from this new house (they are large adult fleas).

As I have never had them before, how do I get rid of them!!!!!!

They are on Sentinal monthly treatment but that is obviously not enough at the moment so what do I do?

The house had wooden floor boards? Would they still be in the house or are they outside? How do I treat all of this?

Please help!! I am desperate to get rid of them they are making my pups miserable!!

Mel

I only discovered this problem recently as well. My boy was put on Sentinel from day one. It wasnt until my vet suggested I put my boy on Revolution to eliminate the possiblity of mange mites that I did a bit of investigating as to what was the best product for money.

Sentinel monthly treatment kills intestinal worms (including tape worm), heart worm and fleas BUT it ONLY kills flea eggs and larvae. Not much good against the adult fleas who can drive a poor dog insane.

Revolution monthly treatment kills, adult fleas their eggs and larvae, heartworm and mange mites (there are a couple other things it does as well but I am currently taking this info from memory.) The only thing it doesnt do is intestinal worms.

Within 12 hours of applying the Revolution I had to give my dog a bath. Now my vet swore up and down that my dog didnt have fleas she said he was clean. The bathtub told a different story.

I have switched to Revolution and use a separate intestinal worming treatment. Sentinel does save you some money but in all honesty I would rather spend an additional $5 over a 3 month period knowing my dog is not going insane with itching from flea attack.

Also if you plan to continue to use Sentinel but wish to use something additional for fleas make sure the product you use is a flea only treatment as Frontline, Revolution and Advantix all contain heartworm treatments. I believe Advantage is the only flea only treatment - in any case double check with your vet before purchasing anything.

Also go to www.pricelesspets.com.au as they are at least $30 cheaper on these sorts of treatments than your vet or local pet supply shop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RM00 - I have a box of AdvanTIX sitting right in front of me and it says NOTHING about heartworm :p Just the bitey parasites :D

You scared the bejeezus out of me because I give my dogs monthly heartwom treatment and Advantix and my vet never said anything! :rolleyes: PHEW! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RM00 - I have a box of AdvanTIX sitting right in front of me and it says NOTHING about heartworm :p Just the bitey parasites :D

You scared the bejeezus out of me because I give my dogs monthly heartwom treatment and Advantix and my vet never said anything! :rolleyes: PHEW! ;)

Not meant to scare you - remember I was taking all that from memory but it pays to double check the stuff you give your pets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RM00 - I have a box of AdvanTIX sitting right in front of me and it says NOTHING about heartworm :p Just the bitey parasites :D

You scared the bejeezus out of me because I give my dogs monthly heartwom treatment and Advantix and my vet never said anything! :rolleyes: PHEW! ;)

I dont know if there are any others, but Revolution is one of the flea & heartworm combined treatments. I checked Advantix the other day & I think, as you say, it only does fleas, ticks & mosquitos (so in theory it should stop heartworm anyway, but it's not a heartworm medication per se).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I normally use Avocate. It covers everything including adult fleas but as I now have an Aussie Shepherd they are sensitive to IVERMECTIN so I can no longer use that brand and need to opt for Sentinal Spectrum but it doesn't cover adult fleas :rolleyes: I have been using Avocate for years on my dogs and never seen a flea yet, if I didn't have a dog from the collie family I would definately be using Avocate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick reply to t-time's comment re dropping an end of a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag, I read this many many moons ago, :rolleyes: so many I cant remember but it was in one of those handy tip sections of the Australian Women's Weekly.

I use Advantix for flea and tick control.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The drops that u put on the dogs neck and flea collars do not work on my dogs. I have a husky and a Malamute.. I think it might be their thick hair and woolen winter undercoat...

We have tried lots of potions and found that the exelpet flea powder works a treat :rolleyes: We completely cover them in it every afternoon... it comes off in the carpet and around the yard overnight and during the day. I do still spray carpet with exelpet flea carpet spray and also the dogs bedding. The powder that brushes off of them seems to be enough to get rid of them from the yard... We do this everyday for 2 weeks or so.

We use a natural flea powder that is based on eucalyptus from pet hypermarket that works great too and better for their skin,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Morning All!!

Thank you so much for all your help!!

I bombed the house last night and treated the dogs and the landlord is going to pay for the property to be sprayed today which I am so happy about!!!

I can't find any fleas on the dogs now, I know this doesn't mean they are not there but it is a vast improvement on yesterday! They are still scratching but I think this might be from the bites they already have on them?

So things are on the upward tilt thank goodness!!

Mel xx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent! :dropjaw:

If the pest control company don't do the yard, then make sure you do the watering. All you'll need is another lot to hatch and you'll have adult fleas again :rofl:

In a few days, if the dogs are still itchy, give them a nice warm bath with something soothing for their itches. The bites will take a while to settle down :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...