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Florida Dog Owners...help w/fleas, please!

Posted: Mar 4, 2011

Sorry if this post is long-winded.

Every year the fleas get worse and worse. I'm trying to head it off this year before I get an infestation with the warmer weather.

First of all, I have 3 dogs (2 shih tzu, 1 lab-ridgeback mix), we live in a heavily wooded area with lots of critters. I can keep the flea/tick problem under control during the colder temps but I've noticed over the last few days with the warmer temps that the dogs are getting fleas and ticks again. I realize that in a few more weeks, I won't be able to keep up with them. We had a bad infestation a few years ago and I don't want to go through that again. Coincidentaly, that was the same year we did Frontline and Advantage without success. The dogs seemed to ATTRACT every flea and tick in the area that year with the Frontline.

I give the dogs frequent baths due to all the sand they like to wrestle in. I have kids too so the idea of an oral med is kid-friendly and I don't have to worry about it washing out.

I was thinking of using Program with an initial dose of Capstar, along with a yard treatment. Those flea shampoos and sprays don't work out here and I can't use anything too strong on one of my dogs due to skin allergies (typical shih tzu problem). I'm not sure how effective the yard treatment would be since I don't have a fenced yard and my dogs are allowed to play/roam free (they are very obedient) and there's acres of woods around me. I can't spray the entire forest, LOL! Not to mention we have rabbits, deer, mice, foxes, etc. that wander onto my property once in a while.

Anyone have any experience with Program and Capstar? What would you recommend for the yard?

Also, where have you found the best prices for these?

;

Fleas - Necie

[ In Reply To ..]
Frontline doesn't work anymore on my dogs either. Have you tried Comfortis? It's the best thing I've found lately for flea control.

We use Advantage - dmz

[ In Reply To ..]
and no matter how hot it gets, no fleas on them or in the house. Another trick a friend taught me is to get eucalyptus and put it around the house - it kills any fleas that do get inside. We've been doing that for 8-9 years and haven't had any flea infestations at all. Good luck.

Advantage didn't work for us :-( - Nony

[ In Reply To ..]
We had tried Advantage after Frontline failed. It didn't work either.

Thanks for the suggestion, tho!

I am in south Mississippi and... - Kendra

[ In Reply To ..]
I asked the vet what to use last summer. He told me to use Advantage--that it works better than Frontline. He said that the problem is that people don't really give it enough time to work. Until all of the fleas are gone from your yard, you are going to see fleas on the dogs, but those fleas will die and you won't get an infestation in the house. I didn't really believe him, but since nothing else was working, continued with the Advantage anyway. After a couple of months, no more fleas on the dog. Until then, I would see a fair number of fleas on the dogs, but never saw any in the house really, except on the dogs...no flea bites, et cetera.

Revolution, Siphotrol, and diamotaceous - earth

[ In Reply To ..]
Though in NJ, summers are hot and humid and the humidity just one day last week brought out fleas. We found Frontline did not work well at all, so we switched to Revolution. Capstar is a strong medicine that kills one time; kennels and pet-sitting boarders use it when animals come in to kill everything. You can't keep doing Capstar.

We sprayed the house with Siphotrol in November and that is good for 30 weeks - fleas, eggs and I believe larvae. We also use diamotaceous earth FOOD GRADE, which you can rub into the hair of the animal. It is harmless if they lick it. You can also sprinkle a thin coating under baseboards, furniture, etc, where larvae would be. It can be sprinkled under porches. You CAN use it in the yard but humidity and rain will make it less effective. You need a duster, as well, for applying it over large areas.

One more thing - very important

[ In Reply To ..]
Vacuum every other day. It is the best way to get the eggs out of the house and off bedding. Put a piece of flea collar (don't use flea collars on the dog) into the vacuum cleaner bag to kill any fleas you suck up because they will jump out.

Wash the animals' beds or throw in dryer for 20 minutes on high heat to kill fleas, eggs, etc.

Some questions - Nony

[ In Reply To ..]
I read a lot of good things about diatomaceous earth but no one in my area seems to carry it, much less even know what it is. Are the ones sold on Amazon ok?

I vacuum daily due to the amount of hair my lab-mix sheds so I've got that habit already established. I wanted to do the Capstar just for a quick start, then do Program as maintenance, along with yard spray,etc.

Does Siphotrol truly work for 30 weeks??? That's amazing and I will definitely look that up too!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yup - Amazon is where I bought it - Hard to find

[ In Reply To ..]
Food grade in stores.

See this article, too - Good luck

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp

We use Program every year.. - Ohio girl

[ In Reply To ..]
It is really going to be a bad flea year for sure! I live in NE Ohio and we have had record breaking snow this year. We had a couple of days that was warm enough for the snow to melt and the fleas are already out in full force! I have four dogs and have used the Program every year. It works great for us. Three of our dogs arent much for nature so they would rather lay in the sun and play on our deck that wraps around the house. Our basset hound loves to roam the land and be outside all the time. So far the Program has been great for her. It must taste good too because they all chew it right up. Other pills I have used I always had to cram it down their throat or put it in a treat. I dont really know what to recommend for the yard. We have way too much land to even think about treating it with something. Good luck and hope you have a flea free year!

What is Program? We have 3 dogs - sm - ECMT

[ In Reply To ..]
Husky, Lab and corgi, and the corgi is a flea magnet it seems, has had them all winter,just cannnot get them off of him, spray the house with flea spray, have not had in infestation inside from what I can tell (had them bad in PA in the past). All dogs get Frontline Plus and works great on the lab and husky (double coat just like the corgi), but not on the corgi. All I can figure is because the corgi is so low to the ground he gets nailed, but the husky lays under the back porch all the time where I am sure there are tons of fleas in the nice dark, cool dirt. We do have chickens though so maybe they eat a lot of them under there, who knows. So need to figure something out for him, obviously need to switch him off the Frontline....how does Program work? TIA.

Brewer's yeast? - Sprinkle it on food

[ In Reply To ..]
It apparently is a good flea repellent that works systemically, perhaps changing their body odor.

We had a dog loaded with fleas years ago but the cats who roamed the same yard never had a bite.

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