Dog Fleas

Hi,
Since my daughter is out of town, I'm "babysitting" her dog. I work during the week so I take him to doggie daycare. I treat him monthly with the Advantage I get from the vet's office and yet I'm noticing he's still a flea bag since going to daycare.

Is there something else I can additionally give him or put on him? Can you use the Advantage more than once a month?

Any suggestions would be most helpful. While I love this dog dearly, I'm no animal expert.
Thanks,
Okie

Hi Okie. While I'm no expert myself and I'm sure there is probably someone here more qualified to answer this, I'll give it a shot.

Flea's like all other parasites become intolerant to main steam chemicals. (Frustrating I know)
Anyway try treating pups bedding with Eucalyptus products. Yard area with Agri-lime you get it at Live Stock Places or Nemitodes (it's a worm that eats flea eggs and lava) get it at Earthworm Farms. Flea bomb carpets and sprinkle with Eucalyptus Oil. Then feed pup Age-garlic Oil by putting drops in it's feed get at Health Food Stores. This may seem extreme but, necessary to take full care of the problem.

No! You can not use Advantage more than once a month, I'm under the belief that it can poison the dog.

advantage kills the fleas but won't do anything between treatments if the dog is getting exposed to fleas between treatments.

doggie daycare should have a 'treat your dog for fleas or he can't come to doggy daycare' similarly to how schools have a 'treat your kids for headlice or they aren't coming to school' policy. i'd try having a word with them about this. they should inform the people who take their dogs of the need for them to treat their pets and ensure that all dogs are treated.

the best plan would be for them to treat all the dogs at the same time (e.g., the doggie daycare could offer to treat all the dogs at the same time as part of their service to ensure that the pets are flea-free).

If the pup wears a collar or bandanna or something, you can put a few drops of eucalyptus oil (as someone else mentioned), tea tree oil or lavender on their collar to ward off fleas.

Also, when bathing your pup, you can put a few drops of tea tree oil or lavender into the water when you rinse them.

Hope that helps.

Hi -

I couldn't get them out of my dog last year - I hadn't started her on frontline and then she got fleas

So I ordered these pills on line called Capstar and they work fabulous! I gave her the pills a couple of times and put frontline on her and it got rid of the fleas.

This year I am being smart and starting the frontline right away.

Tranquility

Garlic.

My former vet said the treatments of drops or pills for ticks and fleas really don't do any good, because of the life of the tick or flea anyway, it isn't like that stuff repels them (they don't.)

I give my puppy garlic tablets (for dogs.) It has always worked (for my Figaro .. ) Fleas and ticks don't like the taste of the garlic in the skin and blood ? Anyway, they might jump on but they won't stay!

I still have to treat all 3 areas at the same time, though, once there's an infestation in the neighborhood: the yard, the house and the pet. Do it all the same day. And then repeat in 5 weeks and that should solve the problem.

But the garlic works great and is simple and cheap. (Regular garlic in any form on their food works too.)

Took the words right out of my mouth _Sky!

Garlic is definitely the best way to go with fleas and ticks. The only thing I found with using garlic for my pups was that their breath stunk even worse at times. But, it sure beat having to deal with those nasty little bugs.

OT (I lost my sense of smell in the accident ) But hey! I like Italian food!

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the help.

Okie

diatomaceous earth kills all of the fleas, eggs, larvae, etc. if you can't get the worms that were mentioned. it's cheap and is at almost every garden/farm supply. it's organic.

when you bathe an animal, you do not have to use chemically based shampoos. i've had many vets tell me that you're only drowning the fleas and poisoning the dog. leave the suds on 5 minutes..voila! fleas are dead. i use a moisturizing shampoo.

do not use a systemic treatment of any kind more than once a month.

a flea comb works great also, for touch ups. put the refuse into a plastic bag and dispose of those little buggers.

i absolutely cannot tolerate fleas anywhere near me. ewwwwwwwwwww. when i lived in NM, altitude was so high that we didn't have BUGS.........ah, the humidity of Texas........

http://www.diatomaceous-earth.net/

Thanks, Pat. Just for clarification, what kind of shampoo do you use on your pets?

i use a moisturizing one from Sally's beauty supply. it is called Biotera. it makes Lita and Fayeroe's hair softer and not so "wiry"....that is why i bought it. it's about $4.50.

There are two grades of Diatomaceous Earth. The grade purchased here is FOOD grade. Avoid the Filter grade if you are using it around people or pets.