Dealing With Fleas

[mwallace056]

We don't have any fleas and I have read through the flea articles on here but was wondering what is your(the person who may be reading this) treatment plan is and anything you've found to be effective in getting rid of fleas. Do you only treat the pets that have signs of fleas or everyone? Do you treat the inside the house and around the outside and the yard or just indoors? what products do you use and found effective? what products would you recommend stay away from and why? Do you treat year long or just the summer months or just when there is a flea infestation and how often do you treat when there are a flea infestation?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
There are some current threads,
Search Results for Query: Fleas | TheCatSite

I only apply a tiny amount of diluted original Avon skin so soft to the back of his neck when my boy scratches more than a couple consecutive times, which is rare. That gets rid of them on him, I personally don't do anything else but I'm in the minority, I think.

 

[danteshuman]

My boy is on Cheristin year round. So are my mom’s cats. We had an evil advantage resistant outbreak a few years ago. Her yard gets treated for fleas (& I had to buy flea killing yard poison during that outbreak.) I have since moved into an apartment and I will treat the ground I guess I start getting bit by fleas if I walk on it. Since there are lots of people with dogs in my apartment complex (all with limited incomes) I treat my boy every month, every month. At my mom’s we took a break from treating the cats 3-4 months a year when it got cold enough to make those evil blood sucking bastards hibernate! I will probably do the same thing in my apartment provided he shows no signs of getting fleas.

 

[basscat]

 

[danteshuman]

Basscat !

I bet the fleas would survive that!

 

[Furballsmom]

basscat
lol

 

[darg]

I'm down south and should probably be treating every single month, year round, but I don't. I've used Advantage since shortly after it was released in the mid/late 1990's. It still works for me. Only time it didn't work well was when I underestimated my cats weight when he was young. I do use it throughout the year but I sometimes extend it to 6 weeks and I may skip a month here and there in the "winter".

I haven't had to treat inside the home for several years. We had a managerie of different animals when the kids were still at home and the flea control got away from me once, maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Honestly, when it does happen I don't mess around with the natural products. I just bring out the big guns and get it over with. Something like Precor 2000 + would be what I use now if I had to treat inside the home these days. But since we have only one, indoor only cat, treating him with Advantage II has been all that we've needed since that last flea invasion.

 

[danteshuman]

I live in Southern California. Where I used to live (base of Ventura County hills) we got frost warning in late winter/early spring... but warmed up by April. I moved to a hill in Ventura County where it gets colder in the winter and warmer in the summer. So if it is down to 35-32F at night the evil flea bastards hibernate.

When I used to live at the base of the hills, I told our vet the fleas were resistant to Advantage ......... she said she was having quite a few advantage resistant flea out breaks and recommended Cheristin (which besides the time my squirmer got the flea medicine where he could lick it and got kinda sleepy; has had no ill side effects.) Before then, I never knew fleas could breed immune infestations to your type of flea control medicine commonly used in your area. I will probably switch flea medicines in a year or two.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I used to use Advantage but 1, it's become less effective for me and 2, Felix is starting to react badly to it. Like... really badly. So, I use coconut oil. I start with my dog because his hair is thin and it's always very easy to see fleas on him.

I was skeptical at first because it's just oil but I've found dead fleas in his bed after using it. I've also seen near dead fleas on his body from using it. It's like they can't move. They look like they're struggling to... live.

Anyway, my dog is always the give away that there are fleas because I can't see them on Felix as his hair is way too dense. So, I rub coconut oil on his entire neck. Down his back, his armpits, and his inner thighs.

DE made his hair fall out.

I've gotten over my fear of fleas and I now physically search my house and pets and pick them off. I also steam my bed and carpets with the toby clothes thingy.

I'm also going to try Nematodes in my backyard. Not sure if fleas can build up a resistance to lauric acid. I hope not.

 

[basscat]

I'm down south and should probably be treating every single month, year round, but I don't. I've used Advantage since shortly after it was released in the mid/late 1990's. It still works for me. Only time it didn't work well was when I underestimated my cats weight when he was young. I do use it throughout the year but I sometimes extend it to 6 weeks and I may skip a month here and there in the "winter".

I haven't had to treat inside the home for several years. We had a managerie of different animals when the kids were still at home and the flea control got away from me once, maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Honestly, when it does happen I don't mess around with the natural products. I just bring out the big guns and get it over with. Something like Precor 2000 + would be what I use now if I had to treat inside the home these days. But since we have only one, indoor only cat, treating him with Advantage II has been all that we've needed since that last flea invasion.

Pretty much what I do.

 

[basscat]

I'm also going to try Nematodes in my backyard..

We have just regular ole frogs.

 

[yeva2292]

Smokey has pretty bad flea allergies. The problem is that I go horse riding every week at a stable that has tons of adorable, cuddly dogs, that I most definitely pet and cuddle with. So inevitably, some fleas hitch a hike home with me. Her old vet had her (on my asking for flea medication) on selamectin, didn't think her allergies were flea related (if you look at my post history, the vet thinking this led us down the path of thinking she had food allergies) and didn't believe that I could be bringing fleas home with me. The selamectin was completely useless; Smokey was constantly scratching, over grooming, and getting skin infections. She repeatedly bloodied up her ears and face. She was also throwing up hairballs all the time and could only tolerate one or two foods without mucousy, bloody diarrhea.

Finally, we switched to an AMAZING vet. He immediately figured out that all of her problems - both the skin problems and the constant hairballs, vomiting, and diarrhea - were caused by, or worsened, by a flea allergy that the selamectin clearly wasn't controlling. In just that one consultation, he determined that her flea allergy was also causing her to have colitis, explaining why her platelet count was always low - which I had only found out myself right before that appointment when I asked her old vet for Smokey's full medical record. Old vet had never mentioned her low platelet count or elevated WBC count. He gave her a mild anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive shot and put her on twice weekly Capstar. We then transitioned down to once a week Capstar and Ovaban and from that transitioned to just once a week Capstar. Now, if I see her start to get itchy, I'll give her a second Capstar that week (vet says I can even give it daily if need be) and half an apoquel. The capstar gets crushed and goes straight in her food - she can't even taste it.

We've been with this vet since December. Smokey hasn't need an antibiotic since then, hasn't scratched herself bloody, and has thrown up only ONE hairball in all this time - down from 1-2 hairballs per week! And she's been able to eat many different types of cat food (still can't eat everything, but definitely has more options).