Help With Fleas!

[Beebster]

I know there's numerous threads already about fleas and so many articles. Seems like every suggestion is conflicting with another.

Anyway, a family member ordered Frontline Plus for our 2 cats + dog. This was a couple weeks ago and it has done nothing! I keep saying Frontline is crap, but some people don't want to listen to me and think that maybe the next dose next month will work. =/

Fluffy has been having hairball issues a lot recently because of the fleas and she has spots on her side and back near her tail where she's pulled out her fur. It's making me sad because I'm not sure what to do to help her, especially since money is an issue at the moment so we can't get any of them to the vet like we should.

Eevee is constantly scratching and trying to groom herself as well, but so far no fur loss on her that we can tell. Her fur is still very short, and even using a flea comb on her is difficult.

I thought about giving Fluffy a bath using dawn dish soap just to help as much as possible, but she's not thrilled about getting a bath and being touched in certain areas, mostly her belly.

I've read about Food Grade DE. I've seen mixed reviews.

I've tried messaging a friend since she has worked with animals in the past and she only recommends getting the Seresto Collars from a vet and NOT going forth with any natural remedies.

It's all so conflicting and making my head spin!!!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't know anything about whether or not Frontline is effective, or if there are areas where the fleas have become resistant to it. But, maybe there is some helpful information on this web site about other ways to minimize fleas - FleaScience

 

[Beebster]

So far today I've vacuumed as much as possible. Trying to do so every day or every other day, as long as others in the house help keep things cleaned up more often.

Might still look into getting the DE today if Tractor Supply has any in stock.
Hopefully a pet store trip as well. Must find something to help with Fluffy's hairballs. I'm getting tired of constantly cleaning it up, especially if it's on my blanket....

 

[darg]

If Frontline isn't working and you believe the fleas are resistant to it, then try another topical. You may want to consider treating the premises as well. That, along with an effective treatment for the pets will wipe out the fleas quickly. Relying on the pets as the only source of flea control takes time and the animals continue to be miserable through it.

 

[Beebster]

If Frontline isn't working and you believe the fleas are resistant to it, then try another topical. You may want to consider treating the premises as well. That, along with an effective treatment for the pets will wipe out the fleas quickly. Relying on the pets as the only source of flea control takes time and the animals continue to be miserable through it.

Well is it too early to put another topical on them since we applied the Frontline on August 15th?
I'm thinking maybe anything available OTC may not be effective, we may have to resort to going to a vet, but I don't see that happening any time soon unfortunately. Just trying the best we can with what is affordable.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Must find something to help with Fluffy's hairballs.

You can try something as simple as butter/margarine - put a dab on your finger or on her paw for her to lick off. You can start out doing this daily, and then after a few days, back off to 2 times a week.
I have also heard of using 1/8 teaspoon of slippery elm daily for a couple of days, then back off to once or twice a week.

Also, since one of the things that will help to reduce fleas/flea dirt on Fluffy would be a daily flea combing, that will also help with removing some of her loose hair.
Just add some dish soap to water in a dish, use long strokes from head to behind, place the comb in the soapy water to drown the fleas, and you can use paper towels to remove any hair before doing the next stroke. Then, if you can do the same for her belly and front paws, and lastly her tail and hind legs.​

 

[Beebster]

You can try something as simple as butter/margarine - put a dab on your finger or on her paw for her to lick off. You can start out doing this daily, and then after a few days, back off to 2 times a week.
I have also heard of using 1/8 teaspoon of slippery elm daily for a couple of days, then back off to once or twice a week.

Also, since one of the things that will help to reduce fleas/flea dirt on Fluffy would be a daily flea combing, that will also help with removing some of her loose hair.
Just add some dish soap to water in a dish, use long strokes from head to behind, place the comb in the soapy water to drown the fleas, and you can use paper towels to remove any hair before doing the next stroke. Then, if you can do the same for her belly and front paws, and lastly her tail and hind legs.

Sadly she's very finicky about human food, so most likely would sniff and walk away! Stubborn old kitty, haha!

She's also hates being touched on her belly and paws. I try my best with her. She'll let me comb her back, but once I go off to her sides she's very iffy about it and will hiss and run away. Same way with trying to give her a bath. Again, trying the best I can with her. =/

 

[Beebster]

Where she grooms herself the most is where I can't touch her, she hates it! She'll hiss, try biting me, and just run away from me in general. I know that comb feels good to her on her back, if only she'd stop being difficult and let me help her with the rest of her body.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Well is it too early to put another topical on them since we applied the Frontline on August 15th?

I wouldn't do it, if it were me. However, if the Frontline is a topical that works on the sebaceous glands, it might be possible to use something like Capstar which is a pill and enters the bloodstream. Two different treatments not affecting the same systems within a cat. You can call and ask the vet if this would be permissible, just to make sure. Capstar works to kill fleas - not larvae/eggs.

Sadly she's very finicky about human food, so most likely would sniff and walk away! Stubborn old kitty, haha!

That's why you would put it on her paw - she will want to lick it off just to get rid of it. It is worth a try, just to see.

 

[Beebster]

That's why you would put it on her paw - she will want to lick it off just to get rid of it. It is worth a try, just to see.

So a quick dab on her paw and run while she's laying here "sleeping"

 

[darg]

Well is it too early to put another topical on them since we applied the Frontline on August 15th?
I'm thinking maybe anything available OTC may not be effective, we may have to resort to going to a vet, but I don't see that happening any time soon unfortunately. Just trying the best we can with what is affordable.

We've been using Advantage (now Advantage II) for 20+ years and it's still just as effective. I believe that there is an OTC that has the same ingredients as Advantage II with an added adulticide. There are some newer topicals available OTC as well.

The problem is that the flea preventatives do not work immediately. They either work when the flea contacts the pet but they can take a little while or they work by killing the flea when it gets it's blood meal (bites the pet). Either way, fleas are active on the pet for a little while after contact. That means that the pet keeps picking up fleas from the environment. That's why a premise treatment is the only quick way to stop the fleas from pestering the pets, despite using a topical. Afterward, the topical will help prevent further infestation in the home. Otherwise, you have to wait for all the fleas to come in contact with the pet and the topicals won't do anything to impact the life cycle of the fleas in the home that arent yet on the pet. So as new, biting fleas develop from eggs and larvae, they will also be able to bite the pets.

Treat the premises, then decide if the topical truly isn't effective.

 

[Beebster]

We've been working on treating the home as much as possible, but trying not to go crazy with chemicals because of kids and animals in the home. Mostly vacuuming every room almost daily.

 

[Beebster]

We purchased this spray a couple weeks back and only used it once around the house a little bit, but it definitely smells so bad!
I see others recommend the Adams Plus spray, although this one we have isn't. Hopefully it's still the same to a point.

May consider trying to use this again soon.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I see others recommend the Adams Plus spray, although this one we have isn't. Hopefully it's still the same to a point.

I believe that is the one I am using. If you compare the ingredients in the Adams sprays, they are relatively comparable anyway. Since it says kills larvae/eggs, it should contain Methoprene - that is the IGR compound to help with the larva/eggs. Surprisingly enough, the one I think you have has a slight bit more of that compound in it (.027%) compared to the one that is marketed as a home spray (.01%). It does stink, but is considered harmless.

 

[sweet jane flash]

Oh yes I dealt with a hideous flea infestation. You just have to be very fastidious and change (bleach) bedding on a daily basis. Vacuum daily, it is very time consuming. Eventually I just bombed the whole house with stuff that keeps working for 6 or 7 months. Oh I thought I'd never get rid of the hateful things, but eventually (and I had 7 flea bites on me as well since cat sleeps on end of my bed). Just stick with it, you can do it. Also get flea comb and comb as often as possible. Keep a bowl of soapy water around too and the live fleas tend to jump off the comb before you can blink. Good Luck and don't ever give up!!! Cat hates me when I put spot on (brand didn't seem to matter) on her but gets over it. And peace does return rather rapidly. Cat seems to know I'm just protecting her from the evil that can escalate so rapidly!!!

 

[daftcat75]

If Krista cat and I were to get a room this weekend, what’s the best premises treatment? Would one night away be enough?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did you check that FleaScience web site to see if they recommend bombs or other similar things?

FleaScience

 

[sweet jane flash]

I bombed every single room in my house with Advantage foggers purchased from Petsmart; additionally I used HomeMD which I sprayed under the beds. We all left the house for about 4 hours. I found white tube socks to be very effective in seeing just how many fleas were present; and for every one you see, there are about 50 other fleas you don't see. Also I placed pie pans with water mixed with a bit of dawn soap so that whenever I was able to catch a flea I immediately threw it into the soapy pie pan. It took a long long time to eventually get rid of them, but it CAN be done! The vet said that some of the fleas (depends where you live) have developed resistance to some of the spot on treatments. Zodiac worked well, actually I think they all worked well in my town the vets recommend Frontline, but I believe any of them will mostly work. Do not ever give up or become complacent with these fleas. Eventually you will win the battle! It might take a few months if flea infestation has become as bad as ours was. Cat is indoor cat also, but Dog is not; and the fleas can easily hitch a ride on your own clothes too. Since Cat is curious about everywhere, I had to treat EVERYWHERE! Closets, clothes, shoes, everything was washed and dried on high heat for a sure kill, then bagged and still some things remain in bags, as I said before, it took a long time, was very exhausting, and I got little sleep. However you can do this and be flea free with persistence. Good Luck on this very important endeavor and Godspeed to you!












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[darg]

If Krista cat and I were to get a room this weekend, what’s the best premises treatment? Would one night away be enough?

I don't know about "best", there are lots of effective ones. One of them is Precor 2000 Plus. You don't have to leave the home overnight but you can if you want to. But you really should do a follow-up treatment 14 days after the initial treatment. That follow-up treatment deals with the flea life cycle ... it kills new fleas that may slip through the first treatment and doubles down on the IGR application.

 

[Beebster]

Oh I know for sure that fleas can hitch a ride on us humans from outside! I forget how old Fluffy was, maybe 4 years old....I just remember one summer she ended up getting fleas because they were SO BAD that year out in our own yard. She's been indoors her whole life, aside from our weekends down to the boat when she was younger and even then she was only ever on the boat, but had access to the outside portion. Still, this cat is so spoiled and has no intentions of ever going outside thankfully!

I'm pretty sure tomorrow will be a big cleaning day once my nieces go back to school and they are out of our way for a few hours. Might run the vacuum again later today though, trying to keep up with that more often at the very least.