Quote: Jennifer Schnegg

I didnt notice that my cats had fleas. Where do the fleas hide, I have no carpet.

They can hide in the cracks of the wood floors, the baseboards, on any upholstered furniture, in your laundry etc.

I have wood floors, so I will usually vacuum and then mop the floors with really soapy water to get any that may be remaining.

On a very rare occasion I do run across someone that has a situation where their dog is constantly exposed to new fleas through wildlife, feral cats, or neighbors pets. In those cases frontline just isn't cutting the mustard. An environmental spray is required.

Usually however fleas will be resolved if you simply treat all hairy pets in the home. Wash all bedding, blankets, etc in hot water or use a leave on spray. Personally I use zodiac on the couch but I know a great many people who swear by frontline spray.

Has anyone else tried the mineral oil, rosemary oil,lavender oil mix for a natural flea control? Works great for me and my area is wicked with flea's and none of my 4 dogs have any using this method. Also raw natural garlic in there food helps a lot.

 Quote: Chris Knepper

... Also raw natural garlic in there food helps a lot.

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/218654/page/0/fpart/1

My approach to flea control is a little drastic,
But I have a seriously hypersensitive dog, so I do what is necessary to keep her from being miserable.

I also like the Zodiac spray for my couch and our bed, it seems to really do a good job and actually sticks around for a while.

Frontline is ineffective here. I am now using Comfortis. It is a chewable pill taken once every four weeks. This is doing well and has not caused any visible sickness.

My dog has a flea allergy and it sounds like yours may, too. I think that's what Connie was asking in her earlier post.

With a flea allergy, it just takes one flea to get my dog started into an itching fit.

Earlier this year, she had a skin infection from all the scratching.

If you dog has a flea allergy, it takes some real dedication and a lot of work to deal with it.

I sprayed everything in my house (I have hardwood floors) including the floors, furniture, dog bed, anywhere she could lay down. I also sprayed a large part of my yard where she goes mostly.

I bathe her about weekly now but earlier this year I would bathe her every 2-3 days.

You can eventually get it under control but you may need to take yours into the vet to see what he/she says.

Good luck.

I'm probably much more inexperienced than everyone else here, but here's my 2 cents.

I'm in Southern California and we have had a very serious flea outbreak. Just about everyone here with dogs, especially dogs with double layer coats, have been completely unsuccessful in getting rid of the fleas. We've talked to numerous vets and groomers and all have had the same experience with their dogs and their clients as we've had with our Corgi. Our Cocker Spaniel and Pit Bull mix are fine, but Conan, our Corgi, has had fleas for a good six months now. It may have been longer than that.

I think CapStar is excellent for the temporary removal of fleas. It's only 24 hours but it's seemed to work very well.

We've also tried Revolution, Vectra 3D, and are now using Comfortis. So far, the only thing that hasn't failed us eventually is the Comfortis but it's only been about two months. Vectra 3D worked for about 3 or 4 months before we started noticing a very uncomfortable amount of fleas on Conan again. It's as if the fleas have become resistant to whatever active ingredients are in each of the products, though I admit to not looking to see if they are different. Right now Comfortis seems to be what is being recommended. I'm really hope it stays working.

I do have to say, that my boy's amount of fleas has droped dramaticly since after he was shaved and put him and all my animals on frontline. Maybe this month it will be resolved. I am also bathing him every week with a regular very mild deluted shampoo so it wont dry his skin. Would it be ok to bath him in flea shampoo too? Ill call the vet today and see what she says.

I live on a small farm in humid central FL with 7 cats and my Black Russian Terrier puppy. I use the Comfortis tablet once every 7 - 8 weeks for my BRT and find it works better than any other flea control product I have tried over the past 25 years. When the weather gets colder and dryer after November I am going to see if she can go 3 months between tablets.

Some dogs do experience runny stool after taking the tablet. You must give Comfortis with a full meal.

 Quote: Jennifer Schnegg

I do have to say, that my boy's amount of fleas has droped dramaticly since after he was shaved and put him and all my animals on frontline. Maybe this month it will be resolved. I am also bathing him every week with a regular very mild deluted shampoo so it wont dry his skin. Would it be ok to bath him in flea shampoo too? Ill call the vet today and see what she says.

It's your dog, I have no idea what kind it is but a short haired dog gets fleas just as easy as a long haired dog. The only difference is that the ability of a person to see those fleas before they become an infestation is lessened.

I never suggest shaving a dog for fleas unless the coat is so matted it's beyond brushout or the flea dirt is so bad I can't get to the skin. I've only seen a couple dogs who have gotten to that point from flea dirt and chewing lice.

Any shampoo can be a flea shampoo. Just leave it on for 5-10 minutes and it will kill all the fleas on your dog just as well as any flea shampoo minus the poison. I really dislike using flea shampoos, even the best of them only work to kill the fleas currently living on your dog and you have almost zero control over the active ingredient and have nothing you can do if your dog reacts badly to it.

If you bathe your dog often get a conditioner.