# Any Flea Advice?? (Dogs)



## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

I have a 2 year old mixed terrier mutt and she has got herself a flea (ok a fair load). 

I've always followed a strict worming and flea regime and used frontline and panacur, however the last 2 times I used Frontline she had a reaction (which I initially mistook for a reaction to fleabites as they presented very similarly and in the same problem areas) 

I had a long conversation with a petshop owner (yes: I know) and tried Bob Martin flea tablets. Her point was that frontline etc stayed in the dog's system for over a month, therefore travelling through the kidneys over and over and so may have dubious effects to the dog's organs. The Bob Martin ones begin to work on adult fleas within 15 minutes, and you can actually re-dose every day for up to three days in order to clear different flea cycles.

The tablets worked the first time I used them, yet the second time they have had no effect whatsoever. 

Years and years ago we used to use a spray from the vet's called Nuvan Top. This was effective on all our pets including Persian cats who lived in a farm environment. Impressive. 

Has ANYONE got any ideas with regards to a decent flea treatment that isnt going to poison my poor dog, or break the bank?


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Just to ask, are you treating your home as well?
Treating the dog is all well and good, but if you don't treat the home as well, they'll just keep re-infesting your wee girl. : victory:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ophexis is right - you must treat the house too, because fleas only feed and mate on the animal - they lay their eggs off the animals in your carpets and soft furnishings, so you have to stop the growth cycle. 

You need a spray containing Malathion, which is a growth inhibitor as that stops any eggs from hatching, any larvae from pupating and any pupae from hatching into adult fleas. Something like Staykill, Acclaim (which you can buy in large pet shops) or RIP Fleas, all have a growth inhibitor which does this. Flea Skoosh, acts a different way, by coating them in a sort of 'plastic' coating which does the same job. As it doesn't contain insecticide it is safe around reptiles. Fleas are part of the life cycle for the tapeworm, so you'll need to worm the dog too.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Stop using Bob Martin stuff, you may as well just go outside & empty your wallet/purse :whistling2:. The stuff like this you can buy in pet shops is rubbish, it won't contain the chemicals needed to properly eradicate the fleas, unlike the stuff bought from the Vet. Get some Advantage, Advocate or Stronghold, these are all good flea treatment spot ons. Fleas are now becoming resistant to Frontline so it is no longer working so well :devil:.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

Yes I treat the house with Indorex from the vets. The house isn't the issue. She gets out and about in the wilds and hedgerows of Anglesey doing terriery things. I have tried garlic repellants aswell, which don't work. 

I'm aware that the Bob Martin stuff is utterly crap but was at a loss with regards to what to do as like I said she's allergic to the spot on treatments. 

I'm looking for something different.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

If there IS anything different *groan*


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Is she bothered by the fleas? Does she have an allergy to their bite?

I ask because if you've treated the house, then you are controlling the fleas in the house, so if she picks one up and brings it home, when it jumps off her the cycle is stopped.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

Yeah i think she has quite sensitive skin. 

She's constantly scratching (she's been checked for mites and ticks etc also) I don't bathe her too often and I can see the fleas on her. The fleas will breed on her and eggs will hatch, so I have to disagree there. The cycle isn't broken as the eggs can sometimes stay on the dog.

I'm not an inexperienced dog owner, I was just looking to see whether others had alternatives.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Well as I understand it the eggs don't remain on the dog, they drop off, hatch and then pupate and if you've done your house with a longterm household spray, then that stops those eggs hatching etc.

I went to a seminar many years ago and the vet who was doing the talk on parasites explained the full life cycle of the flea and that the way to do it was to hoover the whole house, empty the hoover, give a little skoot of the spray into the hoover bag/container as a precaution, then spray the house. Leave it a week without hoovering and then repeat the whole exercise and that should protect your house and animals for up to 12 months with Staykill or Acclaim.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

I'm afraid treating the home isn't enough. The eggs CAN remain on the animal and also she can pick them up with each walk. I need to get them off the dog and was wondering if anyone knew of any other methods BESIDES spot on treatments as my dog is allergic to them and I hold no truck with Bob Martin/crappy pet shop stuff.

As a Zoologist, I'm aware of many parasitic cycles, but thankyou very much anyway. 

I'm just having trouble for the first time in absolutely ages as she's really getting uncomfortable, and it's definitely her flea burden causing it. She's not hugely infested, but she doesn't tolerate the bites well, and has adverse reactions to probably the fipronil in the spot on treatments. It's toxic stuff.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

PS. Wee Jeemy- Excellent name for a rat.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Greenway said:


> PS. Wee Jeemy- Excellent name for a rat.


:lol2: thanks!! :lol2:


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## Lenor (Jul 24, 2009)

Your dog may only be sensitive to the drug in frontline... so other spot on that contain different active ingredients won't necessarilycause her the same issues. I've known several animal who tolerate one spot-on but not another. So stronghold, advocate etc may be worth a try... If you try one apply it when you're going to be with the dog all day, wash if off if she starts showing any similar signs to last time. But I appreciate you'd be reluctant to try... How bad was her reaction last time? was she very ill?
There is a new veterinary licensed flea treatment that comes in tablet form called Comfortis which is licenced for dogs, although I had a feeling that also contains fipronil (the product in frontline), so if it's that she reacts to it may not be ideal still... however I'm not certain so maybe ask your vet about it if that sounds like an option.


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## BeckyLou (Jul 1, 2009)

It can take 3 months or more to control a flea infestation completely as while frontline spot on contains chemicals to make eggs and adult fleas infertile, along with killing the adults, no chemical in the products can kill the pupae until its hatched. Therefore you may kill all the fleas on your dog and in your home, but a new infestation will start all over again once these have hatched. Fleas can also remain in this state for longer or shorter periods of time depending on temperatures. 

If you suspect your dog has had an allergic reaction to frontline spot on then your best option would be to contact your vet for more advice. They could reccomend using one of the alternative products on the market, or treatment in a different form.

Oh, and I think I'm right in saying there's no officially recorded case of fleas building up a resistance to Frontline.


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## Greenway (Oct 16, 2011)

I've just been reading some dreadful things that have happened after the application of Frontline. (speculatory)

I'm going to ring the vets in the morning I think. See what they say. Breaking a flea cycle is nigh on impossible, but something that you must be prepared for when owning pets, I guess. The Indorex I use is supposed to kill eggs in the home.


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## BeckyLou (Jul 1, 2009)

It depends how much you believe of what you read. Any animal can have a reaction to anything you administer to them. I've heard of cases of animalsbeing very ill after having Bob Martins, and cats living with dogs which have been given it having a reaction too. I think that stuffs pretty much useless, shouldn't be sold.

'Indorex kills adult fleas and dust mites whilst also preventing development of eggs and larvae. The only veterinary household flea control spray, proven to be stable in UV light (sunlight).' Taken from a veterinary supplies website. I work in a vets and we had a talk on a new flea/tick product today, they definately said there's no product that can kill the flea in a pupae state. It's a case of finding something that works and sticking to it I'm afraid, by no means easy.

Definitely talk to your vets and good luck!


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