Chihuahua Crossing Forum Closed

redweezie · Senior Chi

Fleas

Jess · Senior Chi

First off, I'm just going to move this post to the Health Section, I hope that's ok with you?

Now, it sounds like yuo've got a bad infestation to me.� They're such nasty little cretures, aren't they?!� *hugs*� There are a few different ways of preventing fleas and it really depends on your attitude, and what I mean by that is there are chemical treatment and natural remedies.� I would imagine that the situation this time has gone too far for the more gentle aproach.� So if I were you I'd hop it down to the Vets and get a dose of Frontline for the pups and then, if you have fleas in your house (the carpet, the furniture etc.) I would call a fumigating team to treat the whole place.� You might have to stay somewhere else for a ew days while the chemicals are in the house.�

Do your neighbours have cats or other dogs?� Are there many strays around?� Do you have any idea why there are so many fleas about at the moment?�

A good preventative for fleas is garlic.� You just add it to your dog's food every day.�

I hope this has helped a little, I'm sure others will chip in soon too!� Good luck, and let us know how it goes, wont you?

x

JacobsBunch · Administrator

Well, I think that Jess has some good advice there. I think if it were me I would get some advantage from the vet or pet store rent a motel that accepts pets (of course) bomb the house (or hire someone to fumigate) Even if there are not flees in your home right now, I am sure that you know they lay eggs and as soon as they hatch you will have the prob all over again. That is all i know to do really. I sure hope one thing or another helps, they can be such a pest. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

chideb · Senior Chi

Louise, sorry to hear about the flea problems... There was a time in the past when we had serious "flea troubles!"� We put down a treatment in the yard, around the foundation of the house, and actually took up our carpet (needed it anyway) in the living room and replaced it with Armstrong flooring.
I have since treated my dogs monthly with Advantage. It works wonders for me since I rarely ever even see a flea.. but it doesn't kill ticks.. I switched to Frontline once to add the tick killer, but it did not manage the fleas like the Advantage did for us.. So now I stick with Advantage and my guys just don't have fleas.. And if they don't have them, then they don't get in our house...Deb

lil luvs · Senior Chi

There's a couple other remedies if you want to try a "natural route" - only problem is it may take longer.
Are you using nutritional yeast?� or brewers yeast in tablets from pet store?� if you just use the brewers yeast from a regular grocery store - it's not same thing and won't work as well.�� Garlic, as Jess said, works good too - just a little in their food

For your yard - fleas and their larvae hate water and heat - if you have dirt spots around - cover them with heavy black sheet or tarp for few hours during day and it will kill all larvae and eggs.� Watering your grass regularly deters them also.� Or putting agricultural lime on grass (be sure to soak in so doesn't get on dog's pads).�� Also try organic diatomaceous earth around foundations of your house to stop them from coming in (besides on dogs) - yes, it's the pool stuff, but don't buy at a pool store as they add other chemicals to it.� Get it at a farm/tractor type store.�� You can also use this around the inside - especially cracks and crevices you can't reach with a vaccum.� You could also try (and i've never tried this one - just heard it worked) wetting pieces of newspaper with oil of cedar, scatter them over the floor, under beds or on rugs and leave overnight (obviously, this would have to be done when dogs are not in area for night) - the oil attracts the fleas so in the morning you can just gather them up, newspaper and all and dispose of them
If it's really bad, vaccum with a flea collar in your vaccum bag to kill fleas instantly - just be sure to wear rubber gloves for your own protection when touching flea collar.
You can put mint sprigs under mattresses to get them off beds.
Any of these plants can be planted around and are safe to kids and pets :� fennel, marigolds, tansy, wormwood, pennyroyal, mints - they all deter fleas
Fennel is especially good - rub it in kennels, use it in their bedding (stuff under coverings) - you can even bathe them in it to get rid of fleas - just make a quantity of fennel tea, let it cool and bathe them.
You can also use a natural skin tonic - thinly slice whole lemons including peel and add to 1 pint of near boiling water.� Let it steep overnight and the next day sponge it onto their skin and let dry.�� This can be used daily.� Fleas and ticks don't like citrus - you can also use this a "spritzer" for humans as deterrant.

Walnut Hull extract is another herb you can give dogs to deter fleas and ticks - it's drops you can just put in their water.

Just as a sidenote - and i don't want to open a can of worms here - but i've heard thru my rescue grapevine that frontline may be facing class action suits in near future because of harm their products are doing to dogs and cats.��

Hope this helps a little

redweezie · Senior Chi

I want to thank all of you so much. I will be trying your suggestions until I get the right one for my babies. I think the big problem is caused by our weather, it has been hotter than usual and wetter. We also have a big field behind our house and they don't mow as often as they should plus the neighbors have three large outside dogs on one side of us and the other neighbors have a Boxer. I have talked to my neighbors and they are having problems too so we will all try to remedy it at the same time. Once again thanks so much for the advice.

Foytoy · Kid Chi

I love love Advantix for fleas and ticks.. but if you have cats don't use it. I have had no problems with either since I started using it.. and fighting against mosquitoes is a plus too.. hehe

halles mom · Kid Chi

A friend of mine recommended using seven dust. We sprinkle it on the carpet and furniture, leave it for a few hours or overnight if it's in the basement and vaccum. Works wonders. We have even sprinkled it on the beagle. Everything I've read, including the package states that it is safe to use on animals, and we had no problem. We tried bombing the basement summer before last. We used 8 bombs and had to leave the house over a period of time and it seemed like it never worked. Betsy had been out of the house for weeks and it was before Halle's time. I'll never waste my money on those things again. We are starting to have problems now. It seems like I find one here and there on Halle. I have used a spray on her bedding and washed it and have used some over the counter stuff from Walmart (not advantix or frontline but supposed to be the same thing) but still find the occasional loner crawling on her. I am going to try the garlic or yeast and see how that works.