Fleas and ticks

[orangenet]

I need some advice before the coming flea season. Ticks are already active where I live. In the past we have always used Frontline and have had no real problems with fleas until last spring/summer. Flea allergy dermatitis was the name of the game on our beloved dog Ruby, along with fleas on our cats Louise and Yoda.

Let me just say it was a nightmare. The problem is that I think the Frontline is not as effective and I think the Frontline makes Ruby more itchy like she is having a minor reaction so I really need to take a different approach this year. She looked so pathetic by the end of summer I really felt I needed to boost her immune system so I started making dog food for her. She has her kibble available but she rarely eats it unless she wants it. She looks so beautiful right now. Her fur is full and shiny and silky. So far so good.

After searching some previous threads a couple of things came up that I can try in order to get her off Frontline.

Critter Oil- Has anyone used this? Is it effective? And how often do you have to apply it?

Diatomaceous Earth- Same questions as above.

Garlic Tabs or Wafers- I am not sure about this because some dogs are allergic and I have read that it can make a dog anemic.

There is so much information out there and it is a bit confusing. If any of you can offer any advice or suggestions please chime in as I am open to anything.

And yes we have a flea comb.

Thanks,
Annette

 

[Gayle]

Hi Annette,

I've ditched topical flea/tick on my dog because he also had some very weird reactions when we tried them. I do use them on my cat (at reduced dosages), because he goes outside in the summer and spends a lot in the tall grass.

Some people on the Boxer list I'm on use the Diatomaceous Earth, but you have to make sure you get the food grade kind. I'm thinking of trying it this year as well.

I've been taking a multi-prong approach. I use an herbal flea/tick spray on him, his bedding, and some of our furniture (we don't have much carpet). I also use it on myself when I go hiking. It's not 100% effective, but it does seem to work pretty well.
http://www.naturvet.com/index.php?option=com_dogcat&task=view&Itemid=37&pid=65

I also spray my yard with Mosquito Barrier throughout the summer. It's a concentrated garlic solution that's meant for mosquitoes, but also has an effect on ticks. So far, we haven't had tick issues in out yard. I live in a rural area, and where we do find them is in the woods. I live in a mosquito-y area, and buy this by the gallon.
http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/

Lastly, Rascal gets a bath every couple of weeks during the summer. This year I'm going to give the Buddy Rinse conditioner flea formula a try. It's herbal.
http://www.thepamperedpetmart.com/M...duct_Code=BWFFPSAC&qts=Affiliate&qtk=6W6wrj6g

 

[kathryn]

Diatomaceous earth works well as an indoor area treatment: sprinkle on carpet or along baseboards, then vacuum up after a while.

It may also work topically, but be careful. It's harmless when ingested (as when cats wash themselves) but should not be inhaled or gotten near the eyes (which would require taking great care when applying).

 

[Afreet]

I sympathize totally

I lived in Texas for several years, and it never gets cold enough there to kill fleas, so they are a constant problem. My dogs are very sensitive to flea bites, so even a single flea results in a massive allergic reaction that requires a vet visit for both dogs ($$$) and weeks on antibiotics. I tried every natural remedy I could find, but nothing was really effective. I ended up waging fully escalated chemical warfare against fleas, even though I am, as a rule, reluctant to resort to toxic chemicals.

I used Borax on my carpets and vacuumed every other day. At the beginning of spring and again at least once during the summer, I flea-bombed my entire apartment. I know the apartment complex also employed an exterminator, who visited several times during the year.

I washed the dogs' bedding (and mine), as well as the sofa cushion covers and every other possible flea-harboring scrap of fabric, every week. The dogs got bathed weekly. I checked them for fleas every day (relatively easy, since they're small, but still a pain in the booty).

I used Frontline on both dogs, but I only used it bi-monthly, since they have sensitive skin and it seems to cause a mild skin reaction and it makes them itchy.

I think that was the worst possible flea scenario, since I know my dogs had no fleas when we moved into the apartment - I think the apartment actually gave my dogs fleas! And now I live in Maryland, which is basically the tick capital of the United States. I have been using Advantix, but I still do a daily full-body tick check, just in case.

I seriously hated having to use the flea bomb, but it really worked, and I just couldn't afford the constant flea-related vet visits (plus, the poor dogs were going crazy with skin welts and itchiness). I also hate vacuuming, but that was also very helpful in keeping the fleas down.

 

[lrayburn]

Annette,
You may not like this option since its still chemically based but Comfortis (a feedthrough tablet) has quick knockdown on fleas. It works really well for dogs with flea allergies because fleas are usually killed before they can take a bite.

I use Comfortis in conjunction with the Preventix collar and get excellent results despite heavy flea/tick pressure. Comfortis alone has no effect on ticks.

Good luck finding a solution that works for you and your critters.
Lisa

 

[bitmover]

Just fyi..... our vet has Frontline and one other brand of that stuff (I forgot the name). They told us outright that one works better for fleas and the other works better for ticks. I can't remember which is which, but I think Frontline was for fleas. I believe we decided to go with the flea one, figuring we pull out the ticks anyway. It is a nightly event for us. Poor dog!

 

[DEEDEE2]

My vet switched my dog from Advantage to Frontline and for the first time in his 13 years, he had a few tick on him last year. Two were dead, one was all fat and kicking...disgusting!

 

[orangenet]

I knew I could on you ladies

Thank you so much for the great suggestion.

DEEDEE2- we are using Frontline now because of the ticks but since putting it on this year she has been itching so I think she is having a mild reaction to the Frontline. Every time she itches I pull out the flea comb but no fleas which is why I suspect she is having a reaction. Last two month of not Frontline there was no itching. Our last dog had no problems with the Frontline so this whole thing just bites the weenie.

Lisa- Since I decided to start making her own dog food I think I would like try a more natural approach but I will definitely keep this in mind

Afreet- The whole situation was a nightmare. I did the Borax on everything. And yes I ended up bombing the house, garage, garage attic area and I washed everything I think of to wash but I had to wait til September because it was so dang hot and I just could not turn the AC off for that long and I had no where to take Ruby. She was truly pathetic looking and would not go outside during the day except for a quick bathroom break. She would wake me up about two in the morning to go outside for a little while.

Kathryn- I like the idea of DE. Is it powdery so that it would be difficult to use topically? I certainly do not want to harm her more than I already had.

Gayle- Just wanted to say that I LOVE boxers. Our last doggy was a boxer and he was hilarious. They are such funny dogs for being so large. The Herbal flea/tick spray look interesting. How often do you have to spray? We go boating in the summer and Ruby likes to swim. Would that be in issue for the efficacy? We did buy an herbal shampoo that brought a little relief but it seemed like it was just for killing the fleas on the animal. I do not know about the barrier because of our six acres three are fenced. I could do one acre surrounding the house and that may help.

If anyone has any more suggestion please keep them coming. Time is ticking for me as it is starting to warm up quickly. I am just hoping that last year was an anomaly. We have lived here for seven years and never had a problem with fleas.

Again, thank you everyone for all suggestions. Keep them coming.

Annette

 

[Gayle]

Gayle- Just wanted to say that I LOVE boxers. Our last doggy was a boxer and he was hilarious. They are such funny dogs for being so large. The Herbal flea/tick spray look interesting. How often do you have to spray? We go boating in the summer and Ruby likes to swim. Would that be in issue for the efficacy? We did buy an herbal shampoo that brought a little relief but it seemed like it was just for killing the fleas on the animal. I do not know about the barrier because of our six acres three are fenced. I could do one acre surrounding the house and that may help.

I'm in VT, so our flea and tick season is not so much year-round. I use the spray whenever I take Rascal out into the woods or someplace where know the fleas/ticks might be bad, and I re-apply as necessary like you would with a bug spray. So you'd probably have to re-apply when Ruby swims.

We have 11 acres, but I only use the Mosquito barrier on 2-3 of it, in the areas closest to the house and garden. *knock on wood* That seems to keep the fleas and ticks in check around our house.

Boxers are clowns! Rascal makes me laugh every day.

 

[lrayburn]

Thank you so much for the great suggestion.
Lisa- Since I decided to start making her own dog food I think I would like try a more natural approach but I will definitely keep this in mind

Afreet- The whole situation was a nightmare. I did the Borax on everything. And yes I ended up bombing the house, garage, garage attic area and I washed everything I think of to wash but I had to wait til September because it was so dang hot and I just could not turn the AC off for that long and I had no where to take Ruby. She was truly pathetic looking and would not go outside during the day except for a quick bathroom break. She would wake me up about two in the morning to go outside for a little while.

Annette

Anette,
I totally understand your concerns but I will say I am much more comfortable using an appropriately labelled topical or feedthrough chemical than bombs. I won't bomb my house at any cost because the residual chemicals are so significant to the dogs and to humans. Just something to think about.

I had an older get very sick from bombs back in the 90s. That's when I first started to use Frontline and it was the only thing that fixed the environmental problem. In my experience, you won't ever break the flea lifecycle by bombing once. All of the fleas here are frontline resistant so that may be an issue for you as well.
Good luck!
Lisa