[Sunflower49]

Thank you for the replies everyone

Originally Posted by maxthecollie

Is it fleas or could it be mites.There is another treatment called Stronghold which might work better.

I'm certain they're fleas Max, I've seen them

Originally Posted by MargaretR

I recall you saying that you aren't keen on housework, and this could be prolonging the problem.

Vigorous frequent carpet vacuuming (don't miss out the corners and edges) will capture the fleas which have jumped off after dining.

Thanks Margaret-you're right neither me nor my other half are the tidiest people-although having said, that It's impossible to be rigorous about it at the moment..The house is being refurbished still, and there's boxes of packed up belongings, a kitchen that's half ripped out and wood/tools/sawdust everywhere! We know if we didn't have so much stuff hanging about it would be easier.

We don't have any carpets in the house at all, though, which I now feel happy about.

There's a arge rug in the front room and carpet cuts in the corner that serves as Kya's sleeping place. I don't want to take the rug up as it's the only thing making the house feel slightly homely at the moment, but I'll endeavour to vacuum it more often-and her bed-actually I think I'm going to chuck it out and get her new bedding.

Originally Posted by flashy

Don't put anymore treatment on her yet, I had the same problem with Bella (my cat) last year, I put the flea drop on her every 12 weeks, and about 2 or 3 weeks after doing it she had been out and come in with a couple on her, I rang the pet store in Ossy where I had got the flea drops from and they said she will have just picked them up when out, the fleas have to bite her to die, the drops get in the bloodstream and that's how they work, if you put more on her now she might become poorly because she already has the 'medicine' inside her

Okay I'll remember that-I spoke to a friend with a dog who was allergic to Front Line, although it didn't do the dog any actual harm, it just meant that it didn't work-I'm wondering if Kya has the same issue

I should encourage Kya to make like a deer and go in the river with a stick in her mouth!

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

The flea population had exploded this year due to the warm weather. My husband was sat outside enjoying the sunshine a couple of weeks ago and two jumped onto him.

I used frontline on Gizmo(rest in peace lad) but he still got them......so after every walk I combed him with a flea comb and drowned the little invaders.

Fleas spend most of their lives off the animal, but they jump on for a feed...they are sensitive to heat and vibration so that they know just when a meal is approaching.
Flashy is right, the fleas will not die until they have fed..but this is no good if you have a dog who has a flea allergy....the flea spit causes immense irritation, and the dog will scratch purely because of this.
Get a steam cleaner(you don't have to pay a lot of money for one).......steam all the places where the dog goes and where he sleeps......and comb your canine friend each time he comes in from his walk.

I have a steamer ! Good idea. I didn't know about the flea population jump (scuse the pun)- although I have heard that fleas are becoming more resistant to treatment .

Neill has done the combing thing once or twice-Kya HATES being combed which doesn't help-she won't stay still for long-but she'll have to cope with it, I'm sure she's none too keen on fleas either.

I'll steam the rug and chuck her bedding out.

Originally Posted by Aussie Irene

Go on line for COMFORTIS a American chewable tablet given once a month We can buy it without script in oz. Better than all the other treatments we have used including Frontline and Advantage.

Thanks Irene, I haven't heard of that.
I feel like a bad parent seeing fleas still on Kya

As soon as I noticed I was on it with treatment, but knowing she still has them and she's probably wondering what's going on as she's never had fleas before. I have eyes like a sewer rat, unlike Neill who didn't heed me at first because he couldn't see them and thought I was just being paranoid!

Thanks again people I can't believe how much stress something as tiny as a flea can cause.Lucky for me I must taste horrible as I have only been bitten once.