Fleas on dogs

[Sunflower49]

My Nothern Inuit has acquired some visitors from somewhere. First noticed about a month ago and we treated her with Front Line as we know this has worked before on animals we've both had.

Also we treated the house with household flea spray. I've bathed her and we've set up flea traps around the house.


This seemed to work, after about a week I couldn't see any fleas when I was combing her and neither of us had seen any in the house.

And then, they came back. And nothing seems to be working

I wondered it this was the same 'batch'of fleas or not.

I telephoned the vet who said Front Line can sometimes take a while to work so not to worry, just check that all fleas on her are small and none appear to be pregnant (queue rubbish joke about getting fleas to wee on a stick)!

I hate seeing her scratching it must be so irritating for her-she's never had fleas before. They don't seem to be bothering her that much in comparison to other pets I have had but I feel so sorry for her.


Has anybody had experience with this?Anything you know worked on your pets?
The only thing I have been advised by friends is to get a Seresto collar, but they're unavailable without prescription now. I am going to try to get her to the vets tomorrow but wondered if anybody has any pearls of wisdom to share in the meantime?

Thank you

[maxthecollie]

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

[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.

[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

[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.

[Aussie Irene]

Originally Posted by sugarmouse0707

My Nothern Inuit has acquired some visitors from somewhere. First noticed about a month ago and we treated her with Front Line as we know this has worked before on animals we've both had.

Also we treated the house with household flea spray. I've bathed her and we've set up flea traps around the house.


This seemed to work, after about a week I couldn't see any fleas when I was combing her and neither of us had seen any in the house.

And then, they came back. And nothing seems to be working



I wondered it this was the same 'batch'of fleas or not.

I telephoned the vet who said Front Line can sometimes take a while to work so not to worry, just check that all fleas on her are small and none appear to be pregnant (queue rubbish joke about getting fleas to wee on a stick)!

I hate seeing her scratching it must be so irritating for her-she's never had fleas before. They don't seem to be bothering her that much in comparison to other pets I have had but I feel so sorry for her.


Has anybody had experience with this?Anything you know worked on your pets?
The only thing I have been advised by friends is to get a Seresto collar, but they're unavailable without prescription now. I am going to try to get her to the vets tomorrow but wondered if anybody has any pearls of wisdom to share in the meantime?

Thank you

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.

[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.

[Margaret Pilkington]

The Comfortis is expensive over here and has some side effects too..so it may not be suitable.
Rub Kya over with a cloth onto which Lavender oil has been dripped(only a few drops)...aparently fles hate the smell of it and may give Kya a wide berth...Eucalyptus oil is supposed to have the same effect, but it can be quite irritant unless it is diluted in a carrier oil

[flashy]

try giving her garlic too, fleas dont like that either, she will sweat it out of her skin and maybe the fleas will sod off

[Aussie Irene]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

The Comfortis is expensive over here and has some side effects too..so it may not be suitable.
Rub Kya over with a cloth onto which Lavender oil has been dripped(only a few drops)...aparently fles hate the smell of it and may give Kya a wide berth...Eucalyptus oil is supposed to have the same effect, but it can be quite irritant unless it is diluted in a carrier oil

Comfortis is perfectly safe for dogs over 5 lbs. Must be given with a full meal( not titbits). Follow the instructions and there will be no problems. Most vets here in Perth recommend it because of the hot weather, when fleas thrive. Frontline and the other flea killers are useless in our climate. Our dog is small 23 lbs, and long haired, but we have been flea free for over 2years.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Aussie Irene, I was just pointing out that it isn't as easy to access because of cost...and that there have been some concerns about its use.....that it works for you is good...especially in the climate you have over there.
I was also pointing out that there are alternatives.
It is vitally important to realise that 95% of the flea population do not live on the animal, but in the soft furnishings of the home.
Many people do not realise this and the infestation continues because only the animal is treated and not the surroundings.
I have also highlighted that the animal should be combed after each walk or spell outdoors...and on a treated animal, a live flea does not necessarily mean that they are still infested. It may mean that the flea hasn't dined yet.

For some dogs(ours was one of them) a bite will cause eczema......and the dog will chew and scratch because it has been bitten and is allergic to flea saliva...but no flea will be found(or OK, maybe a dead one).

Dogs are like people..unique......there is no 'one size fits all treatment'..though I am happy that you have solved your dogs flea problem.

[Aussie Irene]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Aussie Irene, I was just pointing out that it isn't as easy to access because of cost...and that there have been some concerns about its use.....that it works for you is good...especially in the climate you have over there.
I was also pointing out that there are alternatives.
It is vitally important to realise that 95% of the flea population do not live on the animal, but in the soft furnishings of the home.
Many people do not realise this and the infestation continues because only the animal is treated and not the surroundings.
I have also highlighted that the animal should be combed after each walk or spell outdoors...and on a treated animal, a live flea does not necessarily mean that they are still infested. It may mean that the flea hasn't dined yet.

For some dogs(ours was one of them) a bite will cause eczema......and the dog will chew and scratch because it has been bitten and is allergic to flea saliva...but no flea will be found(or OK, maybe a dead one).

Dogs are like people..unique......there is no 'one size fits all treatment'..though I am happy that you have solved your dogs flea problem.

Point taken Margaret. The vet also told us that if we had a cat, which we did'nt, we would have had a job to get rid anyway, no mater what we used

[Sunflower49]

Sorry for late reply, I did read and was grateful for the advice but haven't spent much time online recently.

Originally Posted by flashy

try giving her garlic too, fleas dont like that either, she will sweat it out of her skin and maybe the fleas will sod off

I have heard this before but I am wary as have also been told garlic is toxic to dogs-I suspect only in larger amounts though so you may be right.

Originally Posted by Aussie Irene

Comfortis is perfectly safe for dogs over 5 lbs. Must be given with a full meal( not titbits). Follow the instructions and there will be no problems. Most vets here in Perth recommend it because of the hot weather, when fleas thrive. Frontline and the other flea killers are useless in our climate. Our dog is small 23 lbs, and long haired, but we have been flea free for over 2years.

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Aussie Irene, I was just pointing out that it isn't as easy to access because of cost...and that there have been some concerns about its use.....that it works for you is good...especially in the climate you have over there.
I was also pointing out that there are alternatives.
It is vitally important to realise that 95% of the flea population do not live on the animal, but in the soft furnishings of the home.
Many people do not realise this and the infestation continues because only the animal is treated and not the surroundings.
I have also highlighted that the animal should be combed after each walk or spell outdoors...and on a treated animal, a live flea does not necessarily mean that they are still infested. It may mean that the flea hasn't dined yet.

For some dogs(ours was one of them) a bite will cause eczema......and the dog will chew and scratch because it has been bitten and is allergic to flea saliva...but no flea will be found(or OK, maybe a dead one).

Dogs are like people..unique......there is no 'one size fits all treatment'..though I am happy that you have solved your dogs flea problem.

Definitely agree here-Neill's previous dog had one treatment of front line and was fine. My Hungarian Puli seemed to be a flea deterrent, he had been exposed to fleas, a LOT of fleas before I rescued him and was the only dog in the house ever to not get them. I took him to the vets when I first got him because I found what I thought were mites, the vet said they were 'flea carcasses'. Something about him fleas did not like, evidently.

Thank you for the advice both of you-I did look comfortis up, but couldn't find a way to feasibly get hold of it.

Originally Posted by Aussie Irene

Point taken Margaret. The vet also told us that if we had a cat, which we did'nt, we would have had a job to get rid anyway, no mater what we used

I have used lavender, given her a bath and been to the vet who also said lavender was a good choice, and given us some 'Strong Hold'. (Same as your recomendation, Max).

He says if the Front Line isn't having an effect this may or may not, but touch wood.....
I'll update, thanks again!

Funny that you mentioned, Max-one of my rats got mites this week, none of the others have them though. Strange-yes animals are as unique as us. So I've treated him with a topical treatment too, and they seem to have already gone

[jelly baby]

As well as the frontline, which poisons the fleas, there is also an injection which stops the 'egg tooth' developing in the eggs, therefore they cannot hatch. Our vet recommended we use both treatments (although not cheap) at the beginning of the flea season ie warmer weather, and continue frontline only until October/November , we have been flea free for about seven years now, and we and the cats are happy!

[Margaret Pilkington]

Jelly baby is the injection called 'Stronghold'?