Fleas!

[Guest lemon]

So I apparently have a flea infestation in my yard. I want to make sure what I do is safe for Tosh so my questions are:

 

• I heard you can put stuff in your vaccum bag that kills fleas so they don't get back out, any experience with this?

 

• Tosh is on sentinal and I put advantage on him but I'm still finding fleas on him. I found Adams water-based mist at a local store which was on some threads here and am wondering if it is safe to use on Tosh in combination with the other and also if he's licking and chewing himself.

 

• Can I spray the waterbased Adams mist on my rugs, couch, his dog beds as well or do I need something different?

 

• Is there something I can spray in my yard or do I need a professional to come in? If I need a professional what should I look for/avoid? Is there something I could use in the meantime?

 

Thanks for all and any help! I want to get rid of them.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Clawsandpaws]

Oh geez. That sucks! Get your hands on some Capstar pills. They instant kill of any ADULT fleas within 30 mins, and it's safe enough to give everyday (although I wouldn't use it that much) I would give a quick call to your vet about the safety issues as far as flea treatments being used frequently on your particular hound. (I don't know if he has sensitive skin and such) We have used Adams spray at the kennel in conjunction with the spot on treatments with no adverse issues, but since we are off the track adoption, all our greys are young and healthy with a recent vet visit. They are not an RX but it is hard to find in stores sometimes. Most vets carry them.

 

I believe most Adams products are safe to use on your furniture and such, but the bottle should give you that information. Personally, I don't like so many chemicals, so here's what I did when I had a flea infestation (I didn't have a grey then, just a cat, so I couldn't use many of the products that you can use safely with dogs)

 

1. Wash everything you can possibly put in a washer, your blankets, towels, his beds etc. You can use a vinegar mixture, dawn soap (not a lot). Google some combos! (I think I poured straight vinegar in my washing machine)

2. I washed my cat with Dawn soap. It was awful, but due to her flea allergies and skin issues, I didn't have many options. If you can't do this, go through him with a flea comb! Dip the comb in a dawn/water mixture each comb-through, and dunk live fleas in the mix and they will die instantly. ((My grey Dudley has one spot where I will always find a flea, I rub a dawn water mix on it and it usually solves the issue if you see one area where they amass))

3.I bought those vacuum things, did it work? I think so!

4. I also sprinkled Diatomaceous Earth (food grade only) on my carpets (wear a mask) took myself and the cat out for an hour (that was tough, LOL) and then vacuumed it up when I came back (wear a mask again, and keep Tosh away if you can)

5. Wash everything washable again.

6. How many days has it been since you used the advantage and such?

7. VACUUM AGAIN!

 

You have to go through all the fleas life cycles to get rid of them and it can be tough.

 

I have never had a yard, but if I knew I had an infestation, I would call in a professional and let them take care of it. Pest control companies should be more than willing to disclose and possible dangers to your pet, if you are uncomfortable with it, call your vet and ask if they have suggestions.

 

---For the record, many on this forum have far more experience than I ever will, so if I gave bad advice about something (I know some people hate using harsh soaps like dawn) please disagree with me. I have not had a flea problem with a grey in the house yet.

[Hubcitypam]

Capstar will knock them out but not provide continuing coverage. I have had the best luck with Advantage for fleas but no ticks. I wash everything and use Adams mist all over.

[a_daerr]

 

• Is there something I can spray in my yard or do I need a professional to come in? If I need a professional what should I look for/avoid? Is there something I could use in the meantime?

 

Adams makes a pet-safe yard lawn treatment for fleas. I use that a couple times every summer in the yard.

I also started using K9 Advantix on my guys (kills AND repels), and that's been better than Frontline Plus.

[Wonder]

You can use DE (food grade only) in the yard and in the house. You can also sprinkle in on him as well.

I had a foster with fleas 2 summers ago. Took me months to get rid of the damn things.

 

http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

I don't think it's recommended to use Adam's if you already put something else on them.

[duncan41]

After washing everything in the hottest water the items can reasonably tolerate, vacuum every day. It's not necessary to put anything in the vacuum cleaner bag. There have been many studies done showing that over 90% (most studies quote 95 to 99%) of fleas were killed by the vacuuming process alone.

 

The life cycle of a flea is 21 days, so whatever treatment you choose, it must be repeated every 21 days for at least 4 months. Since the "grease cutting" ability of dishwashing liquid breaks down the waxy coating on the outer shell of the flea and causes it to dry up (and is the least expensive), I choose to "wash" my yard rather than use chemicals. I fill a hose end sprayer with dishwashing liquid and set it for 1 teaspoon per gallon and soak everything: grass, planting beds, plants, trees, fence, the pool enclosure screening. The soap is actually good for anything green, so don't worry about over doing the treatment, especially on the grass. If you have a chain link fence surrounding your property, you might want to spray into your neighbor's yard to create a barrier.

 

Whatever topical or internal flea treatment you choose for Tosh, keep in mind, not every treatment works for every dog in every region. A few years ago, while going through the first and hopefully the last infestation, I found that rotating treatments on a monthly basis seemed to work the best. I also make a spray of 4 oz distilled water and one drop of about a half dozen essential oils (Blue Tansy, Pine, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Citronella and a few more) applied from the neck back (including the "under carriage") before going outside for any reason.

 

Staying on the "chemical free" treatment approach, DeFlea shampoo works very well in conjunction with everything else. It is chemical free and uses a very interesting active ingredient.

 

If you have any questions, please PM me and I will be happy to help in any way.

[RedHead]

On top of treating everything, you can also apply nematodes to your lawn that feed on flea larva underground and continuously multiply to you don't have to reapply as often. We aren't allowed to use most lawn chemicals/treatments here so we have had some success with them for grubs. They only work however, in the right type of soil and moisture. They won't eradicate them like a pesticide, but can be another tool to keep the larva population in check.

http://www.fleabuster.com/Products/Biobusters/nematodes.html

 

I have heard of people putting flea collars inside of their vacuum bags to ensure the fleas are killed.

[Batmom]

I like Knockout (http://www.virbacvet.com/products/detail/knockout-area-treatment/anti-parasitic/environmental-control) for house and yard (2 different products of theirs). I would wash everything you can wash, vacuum everything you can vacuum, and apply Knockout.

 

I don't know if you can use any other oral meds such as Comfortis or Capstar along with Sentinel -- would have to consult with your vet about that (ETA: The drsfostersmith.com website has a compatibility chart for flea products that says Sentinel is compatible with Comfortis and Capstar). Sentinel doesn't kill adult fleas, unfortunately. The Advantage should kill them, but if there are a lot in the environment, he'll keep getting them.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Batmom

[Guest lemon]

Thanks for all the responses! I am definitly vacuuming everyday and pulled everything to wash. Today I'll try treating my backyard with dish soap before I move onto something stronger (the knockout looks interesting).