Capstar

[rsieg]

So, Logan and Max have had a flea infestation. I discovered it Wednesday evening, which coincidentally (maybe) was the due date for their monthly Frontline Plus. I found three fleas on Logan, three more the next morning, none on Max but looking back I think it actually started about a week or two earlier. They had been scratching more but I put it down to seasonal change/allergies.

 

Vet verified fleas using a flea comb, said it was not a severe case and prescribed one Capstar tablet on Thursday, and I am supposed to give them a second Capstar tablet tomorrow (Saturday). I think the first pill already did the trick as they have stopped scratching and I have not found any more fleas, but it is too early to tell really. House also got a full vacuuming and all their bedding got washed with the washer set on high temperature.

 

Questions. First, any thoughts on the fact Frontline Plus seems to be ah, deficient? My vet thinks it still works, he said it can take a few days to kill the fleas (not a repellant) and recommended continuing with it. He also says it sterilizes the fleas, which would be really good since between work and chronic back issues I realistically cannot vacuum/wash bedding more often than once/week.

 

Main question is on Capstar. I understand I can get that anywhere (non-prescription), so I plan on picking more up to have on hand. My understanding is that Capstar only works on adult fleas and only for 24 hours, but it can be given relatively frequently. Any thoughts on how frequently? I was thinking I might just give them a Capstar tomorrow (Saturday) and then again for the next couple Saturdays to kill any immature fleas that turn into adults over time, even if I don't see any. Or would that be overkill (pun intended :-)

 

Last question, my vet also discussed going to Comfortis instead of Capstar since Comfortis works for 30 days, but recommended against it because of the heightened sensitivity to drugs of greyhounds. Reading on GT looks like some people are using Comfortis. Since I gave Logan & Max Frontline Plus on Wednesday I figure I will not give them any preventative for a month as usual, and if the flea problem persists next month I might switch to Comfortis, unless there is some reason not to?

 

Thanks for any information/advice.

 

[JJNg]

Capstar is very safe and can be used every other day, but that's really not a cost effective way of dealing with fleas long term. I've used Comfortis on all my greyhounds and whippets, as well as prescribed it for a number of greyhound patients with no problems. If your dog is close to the low end of the weight range, there may be an increased chance of GI upset, so you may want to go to the lower dose.

 

For example, if your greyhound weighs 62 lbs, you may want to use the 40-60 lb dose, rather than the 60-120 lb dose of Comfortis. Note that I only round down like this for flea/tick control products, not heartworm preventatives or combo products that include heartworm (such as Trifexis). Don't want to risk lack of efficacy when dealing with heartworms, which can be life-threatening.

[sarabz]

We were using Frontline plus and got fleas, too. I gave 3 doses total of Capstar, 1 every 4 days; 2 baths with Zodiac Oatmeal flea and tick shampoo in between (which left Bella's coat softer and more shiny than I've seen after any other bath, the stuff is amazing ), washed all of her bedding once, and used the Zodiac carpet and upholstery powder.

 

No more fleas. This was just in September so that's why I can be so detailed

 

And yes, Capstar is available at pet supply stores.

[PatricksMom]

Frontline worked perfectly in Delaware, moved to South Carolina and learned the hard way it does not work here for fleas, so it can be pretty regional. I use Trifexis year round, and that works, and Frontline spring through fall, for ticks.

[Batmom]

Comfortis. It works.

[rsieg]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the comments. I have given them three doses of Capstar since my first post on Nov. 6th, and it works really well except that the fleas have been coming back (at much lower level, seeing maybe one flea on Logan and noticing the dogs occasionally scratching a bit) about a week or so after each Capstar dose. Understood that is how it works, the Capstar is only good for 24 hours, but I was hoping that Capstar plus the Frontline poisoning the eggs/larvae along with the temperatures dropping in Cleveland would clean it up.

 

So I think I may take the advice above and switch to Comfortis for the next flea preventative dose. My follow-up question is this: the next Frontline Plus dose is due Friday Dec. 4 (one week from today). Can I start them on Comfortis now, or should I wait until the Dec. 4 (next Frontline due date)? Also, if I can start the Comfortis now can I also give them the Frontline on Dec. 4 to keep working on the eggs/larvae? (actually at this point I don't have any confidence Frontline works at all, but I have some Frontline doses left so I am thinking FWIW use it).

 

Thanks in advance for any info,

[Guest FordRacingRon]

What I do. Leave the treatment off until we see the first flea. then I give one Capstar. Those only kill the live fleas and kills them fast. Then I apply flea protection right after.

 

A few years back I felt Frontline was worthless. It seemed to work,,then it seemed to not. I switched to Advantage II which worked perfectly , however, Leia didn't like the feeling on her skin. As soon as it was on she wanted outside to try and rub it off. Didn't give her a rash or anything, but she jsut didn't like it,,but it worked. In 2014 I decided to try the Frontline II again. It works now. I have a dog,cat and rabbit. All are flea free although i will say the dog uses Frontline Plus, the cat gets Advantage II, the bunny gets nothing because she has no fleas (But I know she could have 1/2 dosage of advantage if she needs it).

 

I will say one reason I was leery of going off of Frontline was the fact of Advantage does not do ticks. But here in the suburbs of Los Angeles that is not a problem. Leia had ticks about 7-8 years back but that was because she was being babysat and some off the track fosters showed up and they brought the little buggers with them.

Edited November 27, 2015 by FordRacingRon

[JJNg]

My follow-up question is this: the next Frontline Plus dose is due Friday Dec. 4 (one week from today). Can I start them on Comfortis now, or should I wait until the Dec. 4 (next Frontline due date)? Also, if I can start the Comfortis now can I also give them the Frontline on Dec. 4 to keep working on the eggs/larvae?

 

Yes, you can start the Comfortis now, and still use the Frontline when it is due. They work by different mechanisms, so they can even be given at the same time.

[Guest Lupin290]

Capstar is safe, but I agree it is not cost effective long term. I work for a vets office in Ohio and we have had a lot of trouble with Frontline. It is an older product and just isn't as effective any more. As an alternative, the makers of Frontline now have a new product, Nexgard. It seems to work very well and it prevents ticks too, but it doesn't repel fleas, just kills them if they are biting. So it works well long term to prevent an infestation but isn't my first choice if you have an infestation in your house. It also doesn't prevent heartworm so you need to use it with heartguard or another product. But if you are preventing fleas, ticks, and heartworm you almost have to use 2 products. Advantage Multi is another good product, but as previously stated it doesn't work on ticks, which is a big problem in my area (we have endemic Lyme disease).

 

The bad news is, if the fleas are in your house you will be fighting this battle for 3 months minimum. I would strongly encourage you to put them on some sort of preventative/systemic for at least 3 months. Also going out and buying cheap flea collars and putting them in your vacuum bag can help. Good luck!

[rsieg]

Lupin,

 

Thanks for the comments, especially the confirmation that Frontline Plus is having problems in Ohio specifically (I have heard it is regional, works better in some areas than others). They have been on preventative/systematic (Frontline Plus) constantly except for a couple months in the middle of last winter, and I plan to keep them on year-round at least through this winter and going forward, but I think it needs to be something other than Frontline. Comfortis seems to be getting good recommendations on GreyTalk so I was thinking of that. They are on Interceptor as worm preventative, and I don't expect ticks in Cleveland for the next 4-5 months, so flea-specific is fine at least until spring (then may be concerned about ticks).

 

BTW, my vet also suggested the flea collar in the vacuum trick, but I have not done it for this reason. Since the vacuum expels the sucked air back out into the room after filtering, wouldn't it therefore be expelling whatever insecticide is in the flea collar into the room as well? What I have been doing is disposing of the vacuum debris in the garbage bag, then immediately closing it and putting it in the garage trash bin. I suppose some fleas could hatch and get out and back into the house, but realistically I'm sure my vacuuming is not 100% effective anyway.

[Hubcitypam]

Use Advantage here as we don't have ticks (drive 20 minutes north and it's another story). It works far better on fleas than Frontline. Some of the greyhound groups here use Advantix which works on ticks and fleas, but some old guard GH people are hesitant to use Permethrin on greys. If we see a flea everyone gets Avantage, everythig washable is washed in hot water and pretty much everything else has Adams spray applied.

[XTRAWLD]

Indeed your vet is right, it is not a flea repellant. Any flea med won't PREVENT a flea from jumping on your dog. What it will do is kill the life cycle, so the likelihood of getting fleas isn't minimized....they just won't reproduce. I have heard Garlic repels them, and you can get an additive to their food to help with that if you really want to try. http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs/All-Natural-Dog-Supplements Now you unfortunately get to reap the joys now of ripping the house apart trying to kill them all.

 

Kasey did get about 5-10 on him a couple of years ago, and he seemed to continually pick them up somewhere, no matter how much I tried to get rid of them in the house (and they were both on Sentinel). I stopped walking in the area he was regularly walked. Then they jumped onto Ryder! ARGH. We went to the vet and we got a double dose of something (I can't remember for the life of me what it was, but Capstar seems to ring a bell and had to treat Ryder too).

 

Ultimately had to get a routine. Regularly flea comb both dogs, very very diligent in washing everything in hot water, put everything in the dryer, and vacuum vacuum vacuum (I swear it was hourly for about a week!), then flea comb the dogs again 10 mins later (I swear I got them all where did this one come from!!!) vacuum again and dump the canister and seal the bag and put it in the garbage double knotted......the little tiny buggers!

Edited December 2, 2015 by XTRAWLD

[rsieg]

They have started scratching again, and I found a flea on Logan this morning, last Capstar was Friday night, so we are about on schedule, takes about three to four days for the next round of eggs/larva/pupae to produce next-gen adults :-( Don't think there are many though because the flea comb is not producing the "flea dirt" the vet showed me, which I understand are flea droppings.

 

I picked up Comfortis from the vet today, will give them the pills tonight when I get home. Supposedly Comfortis kills adult fleas instantly for 30 days (versus instantly for one day by Capstar), fast enough that they cannot lay eggs. So, in theory all fleas should be gone once all the last set of eggs laid through tonight (when the first Comfortis is given) go though their cycle to adulthood and then die instantly upon biting the Comfortis-protected dogs. (Cleveland, so there will be no fleas outside for the next 4-5 months; its a closed system). My understanding is that one flea life cycle is 1-3 months, but if the adult fleas are dying as soon as they hatch and hop onto the Comfortis-protected dogs and bite then they should not be suffering many flea bites.

 

Why do I think it will not work out this way? BTW, the Comfortis pills are *huge*, but the vet says they can be broken up into pieces, and are to be given with food. I am told the Comfortis does not poison the flea eggs, larva, or pupae, or repel fleas, just kills the adult fleas instantly when they bite.

[Guest Lupin290]

Indeed your vet is right, it is not a flea repellant. Any flea med won't PREVENT a flea from jumping on your dog. What it will do is kill the life cycle, so the likelihood of getting fleas isn't minimized....they just won't reproduce. I have heard Garlic repels them, and you can get an additive to their food to help with that if you really want to try. http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs/All-Natural-Dog-Supplements Now you unfortunately get to reap the joys now of ripping the house apart trying to kill them all.

 

Kasey did get about 5-10 on him a couple of years ago, and he seemed to continually pick them up somewhere, no matter how much I tried to get rid of them in the house (and they were both on Sentinel). I stopped walking in the area he was regularly walked. Then they jumped onto Ryder! ARGH. We went to the vet and we got a double dose of something (I can't remember for the life of me what it was, but Capstar seems to ring a bell and had to treat Ryder too).

 

Ultimately had to get a routine. Regularly flea comb both dogs, very very diligent in washing everything in hot water, put everything in the dryer, and vacuum vacuum vacuum (I swear it was hourly for about a week!), then flea comb the dogs again 10 mins later (I swear I got them all where did this one come from!!!) vacuum again and dump the canister and seal the bag and put it in the garbage double knotted......the little tiny buggers!

 

Just an FYI, garlic additives are probably ok. But garlic (along with onions and other members of the allium family) are toxic to dogs. I would use with caution and definitely not give dogs things like garlic powder or garlic cloves.

[XTRAWLD]

 

Just an FYI, garlic additives are probably ok. But garlic (along with onions and other members of the allium family) are toxic to dogs. I would use with caution and definitely not give dogs things like garlic powder or garlic cloves.

Agree, which is why I linked only to a supplement that contains it.

 

rseig- Will your pups tolerate you vacuuming them gently with a brush attachment? I found doing this, regularly flea combing them, and continually vacumming the house worked to get rid of any more adult fleas.

[rsieg]

I doubt they'd go for even gentle vacuuming :-)

 

They did get the Comfortis last night, and kept it down no problem. Also ordered some Adams spray based on comments I found in other GT threads, should arrive tomorrow or Saturday and I will try spraying that along with vacuuming and washing their beds again this weekend. I haven't seen them scratching tonight so hopefully the Comfortis is doing its thing.

 

Thanks again for all the advice...

[XTRAWLD]

It can be so frustrating and defeating. Trust me that if you stay on top of it it will end....eventually. Ohio does get cold snaps so those little buggers shouldn't last much longer!

 

My boys loved the vacuum over their butts and tops of their tails. You'll find the fleas like it around the base of the tail, and often around the ears/neck so focus there when using the comb. I did find some though in odd places....and then blend in SO well on Ryder's red fur - I found one walking up his front leg and around his paw! Kasey's for the most part stuck to the tops of his shoulders where his fur seemed to be softest and thickest. Keep combing until all the "flea dirt" is gone.

 

Also, if your pups tend to sleep with you, ensure your own bedding is changed and washed until this episode is cleared up (gross but fleas they like people too)......

[rsieg]

Hard to actually see fleas on a brindle dog, and impossible on a black dog. My main visual check has been Logan's tail base, which is conveniently white, and as you say they like that spot. But I can easily see the dogs scratching when they are being hit, it would cycle with when I gave the Capstar (good for a day or two then they would start scratching again), and the vet showed me the flea dust using the flea comb. We haven't had a real cold snap in Cleveland yet, but it will come.

[Hubcitypam]

I always find fleas buy rolling them over to scratch their tummys. Maybe it's just mine but they seem to love to hang out around their boy parts. Wal-Mart carries the Adams spray. I believe they have done away with the water based which was my favorite.

[rsieg]

Just an update, and with nervousness that I may be writing too soon, looks like the Comfortis has worked. I have not seen a single flea since giving it to them on Dec. 2. We are now rounding into the last week before the next dose is due, so I wouldn't be shocked if there are still some eggs around that might hatch and hang around till the next dose, but so far so great.

 

I have to conclude Comfortis >> Frontline Plus, at least for whatever strain of fleas my guys had.

 

Thanks again for all the advice,

[Walliered]

I am using the Seresto collar on DaVid for a couple of years now. I plan on using it on my other Greyhound and Galgo. It works great for 8 months!

Oh, forgot to say, Comfortis is what GAP (Greyhound As Pets) in Florida uses.