DOG FLEAS - merged

Eels100

pboae wrote:

You need to be very careful about putting anything on a tick. If it starts to suffocate it can vomit/spit it's gut contents back into the animal which can cause really nasty infections.

Also, even if Frontline works, it doesn't work until after the tick has bitten, and they can survive for 24 hours or so before it kills them.

The above advice is spot-on (boom boom!) - never, ever put anything on a tick, or traumatise it with heat. To remove them use one of the green "O'Tom" tick hooks available at the vet as this removes the whole tick without the risk of breaking the mouthparts off or squeezing the blood meal back into the dog (or yourself!).

Frontline will kill ticks, but only after they have bitten as pboae says. A better product is "Advantix" from Bayer. It is also a spot-on treatment which is usually slightly cheaper then Frontline, and covers for fleas too. It's important not to use Advantix on cats. Your vet will be able to source it for you.

xxdeebeexx

Over the past few days I have been bitten by fleas.
We don't have pets so I have no idea where these fleas have come from. I haven't actually seen the fleas but recognise the '3' bite pattern , the intense itching and the huge amount of time for these awful bites take to clear up.
I'm not sure what to do next. I have stripped the living room and hoovered everything. Hung throws on the line and given them a good shake.
Someone gave us a bag of clothes the other day and I was sorting these this morning.It is since sorting these that I have discovered a new 'set' of bites .The clothes are now in the washing machine with the boys school uniform on a 40 deg wash. :eek:
We have just bought a second hand trombone for my younger son and there was evidence of cat fur inside the case. This has been hoovered several times but it has a fake fur lining. I was wondering if we have imported some eggs some how.
The children visit friends with pets so could these eggs/ fleas be coming home that way.
The bites make me really miserable. They not only itch and last so long but they always leave scars. No one else in the house is bothered by them.
I really need some ideas of how to get rid of them before we get an infestation !!!!

TIA
D

roses

Sounds like you already have an infestation! Get pest control in. That's the only sure way to get rid of them. Those £15 cans of flea spary don't work once humans start getting bitten. Flea control cost my ex landlady £75 after her cats caused an outbreak.

Vashti

Well, we have dogs, and unfortunately after a visit to the stud, our papillon came back with more than just a smile on her face. (She was also preg with four puppies...but I'm talking about fleas!) Unfortunately, with dogs it is even harder to break the cycle. However, if you have no pets, you should manage to do it. Vacuum often, and use flea granules and spray - but this work out expensive if you have large house. I would take the other posters advice and get someone from environmental health round, or use a reputable pest control company.

weejock_2

Give a call to the local vet surgery. They will sell sprays that will kill fleas or be able to advise you. Unfortunately the eggs get in carpets etc and they are then difficult to get rid of as they then hatch out. You therefore need something that will kill off the eggs. I use a product called Stronghold on my cat, and Frontline on my dog. These products kill the eggs. There is a spray but I can't remember the name of it. Your local pet shop might be able to help.

shopaholicsan

A friend who works for a pest control company once advised me to use cheap, basic fly spray. He said to spray lots into a room and then shut the door and leave it for an hour or so. I did this in all my rooms, one at once and repeated - I can't remember how long to leave it until you spray again I think it had something to do with the lifecycle of a flea (ie when any eggs will have hatched spray again)
Anyway it worked for me and thereafter just used Frontline treatment on my 2 cats - if you have no pets it should be ok after a couple of sprays or so.
HTH

Ems*Honie

You can get bitten when out in the garden, fleas live in the grass. If you dont find the direct source then a diet with lots of garlic puts them off! Someone told me the other day that a rub of lemon on a bite takes the itch out, whether or not this is true fleas dont like citrus either so it may help stop you getting any more bites

kroome

Happened to us a few years ago, expensive stuff doesnt work but flea aerosol spray from wikinsons kills the little critters almost instantly. Must spray large areas several times. I did the downstairs last thing at night and other areas when we went out. No more fleas! good luck

skyrocket

Staykill from the vets sorts the fleas in our house. I always wondered how they got into an office block i used to work in but a vet told me you can trample the eggs into places on your shoes.

xxdeebeexx

skyrocket wrote: »

I always wondered how they got into an office block i used to work in but a vet told me you can trample the eggs into places on your shoes.

I'm wondering if this is where ours have come from....not shoes but socks, after the children have visited friends with pets.
I'm feeling a bit better now. This morning I felt so awful...dirty and depressed.
Thanks everyone for yor advice. I am going to do lots of hoovering over the next few days. I have some spray now and will give it a go if I can't control the problem with hoovering.
I am always worried about using chemicals as I have young children.
It makes me feel better knowing that I am not alone with the problem.
Thanks again
D