Best Flea product?

ebird32

Hi,

I've got 3 cats and a dog all of whom have been flea treated monthly with frontline. Dog went for grooming today and they said he was riddled with fleas.

I've been to the vets and got some acclaim (house spray) and also some strong hold and I've treated the animals again today despite being flea'd just over 2 weeks ago. To my horror, I combed the cats with a flea comb (cleaning it after every use) and one had live fleas, one had eggs and the other had flea dirt.

As I said, I've treated them all with strong hold now and am in the process of spraying the house with acclaim, but for next flea treatment time, does anyone have any suggestions on what to use?

Also, the groomers told me that the best house flea spray (in thier experience) was Wilkinsons own brand flea spray. As well as it being effective, it's cheaper than anywhere else. Although too late for me as I'd already got the Acclaim from the vets.

I guess personally, I've been buying 6 packs of frontline for cats and dog from a well know online vet store for ages now and well that's the last time I buy frontline. The vets receptionist was telling me that we (as a country) now have superfleas that are resistant to frontline hence it not working.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

scaredy_cat

frontline is rubbish now at killing fleas, stronghold is what i used to get rid of my cat's fleas and mites and it works really well.

Fire_Fox

Welcome! There have been loads of threads on this recently if you run a search. When you spray the house be sure to do all flooring not just carpets, move all furniture, do the sofa, mattress and your car.

ebird32

Thanks for the replies, after posting I did read another post on here which confirmed my experience of frontline. Just feel awful that my animals have contracted fleas and I've blindly been treating them monthly and as I've not seen any riffing or anything then assumed they were good. I was genuinely shocked when I used a flea comb on them, poor little things. Oh well, at least now I hope that it'll be sorted. I've blitzed the house with acclaim and I've done carpets and furniture, haven't done car as the animals haven't been in there, or do I need to
do it in case I've carried any fleas into the car?

Apologies if I'm asking dumb questions, I've never had this in 10 years of being owned by animals!

One other question, with regards to treating the house, the cam says one treatment will last 12 months, now me being cynical thinks that i should repeat the spray, how long do I leave it until I do it again?

Thanks again : )

ebird32

One other thing with the floors, I've got laminate flooring in the kitchen, I've mopped the floor with bleach, will I use the acclaim on the floor as well or will the bleach be enough to kill any fleas?

missmontana

Hoover lots, wash bedding covers etc on really hot washes, its not your fault. Seems to be really bad this year. As others have said, Stronghold is recommended now aswell as Advantage which treats for fleas and worms all in one go.
Other things you can use are garlic pills in their food and tea tree oil thru their fur, but just on the dog(s).
There's a few handy tips on here...
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fleas-Naturally

Money_maker

Think fleas live in soft furnishings only. Know someone who has had the council in to spray. They were advised not to hoover for 2 weeks. Would this apply to your spray?

Mara69

This article explains why fleas infestations are so bad this year...

ebird32

Thanks for the reassurance and help, this is the first time I've ever had this!

I hoovered every room completely and got right around the skirting boards with it and I've treated everywhere except our beds as per the instructions on the tin. I've not hoovered since I've treated the house. The washing machine is having a fit as 4 loads later (60• washes) I've done everything I can think of, next thing is I'm going to re wash clothes.

As a double attack I treated the cats and dog with strong hold so I think I've covered everything and also I've bleached the laminate floors and have soaked all the combs and brushes for the animals in boiling soapy water.

Not sure what else I can do now, im going to use flea comb on the boys on Monday, so it'll give the strong hold today and tommorrow to start killing the fleas, I don't know If I should repeat the acclaim again on Monday as well as hoovering thoroghly again on Monday just in case any dying fleas drop off animals and into carpets, or will the spray deal
With them as well? I clearly do not know how these things work! As far as I understand it, there's obviously flea eggs etc in the carpets (or is there? Who knows!)hence the treatment of the house, so presumably the spray will kill any living fleas and eggs?

ebird32

Mara69: thanks that article is useful and explains it... Along with the Ineffectiveness of frontline!

Miss montana, really useful reading, thanks

Thanks for all your help guys : )

Fire_Fox

You need to worry more about eggs than live fleas. As already stated you need to spray all flooring not just carpet and you do need to do the car. Fleas definitely do not just live in soft furnishings, my first house was severely infested when we moved in so I learned this the hard way.