How long after frontline application can I use advantage?

lisajane8482

Our cats have fleas. I've ordered some indorex to treat the house and some advantage for the cats. We treat them last week for fleas using fiprospot but our kitten is constantly scratching making me think it hasn't worked. He won't sit still long enough to comb or check him plus he's black so I'm guessing it'll be hard to spot them anyway. We have found 3 dead ones where our cat mainly lies so I'm thinking it may have worked for him. We've found two live ones on the bed also.

Should I be looking at retreating them or waiting a bit longer?

Mollymoonlight

Could it maybe be that the kitten's just irritated? The only way you'll know is if you can get someone to hold him while you comb him.

We're having a nightmare with fleas on our two dogs and cat. I've been advantaging them every month and indorexing the house to within an inch of its life, but they keep coming back! I've decided to try frontline this time, I've never had this problem before when I've used frontline.

lisajane8482

There's flea dirt coming off him, I'd cleaned the sides in the kitchen and he started scratching on them, when I looked the dirt that had come off him what looked like little spots of blood where the sides were still damp. I'll get OH to hold him tonight so I can get the comb through him and have a look where he's been scratching the most.

Waterfalls

There will always be a bit of a battle with fleas until the house is treated as 95% of the problem is in the house. the fleas from the home will jump onto ur pet then get covering in the flea treatment - they then should still die.

I recommended hovering lots!! as the vibrations will help make the flea eggs hatch, then they will get coated in the treatment and die. It can take a few months for the problem to get under control

lisajane8482

Just managed to get a couple of combs over the kitten and its definately fleas, got two that were still alive. Can't find anything on the cat but his hair is longer and thicker so may need a bigger comb. Eugh they're ugly little blighters (the fleas, not the cats)

*ETA* just found one on the cat too, little !!!!!! jumped but landed in the sink which was full of water and soap. Going to groom Salem and wait til OH comes home so I can groom Gizmo. Only thing is Gizmo gets distressed if held for too long as he had a bad start in life, I guess it has to be done though, better defrost and cool some chicken breast for his treat afterwards.

KxMx

Fleas are not going to go totally once you've used the drops- especially as the house hasn't been treated yet. It'd be quite normal for those on the cat to die, then you are spotting on him ones from the carpet etc who haven't yet bitten and ingested the poison.

lisajane8482

I know I'll need to wash all bedding etc that I can on a high temp but wil I also need to wash all the clothes in the wardrobes and draws too? And what about my daughters cuddly toys?

Dollardog

You shouldn't treat them again yet, the unhatched fleas need time to hatch and get the poison. There will still be lots of unhatched ones yet coming from the carpets etc. Once you have treated with the Indorex, you will still be seeing them for a little while until all of them have hatched and taken the poison.
Washing all the stuff in drawers and wardrobes isn't necessary, cat fleas can't live on just clothes, they need cat's blood. If they do happen to jump off clothes onto the treated cats or carpet, they'll soon be taken care of.
Just bear in mind they won't disappear overnight even when the house has been treated but they will get less and less until eventually they have gone because they won't be able to breed.
A good way to get shut of them sooner is if you get a nit comb to comb the cats, it usually catches them in the fine teeth and you can then dispose of them.

lisajane8482

Thanks for the info dollardog. I've been using a nit comb on the kitten but a flea comb on the cat as the nit comb won't go through his fur. I've combed the cat fully and only found one. The kitten I've just been combing the area where he scratches as he get panicky otherwise, each time I've combed him I've found a flea.

Dollardog

lisajane8482 wrote: »

Thanks for the info dollardog. I've been using a nit comb on the kitten but a flea comb on the cat as the nit comb won't go through his fur. I've combed the cat fully and only found one. The kitten I've just been combing the area where he scratches as he get panicky otherwise, each time I've combed him I've found a flea.

With the kitten, don't comb him for too long at a time, pick him up, give him a quick comb and then a treat, bit of chicken or something, you can always knock it off his dinner so you are not fattening him up. Do that often during the day and as he gets used to it, you'll be able to do it a bit longer. If he associates getting a treat after it, he'll not think its such an ordeal, it is good to get him easier to handle anyway for if he needs vet treatment in the future.

Its normal to panic when they get fleas. I didn't even know my dog had them, he wasn't scratching at all. My dog sitter phoned to warn me that her partner had picked them up whilst working in some flats and when I checked my dog found he had them. The vet said even her dog had picked them up from time to time. I treated my dog with Advocate and sprayed the house, then kept combing my dog witha fine tooth comb a couple of times a day to get rid of them quicker, it look a few weeks but they all went. They can't live on you or your daughter, but you might see them if they have jumped on you - little blighters!!