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Post by lesaulerouge on Nov 18, 2015 3:21:05 GMT -5
Oh, and I agree with papermoon, catching them and squishing them is the best method really, and what we did before the heatwave started up the parquet flea thing.
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Post by sue5000 on Nov 18, 2015 14:47:55 GMT -5
Hmm womble, I also remember something about using brewers' yeast. Some people swear by it.
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Post by bluefrog on Nov 18, 2015 17:35:07 GMT -5
We had a flea problem this summer, but I think we're past it, finally. We used topical meds on the cats and the dog, diatomaceous earth sprinkled on their bedding (we don't have carpets), and Victor flea traps to catch any that other measures didn't get and to keep track of how we're doing. If you're in denial about the problem, flea traps will set you straight. Victor traps plug into the wall. They have lights to attract fleas and sticky discs that are changed monthly. They hold on to any bugs that land on them, from fleas and flies to mosquitoes and spiders. We have one in each room except the bathroom. No fleas in the traps this month, but we'll keep them out to make sure the fleas are really gone.
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Post by sue5000 on Nov 18, 2015 22:40:07 GMT -5
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Post by Jannie on Nov 19, 2015 10:21:40 GMT -5
We had a flea infestation years ago. The little buggers were jumping on my husband and biting his ankles. Me,luckily,I'm immune to fleas, they never bit me ever. Took dog and cat to the vet, had them treated (flea-dipped) and kept overnight. Meanwhile, we set off bug killing smoke bombs in our house. First we first opened every door of every cabinet and room, put one bomb on each of three floors. Left the house overnite-stayed with in-laws. Came home, washed and vacuumed everything, then brought our pets home. The fleas never returned. I also noticed very few spiders for the next year.
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Post by lesaulerouge on Nov 19, 2015 11:52:28 GMT -5
After we bombed we've never had fleas again. New cat goes who knows where, so I'm not counting my chickens, but since Feb 2004 we've been flea free!
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Post by lesaulerouge on Nov 19, 2015 11:53:40 GMT -5
Oh, and does anyone know about this - we had a new cat pack from the vet on Monday when Rover had his first vaccinations. In it was a sample of Frontline combo. But it's the dog one, can I use it on a cat?
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Post by bluefrog on Nov 19, 2015 12:06:23 GMT -5
Oh, and does anyone know about this - we had a new cat pack from the vet on Monday when Rover had his first vaccinations. In it was a sample of Frontline combo. But it's the dog one, can I use it on a cat? Unless it says that it's safe for both dogs and cats, don't. If it contains permethrin, absolutely not, since that can kill cats. Most dog flea medications contain chemicals that are toxic to cats, and dosages for dogs are not the same as for cats. If you're still not sure, you should call your veterinarian.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 12:55:32 GMT -5
There's Revolution to try. I have had good luck with it.'
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Post by reddragynlady on Nov 19, 2015 14:03:25 GMT -5
Oh God. I can't get rid of the bastards (having an infestation in my girls' room, where the clutter is at its worst, makes it harder.) I have to do a flea check with my girls before school to make sure they don't have any in their hair!
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Post by aa on Nov 19, 2015 14:19:31 GMT -5
A simple DIY flea trap is to take a desk lamp and put it on the floor with a bowl underneath it. Put water and a drop or two of dish soap in the bowl. Obviously make sure the lamp can't tip over and fall into the bowl of water. I liked to put a heavy book on the lamp base as extra security. Not only will this trap fleas, it will also let you know if there are still any around.
We dealt with fleas this summer. I think we are done with them now. Vacuuming, using DE a few times in the carpeted areas, washing all pet bedding (or people bedding the pets could get to) frequently was a good start, but I think the Capstar is what let us get a good handle on it. (Topicals didn't work well enough.) I eventually bought a bottle of generic capstar (around 100 pills for $50 vs 6 pills for $25 that I was paying at the store). Dose is one pill and can be given as often as daily. Kills fleas for 24 hours and starts working almost immedately. To start, I gave all inside pets a pill two days in a row and during this time did another good cleaning round. I made sure to use a flea comb on them also, starting about an hour after giving them the pill. (Dip your comb in soapy water frequently to remove fleas and eggs from the comb and drown them. I waited about 3 days and gave them another pill and combing. Repeat. I did this twice a week schedule for a few weeks and then went to once a week for another few weeks. I kept up with washing bedding frequently during this time. I am not doing anything right now (aside from general cleaning stuff), but I do a flea check periodically still.
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Post by lesaulerouge on Nov 19, 2015 16:32:49 GMT -5
Oh, and does anyone know about this - we had a new cat pack from the vet on Monday when Rover had his first vaccinations. In it was a sample of Frontline combo. But it's the dog one, can I use it on a cat? Unless it says that it's safe for both dogs and cats, don't. If it contains permethrin, absolutely not, since that can kill cats. Most dog flea medications contain chemicals that are toxic to cats, and dosages for dogs are not the same as for cats. If you're still not sure, you should call your veterinarian. Seems wrong then that they put dog meds in the cat pack, not everyone would read it properly I'm sure...
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 18:11:12 GMT -5
Here is an embarrassing story. We had bad fleas once, and had my friend staying. A flea jumped in her hair and she went hysterical. We were chasing the flea all over her head. You ever try and catch a flea? But we were also laughing a lot too. I can't believe she stayed my friend after that debacle!
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Post by lesaulerouge on Nov 20, 2015 2:35:53 GMT -5
That's the best sort of friend I think, where things go wrong, or it gets crazy, but you can laugh together and get through it. Those people are proper friends.
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Post by dustylady on Nov 21, 2015 22:10:14 GMT -5
We got fleas from our neighbor's feral cat colony. I recommend Ultracide, a spray that got them out of my car. Safe for people after vehicle has aired for an hour; check with your vet about how soon you can let the pet back in the vehicle. Also, vacuum the car daily for a week or until you stop seeing the odd flea. And don't forget to spray under the seats and in seat crevices and under the floor mats.
Good luck! Death to fleas!
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