Would somebody please tell me how to get rid of my dog's fleas? We may have to take her to the pound if we don't find the antidote.
Doglover77
What type of dog is it? Long haired or short? I have three dogs, 2 Pomeranian and a Maltese. I generally keep them cut short because of fleas. I then wash them in shampoos made especially for flea control and then I use another trick to keep them out of the house (the fleas that is). I use a little night lite in each room and put a small bowl of water w/just a little dish soap in it under the light.
By JONNIE CAMBRON
There is a dip called Happy Jack. Also if the yard is infested, you can use borax (mule team) on your yard. Just scatter it on on real well. Do it before a rain. (09/14/2004)
By SHIRLEY
To rid dogs of fleas some type of pesticide must be applied, either dusting the dog with Sevin or applying Advantage or the other brands of flea and tick killers. The dog house, bed, area, needs to be sprayed with Black Flag or other insect spray and vacuumed. I have heard that sprinkling salt on the carpeting will kill fleas.
Hester from Oklahoma (09/14/2004)
By ThriftyFun
When you bathe the dog use some pine sol in the bath water. That's the same stuff the vet uses for their dip.
(09/14/2004)
By t coxe
Outside dogs: lay granules out for fleas, ticks, and chiggers, right before it suppose to rain, or if small yard, water down to activate after laying them down. Then I use FrontLine Plus.
Inside dogs: I just used FrontLine Plus. Those are the only two products I use, and I don't have problems at all anymore. (09/15/2004)
By Edie Leonard
Go to the dollar store and buy a bottle of baby shampoo and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.
By gazookeeper
Try washing your dog with a little liquid baby detergent, such as Dreft. Also, for their bedding, use a pillow stuffed with cedar shavings. The cedar is supposed to repel the fleas (not to mention it smells kinda nice, too).
By shawn
Make sure your grass is cut short, this cuts down on fleas drastically. Vacuum all area of your home, furniture included and then throw the vacuum bag away and outside. Monthly topical applications are fairly inexpensive at WalMart or on websites, just don't use them with flea collars or flea dips. I have 5 cats and one large dog and I am never bothered by fleas. Keeping up with flea control is the only way it works (09/16/2004)
By Patti
I'd recommend trying to find a solution to the flea problem rather than taking your dog to the shelter.
An estimated 4 to 6 million dogs and cats are euthanized in America's animal shelters each year because they are not wanted by anyone, anywhere. Reference: HSUS Pet Overpopulation.
The problem with fleas is not the fault of the dog or the owner, it's the fault of the fleas. They multiply very quickly and can get out of control fast. Fleas can be difficult to get rid of but it is possible.
Lots of vacuuming and cleaning where the animal sleeps, sprinkling salt or borax in the corners and on the rugs (make sure to let sit for an hour then vacuum up). Advantage works well for my pets. I buy it from Foster & Smiths and my relative who is a vet gave me the dosage for each animal so I buy the giant dog size and using a syringe, only give the dosage for my size dog, then use the extra on the cats (in the dosage he told me for them). Luckily it is coming on winter so after the first frost, they will die outside so you will not be bringing in new ones all the time.
If you don't have money for chemicals, using a flea comb works well. You will need to comb her often so that you get the fleas and the eggs. Dip the comb in soapy water so the fleas die.
Please don't take your pet to a shelter unless it is a last resort. It may solve your problem but it will most likely mean death to your pet. No Kill shelters are few and far between and often only accept animals they think are easily adoptable.
- Susan (09/17/2004)
By ThriftyFun
We used to feed our pets brewers yeast to keep fleas off of them. It makes their blood unappealing to the fleas. Not a miracle cure, but it helps. (09/18/2004)
By Jacqui
We had terrible fleas last year and did not realize it until the problem had progressed to the point that my children had bites on their bodies when they woke up in the morning. We vacuumed and cleaned everything (mattresses, linens, furniture) as many times a week as we could. We began using Frontline on our two cats and flea combed them regularly.
Eventually, the fleas will go away, because the medication makes them unable to reproduce, but we ended up having an exterminator use chemicals in our home, because the situation was so bad. We stayed with friends for almost a week! Since then, we have had NO problems. I have continued with the Frontline in the warm weather months, even though our cats are indoor cats (sometimes they escape for adventures). The flea problem was difficult, but we never considered getting rid of the cats. Especially to a pound. (09/19/2004)
By kayla
I use garlic. I use 450 mg. I got this tip somewhere on line. Go to Wal-Mart and by the cheapest brand and give one a day to the dog. I have 5 dogs and this works. I took them to the groomer and she said she did not find any fleas on them. Fleas do not like the taste of the dog's blood. Good luck. (09/20/2004)
By Judy
Dawn dish detergent and water worked well on my Beagle. He was flea infested and now I only found 1 flea alive on him, the rest were dead. Thanks for the help! :) (10/23/2004)
By Ashley
The thought of dumping an animal because of fleas is unimaginable. Wanna get rid of them fast? First, Frontline, it kills them and makes them stop biting. Second, put a flea collar INSIDE the vacuum bag or canister. A flea collar that kills, not just repels. Read the box carefully. You may have to sprinkle the carpet w/flea killer powder and let sit for an hour. We had a flea problem many years ago. We did this, and in one day, no fleas. You can bomb if the infestation is that bad, but it's usually unnecessary (12/31/2004)
By raven
Do not use Pine Sol in the bath water as stated above. That stuff can severely irritate the dog's lungs and nasal passages. (02/17/2007)
By JPS
One really hot summer I had a horrible problem with fleas on my two dogs and they got in the carpet and drapes and everything in the house. The vet gave my dogs anti itch pills, had me get Frontline collars for them and bathe them once a day for 2 weeks. She also sold me a can of spray (as far as I know you can only get at vet's) and I had to wash all the bedding and then spray the entire house. It took two bottles. When I was all done the fleas were gone and I never had another problem. You can also leave the house with the family and dog for a few hours and use a bug bomb.
I can't believe that anyone that has a pet would think they wouldn't have to deal with fleas eventually at some point. I too am shocked and disgusted that anyone would think of putting their dog to sleep because of fleas. Pets are a responsibility and they look at us for love and care. And fleas are not hard to treat. By the way, whoever gave the garlic tip, great idea, I am going to try it. Although I do use Frontline I'd like to see if it helps, even though my dogs rarely have fleas unless they play outside. (05/23/2007)
By Mythi
We tried the Spot On before we used Frontline and the Frontline worked much better. I didn't see a flea all summer long. (10/08/2007)
By Jess
Food grade diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled on your dog and in his dog house. Topical flea/tick preventatives are poisons, so terrible to put on our beloved furry animal companions. Using food grade diatomaceous earth is a much safer and healthier way of eliminating fleas, ticks, and other pesky insects. It is also excellent to feed to your dog to eliminate tapeworms that your dog will have from ingesting fleas. (10/24/2008)
By Julie
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