Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

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ZaraD
Posts: 577
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:06 am
Location: Staffordshire, UK

Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by ZaraD »

Hi all

My mom has been having a problem with fleas and is at her wits end. She's never had a problem before so thinks that and infested dog was at the park before it stated and her dogs must have brought a few unwelcome visitors home after there walk.

She has a massive phobia of anything small that crawls or jumps. It's not nice to see her so scared to live in her home. She has already washed the dogs bedding on high heat and tumble drying on high heat and is doing this every day and she's hoovering and moping the floors everyday. She's used salt around the floors as her vet said it dehydrates them and kills them like it does with slugs. after a few weeks she saw no change so started putting vinegar around the house and washing the dogs with it as her neighbour said fleas hate the smell. 2 months later and she still has them.

The dogs have been given a flea shampoo from the vets and are treated with a spot on Advocate but is still finding them.

I wanted to ask if anyone knows of anything that will kills the fleas and eggs. With my mom being terrified at the moment and as since as she hates her house please on recommend things you know 100% fleas don't like or recommendations that you know will kills them ( all life cycles)

She also wanted me to ask is it possible to get rid of fleas completely when your infested with them? Is it possible?

And are there anyways to prevent a flea infestation as I hate things that bite. I'm fine with most insects I just hate the ones that can bite us. So can this be prevented?

Any advice , help much appreciated :)
JudyN
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Re: Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by JudyN »

Has she tried a chemical spray? My vet recommended one when we had a small infestation. I can't remember which it was but your vet should be able to suggest an effective one.

I don't know if sprays kill all stages but you could cover that by spraying at intervals - again, your vet or the specific product would give details of the best timing.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
ZaraD
Posts: 577
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:06 am
Location: Staffordshire, UK

Re: Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by ZaraD »

Hi JudyN

No she hasn't so tell her to ask her vet. She's tried Raid spray but that didn't work.

Is it possible to get rid of an infestation completely as she's worried she's going to have to put up with fleas forever now :(

And can you prevent it happening?
JudyN
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Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by JudyN »

I'm sure any infestation can be removed completely if you're thorough with the spraying, dusting & vacuuming. When we had an infestation it was because I stopped defleaing the cat (I soon started again!), so the best prevention is simply to ensure all pets are deflead regularly. As far as I know Advocate is effective but it would be worth examining the dogs closely to make sure they're clear.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by Erica »

Some popular flea medications lose their effectiveness after a few years in an area, as the local flea population becomes resistant. Would be worth asking the vet and other pet owners if the meds your mom's using are still working for everyone.

Otherwise, it might be time to call in an exterminator and have everyone leave the house while they bugbomb it or whatever method they use to get rid of fleas.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
ZaraD
Posts: 577
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2017 10:06 am
Location: Staffordshire, UK

Re: Fleas!!!!! Advice needed

Post by ZaraD »

Thanks Erica

She use to use frontline combo but it is not as good as it use to be was her vets advice and he told her to try advocate. She only applied it on a few days ago. Not really that many of any on dogs. There mainly biting mom now. So I think what's happened is she's treated the dogs but not fully treated the house yet.
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