Fleas !!I cannot get rid of them

My little chihuahua Jackson has an awful case of fleas .I treat him monthly with frontline but it isn't working .I have tried everything I can find to rid him of these pesky buggers.I even went online and tried some home remedies.I am bathing him and flea combing every 2 days .I have treated my home .I am at my wits end here.The poor little fellow is losing his hair as well .Please help .Thanks Melissa

[chasha33]

There are alot of different things you could try.Have you ever used Advantage multi.It works for fleas and it has a heartworm preventive in it,But it does not work on ticks.Also there is Advantix which works for fleas,tick,and repels mosquitos.Which frontline are you using?Is it the spray or frontline plus?There is Sentinel and Interceptor that is given by mouth and they work for flea, worms and Hw to.I would talk to your vet and tell him that your baby is having trouble with fleas even with using the Frontline and see which one he thinks would be best for you to use.My babies have tried them all and i really like using the Advantage multi.Hope that Jackson gets to feeling better soon.Good luck and keep us posted.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

this will kill fleas AVON SKIN SO SOFT  put some in shampoo and bathe him leave on a few mins,, or you can put him in water pour some in water rinse him in it let him sit a few mins if you use to much he will be oily but flea free. its avery strong smell to so he wont like it . if it leaves him red give a good bath after fleas are dead

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

p.s mix some in a spray bottle and spray him now and than before he goes out side

[melissaky]

Thanks for replying ! I have made Jackson an appt. w/ the vet for Monday .I am going to see what he suggests.Also , I had some of that Skin so soft and I put some on him earlier.It seems to have given him a lot of relief.Thanks so much ! Melissa Oh also I was using frontline plus

[skydnsr]

In addition to others' input, I suggest flea combing several times a day.  If he's getting them from outdoors, use the flea comb every time he comes back inside.  If you have fleas inside your house, you will have to treat the indoor environment and get rid of them.

[chasha33]

I just wanted to check and see how Jackson is doing.I hope that he is feeling better.Sometimes you have to switch the frontline and Advantage out every other month if the frontline doesnt see to be working.Please keep us posted and take care

[Jaybay]

We've had great results for years having our dogs on Sentinel.  In addition to being a heartworm preventive, it works on fleas.  Sentinel doesn't kill them, but if a flea bites your dog, the flea becomes sterile.  Using Sentinel in combination with weekly flea baths or the Frontline or Advantage-type products takes care of the fleas the dog picks up outside.  While our dogs pick up the occasional flea, we have never had a home invasion of them.

Do you have a house with a yard?  If so, you'll have to treat the yard.  They may be coming over from a neighbor so this could be an ongoing battle.  If your area hasn't had much rain lately, they multiply like crazy.  Seems like a good gully-washer knocks them back for a while.  If you go to the dog park, try to avoid it until the flea problem is sorted.  That's a common place to pick up unwelcome visitors.  Pay attention to your neighbors' dogs and avoid contact with the ones who do an awful lot of scratching.

A non-toxic solution to indoor fleas is diatomaceous earth (DE).  If you buy it at the pet store it's ridiculously expensive.  You can get a huge bag of it for far less at any store that carries pool supplies - DE is used in the pool filters.  After you vacuum everything including furniture and drapes, wash bedding, etc., sprinkle DE on the carpet and use a soft broom or brush to work it into the pile.  Leave it for a few days and vacuum again.  Repeat as needed.  DE is crushed diatoms (fossils) and is a white powdery substance similar to Carpet Fresh.  To a flea larva, it is death.  The larvae crawl across the powder grains and slice themselves to ribbons.  DE works well outdoors too but like inside, you have to keep up with it.

I'm glad to hear you have a vet appointment Monday.  Your dog sounds like he's got a secondary skin infection started from all the bites and may need antibiotics.  The poor little guy must be absolutely miserable.  Let us know what happens.  We always want to know solutions to fleas!  :-)

[Misfits4Me]

IMO, Frontline Plus QUIT working 2 yrs. ago....I suppose the fleas became resistant to it. One of my crew is extremely allergic to even 1 flea bite....This is a constant battle for us, during this time of year. I have tried many other products, but we use "Comfortis" now. It works wonders...The reason I like it, is that it kills the flea in 30 minutes, so less time to continue to bite the dog, before it dies.... Frontline takes 12 - 14 hrs. before the kill.....This makes a huge difference in a dog that is allergic to flea bites......

I buy it from my Vet.......I will add that I was one of the testers for the product, and found that it will last 7wks. instead of 1 mo. (Which it is written for)....Although the product does not claim to kill ticks, it does!!!!!
This has been a life saver for my Ginger.......Good luck & keep us updated....Karla

[Jaybay]

I've never heard of Comfortis, but it sounds like a great product.  I assume it's prescription-only?  Is it a topical or systemic medication?

[pam19540627]

I use Comfortis for my 2 Bichons. They are highly allergic to flea bites and this stuff does the trick. Their groomer told me about it and it definitely does the trick, no more fleas. It is a pill that you give them once a month. I hope this helps. Pam

[Misfits4Me]

Hi Jaybay...Sorry, I've been out of pocket & couldn't respond sooner...Yes, it's prescription and an oral tablet.......At my Vet, you can buy one tablet or a box of six....Less expensive per pill if you buy the box....

I used it last summer and this summer.....I do not treat in the winter....It sure has been wonderful, here in Oklahoma, to keep the fleas at bay for a change!!!!!     ;)  
Take care, Karla

[melissaky]

Thanks everyone! I want to let you all know my Jackson is doing so much better ! He is now on Advantage .Also he was allergic to the bites and was given antibiotic.His hair seems to be coming back .We have sprayed 4 times but still have nests of fleas in our yard .We live on 5 acres in the woods so we have a big area to cover.I am still flea combing Jackson every day cause when he goes out to do his business a few will hitch a ride I have treated my house twice already.These are mutant fleas ! Nothing we have tried will kill them .It is unreal ! But thank god my baby is doing better and we are going to keep trying everything  under the moon to defeat them .It's an all out war !! If ya'll have any suggestions on getting rid of them in my yard I am all ears .Thanks again everyone! Melissa

[Krista72]

Hi Melissa, glad that Jackson is doing better and wanted to share some things you may can try in the future if you like. I bought a great pyrenees as a puppy , brought her home and she was covered in fleas, she was actually sick from them, so i bathed her in dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water. The dawn killed all the fleas, as i washed her i brushed them out of her hair. Sounds crazy but it works, i also put conditioner on her after i bathed her in dawn beings that it makes the skin dry. The problem with fleas outside, my mother is having this problem now, or was. Get borax laundry detergent from store and sprinkle out in your entire yard.If you have a nice size yard you will need several boxes. From what i can tell when i use it , it doesn't harm the dog and kills the fleas.You may have to do this a couple of times in the yard, but it works. Any time ive had fleas in the yard from some other animal visiting i sprinkle a box of borax out in the yard and have no more problems. I do hope this helps you. Good luck...........Krista

[melissaky]

Thanks Krista! I saw about the borax on a natural remedy website .I am going to Wal-Mart later today to pick some up.I also have been using the dawn dishsoap .We have sprayed 4 times as of yesterday and we still have live fleas in the yard.I have never seen anything like this .I really believe they are mutated.Nothiing seems to affect them .I have had dogs all my life but I have never had a flea problem like this .It's like something off of Sci-fi ! My husband seems to think that most of their nests are in our driveway.It's gravel.He wants to spray diesel fuel .Has anyone ever heard of this? I am concerned about my dogs being hurt by it so I have asked him not to.Some old-timer told him about it .It just goes to show how desperate we have become . Well I will keep on trying..I just hope that I can get rid of these pesky buggars for once and for all. Thanks again Melissa

[Renee_77]

You should try getting your yard sprayed so that there'll be less there and your dog won't pick up as much when it goes outside and all. once i had Tons of fleas in my room from my boxer, and i bought this hartz brand flea powder for carpet (even though i have tile) left it for a while and swept it up and that took care of the infestation inside

Good luck though!

[Krista72]

Hey Melissa i have heard of spraying diesel, my father in law actually uses this remedy , he has had hunting dogs all his life and he has used the diesel and the borax. Don't know if it would harm the dog , i shouldn't think so but not sure. I do hope you find something that works for you soon. Again good luck !!

[kiki5056]

pesky little things aren't they. I never had problems with fleas. I've had 4 dogs (2 that are still living). I do an infusion with dill (herb) and spray their fur and their bedding. I also give them garlic. Never seen one flea yet.

[melissaky]

Well I am here to give you an update .We have sprayed the yard and driveway again . I have my fingers crossed as this is the 5th time we have sprayed.My husband got something different this time .Not sure what it is . If this doesn't work we are going to spray the diesel fuel.Kiki I will also try the dill infusion .I have some in my herb garden.I tried rosemary and also a lemon infusion but alas , they did not work for me.I seriously think these are mutants. I have never seen this quantity , immune to known remedies, extremely aggresive (aggressive)  fleas.We found a colony of them ! It was unreal! We have been here since 1991 and never had any kind of flea problem til this year.I have bombed my house twice ,washed everything ,treated my dog , sprayed my yard five times  and I am still getting bitten and am flea combing my dog every day . It seems almost hopeless .This is making us all miserable.

[Misfits4Me]

Fleas are unusually awful here in Okla. this year, too.  However, please DO NOT resort to using the Diesel Fuel:
Chronic effects of Diesel Fuels include changes in the Liver & harmful effects on the Kidneys, Heart, Lungs & Nervous System....Contamination of groundwater results in toxic effects of birds & aquatic life in rivers, streams, ponds!!!

You wouldn't want your little Chi & Cat absorbing this through their paws & skin or inhaling this through their respiratory system....The results could be far, far  worse than having fleas!

The only other thing I can think of is that I have a brother in law that swears by powdered sulphur sprinkled in the yard.....It can be bought at any feed store.....I do not know if it has any toxic effects, but the feed store could tell you.....It may be nothing more than the smell that keeps the pests away!  :)  

Thought I better pass this warning along.......Karla

[melissaky]

OMG ! Thank you for letting me know that ! I had a bad feeling about using that .That is why I have tried so many other things .My husband wanted to spray it for a while now but I wanted to exhaust every other measure first.I will ask my hubby to get some of the powdered sulfur on his way home .It is raining here today so I don't know if it would be a good time to put it down.This has just been a nightmare ! I want these things gone ! They really are making us all miserable.Thank you Karla for the warning ! Melissa