# Flea prevention



## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Anyone have opinions on the best flea prevention? I'm down here in south Texas -- drought and heat wave, so the fleas are just out of control. We've been using Advantix II, and it hasn't been killing the fleas for even two weeks. Anyone have better luck with another brand, or are they all pretty much the same? I fear the house is getting ready to get infested. I'm not going to treat the puppies more than every two weeks -- I hate to do even that. And I'm not keeping up.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

interested to follow this thread as the topic has been on my mind a lot lately too...


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

I've posted about this before, but, the best thing that you can do for your house and your dog/yourself is to treat your house with diatomaceous earth. Food-grade is the safest, but there's nothing wrong with using non-food-grade as long as you vacuum up all of the loose powder. 

If you treat your entire house (carpets, floors, couches, etc.) with diatomaceous earth, it will kill all fleas and flea larvae that would otherwise hatch/live in your carpets, floors, and couches - and it will keep killing them for up to a year, as long as you don't use a steam-cleaner type of thing on your carpets. It basically ensures that your house can't get infested, since neither fleas nor flea larvae can live wherever there is diatomaceous earth. And so then, if you treat your dog once a month with one of the monthly flea treatments (Frontline, Advantage, etc.), then even if they bring the occasional flea into the house, neither your dog nor your house will get infested despite the occasional flea that comes in from the outside. Fleas that bite your dog will die because of the treatment on your dog, and any eggs they lay in the house will die because of the diatomaceous earth. 

I had a huge flea problem when I first moved into my place, because the previous tenants had had cats with fleas. And before I moved in, the property manager flea-bombed the place. Two to three weeks after I moved in, I was getting bitten, and the property manager then called a professional exterminator. Three weeks after they came, I was getting bitten again... and the property manager called them again and they came back. Three weeks after that, I was getting bitten again, and it was then that I decided to take things into my own hands... I found out about the diatomaceous earth and applied it, and I haven't had a flea problem since, even when Ceylon brought fleas home when I was late in giving him his monthly flea treatment. Diatomaceous earth really, really works! Give it a try


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

Does anyone know for sure if diatomaceous earth kills ticks and their eggs?


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

I use Comfortis a pill. It works wonders. Just got a new 8 pack and it cost $100 but should last a long time. I won't need to give it to her after frost or before new summer. But once the flea bites it dies. So if the dog gets a flea from a dog park or other place, the flea bites the dog and dies. Also if possible treat your yard at least where the dog goes potty. There are lots of insect powders at the garden supply stores comes in 50 pd bags for large yards. I treated mine last year and haven't had to again. Course the chickens pretty much take care of all insects now.


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Does Comfortis have to be prescribed? Is it safe year round? We do not have a frost, so we have fleas all year -- which is why risk of infestation is so serious here. And where can D. earth be purchased?

Thanks!


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Just google it. There are several on-line sellers. I actually got some 2 years ago at our local farmer's co-op. It is not food grade. I dusted my then puppy with it to rid her of fleas. It worked well, but her coat was un brushable. lol I didn't like that and resorted to the Frontline which did not work except for about 2 weeks. Then I switched to the comfortis and life has been good every since. I did put the DE around in the yard where I was then taking her to potty. I know that I didn't have any slugs around the side door after that. I couldn't bring myself to dust the carpet with it because of how it made Rosie's coat feel. Maybe the food grade would be better. Actually I read that it (food grade) could be added to their food and that would take care of any internal parasites. I didn't try that either. At the time I had a yard dog, short hair, medium stray that came up to my back door. I put the DE on him all the time and he was flea free.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Luciledodd said:


> Just google it. There are several on-line sellers. I actually got some 2 years ago at our local farmer's co-op. It is not food grade. I dusted my then puppy with it to rid her of fleas. It worked well, but her coat was un brushable. lol I didn't like that and resorted to the Frontline which did not work except for about 2 weeks. Then I switched to the comfortis and life has been good every since. I did put the DE around in the yard where I was then taking her to potty. I know that I didn't have any slugs around the side door after that. I couldn't bring myself to dust the carpet with it because of how it made Rosie's coat feel. Maybe the food grade would be better. Actually I read that it (food grade) could be added to their food and that would take care of any internal parasites. I didn't try that either. At the time I had a yard dog, short hair, medium stray that came up to my back door. I put the DE on him all the time and he was flea free.


Yes, I also give Ceylon food-grade DE every other time I put a half cup of kibble in his bowl. Just a tiny smidgen and mix it around in the kibble - he doesn't even notice it and he's never had a problem with intestinal parasites of any kind, despite regular trips to the dog park, doggie day care, etc.

You can also treat your yard with beneficial nematodes. They will kill all 'bad' bugs without being toxic to animals.

I wouldn't use DE to get rid of fleas directly on a dog on a regular basis. It's more for preventative measures (sprinkle some food-grade DE on their regular bedding, etc.) in my opinion. When you apply it, you want to really brush it down deep into your carpets, etc. with a bristle brush or a broom, then vacuum up the loose powder, and it won't then actually get on you or your dog but it will be deep down in the carpet and will kill any fleas and flea larvae for up to a year.



luv3havs said:


> Does anyone know for sure if diatomaceous earth kills ticks and their eggs?


Nan, I don't know for sure but since it kills all creepy-crawlies by basically cutting their exteriors open and then dehydrating them, I would assume it works just as well for ticks. However, I would still use a regular monthly treatment if possible if ticks are a concern in your area...


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm back to topical this year, using Fipro. We'd been flea free for several years after I bought nemotodes. I guess they either were washed away during all the winter weather or dried up with the hot dry summer. I will probably buy some more next Spring as they worked really well for a couple years.


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

I ordered some food-grade DE today and some Comfortis. Can't believe how expensive it is for two puppies to keep fleas at bay! Thanks for the tips!


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## MelissaJane (Jun 18, 2009)

I haven't been here in a while but I need some advice. For the past two months, Cocoa won't let me give him his Frontline. Has anyone tried Program tablets or similiar products? I'd prefer not to have to get a prescription.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I use Frontline plus once a month on Whimsy.Never had any problems.
Melissajane....have someone hold cocoa for you and distract him while you put on the frontline.( thats my dh's job once a month LOL)


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## MelissaJane (Jun 18, 2009)

*Re: Flea Prevention*

Thanks, but unfortunately, I don't have anyone to help me with him. It's only been this way for the last two months. He had been behaving when I tried to give it to him.


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