[TeddyandTiffy]

Originally Posted by IWAY

Heres something that might help explain why Dawn works, Houston SPCA uses Dawn on rescues coming in to kill the fleas fast It's kind of long but worth the read.

From Groomingsmarter.com
Shampoo Away Fleas FAST
with NO Pesticides!!!!!!

BELIEVE it or not!
Home
YES! I admit it! I use Dawn dish soap (the non-ultra kind) to kill fleas in my shop. ANY shampoo diluted with a little bit of water and applied to a DRY DOG will kill fleas! Dawn just works FASTER and BETTER because it is a strong degreaser. I started using this technique after a shampoo manufacturer that makes no flea shampoo told me that it would work. He didn't say use Dawn, he said use ANY SHAMPOO, but an older groomer friend of mine said it worked, so I tried it. I had been dipping and was getting concerned having seen poisoning by dips occur in cats and dogs. I wanted to prevent it from happening to ME. So this was the solution for me. I have not dipped or used a pesticide other than Di-Limonene in over 6 years. Now I do not even use Di-Limonene. I don't have to! AND I am NEVER Out of flea shampoo!
OK, hold on..... here is why it works.

Fleas have this ability to survive underwater. I have been told they emit a greasy barrier around their bodies forming a bubble to protect them from water and it holds oxygen in. By dissolving the grease bubble you allow water to get to the flea and they drown. Fleas are also very soft bodied. They DO have an exoskeleton that allows them protection, but soaps dissolve this and then they cannot breathe.

The way to use this product (or any other shampoo you choose) is SIMPLE! Take a bottle (I usually use an old dish soap bottle) and mix 50% water with 50% shampoo. Then, starting with the head of the animal, apply this mixture to the pet in a line that goes down the back of the pet. Then using your sprayer, add JUST enough water to get the shampoo to lather a little bit and spread around the pet. It does not take much shampoo to do this! Add more water and shampoo as needed to apply this solution thoroughly to the dog or cat. Allow it to sit for a minute or two, as many as 5 on heavily infested animals, and then rinse. I use my recirculating washer to rinse with as it also bathes the pet for me using the existing shampoo, which cuts down on water consumption, shampoo usage and time. I simply put fresh water in the tub while the pet is sitting and rinse it using the system after it has sat the required amount of time. This reduces the need for rinsing, washing and then rinsing again. I then rinse and using a soothing shampoo rebathe the dog to ensure that all the soap is removed and the skin is treated to prevent itching. Conditioner can be applied afterward if needed, but rarely if ever do I have to add this after I am finished.

DO NOT WET THE ANIMAL FIRST! If you do, the fleas will react by creating that grease bubble we talked about earlier and you will be fighting a harder to kill flea than if you never give them a chance to do that!

As this technique is highly effective, I never use pesticides in my shop. I do keep Capstar on hand and dogs that are HIGHLY infested get a Capstar when they arrive or as the go into the tub just to be sure all the fleas are dead upon the pets departure from my shop. I also always make sure I notify the owners of their pets condition and what we did to help them with the problem, as well as suggesting they do their part at home.



Advertising this non-pesticide approach to pest control can be of HUGE benefit to you in your salon. By showing that you care enough not to poison the animals and the environment and yet care enough to help eliminate the problem, you gain a market share of the client base that CARES how their pates are treated and wants a safe effective way to treat their animals. You don't have to share the secret of Dawn or the fact that all shampoos will kill fleas if applied to a dry pet, simply say, "We use NO DANGEROUS CHEMICALS to kill fleas." I tell people who want to know how it works, but most don't care as long as it does.


Then our vet told us about this product, it has worked really well for us:


Fleas can be a major problem for dogs and dog owners. Your pet may be exposed to these blood-sucking parasites anywhere: in your own backyard, when you are on walks or even in your own home.

Each female flea can produce 40 to 50 eggs a day, up to 2,000 in their lifetime[1]
Even a few fleas can turn into a major infestation in a matter of days
Comfortis™ is the first FDA-approved, chewable, beef-flavored tablet that kills fleas and prevents flea infestations on dogs for a full month.

Only Comfortis™ offers you all of these benefits in a single product:

Fast, month-long flea protection
Starts killing fleas within 30 minutes
Lasts a full month
Kills fleas before they can lay eggs
The convenience of a chewable, beef-flavored tablet
Spinosad, the active ingredient in Comfortis, is environmentally friendly
The most common adverse reaction recorded during clinical trials was vomiting. Other adverse reactions were decreased appetite, lethargy, redness of the skin, hyperactivity and excessive salivation. Click here for important safety information and full product label (PDF).

[1] M.W. Dryden, Integrated Flea Control: Flea Control for the 21st Century; presented at the North American Veterinary Conference, January 2001

Thanks for sharing our Yorkies don't have fleas but I'll tell my sister she lives in the country. Thanks again Lee