Quote:
Originally Posted by bellasmomok  Crystal,
Just an FYI.....the pill form of flea meds like Comfortis and Capstar, I believe, kill only the fleas that are on the dog at the time (within 1 hour......I don't know how long it keeps killing, though, so you might want to check that, but as far as I know it a quick fix and not a lasting treatment). Does the big dog go outside? I'm wondering if it's an area problem now......If the dog your keeping had a lot of fleas, then some of those jumped off into your yard and house and layed eggs, and it's going to take awhile for them to all be killed off. Washing with Dawn and even treating with Frontline, etc... won't get them all if there is any kind of infestation, which it sounds to me like you have since you've had a bite yourself. I think the Frontline is probably working, but if a new flea gets on Ellie, then it will be dead within 18 hours, but no product keeps fleas from getting back on them if there are more, which there usually are. All you can do is keep after it until they're all gone. It's getting very cold out, which is probably helping to drive the fleas indoors too, especially since they got a ride from your new furry friend!
I know you're looking for something to help Ellie without having to use chemicals because of her liver, so I wanted to tell you something I heard about awhile ago. It's called Diatomaceous Earth, and it kills fleas and other parasites by piercing their exoskeleton. I've heard of people sprinkling it around their home, especially next to baseboards, and I know farmers put it in their grain silos to keep the bugs out. There is actually a food grade D. E., which means you probably eat some everyday and don't even know it, since it's used in grains! That might be something good to use in the future or even as a preventative!
If it were me, I'd use Frontline on Bella, even though she has liver issues too, if fleas ever got to the point of biting me, because that would mean the problem was bigger than Dawn, etc... can handle. I don't think it's the Frontline not working, I think you're probably still in the process of getting the fleas under control. I definitely think you have a bigger problem than you can see....those nasty buggers multiply so quickly, it doesn't take long for that to happen! |
Doesn't boric acid accom;ish the same thing as DE?
I had to vacuum it up before the dogs could get to it though and am worried about the BA safety...
I hate using pesticides on Ellie because of her liver but another huge concern is that she can be a sensitive little girl and her vet and her back-up vet weren't in yesterday I don't think. The other vets around here I don't really want touching her, so I was in a spot. We had never used Frontline on her before. I did it anyway because obviously I had no choice and she did just fine.
Although when the big dog got her Frontline she scratched quite a bit (fleas dying probably) and Ellie didn't. I am not even convinced Ellie had an issue at all...only a couple of them that who knows if they laid eggs or not. After a was around the big dog looking through her hair, I had one in my hair.
I'm not surprised I got bit because the big dog was on the couch and Ellie and I are attached for a lot of the day, so just one crawling on her could've caused that.
Big dog is still scraching up a storm but I only saw one after using FL, so I'm sure they're either bites that are making her scratch or she keeps getting them from somewhere. Our house is sprayed and it is extremely cold here, so I'm not sure if outside is the problem.
Ellie never has issues out there. I am thinking maybe it was the big dog's crate and I washed it but could only use Dawn, which I know will not do a thing for the eggs, because there is no way I could rinse it well, so I couldn't use chemicals. Because I have cleaned about as much as I am going to for now, if I see another one of the big dog, the vet will be hearing from me.
I think Comfortis only does adults for one month. It kills them so they can't lay eggs but it won't help with the eggs already on the dog. I'm sure capstar is similar, so we will see.
Oh, and to top it all off, I decided that I would have to get over it and treat Ellie but she walked in her "business" and had to have a half bath. Who knows if the FL will continue to work now since it hasn't been 48 hours and I do NOT want to retreat her.
