How do you control fleas?

[max's mom]

I can not find a product that really keeps the fleas off Max. I am now using Advantage once a month drops....but the fleas are back in 2-3 weeks. Some of the other products have made him sick.....listless, drooling, etc...so I have to be very careful. I have also thot about herbal or other over the counter things....but a Vet told me that they aren't really effective. Oral preventatives seem to be too strong for him too....What is working for you?

Max's Mom

[fasteddie]

You can wash the bedding, vacuum, and get the flea spray. You don't need to bomb the house, but you can flea spray and vacuum it up. You can also try a different diet, like Raw Advantage. That can cause their skin to smell a different way to fleas, and fleas don't like it. Talk to your pet store about Raw Advantage dog food. We used it successfully for Yoda about a year ago in the summertime. Let us know if that works for you!

[bettyeanne]

Originally Posted by max's mom

I can not find a product that really keeps the fleas off Max. I am now using Advantage once a month drops....but the fleas are back in 2-3 weeks. Some of the other products have made him sick.....listless, drooling, etc...so I have to be very careful. I have also thot about herbal or other over the counter things....but a Vet told me that they aren't really effective. Oral preventatives seem to be too strong for him too....What is working for you?

Max's Mom

We use Advantage on Toto ... from the vet. "Dr. Lucy" told us not to use the Advantage from Wal-Mart, etc. She also said to only use 1/2 vial because Toto is so small. She only had a flea once [when we were in Missouri] ... I was bathing her and saw it and went into screaming hysterics!! She weighed less than 2 lbs then and everything scared me! Like I have said before, we have our vet on "speed-dial" and she simply had us go to a local vet, got Advantage [applied it with a syringe to the middle of her shoulders] ... haven't seen a flea since! We just apply it once a month ... same day she gets her 1/2 heartworm pill!! I would discuss this with my vet if I were you ... good luck!

[bettyeanne]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

You can wash the bedding, vacuum, and get the flea spray. You don't need to bomb the house, but you can flea spray and vacuum it up. You can also try a different diet, like Raw Advantage. That can cause their skin to smell a different way to fleas, and fleas don't like it. Talk to your pet store about Raw Advantage dog food. We used it successfully for Yoda about a year ago in the summertime. Let us know if that works for you!

That makes sense!! We were also told that about mosquitoes and humans ... not Raw Advantage, but vitamin B!! Patrick's sister said that if we started taking the vitamin before camping season that it makes the skin smell different and helps to ward off mosquitoes! BTW ... Bill O'Reilly [FOX news] is doing a piece tonight on "Killer Canines". That should be interesting ... maybe it will alert small dog owners about protecting their little ones more closely!!

[max's mom]

I also use Advantage from the vet.....but it lasts only 2-3 weeks...I bathe Max once a week so don't know if the bath reduces the effectiveness of the med..I also vacuum the furniture, carpet and wash the bedding. Have never heard of Raw Advantage...can you get it at Petsmart? Does it come in tiny bite size?...Honestly I have not found a single product that actually keeps him flea free.....I have done everything that I know to do. Thanks for the feedback!

Max's mom

[fasteddie]

Yes, Raw Advantage you can get at the pet store, Petsmart should have it. Yorkies should easily be able to eat it. Have you tried flea collars? Or electronic flea collars? I do not know the effectiveness of either, however...

And bettyeanne, if ou watch O'Reilly, let us know what he says on the show today.

[bettyeanne]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

Yes, Raw Advantage you can get at the pet store, Petsmart should have it. Yorkies should easily be able to eat it. Have you tried flea collars? Or electronic flea collars? I do not know the effectiveness of either, however...

And bettyeanne, if ou watch O'Reilly, let us know what he says on the show today.

Yep! Be glad to .. will update you!

[Higgin's Mom]

Our little Higgins, now 4 1/2 months old, came to us while we were camping in Florida for the winter. We also found two WONDERFUL vets for him there and wish we could have brought them home to Maine with us!

At any rate, Advantix (Advantage + stuff for ticks) was their reccommendation and we haven't seen a flea yet! We have been using Frontline on our other dog, Pogo, for years with total success, also. Both dogs seem to tolerate it well. Note: I did try the somewhat cheaper OTC brand a few years ago and it did NOT work, so I'm a firm believer in getting it from the vet.

I am also a firm believer in a flea-free environment indoors! If those nasty little buggers get a foothold inside, you just HAVE to take everyone out for a few days and bomb that house until it is bug free.....then never let them back in! Vacuuming often is the best defense.

Best of luck....

Mary Ellen

[fasteddie]

Good tips, Higgin's Mom... Once fleas get in, it's a big pain to get rid of them! Sometimes you never know when your Yorkie plays with other dogs, as many owners are pretty lazy about the care for their dogs and may let them have fleas without knowing it...

[Junebug]

Otis uses Advantage, and that seems to work fine.

But once I ran out of Advantage, and I found a flea on Otis, and this is what we had to resort to:

[bettyeanne]

Originally Posted by Junebug

Otis uses Advantage, and that seems to work fine.

But once I ran out of Advantage, and I found a flea on Otis, and this is what we had to resort to:

That is toooo funny!!!!

[fasteddie]

Bwahahaha! YORKIE PORN!

Did Otis cry during the tattooing? :P

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

Bwahahaha! YORKIE PORN!

Did Otis cry during the tattooing? :P

MikeM took that photo a loooong time ago!! I think I also wrote "OTIS" on one of his ears at the time. Please don't report me to PETA. It was a non-lead ink pen.

No...Otis didn't cry. He likes to be picked and poked at, which is great, because I have a penchant for picking and poking.

[fasteddie]

Originally Posted by Junebug

MikeM took that photo a loooong time ago!! I think I also wrote "OTIS" on one of his ears at the time. Please don't report me to PETA. It was a non-lead ink pen.

No...Otis didn't cry. He likes to be picked and poked at, which is great, because I have a penchant for picking and poking.

I'm not a big fan of PETA's methods and policies, so you're safe, for now! :P
That's crazy you would think about writing on Otis... hahahah, so how well do fleas read? Have they been back on Otis lately?

[Junebug]

Do not use the generic cheaper imitation of Advantage on your pets.

A friend of mine who has three cats decided to cut costs by buying the cheaper version of Advantage you find at the drugstore. She said her cats became very lethargic and listless after using it, even the most energic kitty out of the bunch got sick.

So please be kind to your Yorkies and buy the real stuff at the vet!