Holy Fleas...Coincidence?

[Breanna]

Crush has been on regular flea and tick prevention sine I got her (Frontline). However, after a couple weeks I will see a flea or two. I think they are in our backyard and she picks them up out there. It then takes awhile for them to die off. Thankfully we have hardwood floors and leather couches, so not a lot of soft places for them to multiple. I keep everything very clean, too. Well today I was rubbing her belly and counted about six fleas right in ONE SPOT! I said heck with the frontline and started researching a little more about essential oils (which are much healthier than pesticides). I rubbed therapeutic grade lemongrass all over her body and sent her outside where they would hopefully flee (get it?). About 30 minutes later I do a full body check and did not find a single flea. If this is not just a coincidence then I am convinced and will be switching to essential oils instead of the seemingly useless flea and tick preventatives. Thoughts? Experiences? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The problem is that if there is already a flea infestation in your home, whatever you use to repel fleas from the dog is not going to help with that. It is extremely difficult to get rid of them once they are there. One flea lays thousands of eggs, and the flea lifecycle is extremely difficult to break. The eggs and larva are microscopic and can easily fall into the cracks in hardwood floors and between sofa cushions into the fabric lining. They can really be anywhere that the dog has spent any time. The benefit to Frontline and similar products is that it breaks the flea life cycle and prevents any fleas that do bite the dog from reproducing. 

Also, be aware that almost all essential oils are extremely toxic to cats, just in case you have one. 

[Breanna]

We get a monthly pest control treatment...wouldn't that help? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The chemicals have to be speficially targetted to fleas, and then there are things you have to do afterwards to force the fleas to emerge. Normal pest control treatment doesn't kill dormant eggs or larva, they have to emerge and be exposed to the chemicals in order to be eradicated. It usually takes repeated treatments and constant vaccuuming, (the vibrations cause the dormant larva to emerge, as well as help to remove some of the eggs). You even have to empty the vacuum canister or bag after every use, because these things can even survive in there. I don't think an atomic bomb would destroy them, lol.  I've been through this, and it was truly a nightmare. 

[Rita and Fazzy]

Any thought in putting nematodes in the yard to keep the fleas down in the yard??  I hear about that here locally in the Pacific NW....

[F, Calla & Luca]

That is interesting. I use bacteria, to infect Japanese beetle grubs and it helps a lot. I used the Bt about 20 years ago . This year I noticed some more beetles so I reapplied it. If these nematode so target fleas it might well work. I just found this.
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes/89

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Post after post with infestation, always comes back to Frontline. Now, I know, there are committed Frontline users out there but it is important to purchase Frontline only at the Vets office.

Did you know, Frontline can only be purchased by a Vet?   Any other products, and that includes retailers are either bootlegged copies or bought from a broker ( meaning a vet bought mass quantities and sold them off)

Be careful what and where we purchase products

[F, Calla & Luca]

There is some controversy about whether that only from a vet is true. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'm struggling to find the source.... My apologies in advance

What I read and understood, written by an undercover Vet, was that brokers pay high dollar to get substances for resale. Frontline was the product most abused as it has high demand in the market < versus other drugs most retailers wont sell> and is easy to turn over.

If the brokers cant get these products, they will find them elsewhere- bootlegged products from other countries.

Then they are repackaged and sold 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The FDA issued a warning about counterfeit flea & tick products this past July: http://www2.epa.gov/pets/avoid-counterfeit-pesticide-products-dogs-...

While it doesn't mention getting the products from vets, common sense tells me that it would be much more likely that the counterfeit product would be sold to vendors on ebay, amazon, etc rather than to your vet. Vets generally buy from the manufacturer.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

This was not an FDA press release.  Yes, I've seen those. This was just an article written by a vet who was asked to do some crooked dealings.  He described what actually goes on, the money exchanged, the demand for the products, the money that could be made,  etc.

He described his office as a warehouse. How he bought thousands of cases of product to be bought by brokers.  These brokers constantly change their names and locations. 

The manufacturers never asked him why he would purchase enough Frontline to supply the entire state.  They just didnt care.  He could purchase as much as he wanted.

Going back to your statement, " Vets generally buy from the manufacturer" this is correct.  I understood this also.

The article was how retailers try to get these products from Vets so they can be resold and all the  black market ways  retailers get a hold of the products. The real products.

Think drug dealers only this is pharmaceutical products for animals.

We can only hope we get the real products if we purchase from online pharmacies, etc but the article outlined when the real product is not available  ( they cant find a crooked vet to get the product) black market products come into play.

Such an ordeal. 

[Jennifer and Jack]

I buy mine from Costco....how can a store of that magnitude and quantity be buying bootlegged product? I seriously am curious because I will return it and buy from vet! I use Frontline Plus.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Merial has always claimed that they sell only to vets, so unless that policy has changed, the big box stores are getting it from somewhere else. 

Some years back, I called Merial to ask if they sold to Foster & Smith, which is where I was buying JD's Heartgard and Frontline. I was concerned about getting counterfeit product. They told me that they did sell to F & S because F & S have licensed veterinarians on staff. I'm pretty sure Costco does not, lol.

You could call Merial and ask if they sell to Costco.