Flea Control Products for Doodles

[Leslie C.]

I'm exhausted from trying to gain control over the flea infestation my Goldendoodle, cat, & home have been battling this summer.
The article re: pesticides - http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/123420/pesticides_in_pet_pro...
will remind you to take these chemicals seriously.
Presently we have been using Frontline Plus and the fleas are laughing at it . . . I brought home Vectra 3D from the vet's office to try on my doodle.
I'm nervous about switching over mid month - i.e. - she got the Frontline plus 2 weeks ago - different chemicals in these products.

Any current thoughts? Thanks, Leslie & LiliBear

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

This stuff sounds really interesting, sounds like it covers a lot like the Revolution does and ear mites, actually the price is not bad at all if you consider most flea stuff cost at least 40.00 to 80.00 through the vet for 3 months. I know I paid over $60.00 for the Revolution for 6 months of treatment and that was just for Honey. Does the product have a life - shelf warranty on it that it will be good for next year, or expiration date. My only draw back so far and would have to check and see is... if I spray this indoors at all...can it harm my african gray parrot.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

That I do not know, email the company.

[Barbara Burrows]

I would ask your vet about how and when you should switch to Vectra. I have always had both of mine on Frontline Plus and have not had any problems with fleas or ticks. I do know people that have had to switch from Frontline Plus. I also use MinkSheen shampoo from Touch of Mink. It can be used on dogs and cats.
Hope you find something that works for your pets and they will be flea free soon.....

[Sabrina Avants]

When we brought our doodle home she was also infested with fleas. We used Frontline or Advantage for a month, but would still see a random flea. Plus every time she would go in the water or get a bath .. well it just wasn't trustworthy with us. We got Bella on Confortis. A once a month pill and we haven't seen anything. She stopped scratching at her skin. If you buy 6 months, the pills are about $13 each and if you buy one month at a time about $19. The pills are given with her food and Bella just chews it up. It apparently has a meat flavor to it. So, that is our testimony. Good luck :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Leslie, once you have an infestation in the house, you are going to have to address that separately from whatever products you are using on the pets. The flea's life cycle makes it very difficult to destroy, as they can live dormant in the larve stage for over a year in rugs, cracks in floors, etc.
I had a flea infestation about 5 years ago that cost me about $5000 and took 3 months to get rid of. I had never used any kind of flea preventative, and it really took off before I knew what was happening. It was so bad the fleas were biting and infecting me. This was after both dog & cat had been given flea baths twice and were being treated. Remember, the fleas have to bite the dog to die from the topical product. The ones that don't bite are living in the house dormant, and will spring to life at various times to continue the vicious cycle.
I did a lot of research on the fleas themselves to find out what to do to get rid of them. It is going to take more than frequent vacuuming...for example, you do know that you have to put borax in the vacuum bags and then immediately dispose of them outside of the house in sealed bags every day after you vacuum, right? If you use a bagless vacuum, no good...the eggs are in the vacuum. If this sounds like a horror story, I am not even scratching the surface. Suffice to say that I had to replace all the mattresses in the house, and have the house bombed three times to finally eradicate them.
Hopefully, it is not that bad in your house, but I would seriously think about having the house bombed again, professionally if you didn't do that before. Everybody has to leave for several hours. The do-it-yourself kind didn't work for me. I know it's a really scary thought, but you have to get rid of all the eggs and larve or the pets will keep getting infested.
I am soooooo sorry you are having to deal with this. Nobody can understand how horrible it is until they've lived through it. Just thinking about it is making me itch again!

[Leslie C.]

Hi, Karen and Jack.
Thanks for the reply and information. It definitely sounds like you have lived through this nightmare at a very high cost. It has been exhausting and my puppy is not happy about being restricted from playing with her friends . . . recently she must have pounched on my keyboard and now I have one impaired key :(
With guidance from the vet's office, I applied the Vectra 3d in an effort to cut down on the fleas. It seems to be helping as I only saw one flea on Lili and that one looked dazed. she is chewing and scratching & i'm still finding fleas on my cat . . . I will either re-apply the Frontline Plus again on her or also change her product. yes, I have been getting rid of the vacuum bags but i did not know about using borax in the bags - thanks . . . Lili goes for a bath tomorrow . . . i'm going to give her crate and 10 million toys a bleach down bath . . . I would keep writing but it is slow and difficult with a broken keyboard . . . Lili gets spayed in 6 days and my goal is to have her free of flea dirt, fleas & any other flea stage or parasite before she goes in . . .
I appreciate the info you have shared and info others have shared & look forward to benefitting from all of the advice . . . Thanks, Leslie, LiliBear & Splatters of Color

[Karen & Lucy]

I have used Adantix on Lucy from day one and she has never had a flea

[Candace Lockett]

Program or Sentinel. (Same active ingredient, Sentinel is heartworm also.) These are the only products that work for us. Neither product kills adult fleas, but all other stages and prevents reproduction. The adult stage is the shortest stage in a flea's life cycle, however.

[Ali]

Oh I feel for you. I had an infestation in my house 2 years ago, and I still have scars on my legs from the flea bites. It was the worst thing ever because I could not sleep. The fleas were not caused from the dog but from a possum and it's babies living in my wall and then being taken out through the house. I could see the fleas jump off the rodent. My roommate took her dog to her parents to get the dog out but that just caused them to start biting me. Since the pest control company took out the possum, I called them so many times, then had my mother call (she is good at yelling) because I held them responsible for this disaster. They gave me a prescription grade (you can't get at stores) flea spray that kills fleas at all life stages. I sprayed in every crack, every corner, lifted the mattresses on the beds and sprayed under them, sprayed underneath whole bed, behind everything, anything you can think of spray. I also had a vacuum that was bag-less so every time I vacuum I would spray with the flea control in the vacuum before and after. You have to be extremely thorough. I also heard that you can put flea collars in the vacuum container as well. I also bombed the place 2 different times. I did not have to throw out my mattresses. The sprays will protect for 7 months after the infestation has been dealt with. Now every 7 months I spray my place even if I don't have an infestation just to prevent one. I would treat the house until you do not see one flea, but also go to a hotel/motel until then. It's not cool once they are biting you as well.