I found two fleas on one of our dogs. It's been several years since we last noticed any. Do any of you recommend a particular shampoo or spray (for carpet or for putting on dogs directly)? I already put a bowl of water + dish soap underneath a lamp on the bedroom floor (which is carpeted). I read that this works well. Will keep the dogs out of there until we take them to their bed-time crates later.
I use frontline spot on for the cats and dogs if they get them, which is not very often, but I use non toxic staykill spray for furniture and rugs, I don’t have carpets downstairs so it isn’t a real problem for me and the dogs don’t go upstairs in the bedrooms neither do the cats to be honest
I've used Advantage over the counter and Bravecto prescribed. Both have worked well. As for house and yard, this is my routine. Years ago, when a neighbor moved away with his dog, he left a completely infested yard and the fleas "jumped" the fence to my yard. Just walking outside into my backyard had hundreds of fleas jumping on me. I did this and I never had another flea in the 5 years I lived there. When I moved to my current home, I did it before I moved the animals in. It's been 25 years and I have only used flea treatment on the animals if we are going somewhere that is likely to have fleas or ticks or on a new animal when it first arrives. When I took in the 11 kittens, they were covered in fleas. I confined them to the bathroom and treated them and sprayed just outside the door. After 24 hours, I removed their bedding and all the towels, washed them and returned them. That was it. No fleas. My vet has stopped recommending I treat the animals because each time she did I told her my process and dared her to find any sign of a flea on any of my animals - she never has. Day One: 1. Treat pets with preferred monthly flea treatment; 2. Wash all bedding, washable throw pillows,, curtains, etc; 3. Vaccuum and then spray all non-washable fabrics (upholstery, drapes, carpets, etc) with Zodiak household spray; 4. Spray yard (grass and decking and concrete and dirt) with Zodiak yard and kennel spray. Day 14: 1. Respray house; 2. Respray yard. If signs of a flea at any time in the next few months, repeat the process. Fleas have the following life cycle: Adult flea lays their eggs. In 2-12 days, the egss hatch into larvae that live in carpet, crevices, grass, frabrics, etc. The larvae last 5-15 days (by washing all bedding, etc, you minimize the available food resources) and then coccoon themselves. The pupa (coccooned larvae) can last years before hatching if there is no host nearby, but normally hatches within 14 days into adult fleas who will start feeding and laying eggs. With the above treatment, on day one, you are killing off all the adults and larvae, so no new eggs are laid and no more coccooning occurs. On day 14, you are killing all the newly hatched larvae before they can coccoon and all the newly hatched adults before they can lay eggs (they have to feed on animals first and the animals are treated so the flea dies immediately). In areas with cold winters, you may need to repeat the process in spring as the pupa can hold off emerging from the coccoons. Here, our weather is fairly mild so they usually emerge within that 14 days.
I haven't had a flea on my dogs for years, I really don't know why. I do keep a household spray in my dog cupboard. The current one is unopened and branded RSPCA - I don't even think it is sold any more. When I had Cavaliers just one of my regular seven would pick up an occasional cat flea - must be to do with preferred blood types. I used to bath her with a flea control shampoo, followed by a thorough fine tooth combing, and herbal powder under her bed pad. This seemed to work well for her. The life cycles of the flea and certain worms, particularly tapeworm, can be linked, so it is advisable that the next routine worming should include coverage for tapeworm.
