Fleas?!

[MarriedaGoalie]

So... anyone have a problem with fleas on a pet? Our kitten, Mercedes, has them all over her! We've tried the spraying thing and the flea collar... and today went to invest in a flea comb and flea shampoo. Any other ideas? We really want to get rid of them before we move into our new home! HELP!!! :confused:

[southerner]

Advantage is a gel that comes in small tubes and you put it on the back of their neck once a month. Works like a charm for our cats, worth the money. It is a little pricey, but you can shop around. We get ours on ebay.

[MarriedaGoalie]

That's what the vet told me to get and I didn't because it was a little costly... I guess I should have! I've probably spent that much on misc. crap for her... Thanks for the advice!

[southerner]

just noticed you close on a new house in two days. go get the stuff now!!! if at all possible, avoid bringing your cat into your new home with fleas. It will be a great opportunity for you to avoid a potentially vicious cycle. Also, I'd recommend getting more than one month of treatments for your cat. For piece of mind, we treated our cats for three months. In fact, our vet said a lot of people do it every month as a precautionary measure, esp, if it's an outdoor kitty!

[Weddings by]

I've only used Frontline Plus from our vet.

I would love to know of some more experiences with Advantage. My grandmother said that the 2 dogs on whom she has tried it got hyper or acted odd in some way. It would be nice to know that that wasn't a typical reaction, because then I could buy it for my dog and cats and save some money. (I've been told that it costs less than Frontline. :) ) Thanks!

I hope your cat gets over the fleas.

[tlew12778]

My sister had a huge flea problem once. She had to get in an exterminator twice! The exterminator told her that the eggs can last for 2 weeks in your carpet and in your vacuum bag so basically you need to bomb twice, two weeks apart, in order to kill the second hatching.

We use frontline and have never had a flea problem. Advantage is similar. There is another product called Stronghold (http://www.emea.eu.int/vetdocs/vets/Epar/stronghold/strongholdL.htm) which is even more expensive than both Frontline and Advantage but it also protects against filaria (heartworms). We were thinking of switching to it this year but I had leftover Frontline from last year that I wanted to use up. I think btwn the cost of the heartworm meds every summer and the frontline, the cost of stronghold is the same.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Well I think I am going to take your advice and go get some Advantage as soon as we get a chance. I also believe that the kitten is going to be staying in the garage for the next couple of weeks... just to make sure all the fleas are gone! Thanks for all the advice, ladies! :)

[Jane&Andy]

MarriedaGoalie - definitely use Advantage. Its safer and more effective than the products you can buy elsewhere (not directly from your vet). Give the kitten a good bath before bringing it to your new home. Frequent flea combing also helps. Years ago before all these flea products were available I had 3 cats that were badly infested. I flea combed each of them every day and every day I saw fewer and fewer fleas. It wasn't fun but it worked. I locked myself in the little half bathroom with them so that I could toss the fleas into the toilet and it helped me control the cat (less room for them to run).

Weddingsby - Frontline also protects against ticks and Advantage does not. That is why Frontline is more expensive.

I've used Frontline and Advantage on my dog (switched from Advantage to Frontline after finding ticks on my dog) and Advantage on my cats. The products seemed to work well without any adverse side effects.

[steviem]

MarriedaGoalie,

We just adopted 3 kittens who were COVERED with fleas- it was awful!

Anyway, we bought Advantage and this stuff is amazing. A word of caution, however: For kittens under 8 lbs, you won't use the entire vile- just a few drops.

Within 12 hrs of applying the Advantage, all the fleas were gone! It was so great :D

Good luck!

[greenbunny]

Don't use Hartz products. They have been known to cause seizures and death. There is a warning thread here about it. The government recalled a bunch of their products. I wouldn't touch the brand with a ten-foot pole.

Advantage and Frontline are the only products I would trust. 1800PetMeds is a good place to start, but there are similar sites that are cheaper because they don't advertise as heavily.

[PrincessDivine]

I used frontline on my cat and she never had a problem with fleas again

[kindermom]

We used Advantage on our cat with a flea allergy. It worked wonders almost overnight.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Don't use Hartz products. They have been known to cause seizures and death. There is a warning thread here about it. The government recalled a bunch of their products. I wouldn't touch the brand with a ten-foot pole.

Wonderful! We just sprayed her like 6 times yesterday with the Hartz spray! I really hope she's alive when we come home today. :(

[PrincessTommi]

I picked up kitty #2, Bella, as a stray. She had fleas. We got Advantage from the vet, and treated her and our first kitty. I used the flea comb for a couple of days, and sprayed the carpet in the room where we kept her for a few days before letting her run loose. Haven't had any other problems with fleas since then.

[StClaire]

Just FYI- we noticed our kitties had some fleas on them so I called the vet to get some Frontlne and she also gave me a pill to give them which kills all fleas on the cat within 30 minutes. It was crazy- I gave it to the cats, who happened to be laying on the counter and I came back to find dead fleas where the cats had been laying. Then I put the Frontline on them and they haven't had any fleas since. You might ask for the pill though, it was a quick fix until the Frontline kicked in.

[MarriedaGoalie]

I hadn't ever heard of a pill! Thank you, I will ask! :)

Btw, good news! I came home and she's still alive... so at least the Hartz stuff didn't kill her! haha

[HEW?B]

I used frontline on my cats and it worked really well. The first time I tried it though I got soooooo worried about my cat. She got a tiny bit in her mouth and started to run around like crazy and froth at the mouth. I quickly put her in a bath and really had no idea what to do. I called my vet and she said that happens sometimes when the cat gets the product in their mouth. It was no major problem but it really frightened me so try to be cautious and not get the stuff in a place where you cat can lick it. Best of luck and congrats on your new home. I bet 2pm can not come fast enough for you!!!

[sandt8704]

Another Advantage advocate here!

[Ohana]

We use Frontline, and I was told the same thing as a PP said...that the eggs can be sucked up in your vacuum, where they stay and hatch. So I put a flea collar in the vacuum when we're having flea problems. I was also advised by the vet to wash anything the cat tends to sit or sleep on in hot hot water.

[yby1]

I think that the Advatange works better for flea protection than Frontline. Not that the Frontline is bad at all, but the Advantage is a little better. I switched my doggie to Frontline Plus for the tick protection since we take her to the dog park often. It's great.

[Whitters20]

In my experience, Frontline Plus (drops) is the only thing that has worked for us. Before, I was just using stuff from the grocery store and it wasn't working. (We have two completely indoor cats and one indoor/outdoor dog) I have found that I can use the cheap Hartz products (the drops) during the winter months. Also, I mostly find that the "over the counter" products will often keep fleas off of our pets but they won't actually kill the fleas if they do get them. Our dog was completely flea free until last week, when he caught them from the boarders. So, I got some more Frontline and 24 hours later, he was flea free again! We did try a spray that we got at the vet's office when we first got our second cat, but it made them sick, so we threw it out. I can't remember the name though.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Thanks for all the tips! It looks like Advantage/Frontline is the key!

[Cosmogirl]

MarriedaGoalie Advantage/frontline/revolution...all the stuff from your vet will work. (Word of one! :p )as long as you apply it like suggested, and you do AT LEAST 3 months of treatment. As for the fleas that could be in your house (even if your cat stays in the garage, the fleas might really well get in your house...), the product will eventually get to them. Once they hatch, a flea has one purpose in life, get on an animal. So they will find your cat, and jump on them. But since they will still be treated with one of the product mentionned previously, they'll die! So in 3 months your house will be flea free.

Now one thing, DON'T GIVE A BATH to your animal after treating them with frontline or advantage. The product stays on the skin, and if you wash your animal, the product isn't as efficient. You can give a bath prior to putting the product.
If you cats are going to go out, or have contacts form other cats that goes out, you should put the product each month. Otherwise, they could get reinfected!(execpt if you live in a country like mine, where we have snow and really cold winter...)
Good luck!

Steviem Anyway, we bought Advantage and this stuff is amazing. A word of caution, however: For kittens under 8 lbs, you won't use the entire vile- just a few drops.
There are prodcut made for cat under 8 pounds. You should always use that if your cat is under 8 pounds, because otherwise, you might not put enough product on your cat, and it is not going to work...(or you'll apply too much, and then it can be dangerous...)

[tgr68]

If you ever bathe your cat, our vet told us to use Pert Plus. She said it's a natural flea killer. We use it on our lab, and have very seldom spotted fleas on her!

After the Pert Plus treatment, it is still okay to use some of the flea killing products other posters have mentioned.

Good luck!

[daphne]

We just discoved that our cat has fleas (yuk), but I'm concerned about the flea control treaments because of our 9-month old son. Has anyone used these treatments w/babies in the house???

Where can you buy Advantage?

Thank you!

[Jane&Andy]

you can buy Advantage from your vet.

[MarriedaGoalie]

Well she appears to not have any anymore... but I'll definitely keep an eye on her and probably buy some advantage anyways for preventative reasoning.

[sarahh]

I have a question...

I was just told our kitty has fleas. I definitely plan on giving her a frontline treatment, but should I do something with our house to make sure all the fleas are gone?

My BIL came to visit at the end of July and after he had been there for a day decided to tell us that his cat had just died from a MASSIVE flea infestation. I was soooo mad. I am assuming that is where my kitties fleas are from. The hitched a ride on my BIL he came to visit.

Anyways...my DH and I have not noticed any flea bites so I am assuming we don't have a huge problem on our hands. Is there anything I can buy to spray the house with or vacuum with just in case?

[Ole Miss Bride]

daphne, the topical flea treatments you put on your pet (like Advantage or Frontline) should not be a problem at all for your son. Just as long as he's not licking the stuff off the cat, he should be fine. ;)

-Betsy

[daphne]

Thanks, Betsy! Luckily, my cat (daphne) doesn't allow my ds to get too close to her ;)

eta - Betsy: I just read your sig - congratulations on your December baby! (My son was born last December, the 9th).

[Brandles]

Dumb question--after you use Advantage or a flea collar, do the fleas leave? We just found fleas on our INSIDE cat for the first time since she was a kitten (14 years ago). I put a new flea collar on her.

Another thing I ALWAYS do is cut the old collar up and put it in the vaccume bag. I also cut the remaining new flea collar into a few pieces and put it in there to kill any that might be there. This time I also changed the bag and put the collars in the new one.

[Ole Miss Bride]

Brandles, my cats are strictly indoor cats, and we have to treat them regularly for fleas. I'm in south Louisiana, so that's probably why. But yes, they should leave. I use Frontline on my cats, and I've never seen a flea in my house.

I tried skimping on the monthly flea applications, spacing it out to every 6-8 weeks. Since my kitties are indoors, I didn't think it would be a problem. Wrongo. My older cat developed worms (which he got from ingesting an infected flea), and it was just about the most disgusting thing I've ever witnessed in my life. I will never try to stretch out their flea applications again. ICK!

-Betsy

[tlew12778]

I don't know about that. Both Advantix and Frontline are insecticides (according to my vet) so they will kill any flea that bites your cat(s). But if the fleas lay eggs in your house, and those eggs hatch 2 weeks later, you will be re-infested. My sister had this problem. The exterminator told her to 1) treat the dog with a flea bath then frontline or something similar 2) bomb the house 3) bomb the house 2 weeks later.

[Rico'sAlice]

Before you get the frontline/advantage I would give the cat several repeated baths ASAP to get all of the Hertz product off. She may not me dead today (yay!) but I wouldn't want that left on her.

[Tonysweetie]

*bump* I'm bumping this up b/c yesterday I've noticed the Max (my 1 year old indoor kitty) has fleas. I have NO clue where they are coming from b/c he's been here for a year now and never had any problems. How much is taht advantage stuff for cats. I'm going to treat both my kitties since I noticed it on him. TIA!

[daphne]

Tonysweetie It's not that much - maybe $40?

[Renee34]

Our cats had fleas and we treated them with Advantage, it worked great. To kill the remaining fleas I took the advice from someone on the WC a while ago. Pour salt (alot) all over your carpet (make sure it gets in deep) and leave it there for 24 hrs, then vaccum up really well. It worked for us...I don't like the idea of bombing our house.

[tlew12778]

Tonysweetie It's not that much - maybe $40?
$40 for a three month supply (of frontline or 4 months for advantage), not one month. You may also want to look into the bigger packs since you have 2 cats. There is a frontline 12 pack which would be good for 6 months. It probably expires in a few years too so if you have leftovers at the end of the summer, you can just use them next year.

[beakersmom]

Just wanted to say that the pill everyone was talking about before is called capstar and works wonders.

There really have been tons of problems with Hartz products and cats......and it's not pretty when there's a reaction.

Advantage or Frontline is really the way to go for flea control and prevention. It really stinks when you have to get rid of the fleas instead of just preventing them. It's worth the cost to control it.

[lorbo]

i could be wrong because i haven't been involved in the sale of frontline for many years...but frontline never had an expiration date...i'm not sure about advantage. i've been using frontline for cats and dogs that i was given free(gotta love general practice for that:D ) and i left general practice in 2002. no fleas on dogs/cats-the ones at my parents' house.

advantage is a four pack for about 40 bucks...

[tlew12778]

Yeah it does have an expiration date. I found out the hard way this year... I am never ordering it off the internet again bc the stuff you get in the store expires in like 3-4 years whereas I got the bum pack that expired the next year.

Granted, that doesn't mean it goes bad when it expires.

[JoM]

Hi:

I haven't read through the entire thread, so I apologize if this has already been mentioned.

When I adopted one of my cats, as a kitten, he had a lot of fleas. When I took him to the vet for his check-up, he told me that because he was so young (8 weeks), he was too young for a flea collar and the other flea treatments. He told me to give him a bath using Joy dishwashing detergent! The vet said he didn't know WHY it worked, but it did.

So, we took our kitten home and bathed him with the lemon JOY. Although it was not fun bathing a kitten, it definitely got rid of the fleas. If you decide to do this, I recommend you have someone help you:D

Good luck!

[ManteoChik]

I just thought I'd throw in my two cents.

We use Frontline for our lab and it works like a charm. We never used flea collars on any of our pets and were later told by our vet that there is no point in wasting money on them because they don't work. We pay $60/box and its a 6 month supply.

FTR, flea medicines only kill fleas once they are on your pet - it doesn't stop them from coming on. Our dog is HIGHLY allergic (more so than any animal we've ever had) and one bite has her itching for weeks.

[jki]

Just giving this a bump up....

We have fleas in our house but we don't have any pets! I'm assuming the kids somehow brought them inside from the backyard. I need to get rid of them but I don't want to use anything toxic because my kids are so young.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[mjfish]

Try Diatomaceous Earth (http://www.perma-guard.com/household.html) -- be sure to buy food grade DE only. Good for pet and non-pet households alike! :)