Pet Lovers I need help with fleas.

[dnalexander]

I hope my fellow forum pet lovers can help me. I have been trying to find a non chemical way to keep fleas off my cat Lucky and my dog Kansas. I have done all of the regular steps with spraying the yard, doing the inside of the house with insecticide, vacuuming, high quality dog\cat food, all the home remedies, garlic, tea tree oil, lemon grass, brewer's yeast,diatamaceous earth\Fossil sea shell powder and combinations etc. The only thing that seems to work is using Frontline Plus with all of the other basics your vet tells you. Does anyone know of a non chemical way that works better than Frontline Plus or Advantage? I have gone back to Frontline just because it works, but hope you all may have some ideas.

David

[jprxmkt]

Don't know a non chemical way, but those little buggers are TERRIBLE in your house! We had 2 cats in the house for a while til our ankles couldn't stand the flea bites. Needless to say we had to put the cats outside and scratch for a month or more til the insecticides killed all the hatching ones. AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!!!! Awful! good luck!

[sixdogsmom]

Frontline is about it. I did treat the yard earlier this year with Terro granules for a very bad ant infestation and it seems to have done away with the fleas also. We have seven dogs and three cats, and have not had to treat so far this year. There is a new flea med available just this year also, as with any insecticide, they eventually get immune and the attack has to be changed. Good luck!

[dnalexander]

SDM, as for yard treatment for bugs including fleas, and to keep down internal parasites I use the diatamaceous earth\fossil shell flour recommended by a local vet that went to school in Manhattan, KS. It is used in grain and feed to make it "slide better" and there is a strong belief that it also reduced worms in livestock. Then farmers spread it on fields to control bugs. The small crystalline shapes are extremely sharp. They puncture the hard shell of insects and then the natural drying action of calcium dehydrates the bug till it dies. I have used it for a year now and I have not made up my mind, but it seems to do a good job on killing bugs in the yard. As for killing internal parasites and using it as a dust powder to control fleas I am still undecided. Just so you know this product is a food grade product approved for human consumption. I will use Frontline and chemicals till I find a good solution. Just happy that there is an alternative to hanging an insecticide laden collar around their neck.

David

[srkruzich]

I hope my fellow forum pet lovers can help me. I have been trying to find a non chemical way to keep fleas off my cat Lucky and my dog Kansas. I have done all of the regular steps with spraying the yard, doing the inside of the house with insecticide, vacuuming, high quality dog\cat food, all the home remedies, garlic, tea tree oil, lemon grass, brewer's yeast,diatamaceous earth\Fossil sea shell powder and combinations etc. The only thing that seems to work is using Frontline Plus with all of the other basics your vet tells you. Does anyone know of a non chemical way that works better than Frontline Plus or Advantage? I have gone back to Frontline just because it works, but hope you all may have some ideas.

David

No i don't know of anything.  Tried all the same stuff you did and it doesn't work.  Advantage was good, never did frontline. 

Other than bathing thme eveyr other day with a flea shampoo.

[dnalexander]

I use flea shampoo as a last resort definitely too toxic for frequent use. The Frontline and Advantage work great. Just trying to find if there is an acceptable non chemical alternative. If not it is better to use the Frontline than let them have fleas.

David

[sixdogsmom]

Oh yes! Use the Frontline or what is the available recommended remedy. Fleas are not only bad for them but humans as well.

[srkruzich]

I use flea shampoo as a last resort definitely too toxic for frequent use. The Frontline and Advantage work great. Just trying to find if there is an acceptable non chemical alternative. If not it is better to use the Frontline than let them have fleas.

David

Well fleas are not good for them either. fleas carry tapeworm as well as causes anemia in your pet.  So in the very least you want to shampoo them once a week.

[Teresa]

Mark and I always used Diatomaceous Earth.
Here is a link that can tell you about it better than I can.


http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html


Google it and I am sure you will find different places to buy it.

We might still have ( in fact I think I saw them the other day) a couple bottles on the store shelf at Cooksons Hardware too.

it wasn't this brand that the link shows.. but it worked.

[dnalexander]

Thanks Teresa. I already use the DE. It works for the yard but not for the animals. I went back to Frontline and hope to find a non chemical way to treat the pets. Until I find a good replacement I will stick with Frontline and Advantage they work great. Thanks everyone for your help. The quest continues. I will let you all know if and when a find a non chemical alternative that works well.

David