Flea collar and flea bath?

[SarahandSam]

The fleas are driving me insane this summer. Every summer I’ll find a flea or two, and I dose everyone with Revolution/Frontline/whatever and do some vacuuming and spraying with this essential oil spray stuff and it’s fine again. This summer I just cannot get rid of them. I think our newest dog, adopted at the end of June, came with a bad infestation, and it’s just spread like crazy.

Cats are all on Revolution, I believe? Whichever is one of the topical shoulder-blade things. Dog who does agility trials does Trifexis; other two dogs have Seresto collars.

My question–I want to give the two with the flea collars a flea bath, since they’re the ones being driven nuts by flea bites, as the darn fleas can’t die until they’ve bitten them. The flea shampoo I have is very gentle–safe for use on kittens/puppies, not Hartz or anything like that. Is it safe to use a flea bath on a dog already wearing a Seresto collar? I just don’t want to accidentally overdose them, since they’re both tiny (9-10 lbs).

[LauraKY]

Sounds like you’re going to have to declare war on fleas. Capstar for the dogs (from the vet) will kill all the fleas within an hour or so. It’s not long term and very safe.

Then you’re going to have to treat the yard and vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Dispose of the bag after each vacuuming.

When I’m picking up dogs from the shelter to transport, usually I have Capstar on hand to give them immediately (assuming they have no other medical condition).

[kimkatsooo]

Remove dogs from house.
While you are gone set off a flea bomb.
Take the dogs somewhere the fleas can drop off without worry. Give them Capstar. Keep dogs out of house.
Vacuum the house and throw the bag away.
Be ready to redo it in about a week.

Good luck!

[Laurierace]

Bathe them in Dawn then do the above.

[SarahandSam]

The three cats make the evacuate-and-bomb scenario difficult, sadly. But I will definitely look for Capstar tomorrow! What do you all recommend for the yard?

[LauraKY]

Capstar is sold by the vet, and prescribed by weight. I just bought yard flea spray from Petsmart. I don’t like flea bombs inside, so I just vacuum, vacuum and wash all bedding in hot water and throw it in the dryer.

[Alagirl]

I had at one time flea shampoo that said to leave the dog lathered with it for 10 minutes…

We found this pup on our door step, a handful of dog, half of it fleas…The fleas really took a hold.

The vet told me that you can use any old shampoo and leave the lather on for 10 minuets. White Rain, Suave, Dawn…no chemicals needed.

Flea collars didn’t do anything for us, Frontline lasted two weeks, tops.

The only thing that brought a little bit of relieve was:
Fog the house. All rooms.
Treat the dogs, with a topic solution that works (but I like Laura’s suggestion, worked like a charm on the kittens)
Spray the yard.

repeat about 3 weeks later (or a week…after all they don’t lay eggs only once every 3 weeks)

Put a snipped of flea color into the vacuum cleaner bag. best use for that.

As for the cats, throw them in crates and take them car walkies for the afternoon! I don’t like the bombs either, but some things need killing, fleas are one of them.