Night Elf Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 My dd found some fleas on a towel laying on her floor. Then she found them on the cat. The cat is an indoor cat so my dd and her boyfriend must have brought them in. I've got a vet appt. to get Frontline and they are going to give her a pill that helps kills fleas, if I'm understanding them correctly. We have linoleum floor, not carpet. I can clean the bedding, wash the clothes laying on the floor and vacuum. How else do I get rid of them? I'd rather not do a fogger if I can help it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 You can buy a small bag of food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) and a puffer device that dispenses it. You put the DE in the puffer device, poof it around the areas where the fleas might be, let it stand awhile (I let it be for 3 days), then vacuum it up. DE works by slicing up the fleas, I think. It is safe to use around humans and pets. Btw, a little goes a long way. My cat had fleas two years ago and the DE and vacuuming worked very well. We also began giving her a little brewer's yeast in wet cat food and this past summer, the fleas did not find her so tasty, it seems. No flea bites at all. She goes outside at times but is mostly indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 The pill will be Capstar. Good stuff. With hard flooring I think you'll have an easier time getting rid of them. I'd mop a lot. I don't know for sure that it would really help, but I'm guessing it would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 I can't find a trace of them anywhere in her room. I'm washing everything and I vacuumed the sofa, but I didn't see anything. There is one small bit of carpeting I vacuumed too. I'm just afraid they are going to multiply if they aren't cleaned up right now. Where do I find what you're talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 If you caught them early, Frontline, Capstar and vacuuming / mopping should do the trick with hard floors. Make sure you get in the cracks near the baseboards with a broom or the vacuum. Carpet is a whole 'nother beast.... DE is great, and if you still see them in a few days, it'd be worth a light dusting over upholstered furniture and in those baseboard cracks. Lowes/Home Depot/Ace Hardware carries it and they will know exactly what you're talking about. I'd try to get the stuff used in vegetable gardens as it is food grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Frontline sucks. Don't waste your money. (If you have it laying around or free, fine, it is safe, but not very effective any longer.) Capstar is fine and safe and effective for 24 hours . . . What you want is Comfortis. It is now labeled for cats in addition to dogs. It is magic. It will kill every flea on the cat for a full month. Love it. It is a big pill, so awkward for cats, but the vet staff can administer it. If you don't have other pets or source of ongoing infestation, one dose might be enough, but two is much safer. So, if you don't think you can pill the cat, just take her back to the vet in a month for another dose. Trust me, Comfortis is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Frontline sucks. Don't waste your money. (If you have it laying around or free, fine, it is safe, but not very effective any longer.) Frontline still seems to work fine in my area. And I'm sticking with it until it doesn't, 'cause I know my pets tolerate it very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 The vet gave her a Capstar. We use Frontline on our dogs and have never seen a flea. We just weren't using it on the cat because she's indoor only. We learned our lesson. I've never heard of Comfortis. My vet doesn't carry it or they would offer it as an alternative. They have Advantage or Advantix (not sure) but they don't like it as well as Frontline. My dd is going to have to wash all of her clothes. The cat was on the dresser which is right below my dd's clothes that are hanging up. Ugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 The Frontline issue is regional, I think.... As for Comfortis, maybe we got a bad batch - but our puppy was covered in fleas and ticks when we got him and the breeder used it religiously.... I love Revolution for cats (indoor only as it doesn't cover ticks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Comfortis did not work where we are, the fleas here are resistant to a lot of things. Your vet should know what will work in your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 The Frontline issue is regional, I think.... As for Comfortis, maybe we got a bad batch - but our puppy was covered in fleas and ticks when we got him and the breeder used it religiously.... I love Revolution for cats (indoor only as it doesn't cover ticks). I don't believe that the pets were receiving Comfortis and had fleas. Absolutely don't believe it. It isn't labeled for use under 14 weeks, so it would be strange and surprising for puppies to be getting it. I don't think any vet would prescribe it for use in young puppies, and it is a prescription product, not legal to use without a prescription. Not to mention that it is VERY rare for a breeder to take puppies to a vet unless they are ill or old enough for a rabies vaccine. Also, it is not labeled for use in pregnant or lactating females, either, so it would be very strange for a breeder to be using it. I am guessing that you were misinformed about the breeder using Comfortis. Comfortis also is the most expensive flea product out there, around $15 a dose or so, so it would be very unusual for a breeder to be using it, as breeders are usually VERY cost conscious about those things. FWIW, fleas and ticks are life-threatening to puppies and kittens b/c of blood loss (not to mention disease transmission). Your breeder was obviously negligent and terrible. I'd advise never dealing with them again. No reputable breeder would allow their puppies to be exposed to fleas and ticks, let alone to be infested, let alone to be delivered to a home that way. That is a puppy mill or worse. (And, no, I have no financial interest in Elanco!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Comfortis did not work where we are, the fleas here are resistant to a lot of things. Your vet should know what will work in your area. WOW! Where are you? I have never heard of resistance to Comfortis, and I watch the vet journals/reports on this issue closely. Spinosad is the newest and best of the flea control meds, and, so far as I know, resistance has not been reported anywhere YET. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Frontline still seems to work fine in my area. And I'm sticking with it until it doesn't, 'cause I know my pets tolerate it very well. Yup, if it works for you, that is great! No need to change until/unless it doesn't work for you. It is safe, well tolerated by nearly all patients, and so there is no reason to change unless you start having problems. Resistance is very variable regionally, and every household is different in how exposed their pets/neighborhood/etc is to fleas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 WOW! Where are you? I have never heard of resistance to Comfortis, and I watch the vet journals/reports on this issue closely. Spinosad is the newest and best of the flea control meds, and, so far as I know, resistance has not been reported anywhere YET. We are in central Florida and I don't know how wide the problem is but it is a problem all around our town at least. We put our dog on it after finding him covered in fleas while being treated with frontline. We still had major problems with them. His topical that is working is Trifexis, which is crazy expensive. Now he gets the occasional bite even though we treat our yard every few weeks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 You can buy a small bag of food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) and a puffer device that dispenses it. You put the DE in the puffer device, poof it around the areas where the fleas might be, let it stand awhile (I let it be for 3 days), then vacuum it up. DE works by slicing up the fleas, I think. It is safe to use around humans and pets. Btw, a little goes a long way. My cat had fleas two years ago and the DE and vacuuming worked very well. We also began giving her a little brewer's yeast in wet cat food and this past summer, the fleas did not find her so tasty, it seems. No flea bites at all. She goes outside at times but is mostly indoors. I used diatomaceous earth and it eliminated the flea problem. It works by physically cutting up the flea larvae, so they won't develop resistance to it. I used it in the yard and inside in the entryway near the door to the yard. BE SURE to wear a mask (or bandana) and disposable gloves when you apply it. It won't kill you, but it is very drying and uncomfortable if you inhale it or get it on your skin. It's very powdery and fine. And like MBM said, get the food-grade; the swimming pool DE is toxic to use like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 We are in central Florida and I don't know how wide the problem is but it is a problem all around our town at least. We put our dog on it after finding him covered in fleas while being treated with frontline. We still had major problems with them. His topical that is working is Trifexis, which is crazy expensive. Now he gets the occasional bite even though we treat our yard every few weeks as well. Comfortis and Trifexis are made by the same company. Trifexis = Comfortis + heartworm/intestinal parasite control. Neither Trifexis nor Comfortis are topicals; they are both chewable medications. If Trifexis works, then Comfortis will work. They are literally identical medications by the same manufacturer, with Trifexis just having an added medication for heartworm and intestinal parasites. Spinosad is the flea med. Milbemycin is the heartworm/intestinal medication. Comfortis has just the spinosad. Trifexis has that, plus milbemycin. (Milbemycin used to be only available in Interceptor or Sentinel, both made by Novartis. It is awesome. When it went off patent, it was tricky to manufacture, so it has been slow to come out as generic, but Elanco managed to do it, and so has done so in Trifexis.) Trifexis is the best thing, though, and it is the best choice for dogs. (Cats can't take Trifexis, but they can take Comfortis.) OK, I am done with my parasiticide lecture. :) It is a tricky field to keep up with b/c new products come out every few months, some good, some bad . . . and resistance is ever evolving, so what works well one year, or in one location, may not work in another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Comfortis and Trifexis are made by the same company. Trifexis = Comfortis + heartworm/intestinal parasite control. Neither Trifexis nor Comfortis are topicals; they are both chewable medications. If Trifexis works, then Comfortis will work. They are literally identical medications by the same manufacturer, with Trifexis just having an added medication for heartworm and intestinal parasites. Spinosad is the flea med. Milbemycin is the heartworm/intestinal medication. Comfortis has just the spinosad. Trifexis has that, plus milbemycin. (Milbemycin used to be only available in Interceptor or Sentinel, both made by Novartis. It is awesome. When it went off patent, it was tricky to manufacture, so it has been slow to come out as generic, but Elanco managed to do it, and so has done so in Trifexis.) Trifexis is the best thing, though, and it is the best choice for dogs. (Cats can't take Trifexis, but they can take Comfortis.) OK, I am done with my parasiticide lecture. :) It is a tricky field to keep up with b/c new products come out every few months, some good, some bad . . . and resistance is ever evolving, so what works well one year, or in one location, may not work in another. OK I picked the wrong box to get the name from. He takes Trifexis and 15 days later he takes certifect. Trifexis will not work alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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