need help from dog lovers

[Murf]

My dogs rarely get any fleas, something about the breed, none of them ever really have, even the field hunters, but any time they pick up one or two (usually at the vets office, no disrespect Doc Ms. Smith) the cure is always the same.

A warm bath with some Ivory dish-washing liquid in it, followed about an hour later with a warm clean water only rinse bath.

Something about the soap coats the little buggers and kills em' right off.

Makes da doogies smell purdy too.  :D

[DWM II]

Dr. Smith, is it safe to use hartgard and frontline together?

[gary]

Don't use stuff like Off on your dogs. I made that mistake once. My dog was sick for a week.

[scsmith42]

DWM II, re Heartgard and Frontline, Laureen say's that it's absolutely safe to use them simultaneously and that she recommends it.

Murf - Laureen got a chuckle out of your "fleas" comment - same thing happens to our dogs!

All - keep in mind that your pets will tend to lick whatever is on their bodies, so the rule of thumb is that if it's not something that you would eat, you shouldn't use it on your animals.

Scott

[DanG]

Thanks, Scott and Laureen!  Even if it didn't come down as great economic news, it's good to finally get the true scoop.  Another concern to me, re: the Frontline stuff;  my dogs tend to groom each other a lot.  I would be concerned that they would lick it from another dog.  I think I'll resort back to my old standby, the Clorox dip.  It doesn't get all of them, but it sure knocks down a bunch!

[scsmith42]

DanG, re frontline and other dogs gooming one another, Laureen says that they probably won't bother it (get one taste and stop).  The biggest concern is the first day or so after application, because that's when it's being absorbed (don't want to bathe them, have them swim, within a day or two of application).  The dog that she previously treated (due to improper application by it's owner) licked it off while it was still wet.

If' it's a big concern, simply separate your dogs for a day to allow it to be absorbed (or apply it to one - isolate that dog for a day, then let it out and apply it to the second dog on the second day - again isolate, etc.  Should be fine after a day.

Scott

[Dales rt hand]

Ahh, the joys of pet ownership.....  yep, I've been acosted by them good fer nuthin' two-bit blood suckin' vermin, myself.  If I find one flea... that's it.  Here's my course of action, you might find it useful.

1.) take the day off from work.
2.) go get a bottle of somethin' stiff, never know when it might get cold.
3.) stop by the vet and purchase one CAPSTAR pill for each critter
4.) go to the ag store and get a whopper huge bag o' diatimacious earth.
5.) go back to the vet because you forgot to get the super duper flea shampoo.
6.) go home and taste the bottle o' somthing stiff, just to make sure you don't get
      cold
7.) get a mason jar and a nail.  Poke holes in the lid with the nail (and a hammer of course, don't reccommend just your fingers or you'll be needing the something stiff  to ward off the pain).
8.)Fill the jar with the powder and sprinkle carpets and couch liberally.
9.) wash the sheets on the bed and any dog beds
10.) poke the CAPSTAR pills down yer critters troats
11.) give your pets a good scrub and let them soak in the suds a minute or two or as long as you can stand being covered in wet doggie hair.
12.)towel dry them and move them to strategic area to shake
13.)once dry, put light coating of dust on them (this is not sevin dust-- you can eat DE and be just okey dokey.)
14.)leave them inside (you remembered to let them pee first, right?) and then go use the yard spreader to throw the dust on the yard.  You don't have to make it look like snow, but every little bit helps.
15.)  Go back inside and vaccume everything (new bag in vaccume of course)
16.)  throw the vaccume cleaner bag away OUTSIDE in the trash.
17.) take a drink o' yer bottle, cuz now you smell, and look worse than the dogs, and probably have inherited all their fleas.
18.)  Now use the frontline once a month.  I've tried revolution, and it worked for  2 months then nuthin'..... advantage made my dog ill, and there ain't no way on this earth you're gonna get me to dunk my critters in a poison like "dip" (known carcinogen btw) The vet's right, Sevin dust is better left alone for long term, and the ivermectin should be used with extreme caution...  keep an epi pen or atropine injection handy unless you know how they'll react to it.  There's a reason for all those "hazardous to humans and domestic animals" warnings.
19.)Join a pest control family like terminex.......
20.) Take another drink and a shower, cuz in 20 small steps you just save the planet.

---Heather, Licensed veterinary technician.-- nope, I'm not a veterinarian, but I am a veteran!!  Good luck and may the schwartz be wit ya!

[rebocardo]

I used a new flea collar each month and combing, lots of combing. Which most dogs will not object too.

[Carries-Mom]

I agree with the revolution stuff..  It doesn't seem to work all that good.  Was gone all weekend to the west coast of Florida, and the dogs were happier than ever to see us.  Our neighbor takes care of them....no room in the truck, and they tend to get a little wild in the back.  Especially Chopper..he doesn't like very many people unless we show him it's ok.  Don't seem to have a big problem with the fleas, but will give them a flea bath in a day or two.  Can't bathe them too often because their skin dries out and can't seem to find anything useful to soothe them.  Someone told me to use baby shampoo to bathe them in, and it will get rid of the fleas, but don't see how.  I will use my trusty flea shampoo, but not hartz...Known too many people that used hartz products and their animals got sick or died.  The dosage on the back of the bottles was incorrect or something.  Thanks for everyone's responses.  Didn't know where else to try, and this was my first and only stop. ;D ;D