# getting rid of fleas



## sweetpea (Apr 10, 2004)

i have 2 maltese and a cat i have given them flea baths used flea medicine you use on there neck and back,cleaned all furniture and carpets they are inside dogs they have a doggy door that goes to brick walkway to potty,that is the only time they go outside,i just cant seem to get rid of the fleas anyone know anything else i can do,i had my male shaved broke my heart but he was scratching so much i couldnt brush out the mats,im at my wits end.i feel so sorry for my babies,i feel i have done everything i can .is there anything someone knows about please answer thanks sweetpeas mom


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## joe (Jan 5, 2003)

> _Originally posted by sweetpea_@Aug 1 2004, 08:09 PM
> *is there anything someone knows about please answer thanks*


 have you taken them to the vet, it may be more expensive but the vet can prescribe much more effective/stronger medications


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## malteseIloveI (Jul 3, 2004)

do some of you NOT have fleas? it seems like everyone has fleas in their house but i don't think we have any.. 
i've never seen any. only house flies, spiders and tiny little flying bugs but no fleas...







i've never seen one outside either


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

there's a pill that the dog can take, where if a flea bites him--the flea gets sterile and then dies. then the whole reproducing of fleas dies off. i think maybe inteceptor...ask your vet


good luck!!! i've never had fleas, but i heard its a pain in the butt.


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## pico's parent (Apr 5, 2004)

Depending upon the flea product you used on your dog's body, it may take a while to break the reproductive cycle. Some kill adult fleas and not larvae, some kill both and some sterilize the adult. This happens ONLY to the fleas that actually get on your dogs.

Nichole had the best advice. You have to wage all-out war to rid yourself of fleas and once you have won that battle you can do these things to keep them away:

Vacuum frequently. An adult flea lays eggs that can hang around for a long time. Frequent vacuuming will get these up. Fleas can be brought indoors on your clothing and shoes so if your neighbors have fleas, you may be bringing them in yourself.

Spray your yard twice yearly with Beneficial Nematodes. These are microscopic bugs which can be purchased at garden centers and are packaged in a sponge inside a plastic bag. This is an organic method which does not harm animals or other beneficial organisms. The Beneficial Nematodes will eat any larvae in your ground and I have had great success with them here in San Antonio. I get them for about $10 so it is not expensive, either. They must be distributed in a hose-end sprayer and then watered in to infiltrate the ground. They will live in your yard as long as there is larvae to support their nutrition and they do need water to survive. We do not irrigate our yard and rely entirely on rainwater but we are flea-free this year after a wet spring produced a flea population prior to my spraying the BN's. We have 8-10 outdoor cats in this neighborhood plus twice that many dogs being walked by our corner lot so the opportunity for infestation is great but we have been flea free all summer.

Good luck!


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## twinglemom (Jul 14, 2004)

You have to treat the dog, the house and the yard in order to break the cycle. You may want to work with your vet also in order to not overdose on flea chemicals. 

Also watch for tapeworms. If your dog swallows a flea they will get tapeworms. Check where they sleep and around their bottoms. To treat tapeworms is very simple with a pill.

Trust me, you do not want to use too much or mix the wrong chemicals. With my first dog we had fleas. I went overboard trying to get rid of them and my dog ended on in the hospital very sick. If you work with your vet you shouldn't have any problem.

Once you get rid of the fleas you will still have to spray your yard and use other preventative measures. If you walk your dogs you can bring fleas home and visitors with pets can bring fleas to your home.

Good luck.

Kristy


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## LoveMaltese6820 (Apr 12, 2004)

Casper also takes the Sentinel hartworm/flea pill. You only have to use it once a month and he has never gotten flease. You vet can give you some. I open his mouth and put it as far back in his throat I can see. He swallows it on the first time, and then he gets a "cookie". We tried wrapping it up in treats, but he would just eat the treat and not the pill.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## sweetpea (Apr 10, 2004)

thanks for all your answers i was afraid of too much chemical,i love this site everyone seems to care so much.thanks sweetpeas mom :snuggles and kee-kee too


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## Boom Boom's Mom (Jul 27, 2004)

from the start I always told Boomer that his heartworm pill was a special treat. He knows the word treat, so he gets waaaaaaaaaaaay excited.

He'll beg for a second one now.


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## moonwalkpuppy (Feb 27, 2010)

Newbie here. No dog...yet. But i registered so I could answer to this  

My best friend has about 5 dogs. She uses lavender essential oil to keep fleas away. Fleas HATE lavender, and the dogs smell great. Sorry Im not to specific on the how-to's...


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## KAG (Jun 1, 2006)

QUOTE (MoonwalkPuppy @ Feb 27 2010, 05:12 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=890979


> Newbie here. No dog...yet. But i registered so I could answer to this
> 
> My best friend has about 5 dogs. She uses lavender essential oil to keep fleas away. Fleas HATE lavender, and the dogs smell great. Sorry Im not to specific on the how-to's...[/B]


I knew lavender oil repelled mosquitoes, never knew about fleas. That's great information. Thank you and welcome to SM.
xoxoxooxoxoxoxo


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

QUOTE (KAG @ Mar 3 2010, 01:32 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=891986


> QUOTE (MoonwalkPuppy @ Feb 27 2010, 05:12 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=890979





> Newbie here. No dog...yet. But i registered so I could answer to this
> 
> My best friend has about 5 dogs. She uses lavender essential oil to keep fleas away. Fleas HATE lavender, and the dogs smell great. Sorry Im not to specific on the how-to's...[/B]


I knew lavender oil repelled mosquitoes, never knew about fleas. That's great information. Thank you and welcome to SM.
xoxoxooxoxoxoxo
[/B][/QUOTE]

good to know. I didn't even know it repelled mosquitoes! I use a few drops in a spray bottle with water to mist on my face and in my bedroom at night. I call it my "Serenity Now" spray.

PS_ Welcome to the Forum!!


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## maltemom09 (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks for the information. Bailey is on Revolution for fleas and heartworm but I still do not like the fact that the flea has to bite him before it dies soooooo off to the health food store yesterday for pure lavendar oil. After a bath I mixed the lavendar oil with water and spritzed his little butt. Let's see how it works on any fleas (just one flea is one to many for me). Googled the idea and here is a link to something I found:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4464826_use-lavend...epel-fleas.html

A message from Bailey:

I don't know if dis this "stuff" mommy sprayed on me is gonna work but I SMELL SOOOOOO GOOD! My Gramma says I "smell like a girl" and laughs calling me a "sissy" ..... I just jump on her lap and give her even MORE kisses!


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

When we lived by the beach (fleas), we just put a drop of Advantage between the dog's shoulder blades...worked like a charm


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