# Poll: Most Effective Flea Treatment in your Opinion?



## cindysilver (May 15, 2005)

Hi! :biggrin: I'm still trying to get completely rid of the flea problem in my apartment and on my dog Jack. So far, it's good -- the Adams Carpet Powder and Spray seem to have killed most of the ones in the apartment, and I currently use Frontline, on Jack -- it seems to be working too. But not completely. I still see a little flea dirt (poo) on him, and one or two fleas total on his body -- but I don't like it! I think I may switch to Frontline Spray to save money (because it's cheaper to buy the bulk spray than all those tiny applicators...)

Maybe a vet person can answer this: is it really okay for me to put Frontline Plus or spray on Jack every two weeks, like my vet said? Since he gets bathed a lot? I heard that this was safe, but I worry.

Hence, the POLL. Please answer and feel free to post with more specifics, or combinations that work for you, etc. I thank you all in advance for helping me out with this one!! 

Thanks thanks thanks!!
:wub: :wub: :wub:


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

I used Frontline on Missy for years ( we never saw a flea...yet the neighbor's dog who came to visit often would have problems and allergic to boot!) I just can't recall if it was reg Frontline ( which I believe it was) or the Frontline plus.

With Naddie and all her history our vet wanted me to use the K-9 Advantix and we have, and it also seems to be doing a good job on all the little 'beasties". Our vet said because of our area's "threat" of so many things... she too uses the K-9 advantix on her pooch.


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## 2maltese4me (May 8, 2006)

I'm a firm believer in Sentinel, I've been using it for atleast 20yrs....none of my dogs has every had a single flea. No greasy mess to worry about, no worries about when its ok to bathe them. I give a single pill once a month and I'm done. It also takes care of heartworm. I have no worries about tics, my dogs are all inside dogs and in all the yrs have never had a single tic.


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

> I'm a firm believer in Sentinel, I've been using it for atleast 20yrs....none of my dogs has every had a single flea. No greasy mess to worry about, no worries about when its ok to bathe them. I give a single pill once a month and I'm done. It also takes care of heartworm. I have no worries about tics, my dogs are all inside dogs and in all the yrs have never had a single tic.[/B]


I use Sentinel, too - from 'tax' day to labor day (or thereabouts - technically April-October). I've never seen a flea. But I think Sentinel is a preventative, not a treatment.


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## Missy&Maggie (Jun 17, 2007)

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I also use Sentinel per the recommendation of my vet. Maggie has never had a single flea or tic. She is mostly an indoor dog though.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Sentinel is hwp + birth control for fleas. It will not kill the fleas on the dog. 

Living in an infested area, I doubt any topical will give you 100%. I have seen a few cases in which Frontline just didn't work on fleas for a particular animal. O switched to Advantix and that worked. Again, if there are fleas in your house, no matter what you use they will get on your dog. 

I've seen FL used every 2-3 weeks without a problem. 

If you still see fleas, they're still in your environment. Bombing or calling an exterminator is probably the best thing. I'd drop him off at the grooming that day and have them administer capstar, bathe, then apply the topical before taking him home.


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## cindysilver (May 15, 2005)

These are all great ideas. I'd never even heard of Sentinel, I guess I should have included it in the options :brownbag: haha, oh well, now I know it's not a killer of fleas, but a prevention of flea-egg-laying; so it would only be useful as prevention.

I know they're still in the house ... I just washed a big bean-bag chair and bombed it with pesticide while Jack and I went out, and since then I haven't seen a single flea on my baby boy. Which is great. But I know there might be eggs just waiting to hatch or something, plus the outside of my apartment complex is still infested (so Jack is mostly confined inside for now! Poor guy!) so I just wanted to be sure I was using the best stuff. 

I'm going to keep using Frontline Plus every three weeks, and Capstar him when we go to my parents' house in the woods... 

Thanks for all your input you guys, it's so great to know I have help here at SM 

Love you all!! :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

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We also use Sentinel, and Ive never seen a flea on Bogie. We use it year round since we have moquitos all year. I see you live in Miami so you would probably need it year round also.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Cindy, you might want to switch from Frontline. That's what I have used for years and for some reason it stopped working this year. I've had several other people tell me that Frontline hasn't worked for them this summer. Sometimes fleas develop a resistance to a certain pesticide.

I switched to K9 Advantix and used the Adams carpet powder which finally did it. 

K9 Advantix (or another topical) will kill the adult fleas and the ones that hatch on Jack and the carpet powder will kill the eggs as they hatch. Adams is the one one that has ever worked for me. Use the carpet powder, not the spray. I was still seeing a couple of adult fleas on Lady everyday until I used the carpet powder. I saw tiny little newly hatched ones no bigger than a grain of coarse ground pepper for about 10 days after I used the powder, then they finally stopped. Apparently, it can take two weks for eggs to hatch.

I have two fumigators here that I didn't have to use.


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## cindysilver (May 15, 2005)

I know this is from a long time ago, but now my boyfriend's house is infested with fleas, and we have to carpet-powder the place, sigh. These little buggers just will NOT die. I've been using K9 Advantix ever since last summer when the Frontline stopped working for some reason. But now they've hatched in poor Kris's carpets, so it's back to the carpet powder! (which worked wonders in my own apartment last year, so I know it will work again! It just stinks really bad and I hate pesticides.)

Thanks again for all your help, this poll is still incredibly useful


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I can't help you on the topical applications, but I have heard that for inside the home, FleaBusters works very well and they guarantee their work.


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

When we just had Sir Micro we used Frontline Plus and never had issues. However once I got Wookie we switched to Sentinel and still no issues. HOWEVER that said, our dogs do not go out on the ground that much or that often.

Good luck, I can not stand fleas,
Melanie


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

also dont have comfortis on the list..which is my new fav


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

Teddy has only ever had one flea....when we went to the dog park and I took care of it pronto....I did try one of the named brands once but Teddy was allergic so I said no way again with that...but my holistic vet had me do a thing with apple cider vinigar

for a small dog like ours she said to put 8 drops of the vinegar in their water bowl and it somehow changes the blood which makes the fleas no longer interested...this has worked for others who have had a problem and they love it that the chemicals are no more.


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## Krystal (Feb 3, 2007)

Where can i order the comfortis or sentinel?


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

I use Sentinel and we had a problem with fleas a few before the maltese years ago and i sprinkled borax powder ( 20 mules in the laundry isle) all over the carpets and let it sit and washed everyone in Ivory dish detergent and then used the frontline. No more fleas


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

QUOTE (Krystal @ Jul 28 2008, 10:13 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=612653


> Where can i order the comfortis or sentinel?[/B]



Sentinel is a heartworm medicine with flea prevention medicine in it. So you have to get it from your vet and your baby has to have been tested for heartworms.


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## ClaBec Maltese (Feb 19, 2007)

QUOTE (Dr.Jaimie @ Jul 28 2008, 08:41 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=612610


> also dont have comfortis on the list..which is my new fav [/B]


I second that. Since the hurricanes down here all the other stuff stopped working. And Comfortis has worked like a dream. Even on the full coated dogs that go out doors.


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## Pickles' Mama (Mar 27, 2013)

I use comfortis


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

This is a 2008 thread


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