Hi Guys,

It has come to my attention that Frontline does not work for Bella - her scratching will calm down for about 2 days and then it will come back with full force...

Can anyone give me some advice on what I could possibly use for her?

Thanks

I have heard that a lot about Frontline.

I use Advantage on all of the dogs and it works like a charm.

You may also have fleas in your carpets, furniture and bedding that do not bite you (fleas don't bite me), so you may have to spray for them. At the vet at the corner of Blaauwberg Rd and R27 you can get a tall yellow can of some stuff that is just fabulous...kills every nasty thing and their eggs, too...(and fabulously expensive). Just tell her you've got fleas in your carpet and want the yellow stuff. Last time I bought it, the can was around R100, but it lasts a long time and is worth it.

And put Advantage on her as soon as she has her next bath. You can bathe her again after 3 or 4 days without losing the protection.

Once the fleas are all gone, you may be able to switch to a more organic repellent like eucalyptus oil or brewer's yeast and garlic, but for now, you need to exterminate the little buggers and get Bella and your house flea-free.

Good luck!

Thanks Dawn

Great post, Dawn. I love that you included the organic remedies. I have never used any chemical flee-killing products on my dogs, mostly because it is toxic, you put it on the dog and then get it on your hands. I also don't quite understand why you shouldn't touch the chemicals, but it can go on the dog's skin?!

Anyway, I have always used eucalyptus oil mixed with their shampoo and also in a spray bottle with water. I spray the mixture throughout the house and also use it to clean the floors (with vinegar) - it gets rid of the smell, so that's great too.

I also feed garlic and nutritional yeast, so that helps. If you need some organic ways to rid your house and garden of fleas, let me know and I will post some.

Good luck. Once the fleas are gone, it is much easier.

I've tried the organic stuff and it doesn't work for me. Unfortunately, my house and lawn were severely flea infested when I moved in and by the time we figured out the problem, my own furniture had become infested as well.

Puddin had fleas when I got her...fleas are carriers of worm eggs. So if you find fleas, you should deworm immediately.

I use the stuff in the yellow can (they bite the dogs and Nel, but not me) whenever we get a flare up of the little nasties. And I use Advantage on all of the dogs. My attempts to use organic means has only resulted in more frequent recurrences of the outbreaks...the eggs can remain viable more than 7 years, so even if the house has been flea free for years, if there are eggs in the carpets or furniture, they can hatch years later. Maybe my house and garden are too big for organics, I don't know, but I've resigned myself to Advantage and annual sprayings of the lawn, furniture, and carpets.