Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Fleas!  (Read 13399 times)

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Fleas!
« on: July 31, 2012, 08:52:30 pm »
Snowball has been riddled with fleas for a while and despite trying spot on's she's still spreading her friends through our carpet. All of us have been nibbled on  ::)


But...today we turned a corner and I had to share how simply wonderful Frontline combo (from the vet) is. I've put the first dose on and we already have very drunken looking fleas falling off of her  :thumbsup:  then they just die!
Have got some Accord spray coming from amazon so we can treat the house, really feeling quite relieved. The vet did say that this year (in our area so possibly across the UK?) there has been quite a challenge to beat the flea problem due to the weather.
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2012, 09:30:07 pm »
Glad your getting on top of these little critters  :thumbsup:

It will take several months to irradiate a bad problem so remember to treat again every 4weeks for at least 3-4months.

Fleas are  part of the tapeworm lifecycle so remember to treat for tapeworm too.

My poor brood are treated regularly to protect them as unfortunately I bring fleas home on me,from work, at times  :o  , we get some really badly infested soles in every now and then almost bald they've been living with the problem for so long.

I don't know what I'd do without fro line. Oh I do.... Scratch.


Dans

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Spalding
    • Six Oaks
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2012, 12:07:39 am »
We seem to have gotten off lightly this year and have just had our first fleas since spring, so have hit them with the Frontline combo. Great stuff.

Remember to hoover up regularly, especially in the corners, by the skirting boards etc, fleas love dark places.

If I remember rightly it's 5 weeks before you can do another frontline spot on but I may be wrong.

Dans
9 sheep, 24 chickens, 3 cats, a toddler and a baby on the way

www.sixoaks.co.uk

www.facebook.com/pg/sixoakssmallholding

www.goodlife.sixoaks.co.uk

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2012, 08:41:10 am »
Says on pack 5 weeks - have put my little sticker on the calender. 


What do you recommend for tapeworm? would you say Panacur for cats (that's what I used on our goat kid when he had it Baaaaad) - that' is probably vet only is it? or countrywide... hadn't thought of tapeworm so thank you for the heads up  :thumbsup: [size=78%] [/size]
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2012, 09:32:22 am »
plums, your vet will supply Milbemax or Drontal for worms.  Now you have sheep it is essential you keep any dogs and cats well wormed; it's the only way to stop your sheep picking up tapeworm.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

luckylady

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Yorkshire
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2012, 09:45:42 am »
We use Drontal tablets as they cover roundworm and tapeworm.  We buy online in bulk as the expiry dates are good (and we have five cats to treat).  They have stickers for your calendar too Plums!  Milbemax tablets are recommended by the vets but they are a bit pricey for regularly treating five (even with previous staff discount!) hence online.  If Snowball isn't good at taking tablets there is always the spot on wormer but they aren't quite as effective.  Panacur is good too but when I worked at the vets we were always told to push the Milbemax as it was the most effective. It wasn't a profit making ploy, they genuinely did think it was the best and it is prescription only medication so you could buy just one tablet at a time. 
Frontline is definitely the best treatment for fleas - we used to sell loads of it every day.  You are doing right getting the Acclaim too - most effective for the house IMO.
Oh, and of course, good old fashioned calamine lotion at bedtime for the itchy ankles!!
Doing that swan thing - cool and calm on the surface but paddling like crazy beneath.

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 10:04:13 am »
Drontal it is then - thanks everyone.
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2012, 10:41:32 pm »
Hi, :wave:
  I use front line combo and its excellent but it will take a few months to fully catch those in the carpet that will continue to develop. The spray will help but so will creating a warm, humid enviroment and vibrations which stimulate the fleas to develop. Make sure you let the cat go in all the rooms she normally goes in so the fleas will jump on her ( instead of you) and die. I flea treat once a month which has eradicated my flea problem but it took about 3 months.
I use milbemax wormer which is also very good. Polly has hers pushed into her mouth and then gets a hand full of cat treats as a reward after. Toby just eats the tablet from his dads hand because he thinks it is a treat, but then he is a bit unusual ;)
Mine hunt alot, (polly killed and ate 4 mice in 45 mins yesterday, our lunch guests were appalled ::) ) so with milbemax they can be wormed every month to stay on top of the tape worm. Those that dont hunt can be wormed every 3 months.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2012, 10:03:35 am »
Buffy, you can treat the house with Acclaim, rather than having to wait until the cats have picked up all the fleas hatched about the place.  Acclaim continues to work for a long period, stopping eggs developing for up to twelve months as well as killing adults and larvae when you spray.  (Sadly it also kills spiders when you spray.)
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Dans

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Spalding
    • Six Oaks
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2012, 01:42:57 pm »
Don't forget to wash the pet bedding (and your bedding if your cats sleep on there) at 60C, lower than that won't kill off eggs etc.

Dans - Battling her own fleas - well my cats, not mine personally.
9 sheep, 24 chickens, 3 cats, a toddler and a baby on the way

www.sixoaks.co.uk

www.facebook.com/pg/sixoakssmallholding

www.goodlife.sixoaks.co.uk

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2012, 03:16:53 pm »
Oh Dans, its been a non-stop washing frenzy for the last week, I think shares in Persil must have been boosted after stripping 2 double beds, 4 singles and the futon, all the sofa covers, any cushions, any clothes that the kids left on the floor, bath mat - you name it. And of course its been raining so non stop tumble dryer too - agh
on the plus side, hubby only been bitten 4 times today and me none - hah! we are winning  :trophy:
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2012, 04:16:13 pm »
I would recommend a room flea fogger (like an aerosol but you remove all (everything) living things from the room), press it down clicked down and leave the room for 2 hours. An aerosol is never going to get every single flea but this will kill anything in the room. Air the room well after the 2 hours (or as instructed) and thats it. The aerosol is useful in between but this is the only thing that will 100% clear an infestation. Theres no residue left eg no stickiness on surfaces and pets can return as soon as the room is aired after the time period specified expires.
You can get them on Amazon, the one we used when we had house cats is Bob Martins Home Flea Fogger.
A lot cheaper than endless aerosols as well,

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2012, 04:26:18 pm »
I won't go near anything Bob Martin for cats - there was a spate of cats becoming very unwell and even dying due to an active ingredient in these.
I've found a link about it
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews55781.html


I think they are fine with dogs but can have awful effects for cats  :-\


Acclaim are rated very highly and even the vet said to avoid the foggers and they give out another spray (can't remember but think it began with an I?)
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

NormandyMary

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2012, 06:27:49 pm »
I would recommend a room flea fogger (like an aerosol but you remove all (everything) living things from the room), press it down clicked down and leave the room for 2 hours. An aerosol is never going to get every single flea but this will kill anything in the room. Air the room well after the 2 hours (or as instructed) and thats it. The aerosol is useful in between but this is the only thing that will 100% clear an infestation. Theres no residue left eg no stickiness on surfaces and pets can return as soon as the room is aired after the time period specified expires.
You can get them on Amazon, the one we used when we had house cats is Bob Martins Home Flea Fogger.
A lot cheaper than endless aerosols as well,
That's what our vet recommended, but we managed without it and thank goodness, this year hasnt been bad for us unlike last year which was just awful.

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: Fleas!
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2012, 08:17:46 pm »
Is the other spray 'indorex'  This is a good household spray very similar to acclaim  :thumbsup:

 

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