Fleas, Fleas
by Robin M. & Taffy
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
I am going crazy here!! I use Advantage, I spent $155 for a guaranteed spraying of the house and yard, I have used pounds of salt on the carpet, I have bathed poor Taffy to pieces......and it almost seems that the fleas are worse!! I work real hard to get them off, and the eggs, then a couple days later there are tons of them! I don't want to call the professionals back, that seems like a lot of poison awfully soon! I feel we could kill us and Taffy, but the darn fleas would still be here!
My question is this.... an herbalist give me a non toxic mixture of extracts of Wormwood, Rue, Rosemary and Eucalyptus Oil and she said to dampen a cloth and place a small amount of this on the cloth, then rub it on a few places to repel fleas and other pests. Anyone know about this, and is it safe for Taffy?
I am about to get a miniature machine gun!!
DISCUSSION:
The Advantage is really the best product out there. It is safe because it does not go into the blood stream but attaches to the hair folicles. When placing it on, make sure you put it right on to the skin. It will spread and disapate within a couple of days. If a flea jumps aboard, it will die before it bites the little one. Remember, it takes approx. 3 months for all eggs to hatch and jump aboard and die, so if you see them, new ones are hatching. Just keep using it on her, so she will not be getting bit and in time, they will be gone. Good luck! Theresa
Theresa Meyer
Robin, The herbalist has the right idea. Wormwood is extremely harsh if taken internally, but as a wash I guess the only ones that should be worried about it are the fleas! The mixture she has recommended makes a hostile environment for parasites -- which are what fleas are. I'd say try it. But further, what you should consider for Taffy is an ongoing preventative plan to make her unappetizing for fleas in the future. You should give her a bit of "Clear" every morning (contains no wormwood or other very harsh ingredients so we humans can take it every day as well as our pets. I do.) You can wrap it in a bit of meat or peanut butter for an early morning treat, about an hour before her breakfast. Also add garlic to her food (sautee a bit of chicken with it -- they love it!) which is also something fleas find distasteful. Please let us know if this herbal wash works!! Poor Taffy. How miserable to ruin her summer this way.
Isabel
I live in Florida and had the same problem last year. I am assuming that you used the once a year flea treatment. The vet and the exterminator said that it takes 7 to 10 weeks to totally get rid of the fleas. They said to use bombs in between to kill the new hatchlings. At the time I didn't have my Maltese "Loki", just two indoor cats. It was a nightmare. Good Luck!
Vannessa
Living in Florida, I've been forced to be quite creative when it comes to fleas!! My suggestions may sound crazy, but they worked well for me!
1. Using a stiff broom, grind Borax into all carpets - even little throw rugs and carpetted stairs. (Borax can usually be found in the laundry detergent aisle.)
2. Make sure that you leave the flea shampoo on your pup's coat for the recommended length of time before rinsing. Prpfessional brands like Zodiac work better than grocery store brands.
3. Even though I hate to do this, I dust my maltese with flea powder right after I treat the house - just in case.
4. Now for the really crazy part - I give my maltese a 1/4 teaspoon of crushed garlic twice a week. Someone once told me to do that. No more fleas!! Coincidence? Maybe. I hope this helps in some way. If nothing works, good luck with that mini-machine gun idea!!
JJ & Warrior
Try Boric acid powder on your floors and rugs- then vacum it up. I had fleas in southern calif at the beach for 30 years and this has worked the last two years. But don't use if you also have a cat in the house.
Sallie
Sallie
At my vet's suggestion I have used the boric acid powder and the stuff worked like magic! However, the vet said it was not a problem with a cat in the house and we had not problem - just vacuum thoroughly before using, grind it into the carpet & under seat cushions and anywhere else the little boogers can hide - leave it for five days and then vacuum out. Fleas were gone and I was truly amazed! Although I was concerned about toxicity I was told this was far less toxic than the sprays or other methods used and from past experience I can say it was more effective.
LeslieR
Robin--I feel so bad for you. I haven't had problems with fleas to the extent you have. I don't use anything to get rid of fleas. Cubbie gets a bath and I vacuum if the fleas start popping up. That has worked for me. I can't explain why I don't have a major problem. Something will work out. Keep trying. The others had very good suggestions. I don't know a thing about wormwood except that it is bitter. Your part about the miniature machine gun had me rolling on the floor laughing....but I know it's a laughing matter. The fleas have got to go.
Felicia & Cubbie
Robin, you should get in touch with the exterminator if their "guaranteed spraying" isn't working, if only to demand your money back....did they say it would take a while to kick in? I think that both eucalyptus and rue may be toxic if ingested, depends how strong it is (Opal,where are you?) Sounds like it would be OK to use on carpet etc...I guess you don't want to get rid of your carpet but that would probably help your problem a lot - it's really hard to get those eggs out of the carpet....but I wouldn't use it on Taffy unless you dilute it heaps. Did the herbalist say anything about that? I read that someone else has not had a flea for 9 years since feeding her dogs brewers yeast with garlic...Michelle I hope you don't mind if I post what you use for your three dogs:
"8in1's brand of Brewers Yeast Plus.. It has garlic, proteins, zinc, and biotin. I use a 1/2 teaspoonful for each 10lb of weight as directed.. so I sprinkle one teaspoonful over three dogs food bowls."
I haven't tried this yet as essential oil of lemongrass (few drops in the conditioner) and Sentinel are working well for us.
Deanna (Moose & Squirrel)
A man taking his dog to the groomers told me that he put a little vinegar in the dog's water. Has anyone tried this and is vinegar toxic to dogs? My vet also told me to use Head and Shoulders for my Malt Samantha. It kills the existing fleas but is not harmful to puppies. I tried it this morning and it worked great!!
Mary Smith
Advantage is the true answer to fleas, but you must not bathe the Maltese after putting it on her shoulder. My vet says it doesn't work well it you bathe after. Instead of toxic stuff use a juvenile hormone spray such as Precor on your furniture and rugs. And keep the dogs IN the house. If you walk them in the neiborhood you just pick up more. Precor is inactivated by sunlight so you need another hormone spray for outdoors. If you pesticide person is not familiar with these then call around and find someone who is. They have been on the market since the early '80s but since they work so well a lot of commercial sources are reluctant to sell and/or use them! Be careful of borax as it IS toxic. Maltese have a lot of fur on their feet and when the dust gets on them they lick it off.
Mary Lou
Yes, Mary Lou - thank you....Borax IS toxic in large quantities and I neglected to mention that it SHOULD be vacuumed up before your dog is allowed to roam freely. I swear by its effectiveness!!
JJ & Cody (aka 'Warrior'!!)
| Please bear in mind when reading topics pertaining to health issues, that most of these questions were answered by helpful Maltese owners with no formal education in veterinary medicine. When in doubt seek a professionals advise. |
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