Flea Medications

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I have used either the Advantage or Frontline, and Frontline Plus to kill fleas on my dogs and cats and have always used the largest dog size dispensed to the smaller animals via a syringe (no needle) to dispense the proper amount.

Are there any newer flea meds that are available (preferably through EBAY) that are available for use and will they work for both cats and dogs. With 13 cats and 7 dogs its too expensive to buy the size specific medication.

[EmptY]

Every home with dogs should have apple cider vinegar. It's a remedy with multiple uses for dogs: alleviating allergies, arthritis, establishing correct pH balance. You can also give apple cider vinegar to cats and horses.

As written in an excellent, 1997 article by Wendy Volhard:

"...If your dog has itchy skin, the beginnings of a hot spot, incessantly washes its feet, has smelly ears, or is picky about his food, the application of ACV may change things around. For poor appetite, use it in the food - 1 tablespoon, two times a day for a 50 lb. dog. For itchy skin or beginning hot spots, put ACV into a spray bottle, part the hair and spray on. Any skin eruption will dry up in 24 hours and will save you having to shave the dog. If the skin is already broken, dilute ACV with an equal amount of water and spray on.

Taken internally, ACV is credited with maintaining the acid/alkaline balance of the digestive tract. To check your dog's pH balance, pick up some pH strips at the drug store, and first thing in the morning test the dog's urine. If it reads anywhere from 6.2 - 6.5, your dog's system is exactly where it should be. If it is 7.5 or higher, the diet you are feeding is too alkaline, and ACV will re-establish the correct balance.

If you have a dog that has clear, watery discharge from the eyes, a runny nose, or coughs with a liquid sound, use ACV in his or her food. One teaspoon twice a day for a 50 lb. dog will do the job.

After your weekly grooming sessions, use a few drops in his or her ears after cleaning them to avoid ear infections. Other uses for ACV are the prevention of muscle weakness, cramps, feeling the cold, calluses on elbows and hock joints, constipation, bruising too easily, pimples on skin surfaces, twitching of facial muscles, sore joints, arthritis and pus in the urine. There are also reports that it is useful in the prevention of bladder and kidney stones.

Fleas, flies, ticks and bacteria, external parasites, ring worm, fungus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, mange, etc., are unlikely to inhabit a dog whose system is acidic inside and out. Should you ever experience any of these with your dog, bathe with a nice gentle herbal shampoo -- one that you would use on your own hair -- rinse thoroughly, and then sponge on ACV diluted with equal amounts of warm water. Allow your dog to drip dry. It is not necessary to use harsh chemicals for minor flea infestations. All fleas drown in soapy water and the ACV rinse makes the skin too acidic for a re-infestation. If you are worried about picking up fleas when you take your dog away from home, keep some ACV in a spray bottle, and spray your dog before you leave home, and when you get back. Take some with you and keep it in the car, just in case you need it any time. Obviously for major infestations, more drastic measures are necessary. ACV normalizes the pH levels of the skin, makes your dog unpalatable to even the nastiest of bacteria and you have a dog that smells like a salad, a small price to pay! "

[Old Vet]

I give all my dogs garlic pills to keep the fleas and ticks off them and it does a good job. It takes a few days to work but it will work. What I do is to roll it up in a slice of cheese and give it to them and they take it without any problem. It will work on cats too.

[primal1]

@EmptY, great post thanks. How long can you keep adding ACV to their food?
Would you happen to know if this is ok for cats too?

My dogs never had flees before(8years old now) and always get a weekly dose of garlic, but since the cat moved in they all have flees. I have also tried advantage and the like for months in a row, no joy!

[Tricky Grama]

We have used advantage (I think it was) in the past for a really bad infestation. But what we do now whenever we see a couple fleas is sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the dog's bedding rub some on her & add a little to her food-for maybe a couple weeks. Have to use the food grade, NEVER the swimming pool DE.

Patty

[primal1]

Originally Posted by Tricky Grama

We have used advantage (I think it was) in the past for a really bad infestation. But what we do now whenever we see a couple fleas is sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the dog's bedding rub some on her & add a little to her food-for maybe a couple weeks. Have to use the food grade, NEVER the swimming pool DE.

Patty

I happen to have some that came from a garden center, says can be used for grain bugs but doesn't say anything about it being food grade.. would you think it's ok to use around the house(wood floors) and maybe dog bed?

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by primal1

I happen to have some that came from a garden center, says can be used for grain bugs but doesn't say anything about it being food grade.. would you think it's ok to use around the house(wood floors) and maybe dog bed?

It's probably fine...I think if you are going to injest it yourself, it would be better to make sure it said 'food grade'. As long as it's NOT for swimming pools, it should be ok.

Patty

[wolfwalkerpa]

Old Vet, How many garlic pills do you give the dogs,cats ? Is the cheap garlic pills ok ?

[Old Vet]

Originally Posted by wolfwalkerpa

Old Vet, How many garlic pills do you give the dogs,cats ? Is the cheap garlic pills ok ?

I give them one per day the cheep stuff and it works. It takes a bout a week for it to get into their system.

[primal1]

Originally Posted by Tricky Grama

It's probably fine...I think if you are going to injest it yourself, it would be better to make sure it said 'food grade'. As long as it's NOT for swimming pools, it should be ok.

Patty

Thanks! I won't feed it to them but at least i'll feel ok about using on their bed... i'll keep looking for the food grade stuff

[Cheri in NY]

Order some from Randall Burkey (company)...that's where I am ordering mine for our 5 cats. It is listed with the flea/tick meds. They are online and also have a catalog you can order. It is listed as Perma-Guard in their catalog.

[Little Quacker in OR]

For heavens' sakes! Will you guys please just GOOGLE onion and garlic toxicity in dogs and cats and get a clue? I just hate it when these old wives tales keep popping up! Makes us Vet Techs crazy! And there has not been ONE, not ONE actual published account of any Diatomaceous Earth product preventing or treating fleas, ticks, worms or any other kind of parasite either. This stuff won't hurt them though as long as they do NOT breath it into the lungs in in great quantities. Look it up before you decide.

http://www.vetinfo.com/dtoxin.html

The reason there are all kinds of flea and tick insecticides out there for use in dogs and cats is they work and they are needed because the old home remedies so not. However all parts of the country are not equal and neither are all dogs and cats. Infestations vary too in severity. Some dogs and cats have toxicities to some of the meds which are available....so, try others. Check out each products website and if you still have questions do CALL their company Vet! All companies have one! Go to the source! And talk to your Vet.

One of the very effective things you can do in most areas for most dogs and cat is just to purchase ivermectin from the feed store and use it yourself. This product can be injected or given orally, it's safe for most canines and felines as well as people. Be careful with dogs that are greyhounds, collies and derivatives of these breeds.They have special needs.

LQ

[wolfwalkerpa]

Thanks Old Vet will give it a try.

[primal1]

Originally Posted by Little Quacker in OR

For heavens' sakes! Will you guys please just GOOGLE onion and garlic toxicity in dogs and cats and get a clue? I just hate it when these old wives tales keep popping up! Makes us Vet Techs crazy! And there has not been ONE, not ONE actual published account of any Diatomaceous Earth product preventing or treating fleas, ticks, worms or any other kind of parasite either. This stuff won't hurt them though as long as they do NOT breath it into the lungs in in great quantities. Look it up before you decide.

http://www.vetinfo.com/dtoxin.html

The reason there are all kinds of flea and tick insecticides out there for use in dogs and cats is they work and they are needed because the old home remedies so not. However all parts of the country are not equal and neither are all dogs and cats. Infestations vary too in severity. Some dogs and cats have toxicities to some of the meds which are available....so, try others. Check out each products website and if you still have questions do CALL their company Vet! All companies have one! Go to the source! And talk to your Vet.

One of the very effective things you can do in most areas for most dogs and cat is just to purchase ivermectin from the feed store and use it yourself. This product can be injected or given orally, it's safe for most canines and felines as well as people. Be careful with dogs that are greyhounds, collies and derivatives of these breeds.They have special needs.

LQ

Well, it's not actually an old wives tale, my info on garlic for dogs came from a vet/researcher who is also a bio-chemist, phytochemist... she is actually one of the people who trains vets on natural meds.

All vets keep telling me is buy advantage and vacuum like mad, it's extremely frustrating.
I've bought some cider vinigar so trying that for a while.

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by primal1

Well, it's not actually an old wives tale, my info on garlic for dogs came from a vet/researcher who is also a bio-chemist, phytochemist... she is actually one of the people who trains vets on natural meds.

All vets keep telling me is buy advantage and vacuum like mad, it's extremely frustrating.
I've bought some cider vinigar so trying that for a while.

RIGHT!! And lets post some studies on how carcinogenic and/or harmful all the chemicals are!!

Patty

[primal1]

Originally Posted by Tricky Grama

RIGHT!! And lets post some studies on how carcinogenic and/or harmful all the chemicals are!!
Patty

I used the advantage stuff for 6 months on both dogs and cat and we still have a problem with fleas and I never felt comfortable using the stuff... won't be going back to it anytime soon thats for sure.

[Cliff]

Inside the house borax spread on the carpets and furniture do the trick if your house is mostly carpeted. Spread it and let it settle into the carpet for a couple days, vacuum.
The borax kills the flea larvae as soon as they hatch. Works beautifully.
For outside dogs frontline is the only thing I've ever seen that really works.

[Old Vet]

Originally Posted by Little Quacker in OR

For heavens' sakes! Will you guys please just GOOGLE onion and garlic toxicity in dogs and cats and get a clue? I just hate it when these old wives tales keep popping up! Makes us Vet Techs crazy! And there has not been ONE, not ONE actual published account of any Diatomaceous Earth product preventing or treating fleas, ticks, worms or any other kind of parasite either. This stuff won't hurt them though as long as they do NOT breath it into the lungs in in great quantities. Look it up before you decide.

http://www.vetinfo.com/dtoxin.html

The reason there are all kinds of flea and tick insecticides out there for use in dogs and cats is they work and they are needed because the old home remedies so not. However all parts of the country are not equal and neither are all dogs and cats. Infestations vary too in severity. Some dogs and cats have toxicities to some of the meds which are available....so, try others. Check out each products website and if you still have questions do CALL their company Vet! All companies have one! Go to the source! And talk to your Vet.

One of the very effective things you can do in most areas for most dogs and cat is just to purchase ivermectin from the feed store and use it yourself. This product can be injected or given orally, it's safe for most canines and felines as well as people. Be careful with dogs that are greyhounds, collies and derivatives of these breeds.They have special needs.

LQ

Since you are so have a degree in veterinary medicine on this use any spray or powder or lotion that is made from chemicals and disregard my earlier comment I am dum for thinking that garlic works and sulfur too. I don't know what I would do if it were the people at HT. I would go on and use what works for me but You have change my mind I will get many of the best produced out their and fight flees and ticks the right way. I guess I will get an new Veterinarian also since he toled me to do this.

[wolfwalkerpa]

Old Vet, Thanks again bought 2 bottles of garlic pills for the dogs.

[ronbre]

not on the animals but on the carpet and upholstery 20 mule team borax will kill the fleas in your house deader than a hammer..sprinkle it liberally on everything and leave it as long as you can stand to have it in the house..then vacuum it up and toss the bags or empty the vacuum outside immediately..you might try adding some more the next round but we did that once and never had another flea and i just use collars on my cats..no meds..might try the garlic and acv though..