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How to get rid of fleas?

Since the weather has been so warm on the west coast, and flea season is approaching I am wondering what people do to prevent their dog from getting fleas?

If your dog DOES get them - what have you found that works to get rid of them?

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I live in Florida so I have flea and tick issues. I use baths for fleas and certifect for ticks. The certifect works on the fleas as well. Read the labels of the medicines and always ask your vet. Not all medicines work for all pets.

We use a product called "food grade diatomaceous earth" all year round and especially during the summer months when our dog is apt to pick these things up from outside. They live in the grass. It works on cats and dogs and the food grade product is safe to ingest. On the carpet, on the animal WORKS!

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I also use dawn dish soap but put some apple cider vinegar in the bath water. It helps kill the fleas and conditions the skin, coat and paws. Don't forget to check the paws for cracks and roughness. Vinegar and Epsom salt is great for us and them. I put my feet in the tub with them and it really helps calluses.

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Another possibility you may want to discuss with the vet is Trifexis. It takes care of fleas, hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm - all in one convenient monthly pill. Not all vets sell it, but it can be purchased online. If purchased at vet, the manufacturer (Elanco) offers a rebate. Last year, according to a local vet, the fleas were going after all dogs no matter what they were taking. The vet's office said just keep ensuring all the dogs were kept on schedule taking whatever preventative treatment, do frequent checks and brushing, and if you find fleas in home you've got to take swift and thorough action to get rid of the eggs: wash every linen/textile/soft items in hot water & detergent, clean all floors, vacuum any carpet & immediately throw away the bag outside.

Addressing comment below: Trifexis. which I recommend, does Not control Ticks! There is a huge difference! My now retired vet cautioned me that he would never recommend tick prevention because ticks are hearty creatures so the chemicals in those prevention products are super toxic. It’s better to check the dogs coat & process specific blood tests timely if needed. However heartworm is fatal. If a dog ends up with heartworm, it will enlarge the heart until it results in fatality. If a dog has other worms or fleas, it will also have a great deal of discomfort. I contemplate, research, and make decisions for my dogs best health very seriously. BTW - He’s been on flea/worm prevention for approx 14 years & will celebrate his 16th birthday soon. So please understand, he is not being poisoned.!

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Why/How does this product "take care of" kills fleas,ticks,hook,round and whip worms? Death by being poisoned. How were they poisoned? By ingesting the poison when they bit your pet. Is the goal to kill fleas/ticks. Eliminations of any threats. The threat is in the bite.

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My dog is allergic to any flea and tick medicine so I spray her down with Apple Cider Vinegar. You can use white vinegar as well. I dilute it with water and spray her. Some people put it in their water bowl (just a little and only the apple cider vinegar NOT the white vinegar) and this repels fleas and ticks. I personally have not done the water bowl method since I find that just spraying her works. I've been doing it for 4 years and she's never had fleas. http://www.earthclinic.com/pets/flea-...

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It's always hard to get rid of fleas and or any kind of bug but I myself always used Dawn detergent soap on my animals and it worked great! Also, the flea collars work as well or medicine.

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Trifexis is definitely one of the best flea/tick treatments out there (at least in my experience.) Fleas and ticks are bad in my area and its the only thing that's worked almost 100%. One of my dogs also has bad allergies and it was much easier on him than the topical treatments. I also use a flea comb on my dogs and the dogs I sit for during the summer months and it seems to help as well- that may be something for you to try if you're worried about allergies but I wouldn't use it as a sole treatment. You can also get a spray from Amazon from Vet's Best that costs about $5. It's all natural and peppermint oil based- I honestly don't know how effective it is but I used it on some of my dog bedding and on my indoor cats before I put them on frontline and they didn't end up with fleas/ticks.

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Just had an issue with a Rover pet we were sitting, an egg must have hatched on her, and she was just coated in fleas we had to take her to the vet. Vinegar works wonders!! Warm water, and vinegar!!

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Our dogs are on Raw food and I have never had any issues though we live in a forested area with deer. This causes concern for me due to ticks but also we foster dogs and I am constantly having to treat my home. As we try to live chemical free we use natural products to protect both our own dogs and our home. I am now the distributor for "Pet Protector" which is a chemical free product for Flea & Tick prevention and I would highly recommend this to anyone.

http://www.petprotector.org/?ID=49838

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I have had great success with Comfortis. Your vet sells it. I've heard good things about Trifexis, as Deb & Haley suggested, but I've not yet tried it because I pretty much like to stick with what I know works for my dogs. I may give it a try soon, however, as my vet has been recommending it.

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Thank you all so much for responding to my question. This has been very helpful. But I did neglect to mention, my one service dog is diabetic, has a thyroid problem, and cataracts. Will any of the above suggestions affect him, like spraying (I don't think that would hurt him) but I have concerns that they (my two dogs and two cats may decide to eat flea traps etc. After reading these responses, it never dawned on me until now about possible side effects. Any input on this question about my diabetic dog. I'm one of those over protective mother's.....lol. And wondering also if the dish soap would make them itch? I usually use dog shampoo, uncertain about the dish soap, but I've read that Dawn has done wonders for many things. This is the first I learned about pets. I do like the idea of spraying them down with Apple Cider Vinegar, but after you spray them with that do you give a bath afterward? Or, do you give a bath before you spray them down? FYI...unrelated to the pets, but same concept with apple cider vinegar...if you have a migraine headache, take a damp cold wet washcloth, pour apple cider vinegar on it, go into a dark room, elevate your feet, shut off all lights, phones, etc., and put the washcloth over your eyes and forehead. Within the hour the headache is gone.

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I would consult with your vet before starting any treatment regimen just to make sure there won't be any unintentional effects. Anything you put on the skin can be absorbed (or ingested as he licks to groom himself) and might cause unintentional side effects or alter the efficacy of his other medications. The commercial treatments (especially the ones sold at your vet office, like Frontline or Advantage) have been well-researched and tend to be very effective. Like any medications, some dogs may react poorly to them, but they are safe for the vast majority of pets. Some of the home remedies may be effective to varying degrees, but they can also cause unintended consequences, like allergic reactions or skin irritation.

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I wouldn't recommend bath soap and salt every other day for 2 weeks?? ( in a post above) -- wow Imagine what that does to their skin!!! I'd call your vet. and let them know just how bad the situation is and ask for recommendations.

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