Home remedy for fleas

[Spencermm]

ANybody got any home remedies for fleas on dogs without going to the vet?
Nothing over the counter helps. I hate paying for the office visit to get the good stuff, though I will if I have to.
Thanks for any input,
Spencer

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Have you de-flea'd wherever he lives? You can dip that dog until his hair falls out but if you don't flea bomb his living quarters he'll be re-flea'd as soon as the dip dries. If he's a house dog you gotta do the whole house.
Good luck!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Randy43068]

forget the home remedies I've tried all of them over the years.

If you really want to be rid of them get the good stuff from the veterinarian. It's expensive but it works.

When I had a couple of dogs I was forever chasing the elusive natural and home remedy for fleas. I finally got some spray from the vet and it worked like a charm. It was much cheaper in the long run. My family and dogs were much happier forever after.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Lots of stuff will kill fleas.
Not much will kill flea eggs.
The key is a treatment regimen - on both the animals and on their entire living space - that'll catch the fleas after they hatch and before they lay a new batch of eggs. Unfortunately...
"The entire life cycle is quite variable, as evidenced by the variability in each life stage progression. As mentioned above, the cycle can be as short as two weeks or as long as two years. That is why it is so important to remain vigilant, even when a flea problem is thought to be under control!" (Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM)
But, you can usually have pretty good success with weekly treatments of the animals with a flea spray or bath and, on the same day, a weekly thorough spraying of the animal's entire outdoor living space with Malathion. If there are eggs in your carpets indoors... weekly insect sprays that smell better than Malathion are available.
- or -
get the stuff from the Vet. Your dogs will collect any fleas that hatch inside and they won't be able to reproduce; problem solved.
Rick

 

[Spencermm]

Do you recall what the spray is called, and do you have to pay for an office visit?
(I always feel milked when I go in to get the good stuff. Where I live an office visit, with the dog, is mandatory. They weigh the dog charge me $30.00, or whatever, for said weighing- then charge me $50.00 for the flea med. Makes me angry.)
Thanks

 

[Randy43068]

Lots of stuff will kill fleas.
Not much will kill flea eggs.
The key is a treatment regimen - on both the animals and on their entire living space - that'll catch the fleas after they hatch and before they lay a new batch of eggs. Unfortunately...
"The entire life cycle is quite variable, as evidenced by the variability in each life stage progression. As mentioned above, the cycle can be as short as two weeks or as long as two years. That is why it is so important to remain vigilant, even when a flea problem is thought to be under control!" (Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM)
But, you can usually have pretty good success with weekly treatments of the animals with a flea spray or bath and, on the same day, a weekly thorough spraying of the animal's entire outdoor living space with Malathion. If there are eggs in your carpets indoors... weekly insect sprays that smell better than Malathion are available.
- or -
get the stuff from the Vet. Your dogs will collect any fleas that hatch inside and they won't be able to reproduce; problem solved.
Rick

I'm grinning as I read your post as it brings back memories of trying to control fleas without a trip to the vet. Once using the "good stuff" I kicked myself for working so hard using the process you described above. All that work and it wasn't getting rid of the fleas.

By the way, I didn't have to have an appointment to get the spray for carpets. Just call or stop in as they will sell the stuff outright. I think you can get the drops for the dog online from Pet Meds or someplace like that. But the spray for carpets I used came from my vet and worked in 2 treatments. Wonderful stuff!!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Drs Foster and Smith are a reputable company both in catalogs and online. They have some Frontline spray on their website.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Randy43068]

Do you recall what the spray is called, and do you have to pay for an office visit?
(I always feel milked when I go in to get the good stuff. Where I live an office visit, with the dog, is mandatory. They weigh the dog charge me $30.00, or whatever, for said weighing- then charge me $50.00 for the flea med. Makes me angry.)
Thanks

Do you have more than one veterinarian in the area? Shop around..

I don't know how your vet works. I went to the vet where they had the good sprays on the shelf. Those flea drops one puts on the dog are a different matter, I believe. Those may need an office call to get. Or get 'em online I think. No script needed...

and don't forget the heart-worm meds too. Very, very important. I had a dog with heart worms once.. very expensive for treatments.

 

[Rick Murchison]

I'll also add that if the infestation is in the entire neighborhood or city (San Diego, for example, go so bad in the 70's that if you wore light colored trousers and walked across anyone's yard the lower legs would be grey with fleas!) then there's just nothing other than the stuff the Vet has that'll help.
My vet's got some once-a-month stuff called Comfortis that's been successful on dogs who've been super flea magnets in the past.
Only drawback is, as my vet says, "they're right proud of it."
Rick

 

[dpbishop]

Get the drops. (Advantage or Frontline). Your dogs will thank you. Also try sprinkling Diatomaceous earth on their bedding and carpets where they hang out. It dries the fleas out without harming the dogs.