Additional disclaimer:
I AM NOT A VETERINARIAN.
My advice is based on the following experience:

Over 40 years teaching canine obedience, with a focus on sensible puppy management and solving aggressive dog issues

7 years working at, then managing, the oldest pet store in America, Edward Robison Co. in San Francisco, where Tippi Hedren bought the lovebirds in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"




Anesthesia-free canine dental hygienist since 1990. Services include training owners how to provide better home care of dog's teeth and nails.

Italian Greyhound rehabilitation and re-homing services (some folks call this rescue)
(pitbull rehabilitation and re-homing as well)

Numerous years as a veterinary surgical assistant


  CATEGORY MENU:    
       
  FLEA CONTROL TIPS    
  FLEA BITE ALLERGY    
  EASY, NO RINSE, BATH    
       
       
 

FLEA CONTROL TIPS

Flea Bombs versus Premise Spray

When dealing with fleas my first line of defense is to "nuke" the house rather than the animal.

Flea bombs just don't make sense to me: The directions advise setting them on chairs then vacating and later airing the house for several hours. The fog shoots up in the air filling every conceivable crevasse and surface. Fleas tend to hang out looking for blood hosts at 3 feet high and down, not up on your ceiling or on your kitchen counters! The brand I've had excellent results from is Zodiac Fleatrol Premise Aerosol Spray, AKA Zodiac Carpet and Upholstery Aerosol Spray. These contain Precor as an insect growth regulator (IGR). This means it's suppose to prevent newly hatch larva from reaching reproductive age. Because of this I re-treat after one week to kill the baby fleas. I use the Carpet and Upholstery Spray in the cracks of my floors with no notable difference. I also spray under furniture cushions and pet bedding. One 16 oz can of spray will treat 2,000 square feet.

Some basics:

Flea comb at least once a week, and daily when fleas are found. Just because you pet isn't scratching doesn't mean there aren't fleas!

Put a flea collar in your vacuum cleaner bag.

Launder and/or iron bedding and cushion tops.


Advantage II

I prefer to use natural topical flea products but when a flea season is especially bad I will use Advantage II. When Advantage II was newly released my veterinarian discovered that the product was the same formula regardless of being for the smallest cat or the largest dog. The only difference was the dosage by weight. This means that you can save a lot of money buying the giant dog size (which contain 4mL per tube) and measuring out the correct dosage for smaller animals with a calibrated milliliter syringe. A four-pack of giant breed size contains forty dosages for pets under ten Pounds! Be sure to follow the manufacturer's advice for very young animals and re-treatment time.

 
Advantage II Dosage by Weight:
 
dosage in milliliters
=
weight in pounds
0.4ml
=
0-10#
0.8ml
=
11-20#
1.2ml
=
21-30#
1.6ml
=
31-40#
2.0ml
=
41-50#
2.4ml
=
51-60#
2.8ml
=
61-70#
3.2ml
=
71-80#

   
 

FLEA BITE ALLERGY

Hot Spot Treatment
The pet industry standard is Bitter Apple Spray, but it only contains a bitter substance to discourage licking and chewing. Encourage your local pet supplier to carry Tomlyn Allercaine Spray in both available sizes! It contains a bitter substance, antiseptic to fight hot spot infections, AND a numbing agent. Superior stuff.

Allercaine has an expiration date so if your pet rarely gets hot spots you'll save money by buying the 4oz size instead of the 12oz size.

Years ago I had a cat who was so sensitive to flea bites that she would get a host spot from the base of her tail to the middle of her back before you could blink an eye. Tomyn's Allercaine would clear these up in only a couple of days, without having to resort to cortisone shots.

   
  EASY, NO RINSE, BATH

Frequent Bathing...
with pet shampoo can dry out your pet's skin and fur and you must be sure to rinse thoroughly. Drying thoroughly is especially important when the weather is chilly.

Add 4 ounces of distilled white vinegar to 32 ounces of warm water to sponge on your dog then towel dry for a rinse-free and soak-to-the-bone alternative. This deodorizes and cleans, making the coat shiny and dander free. I always keep a spray bottle of this formula handy for spot cleaning dirty feet in winter. It also make a great after shampoo rinse. It's so effective that I have pretty much eliminated the use of pet shampoos on my smooth coated dog breeds.