[zuhraliyana]

i have a 8 week old solid white puppy that keeps getting fleas, and natuarlly fea eggs. I keep picking them off and brushing her, but my question is there somthing i can put on her to keep them the fleas off her at such a young age?

[SetSnonejog]

go to the vet and get some flea preventative, I use advantage multi, the reason I say go to the vet and get it is because most of the stuff you get other places will seriously harm your pup, and the vet would know what is working in your area.

[bellson]

Frontline Plus, Comfortis, Advantage/Advantix/Advantage Multi.... All good options. Please see your vet to get what you need. Wouldn't be a bad idea to worm your puppy and get it started on heartworm preventative either.

[imawlBoli]

Comfortis you can't use until the puppy is 14 weeks old (i believe). most over-the-counter products cannot be used until at least 12 weeks of age. i think frontline is 10 weeks but cant remember. i know that revolution can be used at an early age, so go to your vet and check on that. your vet will know which products can be used at which age and will recommend something for you.

IMO, Comfortis is the best product out there for flea control. But until your puppy is old enough for it, like i said, try and find something else via your vet. if you can't get to your vet straight away, you can use lemon joy dish liquid to remove the fleas that are on him. just use a conditioner afterwards since the joy will strip the oils from your puppies coat.

[movlabc]

Frontline is 8 weeks. Comfortis is 15 weeks. Revolution is 6 weeks.

[rikdpola]

These products people are describing are once a month tratments that pevent flea infestation. Use it once, and your dog is protected for about a month.

Products like flea powders, sprays and shampoos only work to kill the fleas that are on your dog at that exact time. The second you take your dog outside, more fleas will jump on, and you'll have to repeat the process.

Flea collars are useless. they only effect fleas that go close to it, and don't prevent breeding.

With the monthly treatments, they sterilize the fleas or render eggs unhatchable...this keeps the fleas from breeding in your house.

If you just use shampoos, sprays, powders or collars...you will not be keeping fleas from reproducing inside your home.

Antibacterial dishsoap (as was mentioned) is amazingly effecient at killing fleas...even better than flea shampoos...and much safer.

However...this is just a "quick fix" to get rid of existing fleas. When he goes outside again, more fleeas will hop right back on.

[movlabc]

Yes, I was a little lazy with my post earlier, but pretty much everything Gatorpit said was right on. The only thing I want to add to it though is that Frontline, Comfortis, Revolution, and Advantage do actually kill the fleas. It is Program (which is also the flea component in Sentinel) that only sterilizes the fleas and prevents formation of the "egg tooth" they use to hatch out of their eggs.

[rikdpola]

Don't some of them do both? That's why I didn't bother diferentiating. lol

[movlabc]

Oh, my bad. I am not sure but I don't really see the point in sterilizing the fleas if they are dead anyways.

---------- Post added at 11:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 PM ----------

Also want to add, a good way to get fleas out of the house is to sprinkle borax on furniture and floors, wait about 15 minutes, then vacuum it all up. You can also put a flea collar in the vacuum bag (only thing they are good for) as it will kill the fleas you vacuum up if they are not already dead.

[rikdpola]

Oh, my bad. I am not sure but I don't really see the point in sterilizing the fleas if they are dead anyways.

Because if just one flea hops on your dog from outside and lays it's eggs before dying of the poison, you'll have a whole crop of new fleas. You'll continue to have new fleas, because fleas drop there eggs in your house, and the young develop in your carpets and upholstry. Some will be lucky enough to deposit eggs prior to dying.


From a "Ask The Vet" site:

Even ONE flea can start the reaction your dog is having.

Your main problem with fleas is not the adults but what's in your rugs and floors. The biggest issue are the eggs, cocoons, and larvae, which feed off the feces of the fleas. The eggs fall onto the floors and are in the fibers of the rugs and cracks of the floors. These hatch into the cocoon which nothing can penetrate and kill.

So you need a flea program that will-

1. Kill the adults.
2. You need an IGR to stop the growth of the millions of eggs in your rugs and floors and to stop the larvae from spinning a cocoon.
3. You should put your dog on Sentinel tablets to sterilize the fleas so any eggs they lay won't hatch at all. Also, it stops the larvae from growing because they eat the flea feces and that is what has the IGR in it from the Sentinel.

[movlabc]

That's a good point. Comfortis starts killing any fleas the jump on the animal within 30 minutes, so I don't think there would be much of a chance of that happening, but I am sure it definitely can happen with the other products.

[zuhraliyana]

Thank you all for the advice. i will take her to the vet. she has an appt next week. i did bath her and got them off her and did a deep clean of the house as to getr rid of them inside.

[dHXaE2h9]

Dawn dishwashing solution works on young pups. Also some Diatomaceous Earth (food grade quality) from a feed store will help. You can spread it around where the pup sleeps and spends most of his/her time. If they lick it off...it will not hurt them and in fact can help with worms. You can put it directly on them by rubbing it in after the Dawn Bath.

[isopsmypovA]

That's a good point. Comfortis starts killing any fleas the jump on the animal within 30 minutes, so I don't think there would be much of a chance of that happening, but I am sure it definitely can happen with the other products.

it also prevents them from coming back for a month too.

[jincomplet]

check out Diatomaceous earth, it's all natural and dang if it don't work