Problem with getting rid of fleas?

I used frontline on my dog when we noticed she had fleas crawling around on her belly and she was scratching more than normal, It says it should work in 48hrs and we've always used it and it's always worked but 3 days on and it doesn't seem to have done much, in fact the fleas seem even worse, we've sprayed the house with flea killer and hoovered and washed all her bedding but it doesn't seemed to be working so we're feeling a little desperate.
We're looking into buy a spray that you actually spray onto the dog to kill the fleas, has anyone used something like that before and does it work?

Cheryl2011-08-12T19:13:19Z

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did you buy all your flea products from the vet ??? and not online, walmart, petsmart, etc. ??? that could make a big difference where you buy the products ... and if you saw fleas crawling all over your dog's belly that is a flea infestation out of control ... you might even need a professional exterminator to deal with that kind of infestation ... but i would check with your vet, one time my dog was infested, and the monthly prevention i was using, the vet told me to use every three weeks instead of every month, but confirm with your vet and the product you are using that it is okay to do so ... i bought the flea drops at the vet for the dog, i bought flea spray for the house from the vet, and i put a store-bought flea collar in my vacuum cleaner bag ... i bathed the dog with soothing dog shampoo (No flea shampoo as it is a waste and can even be harmful) and left the dog sudsy for five minutes at least ... this will kill all the fleas on the dog ... when dog is dry apply the prevention ... and then start on the house ... fleas live in the environment and not the host (your dog is the host and it is a bit alarming the tummy is crawling in fleas) ... for every single flea you see there are at least 30 more ... every adult flea lays 5 to 200 eggs a day that can hatch in 2 days to 2 years ... i would vacuum as thoroughly as you can for the next 30 days straight with a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag to try and get up all the eggs ... and if you have already applied flea chemicals to your dog, the best you can do is bathe the dog ... you can not spray anything on the dog at this point because he is already coated in chemicals, and again, you need products from the vet ...

Anonymous2011-08-13T02:01:04Z

If you're still seeing fleas on your dog, it doesn't mean the frontline isnt working, I believe it just means they havent bitten into her skin yet to absorb the frontline. Frontline does also make a spray you can spray directly on your pet and it's a lot cheaper than the drops that go on the back (probably why most vets keep it hidden). The drops are more convenient since you only have to apply once a month and also dont risk getting any into the eyes, mouth, etc. You have to kill off the entire flea life cycle. Fleas definitely multiply very rapidly and get out of control quickly. I would just use the drops once a month. It will not allow fleas to live on your dog and Frontline Plus will kill the entire cycle. You now need to kill the larvae that will turn into adults and kill the existing adult fleas in your house. Two suggestions: 1) We used an exterminator once for a severe outbreak. They add a particular chemical to their spray that works great. Fleas were gone immediately and no further problems. I would call a few places for price quotes and ask about discounts and coupons. Let them know you're shopping around so they try to offer you the better price. 2) Mycodex Plus is a spray for the house. We bought that from the vet and it wasn't very expensive. This, like the Frontline Plus kills all stages of the life cycle - Adults, Eggs, Pupae and Larvae. If you just use something that only eliminates the adult fleas, the other eventually turn into adults and the cycle continues. If your vet doesn't carry either or both of these sprays you can google the product on line and probably order there or from PetMeds, etc. Hope this helps. But do both and use the above method. Foggers, bombs, sprays from the store, over the counter work only temporarily. It will be cheaper and healthier for your pet as fleas lead to a lot of other on-going issues like worms, etc. Over the counter meds don't work well for those either. If you need the phone numbers for questions, comments or emergencies, Mycodex is sold by a company called (VPL) Veterinary Products Laboratories and their number is 1-888-241-9545. Frontline Spray Treatment is made by a company called Merial Limited and their toll free 24 hr. phone number is 1-800-660-1842. Let me know what you decide and how it works for you.

Mikey9992011-08-13T01:35:11Z

You may want to consult your vet regarding this.
Just to check, are you sure the frontline you used was still in date and hadn't expired? You may also find that it may not actually be fleas ur dog has there are many different types of ectoparasites that can infest dogs.
Speak to your vet they will be able to best advise you

**In response to the above suggestion of using Raid, please don't it would be a very stupid thing to do!!

Anonymous2011-08-13T01:32:29Z

i tired everything too. nothing worked, we bought every product on the market, my dad got fed up so he used raid. i know it's bad, he just covered up her eyes and sprayed it on her back and tummy, afterwords we gave her a bath (5-10minutes later), and guess what? it killed the fleas, it worked like a charm.

@Mikey999, it worked. so it was effective. you don't spray it on their head. just the back and tummy.

if your worried about getting it in their face and eyes, put a cone on your dogs head. make sure she doesn't lick her self.

ApplePie2011-08-13T01:32:15Z

You can find a lot of information about fleas here,
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/fleas.htm

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