Flies(and now incorporating fleas). Products to top them with and is it ethical to top them?

[Accy cyclist]

I've checked him again and the things are still running all over him. I've found a dead one so maybe it's been poisoned and the poison is working after all, albeit very slowly.

 

[fossyant]

Hideous things!
Moved into our house 3 years ago. The place had been empty for a month and the previous occupants had a cat. The carpet - and all the cracks between the varnished floorboards were completely infested and, without the cat, the damn things were starving. If you put your bare foot down, there were hundreds up to about half way up your shin. Took me 6 - 8 months and about £150 in repeated sprays to finally get rid of them completely.
Like a medieval plague!

OK that's bad

 

[fossyant]

I've checked him again and the things are still running all over him. I've found a dead one so maybe it's been poisoned and the poison is working after all, albeit very slowly.

Give it time. He must have had loads. We've only found the odd one or two, but the lot of cats got done. In dogs it's not as obvious if the get fleas, cats are fastidious about keeping clean.

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

This flea room fogger works a treat for treating a whole room at once.

 

[Julia9054]

This flea room fogger works a treat for treating a whole room at once.

That was the least effective thing i tried. If you have wooden floors, they hide in the cracks but the chemical does not stick to the floor like it does to carpet. We eliminated them upstairs reasonably easily (carpetted) but downstairs was a nightmare!

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

That was the least effective thing i tried. If you have wooden floors, they hide in the cracks but the chemical does not stick to the floor like it does to carpet. We eliminated them upstairs reasonably easily (carpetted) but downstairs was a nightmare!

I suppose everyones experience with any product will vary.We used it in a room with laminate flooring and it worked well.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@Accy cyclist you'll need to comb your dog with a flea comb, for several days.
I don't know about dogs, but cats you give them a tablet to kill the fleas, then a pipette to be applied every month, as prevention.
Thing is, now that the dog has got the fleas, even if you manage to kill all the ones on him, you need to treat (spray and hoover, often until the fleas are all gone) your carpets, soft furnishing, the dog's bedding - better to renew imo - or he will be re-infested.
It would be easier and cheaper to get a pest infestation company in, they do it in a couple of hours for around 100 pounds.
It is important to monthly flea treat and de-worm cats, not sure about dogs.

 

[pawl]

Bash the little ##### with a rolled up copy of theRadio Times.

Other publications are available.

 

[Accy cyclist]

What a torrid time i've/we've had with those evil fleas over the last few days! Yesterday morning the things were running all over him,especially his groin and bum area. Then someone told me that tea tree shampoo is good for getting rid of them. I looked up about anti flea shampoo (notice i put 'anti' before the flea bit, as my daughter once quipped that fleas don't have hair so why would they want shampoo?). In most reviews they said it was only a short term measure and it costs too much for what it achieves,so i went for the £1 tea tree shampoo from Morrison's. I lathered my mutt up.then i left the soapy mass on for about 3 minutes,before thoroughly rinsing it off and repeating the process. As i watched the water drain away i saw quite a lot of the fleas going down the plug hole! I've been checking him regularly since his shower and so far so good with no fleas to be seen. That 'Frontline' i put on him on Thursday may have worked also. Anyway,he's now nice and clean, as before he was not only covered in fleas but also their droppings and he'd been chewing himself so much his hair was all matted. He slept well last night for the first time in a few days. Let's hope the scumbags don't reappear!

 

[Accy cyclist]

It would be easier and cheaper to get a pest infestation company in, they do it in a couple of hours for around 100 pounds.

One of the vacated flats here had to be 'flea bombed' the other week. The occupier had left the flat in right state! Cat crap all over the place etc etc. The Housing Association got a firm in who let these things off in the property, then you have to keep away for 12 hours while the flea bombs work. I don't think i'll be paying a hundred quid though for the neighbours to see the anti infestation van parked up outside my flat! Imagine the shame in it!

 

[potsy]

Regular brushes with a flea comb, whilst bathing him will get them all off.

Like Pat says though you need to treat the house and his bedding or they will just return very quickly.

Had a couple of hard to shift times with the cats, takes a lot of effort to eradicate them!

My dog has some stuff we got from the dogs trust that lasts 3 months, will see how that works and get more if it's successful, sod the expense!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

My dog has some stuff we got from the dogs trust that lasts 3 months, will see how that works and get more if it's successful, sod the expense!

I use the 3 months meds for BigCat, I get it from the vet, it's called Brevecto.
Less stress for the cat (and me!) having to do it only every 3 months, he does not like it.
It's the same price as 3 Frontline or similar.
The Doc Martin range, available from over the counter, is not as effective.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

What's wrong with fleas anyway? Clever little buggers as far as I can see. And strong!

 

[Dave7]

Regular brushes with a flea comb, whilst bathing him will get them all off.

Like Pat says though you need to treat the house and his bedding or they will just return very quickly.

Had a couple of hard to shift times with the cats, takes a lot of effort to eradicate them!

My dog has some stuff we got from the dogs trust that lasts 3 months, will see how that works and get more if it's successful, sod the expense!

Reading your first sentence I imagine you in the the bath while combing your pooch.

 

[vickster]

Fleas on dogs or cats, get frontline or Advocate from the vet or pharmacy. It's cruel not to properly treat a flea infestation on pets

Do you worm your dog properly too, similarly go to the vet (presumably the PDSA would be available to you given your financial situation)