vheaslaundromutt's Space http://vheaslaundromutt.posterous.com Most recent posts at vheaslaundromutt's Space posterous.com Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:04:00 -0800 Fleas and winter in Dallas, TX http://vheaslaundromutt.posterous.com/fleas-and-winter-in-dallas-tx http://vheaslaundromutt.posterous.com/fleas-and-winter-in-dallas-tx

Unfortunately, if you live in Dallas, or anywhere in the South for that matter, you know how aggrevating a flea problem can be.  It should die down with winter right?  Wrong.  They, along with the cockroaches, will still be around after the Armageddon.  That doesn't mean you can't do a few things to help control the population however.

First and foremost is prevention of infestation on your pets.  Since my pack is inundated with random clients at the Mutt and about 10% come in with fleas in the winter, my preventative of choice is Trifexis.  This pill covers fleas, heartworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, and is a once-a-month dose.  About 2 years ago at the Mutt we noticed that clients that were on the Frontline regimen were still having problems with fleas.  Not sure if the formula changed or the fleas built up an immunity to it, but it was not working effectively in 99% of the clients using it.  The other oral medication I'm fond of is Comfortis.  Comfortis is the active ingredient in Trifexis but with no heartworm preventative, which in TX is a neccessity.  Both of these you need to purchase from your Veterinarian.  

Now the yard:  Home Depot carries a few things "natural based" and "chemical based" depending on if you are maintaining a healthy "flea-free" yard or if you just need to break the cycle of infestion going on in it.  They also have some carpet and upholstery spray if you don't want to bomb and vacate for a day.  Now the trick for getting ahead of the cycle:  The gestation period for flea eggs is a mere 2 wks., you will have to treat your yard "chemically" once a week for 3 weeks in a row to get ahead of that cycle, then once a month thereafter, til there's no more problem.  Make sure to treat your dog, cats, yard, and house, at the same time, or it will never end. 

Remember also there is NO SUCH THING as a preventative flea shampoo!  I don't care what the label says.  It's not true.  The pyrethrins in the shampoo will kill what's on your pet, it won't keep them from getting reinfested at all.  The other topical flea preventatives are becoming less and less effective as well, plus are also toxic and can have some bad side effects on some dogs and cats.  The pills seem to be much safer.

Don't get sucked into knock-offs, or over-the-counter flea meds either.  The only reason they cost $8 or $10/box is because they are made with ineffective cheap poisons that do not work, and can be much more harmful to your pet.

Maintaining a healthy pet is also a great way to stave off pests.  Fleas and ticks are much more attracted to unhealthy pets.  Diet plays a huge role in this issue, but that is another post.  

There are also plenty of natural sprays and remedies that can also make your pet an undesireable place to take up residence.  Natural oils, like peppermint, tea tree, clove, and garlic, can do wonders, and are not as toxic.

A great link to natural flea prevention hints is healthypets.mercola.com.  They also have wonderful natural remedies for sale too.

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