Flea Treatments??

Storm and Dottie have got fleas for the first time ever and I'm gutted!!

We've always kept them away in the past by giving the dogs Garlic daily, but for some reason this year they have got them!

Please can anybody tell me the safest and most effective (but not too costly) way to get rid of these horrible fleas? We were a bit worried about using chemicals like Frontline and Spot On, but I think we might have to! We have been researching using certain essential oils (Tea Tree oil etc), which repels and kills fleas, but it's not really working that well to keep them permanently away!

I make flea repellant biscuits which use brewers yeast and garlic. My dog not only loves them but doesn't get fleas either
You could try making your own; here's the recipe if you fancy having a go, works wonders for us and I cannot stand the little nippers! And they aren't expensive to make and you can have fun making them....

Flea Terminator Dog Treats

"If you have a dog and hate fleas then this is the dog treat for you! The brewers yeast and garlic in these treats will please your pet, and repel fleas."

Ingredients

3 cubes beef bouillon
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup brewers' yeast
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 egg yolks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Dissolve beef bouillon cubes in boiling water, and set aside. Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, corn meal, brewers yeast, and garlic powder. Add the yolks, then gradually pour in the bouillon water while stirring. Mix thoroughly to form a firm dough. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies one inch apart onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven off, and leave the cookies inside for at least 3 hours or overnight to harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Good luck

I suppose the safest way is the good old fashioned flea comb!

Mine seemed to go years without getting fleas, so it was a nasty shock when they got them. I'll certainly have a go at making the Flea Terminator treats - even if they don't work the dogs will enjoy eating them.

I find combing and bathing (with a flea shampoo) the most effective way of dealing with fleas.

Then I spray the house, and wash all bedding on a high heat wash.

If you decide to go the "chemical" route I highly reccommend Advocate but you will have to visit the vet to get it. I was surprised to find that not only is it more effective but also cheaper than frontline.

My vet said he'd stopped Frontline because the fleas seemed to have built up a resistance to it, so he prescribed Effipro instead. That didn't work either. He's never mentioned Advocate, I'll ask him next time I go.

I also use Advocate.

I don't particularly like putting chemicals on my dogs but don't really much of a choice. Our cats bring the fleas in and I have a dog with a flea allergy.

I would spray the house and car with Indorex, wash all dog beds and soft fabrics, give the whole house a really good hoover and clean and obviously treat the dogs. That in theory should get rid of the fleas and keep them at bay.

Definitely spray the house - fleas breed OFF the dog, in carpets, upholstery and tiny crevices.

A can of Acclaim costs £13.50 ish and can be bought in Boots. There's enough to treat a 4-bed house once or a flat several times.

If you approach it in that way, then it almost always controls the problem, but some Frontline spray from the vet will also zap any found on the dogs. This is probably the cheapest way, without using too many chemicals.