# At Wit's End - Ticks now FLEAS



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

First we had ticks. Still have them, but their population is dwindling. But now Ozzy has FLEAS. Poor baby was just tearing at himself last night. 

He's got the flea/tick drops on him. They repel and kill (or they're supposed to, anyway) fleas and ticks. They're the BioSpot brand. I went from picking about 10 ticks off of him every day to one or two every few days.

But the fleas are driving him insane. I feel horrible because he's scratching himself like mad and I don't know what I can do. Is there a shampoo I can bathe him in or a spray? What can I do for him to keep the fleas off? The BioSpot doesn't seem to be doing much with the fleas. :help:


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## LeftyGinger (Sep 2, 2010)

I used to use frontline for my other GSD a couple years back, but lived in an upscale part of town where everyone always had their yard treated for everything including fleas so I never had a problem around that neighborhood. I've since moved further out of town closer to country-land where the fleas and ticks were unavoidable, although I still live in a neighborhood. There are also several foxes just off my property line that bring in fleas near my house so no matter how much I treat, they're always going to be around. 
I switched to Advantix and have not had a single flea or tick at all this year. It does repel and is water proof which is a bonus for me. It may not be a cure-all for everyone, but works wonders around here. 
For an immediate fix for Ozzy, there are flea shampoo's you can get or a laundry soap called BORAX that can be rubbed into the fur that will kill the little buggers FAST. It takes VERY little for a dog his size, maybe a table spoon or so. However, be very careful using this, especially if he's typically a "licker" type dog, it can be harmful if ingested. 
You can start with the flea shampoo or Borax for an immediate fix and consider changing your flea medication in the future for a longer term fix... 
I hope this helps and Ozzy gets some relief


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I'll try that then. We tried Frontline on Schatzi, and it didn't work, given it kills only, and doesn't repel.


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## Stogey (Jun 29, 2010)

I had such a problem with fleas that I had to resort to bringing in a professional exterminator. We live on what used to be a large cattle ranch, I've dug cow bones outta my back yard. The fleas and ticks are so bad out here I hired a bug killa to spray my yard once a month. Finally no fleas in the house and none on DJ !!! Worth the 70 bucks a month...


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Advantix!


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## TaraM1285 (Sep 24, 2009)

I've used Capstar in the past in my cat for immediate flea relief. It is a one-time pill that kills all the adult fleas within 24 hours. You should check the safety of it for Poms. Check with your vet if this would work.

You would still have to follow up with something for the eggs and larvae (like Advantix or Frontline).


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## LeftyGinger (Sep 2, 2010)

TaraM1285, I looked into Capstar, the main reason two reasons I didn't go with them is 1) dog may have a reaction to pill that you then cannot get out (rare but possible) and 2) Capstar ONLY treats fleas and Ozzy is having a tick problem also. 
My neighbor uses Capstar and has no problem, but their case is different than mine: they have a 13 year old pug that only goes out to pee which doesn't put it in much danger to environmental exposures like my two who go digging thru the woods with me.
Just my experience


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## TaraM1285 (Sep 24, 2009)

LeftyGinger, is your neighbor using Capstar as a preventive? That is not its intended use, it is a one time treatment, not longterm like most monthly preventives and is supposed to be processed out of the system very quickly. (Were you perhaps thinking of Comfortis, which is a monthly oral flea preventive- I know I always have to double-check which is which!  )? I would imagine the risk of reaction is about similar to other oral medications, which is always a concern. I just wanted to offer a suggestion for something that worked to me and worked very quickly to get rid of the fleas. 

We can agree to disagree  ...I would never use Borax on an animal, the risks of toxicity seem much greater to me to do that than the Capstar. Seems we just have different opinions on what is more risky.


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