# I am FURIOUS right now...need suggestions



## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Okay. I just dropped over $250 on my dogs and cat last month for Revolution. I applied it correctly. 

Tonight I found FIVE fleas on my cat and TWO on my one dog whos allergic...my friends cat is staying with me and shes on Hartz flea drops (I tried to convince the owner not to buy those ones) and go figure not a flea on her. 

What should I do? I am so upset I spent that much money on something that isnt even working. I sprayed my house down twice with flea premis spray, vaccuumed and washed my area rugs (I have all hardwood/tile) so no rugs. I mopped, did everything. 

I am lost..I cannot afford to have a professional to come in and do the house. Flea bombs I cannot get here in Canada. Anyone have any word to offer? I am going to call my vet and ask if he can give me money back because Revolution obviously isnt working. if it doesnt work for fleas I wonder if it actually prevents HW

ETA-I just found another flea on the dog


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

I would call the vet and ask for a refund. If that doesn't work I would call Revolution themselves and ask. Topical flea preventatives have never worked for me. Comfortis is really the only thing that has yielded results.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

I dont feel comfortable giving that tho because of his severe allergies. 

I cannot call Revolution I tried a while back to ask if they guaranteed their product and they kept hanging up (automated machine disconnected) and they have no email address. 

I dont think my vet will give me a refund honestly...but I will try. He will tell me I didnt apply it correctly or forgot all together. Im so frusterated. Is it possibly the fleas I saw were new fleas that havent yet bit down to get the drug and die? I dont think my house is infested because I am allergic to fleas and I dont have any bites nor do I feel them jumping around on me etc. I was just petting my cat and saw one moving on his whiskers and was like Oh great here we go again. 

I think I may put my cat back on Zodiac, its over the counter but it works. It doesnt kill fleas but kills eggs. But the Revolution and the one the other cat is on is meant to kill biting fleas. So maybe by adding that into the mix I can get rid of them. Also, for some reason they tend to prefer my cat. I heard their temps are higher so if theres a cat in the house you will generally find more fleas on the cat then the dog.


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## Bee (Jun 24, 2011)

I don't know if you can get it over there, but advocate works fantastically


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## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

My mother just bought her dogs hartz flea collars Thursday night as a precaution (we didn't have ANY fleas or signs of them) I don't use Hartz on Skylar. We haven't had fleas in 14 yrs of having dogs so I never really got stuff for her. WELL, Friday morning our dogs have so many fleas on them  I've been spraying Skylar with vinegar water (equal parts) and putting 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in her water, and brewer's yeast in her food (1 tsp per 30 pounds)

I'll probably head to the vets on Monday to see what they suggest, I really don't want to use OTC stuff on Skylar, I don't trust it after hearing so many Hartz horror stories. 

SO, I could also use some advice haha..


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## VomBlack (May 23, 2009)

If the Revolution was purchased through a vet or another reputable source they should stand behind their product. If they were ordered online though you will not be entitled to any guarantees, if I remember correctly from work. I don't think it's specific to the practice i've worked at but rather for the companies that make these products. Personally I use Interceptor, and then Frontline for ticks and i've been happy with it.


*I see fleas on my dog or cat. Is Revolution working?
Revolution kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching. You may occasionally see a few fleas on dogs or cats treated with Revolution but more than 98% of adult fleas are killed within 36 hours.
Immature stages of the flea called pupae may be present in your pets’ environment (yard, flooring, carpet, bedding, etc.). These pupae are not killed by parasiticides (including Revolution) and as such may emerge as adult fleas. These adult fleas may hop onto your pet at anytime. They must be exposed to Revolution on your dog or cat before being killed. It can take from 3–5 weeks (or longer depending on environmental conditions) for most fleas to complete their 4-stage life cycle (egg, larvae, pupae, and adult) and reach the adult stage before being seen on your pet. Due to the presence of immature flea stages in infested environments, it can take up to 2 to 3 monthly applications for Revolution to maximally control the infestation of fleas in the environment. Once the flea population is controlled you will be less likely to see fleas.
*


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

if you have indoor / outdoor cats, your gonna have fleas...IF not , if you have sand or dry dirt around your area, your gonna have fleas.

Personally, I don't think any company or vet is going to guarantee their flea products work. They either do or they dont. 

If you took him to the beach, your gonna find sand fleas..


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

when i had flea problems i use to bomb and spray
the house top to bottom. we washed everything
with something that kill fleas. i forget the amount
of time we had to wait but we had to do it all over again.
i also dipped all of the animals each time we bombed and
sprayed. i bought a sprayer and the chemicals and i did the job
myself. the bombs i bought. i think we you treat for fleas
it kills the flea not the larvae that's why you have to do
it again in a certain amount of time.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

There is more to preventing fleas than just using a topical product. Regular vaccumming, washing of blankets, bedding, anywhere the dogs sleeps or comes into contact with, regular bathing, etc.

I don't think anyone is entitled to a refund just because they found fleas on their pets. Different products work differently in different areas, this has been well known for years.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

yeah, we never have had fleas but I wash their bedding each Sat., constantly vacuuming, vacuum my car plus we treat the perimeter of the yard with a strong pesticide outside of the fence and an organic granule inside the fenced yard.
and the dogs get Frontline each month as well as monthly bathing.


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

My dog has been on Frontline since the springtime, but we didn't think to apply it to the cats right away. The cats have now had two Frontline applications and the number of fleas is diminishing, though like you, I'd be happier if I wasn't finding anymore fleas! 

I use a plastic flea comb on the cats and everything I pull out of them goes in a ziploc - partly so I can makes sure the fleas leave my house and partly so I can see if we're making progress. 

Also try diatomaceous earth (lots of threads here and online - see richsoil.com) - food grade. Since you don't have carpet, you might want to put the DE in the places you can't readily get to - under the couch/bed/etc and also yard.

I really hate fleas. . .


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

If you have a flea problem be sure to treat the interior of your car. They travel on pant legs and shoes as well as your dogs.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Ive done all that. I wash his bedding once a week, my small area rugs once a week, my bed sheets once a week. I am very OCD when it comes to clean. I never did the car tho...it isnt my car its my friends car. The one thing I can think of is maybe he is bringing fleas over? I know his brothers outside dog isnt on flea stuff (they claim she doesnt have fleas) but I seriously think she does. She lives outside, eats crappy food and they never pay attention to her. Plus shes on a farm..she has fleas. My friends dog is on flea prevention (Advantage Multi). 

So maybe thats a possibility? I dont mind seeing one or two but I pulled a total of 8 off the cat/dog yesterday (most were on the cat) and one off the cat this morning. Everyone here uses Revolution and swears by it. DE I cant use on my dog because he has dry skin as it is and DE is a drying agent. 

I just sprayed the crap out of my house with flea premis spray, it kills adult and pre adult fleas and keeps eggs from hatching. I vaccuumed and I will mop later. See if that does anything. I bought Revolution through my vet. He only carries Revolution, Sentinal, Interceptor and Advantage. Anything else he will charge me to order in.


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

malinois_16 said:


> I know his brothers outside dog isnt on flea stuff (they claim she doesnt have fleas) but I seriously think she does. She lives outside, eats crappy food and they never pay attention to her. Plus shes on a farm..she has fleas.


A dog having fleas doesn't necessarily equate with coming from a sub-standard environment. A coworker was just involved in a Golden Retriever rescue - year old pup had been kept in a too-small kennel outside - the owner hadn't been feeding her or watering her because she kept throwing up  - but she didn't have fleas or heartworm. 

You could be the neatest person in the world and your kid could still come home with lice. 

Obviously since you do keep a clean house, that should help in reducing the flea problem and preventing it from getting out-of-control. The pet industry wants us to freak out if we find fleas so we run out to buy a bunch of their stuff to get rid of it. We wouldn't panic if we found a few mosquitoes indoors. 

You can also buy Frontline OTC. Sometimes I get mine from Tractor Supply Company - if you're interested in trying that option.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Well I know his brothers dog likely has fleas because when my friends dogs werent on preventative they were loaded and they are on the same property. They are in an area where fleas are very very bad. 

I never minded finding the odd one or two but to think my house is infested makes me sick. I have a very clean house. 

Head lice I think actually prefers clean heads in i am not mistaken

I have tried pet armour and that didnt do anything and its the same ingredient as Frontline. I only have been using Revolution for a month, maybe I should give it a couple more months?


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

Probably giving the Revolution a couple more months is a good idea. The article quoted earlier in this thread said it would take more than a cycle to kill off all the stages.

Hoping your fleas go away soon! Mine too!


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Capstar - not sure of the safety of using it in conjunction with other products - is the one thing that I have heard of that kills fleas immediately.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

How long after you put the Revolution on did you see the fleas? It can take a couple of days for the product to really kick in. Also, if there are fleas anywhere in the environment, they could still hop on the dog and live for a short time. The product lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks, so if it's been more than two weeks, it may be time to re-apply.


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## neiltus (Mar 10, 2011)

My 2 cents...I am not a licensed pest applicator, and I don't know if tis product is legal where you live...

Spray your carpets, baseboards, wood floors and yard with a product made by Bayer called "suspend". I have used it for years with excellent results. It has NO smell, and does not stain (but spot test first). Cleanout is excellent for fleas (use at cleanout dose) and just about any other household bugs. I apply 2x a year.

Suspend SC Insecticide

There are plenty of stores on the web that sell it.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

do you think fleas , like bed bugs and **** roaches , are becomming resistant to chemical pesticides. ?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Rerun said:


> There is more to preventing fleas than just using a topical product. Regular vaccumming, washing of blankets, bedding, anywhere the dogs sleeps or comes into contact with, regular bathing, etc.
> 
> I don't think anyone is entitled to a refund just because they found fleas on their pets. Different products work differently in different areas, this has been well known for years.


I AGREE!!! 

Fleas only spend part of their lives on our pets. The rest of the time they are on the floor, bedding, carpet, cracks/crevices and OUTDOORS! So you have to work on all the areas to chip away and kill the eggs (not on dog), larva (not on dog) and pupa (not on dog). 

















I give flea bath (no more than once every 2 weeks), I flea bomb the house (you can buy 4 packs and 6 packs at Home Depot for reasonable amount) and then buy powders to also treat the house.

*VACUUMING* is a huge help too! Get rid of the bag though. Cat Fleas' Journey Into The Vacuum Is A 'One-way Trip'



> Homeowners dogged by household fleas need look no farther than the broom closet to solve their problem. Scientists have determined that vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their lives, with an average of 96 percent success in adult fleas and 100 percent destruction of younger fleas.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

carmspack said:


> do you think fleas , like bed bugs and **** roaches , are becomming resistant to chemical pesticides. ?


Hehe. I like how the automatic swear sensor won't let you spell out "cockroaches". 

But anyway, yes, I believe they do become resistant. I have found that pyrethroids and d-limonene just don't work as well as they used to, and those are the only insecticidal products I can stand to use in my grooming shop. I will apply the spot-on products for people, though. It stands to reason that fleas may become resistant to the spot-on treatments as well.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I switched to biospot several years ago after both frontline plus and advantage began failing on my pack. I did use sentry for a season or two with success the first season and semi success the second. Then they started airing biospot commercials (the GSD breeder and maybe vet, anyone remember those commercials?) so I was curious and gave it a shot. I've had success ever since. I've even used it on foster dogs directly out of the shelter with fleas. I bathe them in a flea shampoo, but there are still always live ones...then once they are dry, on the drops go. And by night, no live fleas.

Never had any kind of reaction, etc. I get it for $10 for a 3 pack at petsmart on sale or online for $15 - 20 for a 6 pack for the over 60 lb size box.


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## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

Lucky for me, we live where there are no fleas and no heartworm. Mosquitos can't complete a lifecycle due to the cold and short seasons and have never seen fleas on any of my animals in the 32 years I have lived here. Have seen fleas on dogs/cats that come from outside the area from other states, and I understand they have fleas in the other side of the state where it is flat and hot, but not here in our high altitude.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Freestep said:


> How long after you put the Revolution on did you see the fleas? It can take a couple of days for the product to really kick in. Also, if there are fleas anywhere in the environment, they could still hop on the dog and live for a short time. The product lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks, so if it's been more than two weeks, it may be time to re-apply.


Revolution a vial here is $25. It says to apply every 30 days no earlier. I expect to get full 30 days out of what I paid lol. I put Revolution on the beginning of the month of July. I had a flea issue before then thats why I bought the revolution so they may never of went away I dont know. 



carmspack said:


> do you think fleas , like bed bugs and **** roaches , are becomming resistant to chemical pesticides. ?


I think they are becoming resistant. Thats what scares me. 

I dont like using chemicals that he swallows, hes reacted badly to oral ones before I dont want to go through that again. Maybe I can give Revolution another 2 months to see if I see a decrease in the amount of fleas im seeing. 

I will look into that product you linked me too, not sure if its legal to use here. I know recently the city banned pesticide use for weeds and stuff (tho half the people still use it)...so who knows, but I will find out

Lincoln met a greyhound at the park today, they said they keep applying the stuff from the vets for fleas and this dog was LOADED with fleas. I think I counted like 20 fleas in a period of 15 minutes randomly crawling around. I was crawling out of my skin ewwww

ETA- not sure if this is relevant but I am not finding flea dirt...I comb them with the flea comb every night and I never get flea poop up...just the odd flea.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Flea bombs are illegal here. I am not sure why. But if your caught at the border bringing them in they take them. 

So I cant use those. I sprayed my house with CIL flea spray. Kills adult and pre adult fleas. Had an insect growth regulator. Contains. NYLAR, tetramethrin and d-phenothrin. I put a live flea in a container and sprayed this product in there and it did kill the flea...

I put Sentry Natural Defence drops on the cat (as last year we had great success with these) and will probably grab more Revolution from my vet for the dog...


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## neiltus (Mar 10, 2011)

fyi, I checked and the Bayer Suspend is available as "suspend" in canada as well as the delta dust. It's for sell on Amazon.

Another product that cleans out well is called "Demon WP" but it has a smell to it.

I would try the suspend, I know it is listed for use in food storage areas, restaurants and hospitals...it is very mild...and it works on both fleas and ticks very well....


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## atruepastime (Mar 12, 2011)

When we had our lessons on flea control at uni (vet tech degree) the reps all suggested that these products operate by attracting the adult fleas onto the animal so that they get killed. Most of the time sub adult & adult fleas will be in the environment so the product works by attracting the pasts onto the animal. 

My cat has an allergy to flea bites so I never buy these macrocyclic lactone products for him, I give him a capstar every 2-3 days for a week to 10 days and spray the environment and treat all the other pets with macrocyclic lactones. Flea eggs are really susceptible to drying out in sunlight so sunning their bedding and making sure that the pets have limited access to dark moist warm parts of the yard will avoid them picking up more fleas in the environment.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I think your kind of condradicting yourself, you said you paid 250$ for Revolution for your dogs and cat, yet now your saying you used Sentry on your cat? 

You also posted somewhere else you bought ONE vial for 23$ because of the cost? (and I can point that thread out if you like)

I think you expect to much if you think one vial is going to take care of your flea problem.. If you have fleas, you are NOT treating your environment, your house, and all your animals.

By the way, if you do a search on flea bombs/defoggers for your house in Canada, they sell them all over the place, as in Petsmart, so they are NOT illegal.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

I don't understand why you would take your dog to interact with dogs known to have fleas. Part of preventing a flea problem is preventing them access from even getting near your dog in the first place.


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## Jelpy (Nov 8, 2009)

malinois_16 said:


> I am lost..I cannot afford to have a professional to come in and do the house. Flea bombs I cannot get here in Canada. Anyone have any word to offer?


I'm in Texas, where we have absolutely no concern for the enviroment or anything else that could conceivably drive up business costs. THis is a long winded way of saying I have flea bombs that I can mail to you, if that won't get the authorities on my case. Let me know. 

Jelpy and the Mesquite Mafia


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Jelpy, I did a search and flea bombs are NOT illegal in Canada so she can certainly get them there, just do a search on petsmart canada, they have them


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Why did the border seize the ones I tried to bring over a few years back when I could cross? The lady said they werent allowed to be brought into Canada. 

Each vial is $23 and change, but I went and just purchased the whole box, easier to do it that way rather then run across town every month to the vet. 

I do not let my dog near my friends brothers dog. The greyhound at the park he was playing with once I noticed she had fleas I got un easy and just left. 

I sprayed my house, three times in the last 1.5 months. I sprayed and then vaccuumed. The I mopped later that evening.

ETA- I used Sentry Natural Defence last year with great success. I tried it this year but it wasnt working. Sentry is suppose to repell fleas and kill them. I just bought the Revolution last month.


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

I've tried several types of flea meds, and really only found one that work extreamly well for MY dogs. I think every dog is different. I think it works with their natural body oils, etc. I found that Advantage didn't work and neither did Revolution and K-9 Advantix. The only thing that works for us is Frontline Plus. Maybe it's the type of fleas located in the specific region (lol) I don't know. But I would suggest if anything talking to your vet and trying to exchange the unused Revolution for something else.


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## neiltus (Mar 10, 2011)

malinois_16 said:


> Why did the border seize the ones I tried to bring over a few years back when I could cross? The lady said they werent allowed to be brought into Canada.


Ask your border lady. Learn your laws and your rights. Just because they are legal in this state does not mean you can cross the boarder with one.

Case in point. I have guns, licenses for them, etc. I am sure my native BP would like to know why I am coming into the US from Mexico or Canada with one.

I live in Texas. In a flea free house. Like Jelpy said, we don't care about our environment here.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

If you have house plants, be sure to treat the dirt there as well.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

No house plants...I couldnt keep one alive if I had written instructions lol.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Maybe because you were crossing the border with them? Just because they confiscated them doesn't make them "illegal" in Canada. 

If you've got fleas, you need to start over, BATHE all your animals, bomb your house, treat your yard, and treat the animals.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

I did that twice in the last year. I was so confident I got rid of them all to. My yard has already been treated, the lawn people do that as part of our package. My house I JUST treated the other day and the animals all had a bath, then on the cats I did drops. I have to grab more for Lincoln still. the border told me there is a certain chemical in the ones I was trying to bring back that wasnt legal to use in Canada. Maybe I grabbed the wrong ones..


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

if you bought 250$ worth, why grab more for Link? you have an answer for everything, you need to keep your stories straight, but whatever

The flea bombs you have to close up your house and set one off in just about EVERY room of the house, you take all your animals out of the house for a few hours. One bomb wont do it.

They are sold at Petsmart.


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

I am going to buy a vial of Advantage Multi. Or should I keep the Revolution up? It has nothing about keeping my stories straight, they are straight yours just not understanding them.

I called petsmart here, they dont have the bombs so I will have to see about ordering them online from a Canadian source.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Petsmart online in Canada offers them, so you could order them off that.

I'd keep with the REvolution since one poster said, the stuff may actually take 2-3 applications to become effective


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Okay I will re apply Revolution when hes due. I will talk to my grandmother about ordering online from petsmart Canada, it is her credit card so the decision is hers.


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