Woke up this morning with little bites on my scalp and neck.  Urgghh.  What I'm thinking is, if Frontline only kills fleas within 24 hours, then within that time they could get on me and I could then take them anywhere in the house, including bed.  Therefore I suppose absolutely everywhere needs spraying, not just dog's bedding.  That spray is so expensive though, I already get through enough just spraying his stuff every time I wash it.  I'm disappointed as I'm a bit fanatical about washing his stuff and hoovering lots, etc.  I suppose you can only prevent it so far.  Anyone have any ideas here?!

Once you finally get rid of the wee beggars start giving your dog a daily capsule of garlic - the tesco's own brand are about 50p for a months supply and doesn't smell quite as funky as fresh garlic ;)

I've used them on Sam for the past year and didn't see a flea all summer :D

Hello WF

I dont use garlic capsules at all on any of my dogs, as garlic contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, even in small amounts it can be toxic to dogs and cats.
I would not be taking the risk read here
[link]http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Dogs&story_no=257[/link]

If garlic was that toxic very few firms would be manufacturing and selling garlic tablets for dogs etc.

One has to take some information and put it into context.  Water can be toxic in large amounts!  I regularly feed garlic to my dogs and have had no ill effects; quite the contrary.  A dog would have to consume vast quantities of garlic to suffer any side effects.  I usually feed a crushed raw clove every day and if I don't I give them garlic and fenugreek tablets produced by Dorwest!

Well i wouldnt use Garlic at all on any of my dogs, after seeing side effects when it was given to a Yorkshire Terrier.
But thats my choice :) i do use many herbs on my dogs and have seen the benefits, but i have never ever given garlic to them.
Dean

  I'd never read that before and know of several people (experienced showers/breeders included) who give their dogs either capsules or raw garlic in their feed daily. It also featues in lots of doggy recipes - liver cake is the one that springs to mind.

Maybe we've just been lucky so far, although the article does say ..."While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness."

I'll continue to use it but I will watch closely for any symptoms and talk to the vet next week to see what she says :)

Thanks for telling me :)

Tohme - ha! you type too fast for me ;)

Does garlic REALLY work to deter fleas - a friend of mine gives all her dogs garlic daily and her dogs do seem to have fleas regularly - in fact I get a bit fed up because my own ocasionally pick them up when we socialise.  I have to keep my Frontline up to date OR ELSE!!

Yep MB, works for my lot & I they don`t have a prob with fleas anymore. Tho I also think it`s the combination of the diet they`re on as well :) Garlic has other benefits as well as being a flea deterrent.

Christine, Spain.

I can only say that since I've been using it on Sam I haven't found a flea - she too would socialise with 'outside' dogs who would carry fleas regularly.

I have never seen a flea on mine since feedig garlic; I don't spray them but I do spray the house with Acclaim once every six months.

I regularly give mine garlic, and they seem to be generally flea-free, but I had to Frontline them all yesterday after they caught a rabbit and promptly got infested! Vengeance, I suppose!

Hi B/Owner, the quantities they`re talking about equals more than a pound in weight. For a small dog the weight is more than 3oz daily but I don`t know of anyone who, or would want to, feed amounts like that & I think you`d have a hard job getting a dog to eat it! :) The link you have given also goes on to say*While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness* So therefore no danger at all in giving 1 clove to a large breed of dog like I have myself. For a small dog I`d give 1 small clove. My dogs have been getting it for well over 2yrs & I`ve only seen benefits from it.
As Tohme says, things need to be put in perspective. :)

Christine, Spain.

Once you've got rid of these fleas - treating dog with Frontline and using a suitable spray for the house (don't forget the car!) - the Frontline should stop any other of the little blighters your dog may pick up from getting to breeding stage again. 

So if you keep the Frontline up to date (I prefer the spray, NOT the drops) you shouldn't have this problem again.

Pop to the vets & get a suitable spray for the house (acclaim or similar) spray carpets / furniture etc as advised on the product.
Then ensure your dog is kept up to date with his flea control treatment. Frontline is very good, there are lots of good products available now in tablet form / spot on / sprays. - whatever you prefer to use.
:)   snoopy.

Are you sure that there are flea bites on your head and neck?  It could be head lice, which especially if you have children is not uncommon.

Fleas usually get me behind the elbow, on my wrists and my ankles.  They itch like heck.

Stacey

I had one flea bite me in the most unmentionable place!!!  And I know it was a flea 'cos I caught it!

Another once bit me 7 times on one leg before I located it in the seam of my jeans. 

By the way, if you get badly bitten, take an antihistamine immediately and for a few days after - it stops the itching!

Go to the vet and get some Indorex household Flea Spray, it kills Fleas, and prevents reinfestation by fleas for up to 12 months.
Its brilliant the last lot i brought was £10:50 for a 500ml can, if you do get some though, make sure anywhere you spray is well ventilated. And remove all your pets when you do start to spray around the house, you can spray it on beds, carpets, curtains ect..
Dean

I have found that for treating dogs and cats for fleas, Frontline spray is the best as it kills fleas instantly (when we did Doris our kitten) the fleas just dropped off her dead or dying.

Well,
My personal opinion on the garlic thing is, that flea sprays are FAR more harmful to your dog than garlic wil EVER be......

It seems totally crazy to me that some ppl are happy (sorry Dean, gotta use u as an example here) to drench a dog or cat in toxic chemicals to rid it of annoying, but relatively harmless parasites, but read something about garlic being poisonous to dogs if fed by the BUCKETLOAD, and swear never to let a dog or cat near even a crumb of garlic.....

Em *shakes head, mutters*

(sorry dean, no offence to you, you do what you think is right, as we all do, based on the information we can get hold of)

Exactly!  The poor dogs are assaulted by chemicals everywhere they are, vaccines, flea sprays/powders. formaldehyde from plastic bowls, all the chemicals in their commercial foods, junk in treats...............................

I hate using any chemical sprays (household ones too) so I used a flea collar on Bess last year and it made her neck sore. This summer she had a flea problem and I've used a mixture of garlic, brewers yeast, cider vinegar, essential oils, homeopathic Sulphur and lots of vacuuming. I've also started feeding more raw stuff (though not a fully raw diet) She may still have one or two fleas if I search but nothing like what she had and she's a lot healthier now too with a thicker coat and less itching. Hopefully if I keep at it they'll go altogether. :)

I think if you go the natural route you have to look at the problem from a wider angle instead of expecting one (possibly hazardous) can of spray to do the job, or indeed only one natural thing like garlic. The more variety of remedies you use, the less the amount of each you need to give.

Kath.

Crazy old world ain`t it :)  It`s OK to saturate the animals with known poisonous chemicals every 6wks or so for all it`s life but believe giving it a clove of garlic daily will be more harmful.......
Just a thought but if these chemicals are so efficient why are the fleas & all the other parasites still around?

Christine, Spain.

Because they thrive on the animals that don't get garlicked/Frontlined (rabbits, hedgehogs, foxes, feral cats etc etc ...) ? ;)

Well maybe I didn`t phrase that very well J/G, so I`ll put it another way :)
The parasites have built up an immunity to the chemicals & we`re needing to change them round &/or use stronger ones, more often. Look at the way program is marketed, in my mind the only way that would work is for every animal to be on it, yet that is impossible, so the fleas etc will still be around so thats got to be a waste of time & money & yet it`s still promoted by vets! The best we can hope for is keeping them to a minimum using more natural methods that have been proven over time, cos they`re never going to go away completey. :)

Love the expression been garlicked :D imagine....are yours frontlined? No.. they`re garlicked hehe :D :D I`ve got a herbal book & you can also put garlic in the feed for chickens, that puts a whole new meaning to garlic chicken :D :D

Christine, Spain.

Hi
I've read this line, and am very interested.
But my dog gets dry food, how do I feed her a clove of garlic? Will she "just" eat it, if I give it to her like a treat? She is a lab, so it could happen :-)

Jeanette and Luna

Hi Jeanette,
you could try her with it "straight" or give it in a bit of gravy or cottage cheese with her meal. Anything she finds tasty really. :)

Kath.

Hi Luna, you can crush it & sprinkle it on top of her food. Do`n tgive it whole or it will just come out the same way it went in, at least it did when given that way to my lot :D

Christine, Spain.

Hi Christine

Okay I'll try to sprinkle it.

Will she smell out of the mouth, like we human do, when we eat garlic?

Jeanette

Hi Jeanette, maybe immediately afterwards her breath may smell but it doesn`t last, my lot don`t have garlicky breath. :)

Christine, Spain.

Hi Christine

Thats good. I don't mind myself, I love garlic. But ot sure, that the people I visit, would feel the same way, if they could smell Luna a mile away :-)

Do you feed a clove of garlic everyday all year round?

Jeanette

I used to Luna but recently I`ve dropped it to 3/4 times a week. It goes in the processor with all the other veggies but because they`re all doing so well I don`t think they need veggies on a daily basis now.

Christine, Spain.

This is another reason why I think natural methods are much better. Chemicals,(besides being dangerous) are designed only to kill the bugs on that paticular pet so even if you get your pet 100% clear, they could get infested again as soon as the chemical is out of the dogs system. The natural methods work by making the animal smell and taste repulsive to the flea. These bugs are always going to be around so I my view it's the only way to keep them away. :)

Kath.