For the third time this year, so far, we have FLEAS, mainly on my Basset although the first time, my Whippet also had them.   Not masses, but for instance, having sat hard on his bum, again, just now, I checked back there and took 4 off him.   Hit the Capstar, again and the Indorex spray.   Both have been wearing Beaphar flea/tick collars for 2 months now (I can't use the more powerful Seresto collars on Basset as it made him very inflamed under his chin).

Clearly I need to go to something like Frontline ...... but I have read some of these drops don't do the job.

Advice please, asap, as to what to order - I'll buy online as it costs too much from the vet ..... hopefully there is something that works, and is available without a prescription?

I have NO idea where these fleas are coming from other than we have local cats around, and SQUIRRELS.  At this rate, it's going to be a long hot Summer around here!!!

Advantage or advocate seem to work on dogs depending on the fleas and making sure your whole home has been thoroughly sprayed with indorex, hoovered daily and i would use the household spray every 2 weeks. Bedding, vehicles etc. Im sure you know all this but last year i had similar and i was going out of my mind, not large numbers but 1 is more than enough. Think they were being collected when they got their heads down rabbit holes.
If its that bad get a professional in to do home and garden.

We were plagued with fleas last summer, and our Seresto collars only worked with ticks.

The house was hoovered daily, beds washed weekly, inside car and house sprayed continuously. Our vet insisted it must have been environmental for the re infestation to keep happening, we actually thought fox and badger holes on one of our particular walks.
Our vet suggested that we used "Activyl" and that the girls could continue to wear the Seresto collars for the ticks.
We have only used the Activyl once and we have never seen a flea since! We still walk very close to the badger and fox holes, but have not had any further problems.
The Seresto collars are over 1 year old now and the girls still wear them and we are not getting any ticks either.

Maybe we did have a problem in and around the home,  the Activyl has certainly worked and helped to break the cycle. 

I will not use it if there are no fleas to be seen though, so just waiting with a supply of Activyl for the next time!
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At the first sign of fleas at this time of year I reach for the Frontline Plus.  It does still work for mine, not had to use it yet.  If I need to I will use it twice/year during June, July and August.    They also get dorwest garlic and fenugreek tablets and are fed raw and I think this helps too.

You might find this interesting...

https://whiteoaksvethospital.wordpress.com/tag/activyl/

I’ve always had good results from Frontline, but currently use Advocate on my cat because I don’t want Frontline in my house as it’s not suitable for rabbits.

Never bothered with spraying the carpets or bedding, I just wash anything that can go in the machine, but I do apply flea treatment preemptively before I see any fleas (and Pixel the cat doesn’t go outside much anyway).

I figure if Pix already has fleas, any that hatch out after treatment are just going to be killed once they go on him anyway.

I’m only going to treat the rabbits if I see fleas on them or the cat.

Thanks all although given how many different products have been suggested, I am rather confused.com!!  

I would say I really don't want anything oral (yes I use Capstar but..) and I don't want anything needing a Prescription, which, having checked on the Animed website, apparently would rule out Advocate and Activyl.   I may make an appointment with my vet this coming week as I need to talk to him about whether he feels Frankie needs more medication other than Metacam which he's been off for a while now, since I put the Bioflow collar on.  That's if I can fit round my dental, and my sig.other's GP appointment this upcoming week and whether the vet I prefer for him, is on duty.    Such fun!

Advantage is the same ingredient and strength as Advocate, but non-prescription because it's not got the hefty other ingredients in, so only treats fleas.  That also makes it much cheaper (cheapest on Animed usually) and for now, it seems to still be working.  If I get them here I do Advantage and Indorex.

>Advantage is the same ingredient and strength as Advocate, but non-prescription because it's not got the hefty other ingredients in, so only treats fleas.

The legal category of Advantage is NFA-VPS, which means it can be sold by a Vet, a qualified pharmacist or 'suitably qualified person'. It's not an 'over-the-counter' medication.

I would really recommend using a Capstar (as you have) and then using Program (oral tablet) monthly for at least 3-4 months to break the flea life cycle. 

Capstar kills all adult fleas.  Program kills all larvae and eggs.  Between the two, you've got everything covered.  No need for sprays or pesticides which can affect people - just oral tablets that only affect the treated dogs.  (Not sure why you don't want oral products?  These are not the same products as things like Bravecto which have recent safety concerns - they have been around for ages and are very safe.)

Very safe, since both have been around for ages.... And no prescription required for either.

> (Not sure why you don't want oral products?  These are not the same products as things like Bravecto which have recent safety concerns - they have been around for ages and are very safe.)<br />

This is because I've used Capstar, PLUS if my vet decides to put him back on something to replace Metacam.  When it comes to oral medication, I try to limit how much I'm pushing down his throat ..... which is why I thought putting something on his skin 'might' be better, for him.

I'll take a look at Program which, together with Capstar, may be my best way to go.  

I have no idea why, not having had fleas (or ticks) for years now, all of a sudden this is happening.   I'm pretty certain my previous vacuuming, washing, spraying and Capstar (plus the now Beaphur collar) had worked.  Just for interest, these fleas are tiny - from the cat??   I've just redone all I did before - exhausted!!   Thank goodness I just have the two hounds now, not the numbers we used to have

Thanks again......

ps 1234 -   I have just looked at Program on Animed and it looks as if it's a once a month tablet?   I can do that!!

> making sure your whole home has been thoroughly sprayed with indorex,

Might be worth using a different formulation of Household spray like Acclaim

@ Brainless - having just bought a new Indorex, I think I'll use that and then consider buying Acclaim next time.... or another make.   I WILL WIN

Sorry to be a pain but re Program..... I've just looked again at my 15 kg Whippet who I thought was clear... and found one.   So she'd need treating too.  Thing is for her weight, she'd come under the Medium size tablet.  Frankie, at 35 kg would need a large size tablet.  Or could I cut one for the big size in 'half' for her??   Obviously she's had a Capstar too, today.

Further, as I have always treated as and when, not 'if', I think I may revert to an external drop treatment!!

This gets more confusing by the hour and I may yet wheel them both in to see my vet, this week.

Meanwhile I'M ITCHING with the thought of all this but thanking the good Lord that I'm not running the numbers we used to have!

You won't have a 'clear' dog in a household with fleas!  They just get everywhere.  And unless you treat all dogs (and cats if you have any) at once, they will just keep passing them around between each other. 

>ps 1234 -   I have just looked at Program on Animed and it looks as if it's a once a month tablet?   I can do that!!

Yes it's once a month.  Once you've broken the lifecycle and the eggs are dead, you can stop after a few months.

You can treat cats with Capstar too: https://www.vetuk.co.uk/flea-products-flea-treatments-capstar-flea-tablets-c-3_428

And Program:  https://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&sort=vuk&keyword=program

Check out the reviews - it's much better than putting stuff on the outside of the animal just because then you yourself and all humans are exposed to it as well.  (I don't use sprays for the same reason.  I guess if I treated all the animals and we still have them, I would.)

I use Acclaim in the house.  Down the caravan too.  I have never, ever used a spot on in my life.  Yes, vets are not cheap, but any fleas my dogs get don't hang around.  I use Frontline spray, from the vet, clears them dead.  They seem to stay away too.

> Just for interest, these fleas are tiny - from the cat??

Dog fleas are cat fleas, technically, so these will be babies.

What bothers me is each time we've had fleas this year, doing a massive clean, laundry, spraying and using Capstar, produces a positive response... no more fleas.   Then we have them again - ditto, but then they are back.   This isn't like anything we've had before.   I have contacted Beaphar re the collars which much as people don't seem to like them, have always worked for the full 4 months they are supposed to work for.  These 2 I bought at the beginning of March, and put them on on March 8.  Both.   This is hardly 4 months protection.

So I have just ordered some more Capstar and repeated the house blitz, laundering all the bedding (thank goodness for a nice dry period to get it all dry).  And will have to see where we go from here.   There's no point chucking good money after bad.

@ Nikita.   Well if they are babies (and they shift fast!!) they are having a short life, but a merry one

It is the life cycle that needs to be broken.

80% of this is not on the animal, so the environmental blitzing with growth regulator product is the important bit.  In fact I never put anything on the dog at all anymore.

As the product you have used does not seem to be working I would suggest another like Acclaim (assuming active ingredient is different).

https://www.fleabites.co.uk/best-flea-spray-home/