This is the first time I feel like I am losing the battle against the fleas since the advent of topical flea prevention. All of a sudden this year, Frontline may as well be motor oil. It’s just not working!!! Last year, I switched off my usual products to FrontlinePlus and Heartgard. I was using Sentinel/Advantix for the Papillons and then Revolution on Carmina. Lizzie has just been on Frontline and Heartguard since I got her. I don’t know if this is a product issue or if fleas have just gotten tough in general, but the FronilinePlus seems to be doing very little to help.
About a month ago, Riyo started scratching like crazy. Next thing I know, he’s chewed and scratched off half his hair and lost a good portion of his ear fringe. He looks pathetically reminiscent of a plucked chicken. Not a good look for a Papillon. I thought it was fleas so I kept bathing and treating the dogs with the Frontline every two weeks. NO help. He was still scratching like crazy. I got worried that maybe it was something other than fleas, so I took him to the vet. Diagnosis, flea allergy and resulting tapeworms! The vet says if he gets one flea on him, he’s so sensitive that he will scratch and bite till he gets it off. What goes with that is he gets tapeworms, which I’ve treated him for twice in the last two months. They also said that it is essential to exterminate in addition to the topicals because once the fleas get a hold in an area, they just take over despite the topicals.
Following vet instructions, I went to the local chemical store and consulted with them on what to get to spray both the house and yard. They recommended Permetherin. I then got a sprayer, mixed it up and went through and sprayed the house and the whole yard. I really hate messing with insecticides; it makes me feel like I’m giving myself cancer and killing fish all in one toxic swoop. But I hate fleas worse, so I did it.
One week later, SCRATCH SCRATCH SCRATCH SCRATCH SCRATCH!!!!!!!!!! AAARRRGGG!!!!!! I’ve bathed, I’ve Frontlined, I’ve Advantaged, I’ve Adams’d, i’ve Permetherined…..what more must I do to beat these darn FLEAS!!!
I am going back to Advantix. It does better on the Papillons’ fine coats and it can’t do any worse that Frontline.
