alb (03/30/83)
To get things rolling: Spring is here, and the fleas will start popping up any time now. Naturally, they'll need hunting grounds, and our cat seems to be primo-grade turf for them. Anyone have any decent suggestions on how to get rid of fleas? Our cat is about 1.5 years old, and our vet has recommended against collars; he says they are based on keeping a poison running around the animal killing the fleas and this is no good for the pet. However, we had a cat for 10 years before this one and had a collar on him for every summer, and he seemed to do OK. Are collars really that bad? If so, of course, I wouldn't want to use one, but powder is messy (I used powder all last summer on him), and I don't like sprays, since there's a chance of the stuff getting in his eyes.
bch (03/30/83)
Collars are *not* that bad compared to the alternatives, but should not be used in conjunction with any other flea control method on the cat. We use Sevin dust on our cats with reasonably good results although they get temporarily ill the day after dusting from attempting to clean the stuff off. (They are 12 and 15 years old, so clearly the effects aren't permanent.) To avoid the mess of powders our veterinarian has recommended something called "The Cat in the Bag method." Essentially you make a cat-sized bag out of an old pillowcase, put some Sevin dust in, put the cat in (leaving the head outside) and work the powder into the cat's fur through the bag. Obviously, the cat needs to be one with a fairly tractable personality. I have heard nothing but bad reports about Pro-Ban, the oral insecticide. Apparently it is very bad for the animal, with minimal effectiveness due to the small amount of time fleas spend actually on the animal. No method of on-the-cat flea control will be effective by itself. Environ- mental dusting and constant cleaning are also required. I have found that a vacuum cleaner used in reverse to push dust down into the carpet nap, waiting a half/hour and then vacuuming and dusting the room normally are reasonably effective methods for rooms where the cats spend most of their time. Use of a venetian blind attachment for dusting behind mouldings and woodwork is also effective. Two or three times during the flea season seems to be all that is required. Be sure and wear a mask or cloth when you do this, however, as the inhaled dust can be fairly irritating.
rbk (03/30/83)
I've had a similar problem with two semi-large dogs (mixed-breed golden retriever, and an irish setter). The flea problem in the northwest can reach very obnoxious levels. I tried sprays, but I didn't like it and the dogs hated it; also sprays are very expensive. My vet tells me to spray the yard with something nasty (malathion and sevin seem nasty enuf), but I'm lazy and I'm not convinced it works well. What does seem to work is buying 1-pound cans of powered-sevin, and using that 2-3 times a week when the fleas are real bad, 1-2 times a week otherwise. I don't overload the dogs with it, but try to cover the most sensitive parts. This seems to work ok, and the dogs don't mind it *too* much. I'd be very interested in other solutions, though. Bob Beck Sequel Computer Systems ...teklabs!ogcvax!rbk
bvi (03/30/83)
Our cats wear flea collars all the time, and they are doing fine. On the other hand, our dogs are allergic to flea collars, and with them it's a concerted effort consisting of monthly flea baths with weekly sprays. Last year, at the height of the flea season, we brought in a professional exterminator. Highly recommended; we'll probably do the same this year (except we won't wait until the height of the flea season). They do inside & outside, and most come with a 3-month guarantee (we called them back in after 2 months with no problem). Brewer's yeast as an additive to food is helpful in keeping fleas away, if you can gt your cats to eat it.
hutch (03/31/83)
I have friends who swear by the herbal flea collars, but I never liked them much because of their smell. Certain of the B vitamins are supposed to be helpful against fleas, but your vet would be the one to confirm that, since dosages of drugs like that are highly variable between species.