Its still Summer time, its hot, humid, and my daughter runs the big dog up in the hills. Now the dog has a *hit load of fleas!!!

Took my shepard/shar pei mix over to the groomer to be washed and all of that good stuff, and received a telephone call later from the groomer stating that Priscilla was covered with fleas, and that I should set-off some flea bombs in the house to take care of any other fleas and eggs. Not real crazy about the poison bombs myself.

But, I did vacuum with great vigor today and washed all of the dog bedding I could find. I brought some Frontline Plus with me to the groomers when I picked-up Priscilla, and the groomer applied the product to the dog. I'll start using the Frontline Plus every month to nip this in the bud.

So, my question(s) are:

What kind of natural shampoo' and conditioners do you use for your dog(s) that may also help in deterring fleas and possibly ticks?

What other types of natural products do you use inside the house to help either deter or kill fleas?
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The green Palmolive dish washing soap work good for killing them,been using it for years!!
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it's not a natural product, but we have been using Trifexis with our dog. It's a pill taken once a month rather than a topical like Frontline. It is not effective against ticks, but we are really only concerned with fleas and were trying to avoid the posion/contact issues with Frontline.
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How long have you been using the Trifexis Michael?

Do you need a script from the vet or can you purchase through an online source?
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I've used trifexis for several years. It's prescription only. We are moving away from it though because it's so hard of a pill to get our dog to take. It's large and smell weird even to humans. Our dog has become increasingly stubborn about taking it as he ages

I can't help with the rest of your needs if you natural products. However I am a licensed pest applicator and if you want info I what I use in my own home feel free to PM me.
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As Jason said Trifexis is a prescription. We put the pill in a "pill pocket" and our dog has never balked at eating the pill.

Even though Frontline and similar products are effective, I worry about the toxicity issues resulting from a topical product.
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Trifexis here also. We get the prescript from the vet and order it via Petmeds. Cheaper that way. Well, my wife does it, but I do believe Petmeds requires a copy of the prescript to make the sale. (Knock on wood) Not a flea in sight for years, even when take our dog around other dogs and other homes. Good luck, Mark!
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Try looking up the use of Borax if you still have them jumping around your carpets. Be careful if you have cats though. Here's one:

http://www.thebugsquad.com/fleas/borax-fleas/
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Never used Trifexis, but some people have reported bad side effects while other people swear it is safe. Just wanted to put it out there, do a search for recent news.

We use Advantage. I don't really like the topical stuff either, so when my dog gets a flee, we use it for 3-4 months and then stop. Seems to work quickly. I then just vacuum and wash everything. I usually wait 48 hours to wash his bedding figuring I want the flees to jump on him so they die. At that point, he is a walking flee killer anyway.
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Thanks for the Trifexis information guys. Guess I worry about possible liver/kidney issues with a systemic for animals. I'm sure nothing has happened to your dogs to date and that's great!


Thanks Rick and that's a great article! I'll follow that up if we get a flea issue next time. I vacuumed heavily in areas after removing the dogs, not to mention washing every piece of bedding that they've come into contact with...

Yeah, I'll have to perform a little background on the Trifexis for a current update. Agreed, its on a case by case basis wherein some dogs are not and other may be effected by the product.

Thanks Aaron:-)

I'm sure dipping them both in a 55 gal drum of Malathion wouldn't hurt too:-)
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Sentry Natural Defense for me. It smells quite a bit for the first couple days, but it's a natural smell, strong cloves and pine.

I've had my pup at a dog park where another dog the same day got fleas and she was fine.

Even better, you don't need a prescription.
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Now, that looks interesting:

http://www.sentrynatural.com/products.html

Thanks:-)
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No problem. Another warning. For the first day, if your pup lays on the bed or a non-leather couch, it can get an oil stain. Usually the stain goes away after a few days when it drys but a heads up.
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Fleas can live half a year without any food so they are very hard to kill. You should disinfect entrances, basements, staircases, and waste chutes - fleas feel safe there even when it's frosty. Nicholas explained all methods of how to protect of flea infestation in his article. There are also tips on how to make fleas leave your house and how to take preventive measures.
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Yo Stanley, does your boy Nicholas have any advice on protecting against spammers ?
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Anyone heard from Mark lately?
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