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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 7:32:15 GMT -5
Post by Awaiting Abyss on Apr 7, 2014 7:32:15 GMT -5
Warm weather has come our way, and so have the fleas. Somehow we've gotten fleas into our house... We are treating the carpets and furniture with some flea powder + vacuuming.. I would bomb the house, but I'm not sure if there is a way to seal off the critter room so I don't have to move my rodents and snakes outdoors.
Anyway, my questions are about the ferrets. They don't have many fleas on them since I've been trying to keep them off the carpet and only letting them free range on the floor areas. Morrighan and Neamhain seem to have the most fleas on them, and the others don't seem to have them at all. (Going off of a flea comb)
Can I put Advantage II on them? If so, how much? The kitten dosage? And where does it go on them? Frontline does not work in my area. The fleas are immune.
Or should I give them a flea bath instead? If so, when? Now? Or should I wait until I get the fleas 100% out of the carpets?
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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 7:55:01 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2014 7:55:01 GMT -5
NO flea baths!!! I would advise treating them now so the fleas don't lay eggs on them as well. I don't know anything about Advantage, sorry, but I use Revolution puppies and kittens. The only problem is Revolution is only available thru a vet (though maybe you could check online). You place the drops on the back of their necks right above and between the shoulder blades. But watch them for 45 minutes to make sure they don't lick it off themselves or others as it can be toxic.
I would prefer to not have to use anything but living here in Florida it is difficult to get away from all the bugs no matter how clean you keep your home.
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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 8:18:31 GMT -5
Post by Awaiting Abyss on Apr 7, 2014 8:18:31 GMT -5
Flea bath meaning a bath with natural shampoo. I'm not sure what other kind of flea bath there is...
Advantage II is used on dogs and cats and kills all stages of fleas plus lice. I can get it with a discount.
We usually get fleas really bad around the house, since its warm, humid and there is a lot of sand.
I've been keeping the house cool to try to kill the fleas as well. Humidity is about 45 to 50% in the house... I don't have a dehumidifier to make it less.
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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 8:59:28 GMT -5
Post by Jeremy's Boggle on Apr 7, 2014 8:59:28 GMT -5
Once the fleas are in it is hard to get away from using a treatment. I usually use revolution and it can be purchased from Pet Shed without a prescription. I have also used Advantage in the passed but my bug guy says he would never use Advantage or Frontline on his pets so I'm trying to do other things this year. He claims that adding oil to their food at least once a week will keep the fleas away. He also recommended using Dawn or Ivory dish washing liquid to bath the ferrets with & flea combing during the bath.
When I do use the treatment I buy the kitten dose. If the ferret is under 2lb I use 1/2 the dose, 2lb and up the whole dose.
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Post by gfountain on Apr 7, 2014 10:16:44 GMT -5
I battle the fleas every year. With 3 dogs in and out of the house, one of which is highly allergic to fleas & bug bites in general, we ALWAYS have to treat the animals, the house AND the yard. And it's almost time to do it again. [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .png" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .png" style="max-width:100%;"] In the house, I use a spray that is non-toxic to small animals, because I also have gerbils and fish and I hate having to move them out every time I treat. I can't remember the brand, I just know what the can looks like. If you read the can, it will tell you whether or not you have to remove pets and plants. And although it says it's safe, I still cover the cages and aquarium with a couple of towels, just to keep as much of the spray as possible out. I spray all the carpet, furniture, curtains, everything fabric. Repeat after 2 weeks. Vacuum EVERY DAY, wood floor, carpets & furniture. We spray the yard, bushes, everything for at least 50 feet out all the way around the house with Diazepam. Repeat after 2 weeks. The first 2-3 weeks of flea season are the worst; after a few weeks, I can usually cut back on vacuuming floors to a couple times a week and furniture once a month. The dogs get Comfortis, lasts for 9-12 months for us. Ferret gets Advantage for kittens, 2 drops between shoulder blades. In the rare case that I see a live flea or even flea droppings, I bathe all the animals in Dawn, let the soap sit on them for 5 minutes and rinse and rinse and rinse. Using this regimen has worked for us for a long time. We haven't had a real flea problem in years. I HATE FLEAS!!! Good luck getting rid of yours Oh, I just remembered, I have a neighbor who swears that adding garlic to the pet's food will repel fleas. Never worked for me, but that's all she does to keep them away. EDIT: Do NOT use garlic for ferrets! It is toxic to them. (thanks, Therese)
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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 10:43:49 GMT -5
Post by msav on Apr 7, 2014 10:43:49 GMT -5
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Post by unclejoe on Apr 7, 2014 14:50:13 GMT -5
We've never had any luck with Revolution, either, but we use Advantage. We've used the kitten size tube and split it between 2 ferrets, about 3 drops each. It worked for us. Any shampoo will kill fleas, but you have to leave it on for at least 3 minutes. We lather them up and lock em in the shower. They hate it, but they're ferrets.
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Fleas.
Apr 7, 2014 15:55:50 GMT -5
Post by Awaiting Abyss on Apr 7, 2014 15:55:50 GMT -5
Thanks. I'll get some advantage at work today.
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Post by gfountain on Apr 7, 2014 20:18:07 GMT -5
Make sure it's AdvanTAGE, not AdvanTIX
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Cynde
Junior Member
Posts: 237
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Fleas.
Apr 8, 2014 8:34:45 GMT -5
Post by Cynde on Apr 8, 2014 8:34:45 GMT -5
I do not use any flea treatments on my ferrets. I use Dr. Bonner's all natural liquid castle soap - peppermint. Fleas & Ticks hate peppermint. It takes longer because you have to pick the fleas off. (I drop them in a capful of rubbing alcohol and flush). we all know that it is very difficult to keep a ferret still. I use a bottle of furotone with the lid closed. They are so busy licking the cap, they pretty much cooperate. The peppermint repels fleas. As I said it is more work this way, but I do not believe in chemicals.
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Fleas.
Apr 8, 2014 9:19:21 GMT -5
Post by Thérèse on Apr 8, 2014 9:19:21 GMT -5
...Oh, I just remembered, I have a neighbor who swears that adding garlic to the pet's food will repel fleas. Never worked for me, but that's all she does to keep them away. I believe garlic is toxic to ferrets, fyi
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Fleas.
Apr 8, 2014 10:00:19 GMT -5
Post by gfountain on Apr 8, 2014 10:00:19 GMT -5
I believe garlic is toxic to ferrets, fyi Yeah, now that you mention it, I remember reading that somewhere. The neighbor uses it for dogs, and I don't use it at all, but it's good to know NOT to use it for ferrets. I'm going to edit my previous post. Thanks!
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Fleas.
Apr 8, 2014 13:00:16 GMT -5
Post by kraesmom on Apr 8, 2014 13:00:16 GMT -5
I have used Dawn dish liquid and followed up with Advantage II kitten. Good to know I don't have to use a whole tube per fert! That stuff is expensive!!!
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Fleas.
Apr 8, 2014 13:33:14 GMT -5
Post by msav on Apr 8, 2014 13:33:14 GMT -5
I would think that dawn dish soap would strip all their oils from their skin. I would be afraid of a at first dry skin itchy ferret, and later a really stinky ferret as their oils come in.
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Fleas.
Apr 9, 2014 1:55:56 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 1:55:56 GMT -5
I thought peppermint was also toxic for ferrets???
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