Megan H. asked 7 years ago
Hi there!
We have a cat and dog. The dog has been on Triflexis, but our cat was not on any flea preventative and brought fleas into the house (we recently moved to the South and didn’t know how common fleas are here). We have never had to deal with fleas before, so we didn’t realize until we started getting bites ourselves (at first we thought they were gnats).
As soon as we realized we were dealing with fleas, we gave them both flea baths with Petlock flea shampoo and vacuumed / mopped our house and furniture and washed all bedding and rugs. Then we applied Advantage to our cat and treated our furniture with a flea spray bought at Petco. We have been vacuuming our hardwood floors and furniture every day and have not seen any more fleas, but our cat and dog (who we have not found any more fleas on) are still scratching quite a bit, and I am noticing flea dirt and eggs still coming off of my cat (not my dog, though) when I brush him. It’s been over a week, and I can’t figure out why he still has eggs coming off of him. Any guidance on how long this will take to end would be great! Thanks.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 7 years ago
Megan,
It usually takes around 8 weeks for fleas to completely disappear once all proper treatment is in place. But it may take longer, depending on the severity of the infestation.
Ensure the flea spray you are using has an insect growth regulator (IGR) in it, either pyriproxyfen (Nylar) or methoprene (Precor). Without an IGR, the spray won’t be very effective long-term.
It’s strange that you’re still finding eggs on your cat after he’s been treated. It’s not uncommon to find fleas on treated pets, because immature stages continue to mature and emerge from the environment, and will be found on pets before they succumb to the insecticide. However, they shouldn’t be living long enough to lay eggs. Especially with flea drops (like Advantage II or Frontline Plus), since they contain an IGR that will sterilize the females so they can’t lay eggs even if they survived long enough. Are you positive they are eggs and not dandruff?
Megan H.
replied 7 years ago Hi Adam,
Yes, I’m positive that they are eggs, as they are clearish and round, unlike dandruff. I’ve been using a flea comb on him for the past 2 weeks about 3x a day, and I’ve found a few each time I comb him. I am worried that the advantage II isn’t working, and I just made an appointment with our vet for help. They recommend Revolution as flea treatment – do you think this would be a superior product?
Thanks,
Megan
Adam RetzerI’d follow your veterinarian’s recommendations.
