Any Vets/vet Techs Out There?

Could probably use frontline more often than 30 days. 25 days perhaps? Obviously the medicine has quit working when the fleas start getting bad again. So I'd see if you can give the treatment a little more often and solve the problem.

I have 11 cats and now 2 dogs, so I know that the vet isn't the affordable option. I just don't have a list of home remedies.

I am not a vet tech, but I have a dog who suffers from severe allergies. Severe enough, that we have a doggie dermatologist and give allergy shots. We had to have her tested because her allergies were causing severe staph infections...she is allergic to fleas, cats, house dust, three types of trees and five different grasses. We use benedryl on bad days. Just make sure it's the right dosage. I wasn't giving our dog enough. I was told to give one pill for every 25 lbs. So our dog actually needs 4 pills at a time. (I would also double check that info with your vet, it's something they should be willing to tell you over the phone without an appointment.) Shampoo your dog about once a week. Oatmeal shampoos are best for soothing the skin. And something that has been a life saver for us, apple cider vinegar. Make a solution of vinegar and water. And spray your dog down with it...really soak her. She will only smell like a pickle while she is wet. When she is dry you won't notice it. It helps balance the pH in her skin apparently. We have noticed that it helps our pup. And last week our vet recommended a product called vetericyn. It can be found at feed stores. It's not necessarily for allergies. But if the allergies cause skin abrasions, as they do with our dog, it's supposed to be terrific for treating the wounds. Apparently it kills infections, but it's non toxic. HTH!

Special diets will not work if she is allergic to fleas.

The best thing to do is to stop the cycle. If she is at the point that her skin is raw, she could have caused herself an infection or a yeast infection. If this is the case, you will have to get medication from the vet to heal her.

You are on the right plan by using the topical medications. Collars etc are a waste of money. And I would call the vet and ask if you can apply the treatment more frequently.

It can only take one lousy flea to set off the allergic response in the poor thing. Make sure when you are cleaning your home, you empty you vacuum outside as soon as you are done, otherwise the damn things just crawl out of the vacuum.

Btw, there is someone on here named 'DVMMOM'. Send her a private message. :)

Pedigree makes a prescription dog food called Z/D that is supposed to help with allergies. You'll have to ask your vet for a script, but that should just be a phone call. If you can get your dog to eat garlic that will also repel fleas.

I have heard that walmart has a new generic frontline that is supposed to be cheaper. Maybe you could buy this and put it on her every 2-3 weeks. It's okay to reapply early if you need to. Also oatmeal like regular eating oatmeal is soothing. Take and old sock with no holes and fill it with 1-2 cups oatmeal. Fill up the tub with a few inches of water and let the tied off sock soak. Kind of like making a big tub full of oatmeal tea. After the water starts to get cloudy put the dog in and pour the water over her and rub it in really good. Let her lay down if she will and really get it in her. You could even squeeze the sock over her. When you are done rinse her with lukewarm water gently and get her out. It doesn't matter if you don't rinse it off all the way. We used this for my dog when she got hotspots and it worked wonders.

Also don't feel bad about not wanting to take them to the vet. I love my vet and would take my dogs in a heartbeat for a life threatening emergency but I also want to have money in my bank account at the end of the year. I love a book called home remedies for dogs and cats. It's awesome with the natural advice and tells you clearly when you need to see a vet.

Go to the website animal welfare association to see what services they offer. Also check out the aspca.There are a lot of vets out there that are cheaper and may run on a sliding scale fee. I would tell you that skin so soft is good for animals so the ticks do not bite her. Another thing I have heard is to use dawn dish soap to get rid of the fleas. I have also heard of pet insurance. This may be a good investment with all the critters you have at home. good luck.

I think your best bet would be a daily allergy pill. But you would need to get a perscribtion from your vet. Maybe you could get one at your next yearly check up to avoid the extra fees you are concerned about.

You can put the Frontline on every 3 weeks if it helps with the fleas better - you don't have to wait out the month. Your vet might be able to give you a prescription for other antihistamines that might work better than Benadryl. Prednisone can help a ton short-term but it's not a good long-term solution. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements, like in fish oil capsules, can help too, as can oatmeal-based or tea tree oil shampoos. If she is allergic to fleas, she is more likely to have allergies to other things, like pollen, dust mite, and certain food ingrediants. Something like a food allergy is best dealt with by a change in diet, as long as the new food does not contain any of the same ingredients as the old food, since any of those ingredients she could be allergic to (wheat, beef, chicken, etc.). Secondary bacterial and yeast infections of the skin are more common from the itching so those need to be treated with antibiotics and special medicated shampoos. You can also try Advantix for the fleas and see if that works better. Or another product called Revolution that prevents heartworm as well.