# Getting rid of Fleas/Tics



## Danush (Jun 5, 2012)

When I hold and spread the wings of my old german owls, I see black dots on the wings. I believe these are tics of fleas. What should I do to remove the Fleas and Tics? 
Also, please keep in mind that I have a one week old squab and a 2 day old squab in the coop. I don't want to make sure I don't harm them by using a strong product.
I have a total of 6 pigeons in the coop. 4 adults and 2 squabs.
Thanks.


----------



## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

Danush said:


> When I hold and spread the wings of my old german owls, I see black dots on the wings. I believe these are tics of fleas. What should I do to remove the Fleas and Tics?
> Also, please keep in mind that I have a one week old squab and a 2 day old squab in the coop. I don't want to make sure I don't harm them by using a strong product.
> I have a total of 6 pigeons in the coop. 4 adults and 2 squabs.
> Thanks.


Heya 

there have been some pretty recent threads on this same subject . On the same page that this thread appears , scroll down to between 14 - 15 of July , the thread has been moved but if you click on it it should take you there .
Just on your squab , if he has some feathering a light spray with lice/ mite product should do the job .......don't soak him tho


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Danush said:


> When I hold and spread the wings of my old german owls, I see black dots on the wings. I believe these are tics of fleas. What should I do to remove the Fleas and Tics?
> Also, please keep in mind that I have a one week old squab and a 2 day old squab in the coop. I don't want to make sure I don't harm them by using a strong product.
> I have a total of 6 pigeons in the coop. 4 adults and 2 squabs.
> Thanks.


I would be surprised if you even could see a flea on a bird..not to say they don't..but they move pretty fast..a bird is not the first pick of a tick to find to latch on too...they do sometimes latch on around the eye cere or rectum, but not allot..so what you are seeing is probably lice. use a powder or spray FOR BIRDS to kill lice. found online at pigeons supply or at you're local petstore of feedstore. read the directions and see if it is ok to use on parent birds.


----------



## Print Tippler (May 18, 2011)

Danush said:


> When I hold and spread the wings of my old german owls, I see black dots on the wings. I believe these are tics of fleas. What should I do to remove the Fleas and Tics?
> Also, please keep in mind that I have a one week old squab and a 2 day old squab in the coop. I don't want to make sure I don't harm them by using a strong product.
> I have a total of 6 pigeons in the coop. 4 adults and 2 squabs.
> Thanks.


IMO the safest thing to use would be Diatomaceous Earth


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm trying to use Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of fleas right now, and so far it doesn't seem to be working. We are overrun with fleas despite using spot ons on the dogs and using flea sprays on the dogs. PLEASE tell me this stuff works and how long it takes.


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*DE food grade*



DeeDee's Mom said:


> I'm trying to use Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of fleas right now, and so far it doesn't seem to be working. We are overrun with fleas despite using spot ons on the dogs and using flea sprays on the dogs. PLEASE tell me this stuff works and how long it takes.


*If you are looking for immediate relief, the DE does not work overnight. You can sprinkle it on the dogs coat lightly being very careful not to get it in their eyes and lungs. I myself use it for my dogs internally to get rid of worms, but not topically. If you are using a heartworm med, Trifexis gets rid of fleas overnight. 
*


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> I'm trying to use Diatomaceous Earth to get rid of fleas right now, and so far it doesn't seem to be working. We are overrun with fleas despite using spot ons on the dogs and using flea sprays on the dogs. PLEASE tell me this stuff works and how long it takes.


I would not recommend the spots ons from the pet store..too many bad reactions and complaints of not working. use advantix or frontline. in the mean time.. you will have to treat all you're animals by bathing then giving them a pill called capstar which kills the fleas on the pet (cats and dogs). while they are off getting that, you need to treat you're house and yard professionally. then use monthly advantix or frontline on ALL cats and dogs every month. if you have any gaps in this then you will have these pests always.


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

If I could afford to get the dogs something GOOD like Revolution, or Comfortis, or something like that, we wouldn't have this problem. But my Great Pyrenees is so big that the monthly stuff is SOOO expensive. With me on disability, I'm severely limited in what I can spend. Similarly, getting professional pest control is out.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> If I could afford to get the dogs something GOOD like Revolution, or Comfortis, or something like that, we wouldn't have this problem. But my Great Pyrenees is so big that the monthly stuff is SOOO expensive. With me on disability, I'm severely limited in what I can spend. Similarly, getting professional pest control is out.


oh Im sorry. the Revolution is expensive.. perhaps save you're money for frontline it is not as much and use that all year long for the dog to be a roving flea killer. there will still be fleas in the enviroment though as the eggs can stay for years.


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> oh Im sorry. the Revolution is expensive.. perhaps save you're money for frontline it is not as much and use that all year long for the dog to be a roving flea killer. there will still be fleas in the enviroment though as the eggs can stay for years.


I'll have to see what I can do. The fleas are REALLY "bugging" me. This next few months are bad for me because I'm having to pay the 4 payments on my homeowners' insurance, and that's just more $ I don't have. 

Sometimes it seems like everything comes at once, doesn't it?

(Sorry--really didn't mean to "hijack" the thread.)


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> I'll have to see what I can do. The fleas are REALLY "bugging" me. This next few months are bad for me because I'm having to pay the 4 payments on my homeowners' insurance, and that's just more $ I don't have.
> 
> Sometimes it seems like everything comes at once, doesn't it?
> 
> (Sorry--really didn't mean to "hijack" the thread.)


you may beable to talk to the vet and get the frontline applied once a month for like 10 or 12 bucks .. you would just have to take the big rascal there every month.


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

LOL at "big rascal". He once weighed in at 180 lbs. He's ancient now, though, and probably "only" weighs about 160 lbs. He outweighs me, still, by 20 lbs. Thankfully, our other dog is only 46 lbs. Back when I could afford it, Revolution was costing me $45 a month just for the GP, but it took care of fleas, ticks, internal parasites and heartworms. Right now, coming up with $10 a month is a stretch.

I was asking before how quickly the DM works. I've had the DM down on my carpets for over two weeks now, and haven't vacuumed (which is driving me nuts, too). I put some on both dogs as well. The bag said to put it down and then vacuum a day or so later, then reapply in a week, but I figured just leaving it down would do as well...I mean, it doesn't exactly spoil--it's DIRT.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> LOL at "big rascal". He once weighed in at 180 lbs. He's ancient now, though, and probably "only" weighs about 160 lbs. He outweighs me, still, by 20 lbs. Thankfully, our other dog is only 46 lbs. Back when I could afford it, Revolution was costing me $45 a month just for the GP, but it took care of fleas, ticks, internal parasites and heartworms. Right now, coming up with $10 a month is a stretch.
> 
> I was asking before how quickly the DM works. I've had the DM down on my carpets for over two weeks now, and haven't vacuumed (which is driving me nuts, too). I put some on both dogs as well. The bag said to put it down and then vacuum a day or so later, then reapply in a week, but I figured just leaving it down would do as well...I mean, it doesn't exactly spoil--it's DIRT.


well it may not harm the eggs..so you may have to keep using it over and over again.. not sure if it works on the larva either..but I guess it kills or cuts and dries up the adults...the only thing is the female adult lives her life on the dog so the dog would have to be 100% coverd with the stuff. IMO as a groomer it sounds really drying to the skin..even humans should wear gloves when handling it as it is so drying. I would not put that stuff on my pets..but would use it in my yard and perhaps carpet too if I had that.. I have 5 dogs and 4 cats...wood floors were it for me.


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> well it may not harm the eggs..so you may have to keep using it over and over again.. not sure if it works on the larva either..but I guess it kills or cuts and dries up the adults...the only thing is the female adult lives her life on the dog so the dog would have to be 100% covered with the stuff. IMO as a groomer it sounds really drying to the skin..even humans should wear gloves when handling it as it is so drying. I would not put that stuff on my pets..but would use it in my yard and perhaps carpet too if I had that.. I have 5 dogs and 4 cats...wood floors were it for me.


That's what I understand...you have to reapply after about a week so you get the young that hatch from the eggs.

I'm a dog groomer, myself, and usually I groom from home, so this has been additionally detrimental monetarily, because I don't dare have clients bring their dogs over here. NOT cool to give your clients' dogs fleas. 

What I've been doing is giving the dogs flea baths, and then applying DM...mostly just on their backs. I've done that twice now...once a week.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> That's what I understand...you have to reapply after about a week so you get the young that hatch from the eggs.
> 
> I'm a dog groomer, myself, and usually I groom from home, so this has been additionally detrimental monetarily, because I don't dare have clients bring their dogs over here. NOT cool to give your clients' dogs fleas.
> 
> What I've been doing is giving the dogs flea baths, and then applying DM...mostly just on their backs. I've done that twice now...once a week.


I hope that works for you. I could not imagine giving a dog that big a bath at home.. how do you manage that with a disability is amazing. let us know how it affects the dogs skin..maybe it can be a prevention for hot spots..lol...


----------



## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

I don't know about where you live, but up here in New England, Frontline is NOT killing fleas anymore. We stopped selling it at the vet clinic I work for and switched to K9 Advantix, Comfortis, Trifexis and Revolution. It seems our fleas have become immune to Frontline!


----------



## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I hope that works for you. I could not imagine giving a dog that big a bath at home.. how do you manage that with a disability is amazing. let us know how it affects the dogs skin..maybe it can be a prevention for hot spots..lol...


LOL. I've been giving him a bath every week, and it's been about to kill me. Let me tell you a story. Last week I forced myself outside to bathe Newman. I dragged him outside (as he has trouble walking) and proceeded to give him two flea baths and blew him dry...almost three hours worth of work, and this is with him shaved down to about 3" all over instead of his usual full coat (something I don't like to do, but was desperate--that cut about one hour off of the drying). I was wearing a long cotton house dress and was soaking wet, covered in both dead and live fleas and tons of hair. My own hair was sticking out in all directions from exertion and from the blow dryer (I would periodically blow my face to get rid of hair). 

I brought him inside and walked to the bedroom to get clean clothes to change into, walked into the living room and found that he had pushed the front screen door open and gone "walkabout". Arrrgh! The dratted dog can barely walk, but he just HAD to go walking. I took off after him (still wet and bedraggled) and caught him four houses down in our local "crazy lady's" yard.

He chose there to lay down, and said crazy lady is screaming at me, "Don't let that damned huge dog *sh*t* in my yard!" All the while her tiny Chihuahua is yapping frantically.

Furious both at the dog and at her, I bit my tongue and was telling Newman, "Get UP" and was pulling on his collar...which was wet and stretched and popped right off. I shoved it back on and tried again, finally got him up and he took two steps and sat down. I went through that same routine for THIRTY MINUTES just trying to get him home! 

By the time I got him home, I was wheezing, gasping, my heart was racing, and I was staggering myself. I opened the door, and he promptly flopped down half in and half out of the house! While I was trying to get him up, Hilary, our OTHER dog, hopped over him and took off!

By the time I got them both inside, I wasn't fit for much of anything. I crashed for two hours.

Just another day in the life, so to speak....


----------

