Vegans who own animals, what do you do if they get fleas?
You already know the answer to this question as you've asked similar questions a number of times. Being vegan means minimising your personal contribution to animal suffering as much as you can. Sacrificing or risking your own health is not required. If anything has the potential to harm me or members of my household, yes I'll take what steps I have to to stop it. So cockroaches, flies, fleas, mosquitoes and, if necessary, wasps are signing their own death warrant if they come into my house. So are mice or rats. No hypocrisy involved; I'd be a hypocrite only if I said I wouldn't harm fleas but did so. Spiders harm nobody, and they kill flies; I'm happy to share my home with a few of them - though tarantulas are few and far between in English seaside towns And yes, a dog or a cat is less important than a human
How do topical flea medications work? How effective are they?
Topical flea medications work in a variety of ways (being absorbed into the skin or into the bloodstream) and they target specific parasites through different mechanisms. I have copied a reliable source (petmd.com) below which goes over some common medications used topically. As for how effective they are, this depends on your area and can change over time. Just as we get resistant bacteria, we also get resistant parasites. Medications that once worked very well to prevent flea infection can become less effective over a long period of time (not months, more like decades). If you ever feel that your topical treatments are not working as well as you would like, it is worth discussing with your veterinarian to see why this may be happening and if it is worth trying a new medication. There are many options and you can generally find one that is very effective and right for you and your pet."Imidacloprid is a topical insecticide that works by blocking nervous system conduction in insects. The majority of adult fleas are reportedly killed within 24 hours of application, reducing the chance for them to lay eggs. Imidacloprid is typically mixed with an oily carrier, so that when it is applied directly to the animal’s body, it spreads out over the body and collects in the hair follicles, where it continues to work for approximately one month’s time to kill adult fleas, larvae, and eggs.Fipronil and metaflumizone are both used in spot-on products. Fipronil can also be found in a spray formula. These chemicals also target the chemical functions in the nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death.Selamectin is a chemical that kills both internal and external parasites by blocking nerve signal transmissions. It is applied as a spot-on and enters the bloodstream via the skin. It not only kills intestinal parasites, it also protects against heartworm disease as well as fleas (adults and eggs), ticks, and some mites. Dinotefuran is a chemical that kills insects on contact. It kills all stages of the flea life cycle by interfering with nerve signal conduction."
Pertaining to Flea Bombs/Foggers?
I know that this may be a silly question, but I thought I would ask anyways. I seem to be having a bit of a problem getting rid of fleas in my basement. I have tried sprays and treatments and they don't seem to be working very well. I was wondering (and take into consideration I have 6 kitties), I was wondering if it was possible to set off a flea bomb/fogger only in my basement, and bring all the cats upstairs. I don't really have anyone that would take them for a day. The way my basement is, is the backdoor leads straight down into it, and there's another door that closes, blocking it from the rest of the house. It could almost be an apartment you could say. If I tightly covered the cracks in the door and covered the vents, etc. etc. do you think it's possible for me to set the bombs off while I stay upstairs? I will of course have fans on and windows open upstairs in case anything leaks up to air it out. I have a full basement, unfinished, no carpet. I don't even know why all the fleas seem to be down there, yet I have no problem upstairs where there is carpet... I'm pretty desperate right now, and I'm looking for serious answers. Please do not treat me badly if you feel as if I'm dumb for asking this question. I would really appreciate it if anyone could help find a solution to my predicament. Thanks!
I have scoliosis. Problem with walking, my left shin really hurts after one lap around the block. Cure?
OK guys...good shoes or good orthotics may help...or not.. because you are only addressing secondary effect of a primary condition you didn't even address. There's no true leg length discrepency with scoliosis patients. Rather, they don't have higher indicence than normal population. It's the rotation that makes it appear that way. So unless true leg length has been determined, orthotics is out of quetion. Rather, it can make the scoliosis worse. Only safe way to do orhtotics or foot lift is to do pre and post x-ray with the lift and see if there are any changes in scoliosis curvature. So no...I wouldn't go see a podiatrist just yet. What's causing the shin splint (yes..the pain you have is called that, it's caused by overues of your shin muscles) is that he's walking the wrong way. It isn't be cause of leg length. All scoliosis patients have difficiency in their vestibular function. That's the part of your lower brain that deals with positional sense and balance. That's what's causing the abnormal gait. The only way to solve that problem is by directly working with vestibular function...exercises that improve mechanoreptor function...or gait analysis and gait therapy. Another one is if you are young enough, braces like Spinecor let's you remain athletic while correctiong scoliosis. You can check that out at http://www.myscoiosis.net by the way, for your shin splint..do heavy stretching of the calf.
Why do most of the fleas on my cat stay on her head?
More fleas end up on the head because the cat can't groom them off there. Also, since the hair is thinner it's easier for you to see them than the fleas on the reast of the cat's body. You can comb them off with a flea comb, but the best way to get rid of them and keep them off is to use a veterinary spot-on product like Frontline, Revolution or Advantage. (Pet store products don't work). You apply them to the skin between the shoulderblades, and the travel through the whole skin - even onto the head. By using a good product from a vet, you don't need to bother with bathing the cat or treating your house. Just keep using the product on all your pets for at least 3-4 months, and eventually all the fleas infesting your house will hatch, jump on your cat and be killed by the product. This is by far the easiest solution, and since it is so effective, it is usually much cheaper than battling fleas with multiple products for several months.
Will a fogger set off a smoke detector?
Ugh -- thanks for the answers guys but right now it's a 50/50... Need to know if setting off a bug fogger tomorrow is going to cause more trouble than its worth... If I come back in 3 hours to see the fire dept, the apt management company, my landlord, not to mention neighbors standing in my apt I am sooo not going to be happy lol... Other opinions?