How I stopped fleas in their tracks.

[RuthV]

Joey has been having a bout with fleas for 2 mos.or so. I applied Frontline twice over the correct time frame etc - but still could see fleas traveling across his stomach - which is almost bare of fur now - age? (DH thinks he's licked off his fur there, but I doubt it) At least I can see the fleas. Trying to catch them by hand only resulted in pinched delicate tummy skin and a mad cat.

This morning it hit me as he lay, stomach exposed, on the kitchen floor. I ran for my Vaseline, dipped in my middle finger and hit those fleas runnin. Stopped em cold. I think they drowned in place in a matter of seconds. So, later I'll have to wipe Joey clean, but at lest I know I got 4 of em. I'd rather have some Vas on him than those stinkin' fleas. He really needs a full bath, but I can't do it myself and I don't trust groomers not to knock him out, plus the stress of the trip etc. I got some no-rinse shampoo the groomers use and am trying to keep his coat half way decent with that and some tween bath wipes made for cats.

Hope this helps.

 

[hmjohnston]

Great job on the fleas! That isn't something I would have come up with :lol: .

I know you can put a drop of liquid soap on a tick to kill it, same principal, but hadn't thought about Vaseline.

 

[BJM]

many insects have small pores on their body for respiration instead of a nose. If you block the pores with soap, vaseline, etc, you suffocate them and they die.

 

[carsoncassidy]

Ingenious!!

 

[RuthV]

AND....here it is 12 hrs later and I can't even see the fleas in their Vaseline tombs. I wanted to pick them off and they're not even THERE. Somehow, I doubt that Joey licked then off. I'll have a better look tonight when he plops down on my feet on the ottoman. That's when I get some good grooming done when he's sorta zonked out.