Fleas, Fipronil, and Termidor

VallejoSheltie

Forums Enthusiast
Hi All,

We got our puppy today, and we're extremely happy.
This boy was the largest of the litter, and so far has been very,very quiet, relaxed (doesn't seem shy), and low key.
In fact since we picked him up at 2:00, we walked him numerous times and at 10:30 he still hasn't gone potty?

We fed and watered him about an hour and a half ago, and just took him outside, no joy. But, I expect we'll find a surprise in his crate tomorrow morning. One more walk before we go to bed in a couple of hours maybe.

I'm wondering about flea control. Read a few threads, saw the use for DE which was surprising. May have to try it on both on us!

Being in N. Cal, termites are a real potential problem, so a couple of years ago I did some research and found that Termidor is fantastic. Its active ingredient is Fipronil 9.1%, which is one of the primary active ingredients for Frontline at 9.7%, along with Methidrone(sp)?

So was doing some searching and ran across some Coon dog owners who are using Termidor in place of Frontline. Considering the local Petfood Express was selling 6 x .67ml vials for $100, the Termidor at 16 oz for $40-50 seems to have been a smart buy.

My questions are thus:

Frontline for puppy is .67ml vial of Fipronil 9.7%.
Anyone think there would be anything wrong with using the same amount, with the exact same ingredient at a slightly lower 9.1%? And BTW, Termidor is 100% pure Fipronil only, from BASF the original manufacturer.

Second, as I mentioned in another post we've had some issues with foxes denning under our deck, and various wildlife. Just caught 2 possums in the last week with a $20 Harbor Freight live trap and $1 store canned anchovies.
I've sprayed the entire rear yard with a 9.1% solution, and am hoping this will knock down any fleas, ticks that the wildlife have brought around.

Everything I've read from University studies is that at these doses Fipronil has an almost non-existent affect on mammels, specifically dogs. My puppy is 10 weeks old, and I am keeping away from the areas that were sprayed for now. Will probably do a good hose down of the area in a couple of days to reduce further any residual.
I should mention that we're going to have the rear yard re-sodded shortly, so any issues should be mitigated.
I expect to get reamed a bit for using chemicals, however the research seems to indicate it is really rather benign for mammals. In the future I see large bags of DE.
Anyone think this was a major mistake?
 
I wouldn't be comfortable dosing chemicals like that. I know some people do the same thing with Ivermectin rather than buy heart worm pills.

Anyway, to be honest, if you are using that large volume around the house and yard, why put it on the dog too? It seems you have the area pretty well covered.

I don't use any flea stuff, for two reasons. First, the largest wildlife where I live are rabbits, and they aren't stupid enough to stay in the yard for long. :smile2: Second, and we are already seeing this, is that when people are constantly using these chemicals when they really don't need them, we are evolving fleas much faster, and they are starting to become resistant. Many on this forum have reported that Frontline is fairly useless in their area. So the chemicals will just have to get stronger and stronger and stronger. So Fipronil may be fairly benign (because it doesn't really work :smile2:), but the chemical in Advantix is so toxic my vet won't sell it. So it's a balancing act here. I think you have enough other stuff going on that you can safely leave the dog out of it.
 
Dangers of spot on flea products

Before you buy and apply the spot on flea killers (whether Rx or over the counter), look up Kathleen Dudley's article titled "Are Spot On Flea Killers Safe?" and you'll see how deadly they can be. The FDA also has posted warnings about these products. I can only assume that vets continue to sell Frontline and other meds for the hefty profits.

I would also be careful about treating the yard with chemicals and read and follow the warnings and instructions to the letter. We use food grade diatomaecous earth on our dogs and their bedding to control/prevent fleas. Works like a charm and do so without harming our beautiful little Shelties.
 
Thanks, I totally mis-spoke, it was about 25 ml of 9.1% diluted in 2g of water. Don't have a calculator available, however thats probably diluted to 1000x less than normal Frontline.
But I still have been letting him go into the front yard only.
Still not preferred, however I want to let him out of the house, and I've never noticed this much wildlife around the house.

The DE sounds like a great possible non-chemical solution.




Before you buy and apply the spot on flea killers (whether Rx or over the counter), look up Kathleen Dudley's article titled "Are Spot On Flea Killers Safe?" and you'll see how deadly they can be. The FDA also has posted warnings about these products. I can only assume that vets continue to sell Frontline and other meds for the hefty profits.

I would also be careful about treating the yard with chemicals and read and follow the warnings and instructions to the letter. We use food grade diatomaecous earth on our dogs and their bedding to control/prevent fleas. Works like a charm and do so without harming our beautiful little Shelties.
 
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