A question about fleas [Archive]

foundationmare

Sep. 27, 2009, 06:22 PM

This has become a serious and dramatic problem in our household. Our daughter and her puppy have left the house because puppy had fleas and she is convinced that there must not be ONE FLEA anywhere in the house. Without going into details, this is a serious issue. Daughter is 16 and a bit of a drama queen, but she's insisting that the house is infested (it's not) and that puppy has no problem in another environment, eventhough she regularly goes outside in a dog park with other canine household residents.

Ironically, her dad is a PhD entomologist so has a rather educated opinion about the prevalence (or not) of fleas and what is entailed in eradicating and/or minimizing them.

We've had a very, very wet summer and that has contributed to the prevalence of creepy crawlies of the insect variety. So, I have some questions for those of you who have domestic animals in and out of the house.

Have fleas been a particular problem for you this year?

If so, how have you dealt with them?

Are bombs really effective?

If a residence does not have an animal host for more than a couple weeks, and there is extensive cleaning of fabric in living areas, e.g. couch slipcovers, area rugs, etc. along with daily vacuuming and spraying of carpets and upholstery, what else can be done to get rid of the critters? BTW, the human residents have not seen any fleas for at least two weeks (unfortunately, we dogsat our daughter's spaniel mix and he arrived with....fleas!). I think most of the fleas left here hitched a ride back to Pennsylvania with him.

Puppy uses Advantage.

Puppy is half chow/half goldie. Is there a breed preference (or weakness in this case) for fleas?

This has really thrown me for a loop because I've had domestic house animals my entire life and have never had this level of drama over fleas.

Phew. I'd appreciate any and all opinions, strategies and stories. And I will insist that DD reads every one of them.

Thanks in advance.

threedogpack

Sep. 27, 2009, 06:59 PM

I have heard that there is some places Advantage is not working as well anymore. I have not experienced that personally. I live in NW PA and I keep flea protection on my animals year around due to the variables in their life cycle. Flea eggs/pupa can live for weeks or months and hatch/progress when the environment is right.

Roan

Sep. 27, 2009, 07:28 PM

Years ago I rented an apartment that had been vacant for two months. The previous renter had had four outdoor cats in there.

I went in to clean before taking possession of the apartment and the next day I was covered -- head to toe -- with bites. I went back to the apartment that afternoon and could LITERALLY see fleas jumping on the floor. That's how many of them there were.

We called in an exterminator, but they never really got rid of them all.

So, yes, fleas can live for a long, long time without a host. If they do not have an animal host, they WILL settle for human hosts. Those fleas were starving and they had me for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I developed a flea allergy because of this and it only takes one flea for me to have multiple welts wherever I get bitten.

Eileen

MrWinston

Sep. 28, 2009, 09:46 AM

The vets aren't stocking Advantage any more. Too many dogs ending up with fleas while on it. Comfortis is the flea preventative of choice now. It has the additional advange of being pill form so no contact with the liquid for humans.

As for getting rid of them in the house, you have to be obsessed with bombing and spraying and vacuuming for quite a while. Ask me how I know. I am a total freak about not having fleas on my pets or in the house.

JohnDeere

Sep. 28, 2009, 10:29 AM

Fleas are aweful this year. Really aweful. The cats are getting allergic but they are outside most of the time.

To be honest the best way Ive found to kill fleas is vacuum and water. As in on the dog. With shampoo. The dog thinks Im killing him. But there is 100% death rate with this method of the fleas on the dog. Vacuuming and confining the dog to certain rooms helps with the rest. I wont use a lot of things outside but the dog stays in most of the time anyway. In between baths I pull the fleas off and kill them.

TryMyRules

Sep. 28, 2009, 11:07 AM

I'm a vet tech and this flea season has been absolutely unbelievable. I would say about 90% of the animals we see have fleas. We see so many dogs with skin problems developing as a result.
At my hospital we recommend Advantix. Most people have found it works very well. But, if you have cats that groom your dogs DO NOT USE IT! Cats cannot metabolize some of the chemicals in it and it causes them to go into shock and have seizures, leading to death if you do not get them help on time. Absolutely do NOT ever use it on your cats!
Once you have fleas, it can take up to 3 or 4 months to fully get rid of them. Even if you have wooden floors, you aren't safe. They get between the boards, your walls, everywhere. Vacuuming, spraying, vacuuming again is what we've been telling clients to do. We have also been recommending Mycodex Environmental spray, and it seems to work for most people as long as the problem hasn't already gotten out of control...in which case, you need to call an exterminator.
If you are still finding an abundance of fleas on your animal even after using a treatment like Advantix or Frontline, ask your vet about a pill called Capstar. It kills all fleas within 15 minutes after giving the pill.

crosscreeksh

Sep. 28, 2009, 11:22 AM

TxnGa - that was the most comprehensive description of the flea problem I ever read!! We have 4 indoor dogs who also enjoy our 90 acre farm. The fleas are driving us nutz!! At least now I know the little buggers life cycle and escape methods. I used to use Frontline...it did NO good at all. I've been bathing and dusting them with Seven Dust this year. That works as well as anything. I also use Adam Flea spray for on site killings!! You've all given lots of good advice. Thanks.

JWB

Sep. 28, 2009, 11:57 AM

We tried LOTS of spot-on flea controls and the fleas have a HUGE resistance to them now.

Check out Comfortis. http://www.comfortis4dogs.com/
It is essentially an extended release CapStar. It kills ALL the adult fleas immediately (within 30 minutes) and it continues to kill over the course of a month. It's a little pricier but IMHO, VERY worth it.

One word of advice with Comfortis though - DO NOT GIVE COMFORTIS AT THE SAME TIME AS ANY IVERMECTIN BASED HEARTWORM TREATMENT. If you space the two drugs out a week or two you'll be fine. Our dogs get Ivermectin on the first of the month and Comfortis on the 15th. Apparently the Comfortis causes some sort of increased reaction to the ivermectin, causing ivermectin overdose symptoms. No dogs have died from this to my knowledge but they had a few really nasty cases where dogs appeared to have an ivermectin overdose (generally drunk).

I can't stand having even a single flea in my home either even though our FIVE dogs all play in the yard, go to the farm and regularly interact with other dogs. This has completely eliminated the problem.

You might also want to sprinkle some diatomaceous earth into your carpets, let it sit for a few days and vacuum up if you've got a big problem right now.....

foundationmare

Sep. 28, 2009, 12:05 PM

Thank you all for your input and great information. I admit to being pleased to hear that it's not just me!

My daughter and Mr. Winston would get along just fine: she, too, is obsessed with the fleas on her dog, has zero tolerance.

TXinGa-thanks for the in-depth information: I wasn't expecting this to be easy (or quick), but I'm daunted by the complexity and thoroughness of the process! Guess I have my work cut out for me.

Thanks again to everyone.

foundationmare

Sep. 28, 2009, 12:09 PM

IFG

Sep. 28, 2009, 12:18 PM

When we moved into our current house, it was infested with fleas. We bombed and vacuumed, and nothing worked. We had no dog at that time, so they bit us. It was hell.

Finally, I lost my cool and ripped up almost all of the carpeting. It was no great loss, it was yellow variegated shag rug. Cleaned the wood subfloor well and used fleabusters. It is not a pesticide, it gets into the cuticle of the flea and kills them. Sort of superfine Borax. Voila, no fleas!

http://www.fleabuster.com/cgi-bin/store?category=Store&store=flea&cart_id=

Now we have a dog, for us, the Frontline stopped working, so we use Advantix. Hate to say it out loud, but no problems this year.

IFG

Sep. 28, 2009, 12:19 PM

Forgot to add, I have 17 year old twin teen daughters, so you have ALL of my sympathy re the melodramatics.:lol:

TryMyRules

Sep. 28, 2009, 12:22 PM

Actually, it's not a big problem in terms of numbers. We're not infested and we rarely see fleas anymore. How is it possible for dogs to be outside and interacting with other dogs, essentially being in situations where they are exposed to fleas, and not bring fleas into the house? Is it because, if the dog is treated with, say, Comfortis, the flea won't live long enough to lay eggs?

Is it really possible for a house to be 100% free of fleas?

Will the upcoming colder weather help?

Aaaaargh

If you continually treat your dog, with treatments that work, you shouldn't have a problem. I have a dog who runs around outside and interacts with me (I'm sure I've brought a few fleas home), but I have never seen a flea on her or anywhere in my house.
Flea treatments like Frontline and Advantix should be done YEAR ROUND. While flea numbers drop off in winter/after the first major frost like most nasty critters, you should still use flea products. And if you are finding that Frontline/Advantix works, but not as well as you think it should, try applying it every 3 weeks instead of every 4.

Horsegal984

Sep. 28, 2009, 06:03 PM

I would be VERY willing to bet that the dog IS picking up fleas at the dog parks and such, but they're not being seen, so they don't exist. ;) I would switch to Frontline Plus or something with an IGR to help prevent the eggs from being able to hatch and mature, and then honestly, bring the dog in. The really best way to get rid of them if you're not dealing with a severe infestation is to treat all the animals in the house for 3-4 months at least. Fleas prefer to bite dogs/cats, so if they're all treated they will all wind up dying off that way.

When we moved into our new house there was an infestation problem like Roan, and so we did the following. Treated all 4 cats and 2 dogs with Comfortis(talk to your vet about using it in cats). Treated all floors in the house with borate powder(20 Mule team Borax). Treated the yard with an insecticde containing fipronil or immiticloprid every 2 weeks for 2 months. Within a month we were no longer seeing live fleas, and within 2 months we were no longer cleaning up dead ones wither.

I can't help you on the overdramatic side of a 16yo, but it does sound like she's over reacting to the whole situation a little. Also, in about a month, after you're no longer seeing live fleas get Droncit/Drontal Plus to treat for tapeworms. If the dog has had fleas on him he's most likely ingested at least one, and can have tapeworms. Since they rarely show up on fecals they are more often diagnosed by the owners. They look like pieces of white rice on the feces/anal area. They can also be dried up and yellowish when found in bedding. And they're just plain gross. ;)

I love Comfortis as well, but it doesn't have an IGR so it may take a little longer to get completely rid of the problem. However it kills the fela so fast they can't lay as many eggs, so it's kind of a 6 in one half dozen in the other kind of situation. Like JWB said, make sure not to give it at the same time as ivermectin products, and also it is not reccomended for patients with a seizure disorder.

Katherine
Vet Tech

dalpal

Sep. 28, 2009, 06:33 PM

I recently pulled a rescue out of a pound....she came in the house, gave her a bath and found the fleas...What worked for her (I was out of Frontline and wanted to kill the damn things)...a bath (Oatmeal) and then this on her body....

http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

foundationmare

Sep. 28, 2009, 06:51 PM

You peeps are awesome! Thank you so much for the input which has been more extensive and intelligent than I was prepared for. Truly, I am thankful because it has helped so much.

I spent the day on an anti-flea commando raid! Vacuumed the piss out of everything, washed slipcovers and throw pillows, sprayed carpets, etc. I will repeat as needed. Daughter will bring dog tomorrow to see if we are truly flea free. This is a HUGE deal in this house and I'm on pins and needles.

All of you have provided so much information about flea control regimens and products that are immensely helpful. Thank you, thank you!

Mav226

Sep. 28, 2009, 09:26 PM

I can kind of understand your daughter's frustration.

We have two big beasts that regularly hang out outside and go to dog parks. They do not have fleas. One got fleas a few years ago when S.C. was apparently experiencing some resistance to Frontline-Plus. We switched to Promeris (which worked great, but stains leather furniture) and now to Comfortis and Sentinel. We are always, always, always flea free. The products combined kill both eggs, larva, and adult fleas.

The important thing is to keep them on the flea prevention YEAR ROUND and don't miss even a single day between dosage.

Having dogs in the house is no reason to have to settle for fleas! Beat those little suckers and be proactive about never allowing them on your beasties again :)

lesson junkie

Sep. 28, 2009, 11:41 PM

foundationmare-don't forget to empty the vacuum cleaner, and throw the waste away-they will hatch in the vacuum, crawl out, and reinfest the house! I have 16 small animals (6 dogs and 10 cats) and just can't let fleas get ahold here, so I know most of the tricks.

My vet says the only real way to get rid of them is to burn the house down...
Good luck.

Seven-up

Sep. 29, 2009, 12:33 AM

I didn't read the whole thread, so apologies if this has been mentioned already.

I remember hearing that fleas can live "dormant" for up to 2 years without any food. This info came from a professional exterminator who was spraying the house for fleas, so take that however you will.

You can have the house sprayed, but if the yard isn't, the fleas will come right back in the house. You can have the yard sprayed, but if the neighbors don't, then it's the same situation.

My inside/outside dog gets the spot on flea treatment and this year, she also got a feed thru flea treatment. It's a tablet she gets once a month. I'll edit this post with the names the next time I go downstairs. The feed thru stuff is AMAZING. Literally, not one flea all year. The inside/outside cat hasn't had the spot flea stuff all year, and no fleas. The 2 inside cats- no treatment, no fleas. I don't know if they make the tablet for cats, but whatever is in it, it works.

thatmoody

Sep. 29, 2009, 06:18 AM

We are having a problem with Comfortis - the big dog eats his fine, but the chihuahua acts like you're killing him to get it down. I've tried treats, etc. but no go. Then I actually smelled one of the chewables - they're vile. Does anyone else's smell like this? Do your dogs just gobble them up like the big dog does or do they spit them out even in tasty chicken?

JWB

Sep. 29, 2009, 07:08 AM

Four of our dogs think Comfortis tastes GREAT. The hound does not like it but will happily eat it if we smear it with peanut butter.

thatmoody

Sep. 29, 2009, 07:21 AM

I've tried the following:
Peanut butter
cream cheese (this ALWAYS works, but not for this one)
boiled chicken
greenies pill pockets
crushing them up and mixing in food (then he won't eat the food)

I've resorted to breaking the pill into quarters and stuffing them down his throat, but that's an unpleasant task...

MrWinston

Sep. 29, 2009, 07:37 AM

ManyDogs

Sep. 29, 2009, 07:53 AM

Yup, we have had no fleas all summer until recently. Flea shampoo baths have had little effect and it is driving me and the dogs crazy. I have read about the diatomacious earth in a really wonderful book about natural pesticides. I'm going to order some for everyone-horses, dogs and cats.
Awhile back when we had problems in another house, one of the employees at a big box pet store told us to do the following:
Take a shallow bowl, fill it with water, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid.
At night, place it on the floor under a light. All of the other lights are off, of course. (We used a small gooseneck lamp). The next morning the surface of the water was covered with dead fleas. Ugh-and we had hardwood floors, too. Apparently the fleas jump towards the light, fall in the water, and the dw liquid prevents them from hopping back out. I believe someone in an earlier post said fleas hate light, but this trick did work for us.

Then, there are the bot flies...maybe I like winter and cold weather better than I thought. :lol:

colbeyjack

Oct. 1, 2009, 09:33 PM

Ugh! Fleas!

I found a few fleas on my puppy earlier this month, who had been taking frontline but was late on it because we were trying to get her on the right schedule because our vet only offers combined flea/ heartworm medication...

Found a one or two fleas and flea bites on her tummy. Immediately bought frontline, gave a flea shampoo bath, vacuumed all hardwood floors and mopped them with white vinegar water (the budget version!) and all seemed to be well. Puppy's bites went away, saw no more fleas, and never did see any in house.

Now, two weeks later, puppy is COVERED in fleas and bites, seemingly overnight! I still haven't seen or felt any in the house, is it possible for only the puppy to have them and not the house? It's really not in the budget for a professional exterminator or for multiple flea bombs.

Gave another flea bath, but I know that only kills the living buggers and it says it can only be repeated weekly. Can't do frontline again because it's only been two weeks, and apparently it didn't work! (Glad I bought three months worth..) Any other suggestions? Can they take this Capstar or Comfortis pill be given even though she had frontline only two weeks ago?

Help!! She is miserable and itchy, and I DON'T want to deal with a flea infestation in our home.

fourmares

Oct. 2, 2009, 12:42 AM

Give the puppy a flea bath. That will take care of the fleas that are on her.

Saidapal

Oct. 2, 2009, 01:29 PM

I have 1 - count them 1 - house cat, no dogs, no chickens, no nothing else that fleas like, and my house has EXPLODED (picture flying, jumping, bounding,) with fleas within the last few months. Also, I've lived in the same house for 6 years and have never had a problem before. I've been using Frontline on the cat - not working, waste of money. Pouring Borax into my carpets, vacuuming like a fiend, and I can't get a handle on the little b#^*^%@s.

Going to by some of the diatomacous earth tonight. I found it at my feed store and am going to give it a try. Oh, and I'm going to put mothballs in the vacuum cleaner bag. Someone said it helps and even though I hate the smell of them I'm going to give it a try. I'm also going to try the bowl of water and palmolive. I am becoming desperate.

Pray for me.

gypsymare

Oct. 2, 2009, 05:16 PM

Flea explosion here, too. One dog, one cat. I think I caught it early, and I've never had a problem with fleas before. New apartment so I'm sure the yard is infested... there are a lot of people with dogs. I went and got Advantage and am finding a plethora of dead fleas now. Also flea shampooed the cat and while it didn't kill the fleas, they did hop off onto the white towel where they were easy to grab (alcohol dipped Q-Tip slows them down, then leave them in a capful of alcohol to die). I also picked up carpet powder as a precaution. At WalMart they have some that is cinnamon scented and it's DELIGHTFUL! Smells so yummy!! I figure there's some residual in the carpet after vacuuming it up that may help to continually kill what contacts it.

JackandMo

Oct. 2, 2009, 07:43 PM

I am not alone! Whew!

We're in Eastern NC and the fleas are HORRIBLE this year. We've never had an issue with fleas on our dogs EVER (ages 7 and 3 and we've lived here since 2006.)

About a month ago, the fleas invaded. We have a JRT who is mostly white and you can see them crawling on her when she comes in from the backyard. I limit their time outside to a quick pee and poo and get back in the house!!!

Nothing has worked. They don't appear to be in the house (7 of us and noone is getting bit) but they ARE in the garage.

I'm so frustrated.

KrazyTBMare

Oct. 2, 2009, 08:48 PM

You guys are flea specialist!

Heres my question: I treat my cats with Frontline Plus. I STILL am getting fleas off of them with the flea comb. They do not go outside. The dogs are treated with Frontline Plus as well. What gives?

Also, the dogs spend literally at least 2 hours a day if not more esp in the summer, swimming in the pond. Does that wash off the flea topical? Does that water kill fleas?

I have this spray stuff...it is I. G. Regulator that is safe for animals/humans which is supposed to prevent the larvea from turning into adults. We havent used it.. yet though I think we will since we are still finding fleas even after treatment.

D Osborn

Oct. 2, 2009, 08:55 PM

I feel much better-
My old dog got fleas for the first time in years, so I treated cats and dogs.
I am treating Whistler (13) with advantage, and Carbon (almost 4) with comfortis, and treating with Fleabusters that I swear by!!
Horrible year for the little buggars.

anna's girl

Oct. 3, 2009, 12:21 AM

Weird, about the advantage. The frontline didn't work for me but the advantage has. We had them bad this year too. I had the exterminator out twice to get rid of them.
Oh I have 4 cats.

Irish Ei's

Oct. 3, 2009, 12:32 AM

On humans and animals..

You HAVE to alter the body/blood odor..

I have 2 men screamingly allergic to flea bites..

Eat Garlic and B vitamins, as per the Allergist and Pediatrician.

Alagirl

Oct. 3, 2009, 04:05 PM

urgh, fleas.

I see one here and there, need to get more stuff to put on...

1) treat pet. Actually a vet told me some years ago not to bother with flea shampoo, use regular shampoo, lather it up and leave for 10 minutes. you gotta leave the stuff on for an insane amount of time anyhow.

2) treat house. go get the foggers. One for each room, set them off, from the furthest to the closest to the door, be gone for a few hours. BTW, since flea collars do next to nothing on the pet, take a snippet of about an inch and put into your vacuum cleaner bag, so the little Sh*theads die in there and not have an orgie.

3) treat the yard. I sprayed over the fence line quiet a bit, naturally it would not have been enough to matter, but hey, a minute buffer zone. I think they make granules to put on the lawn, not sure tho.

4) repeat every 3 week. Oh, the fun.

MaresNest

Oct. 3, 2009, 07:06 PM

This has been a horrible year for fleas. I have switched from Frontline to Comfortis. Comfortis definitely works for fleas. Frontline, at my house, does not.

Mav226

Oct. 3, 2009, 07:32 PM

Also, the dogs spend literally at least 2 hours a day if not more esp in the summer, swimming in the pond. Does that wash off the flea topical?

The company says no, but my experience says yes. Our Rottie does much better on the pill type flea prevention and I think it's b/c she spends hours in our pool every day (almost year round).

Mav226

Oct. 3, 2009, 07:36 PM

WDo your dogs just gobble them up like the big dog does or do they spit them out even in tasty chicken?

Both of mine act like you are trying to feed them rat poison. We have to crunch it up into a powder and mix it into 4 or 5 undercooked eggs to get them to even consider eating it. It's a PITA, but worth it.

KrazyTBMare

Oct. 3, 2009, 08:01 PM

Thanks for that info. I am going to look into an oral flea med for the dogs. They are outside from 7am until 10-11 pm. They are German Shorthair Pointers and are ALWAYS on the go and literally spend HOURS swimming.

The fleas that I find on the cats are with the flea comb so Im not digging, just brushing. I did not know about the dying flea dance though. That may be what I am seeing. See, our used to be outside cat is now indoors (Germans like to think cats are for playing with) and now that shes inside we noticed she was getting a skin issue and I figured out it was a flea allergy. I bathed her with flea shampoo and then did a new application of Frontline and I havent found any more fleas on her and her skin condition is totally gone - this happened in liek 2 weeks.

Oh and I part the fur on the back of the neck and apply the Frontline directly to the skin.

I am going to spray the house with this spray stuff I got from the vet and run the vacuum and hopefully it will work on our tile floors (only carpet in bedrooms).

foundationmare

Oct. 3, 2009, 11:11 PM

We have followed the wonderful advice of fellow COTHers and have beaten the fleas into submission! Flea bombed, vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed, washed slipcovers, bedding, throw pillows...virtually anything that could be laundered...Puppy has had Advantage treatment appox. 3 wks. ago and will switch to Comfortis starting with next treatment.

After having "thought" problem was resolved, daughter flea combed pup and got about 5 fleas off. The next day, a couple. Now we are flea free and the immediate crisis is over, with the understanding that vigilance is required to keep the nasty bastards at bay. Two weeks ago I was overwhelmed and not hopeful, especially with all the comisseration from people here and in my "real" world about this year's particularly troublesome flea infestation.

Bailey, the pup, is happy, DD is happy, we're all happy, happy, happy!

Thanks again for all of the spot-on advice and management plans.

Saidapal

Oct. 4, 2009, 03:08 PM

Does your house cat go outside at all? If you let your cat outside, it is picking up fleas outside. No matter what flea/tick product you use, your animal is not going to be in a bubble, so iif your pet comes in contact with fleas, fleas can jump on your animal. Instead of just assuming a product doesn't work, why don't you see if something has changed in your cats environment. But to each his own.....

Cat does not go outside. Nothing has changed in the cats environment. I obviously brought them in somehow, but the cat is not the guilty party. In the past I would use Advantage, treat the carpets and the problem would go away. Only thing that has changed is I bought Frontline instead of Advantage. Frontline does not work.

Treated cat with Advantage, put down the diatomaceous earth and I've already noticed a big improvement. Cat has been sleeping all day in relief. Will keep vaccuming and reapplying until the little suckers are gone.

Horsegal984

Oct. 4, 2009, 04:33 PM

Everyone make sure of your source for Frontline, as there is a lot of counterfit product out there. Same box, similar/identical packaging, totally different chemicals inside. Most often found on Frontline purchased online. You can google 'counterfit frontline' and find the information from the FDA on the problem and how to determine counterfit from real.

KarzyTBMare- Frontline is the most water resistant topical on the market. It takes A LOT of swimming/bathing to get it off, but it will start to lose some efficacy after a lot of water contact. For you guys I think that Comfortis would be be better bet, however it doesn't have any real tick protection, so monitor your guys after the change and watch for them. Most animals don't seem to start picking them up on Comfortis, but it's not labeled for it.

Also, there is no generic Comfortis, which for a while PetMeds was trying to sell Program as. If you're going to a monthly flea pill make sure you only buy Comfortis brand, or it's not going to work like you want it to.

Katherine
Vet Tech

KrazyTBMare

Oct. 4, 2009, 05:40 PM

Katherine, thanks for that info. I wouldnt think the Frontline is washing off as I have combed the dogs all over and never find any fleas but I do on the cats. The dogs do have a waterproof coat though so even though they are wet on the outside, the underside isnt.

Doesnt Revolution do fleas ticks HW and internal parasites? I have Interceptor for the dogs but it just does HW and internal worms.