I used Comfortis on Shelby and have put Jasper Lily on the same. We have an out of control flea situation in our apt complex due to a neighbor that hoards cats (up to 15 at a time) so for us to stay on top of it and keep fleas out of my home, I've had great luck with Comfortis. It is expensive but it's a pill, once a month and so worth it. 

jerry said
Thanks for sharing your experiences and recommendations.

Choosing how to prevent/deal with parasites is such a hard decision, especially after you've dealt with cancer and are so suspicious about every single "unnatural" thing you expose your animals to.

I'm still of the belief that diet plays a HUGE role in flea prevention although most vets will say this is anecdotal. Cassie I wonder how many of those dogs who come into the clinic covered in fleas are eating a less-than-quality diet? Any idea? I've read that a bad diet of cheap dog food brings on flaky skin, which is like a buffet for fleas.

You'd be surprised. Yea some of them are on Alpo and Gravy Train and things like that. But usually it's all sorts. Actually a girl I work with feeds her chihuahua top quality food and he's bathed regularly and well taken care of and she found fleas on him yesterday. A lot of it is environment, like Alison said her apartment complex is infested. If your yard or house is infested not much is going to prevent them from getting on your pet. Diet definitely plays a huge role in keeping the skin and coat very healthy, but the fleas are after blood. Anything with blood is at risk. 

I feel it necessary to put my two cents in, even though most of what I am going to say has already been said.

As was said before, when I worked in animal hospitals, every single owner (with zero exceptions) who used a natural flea remedy had a pet who was infested with fleas. I couldn't understand how they didn't see the problem.

Here in Upstate NY, fleas and Lyme disease are a big issue. Both my father and my fiance have Lyme disease, and I know several dogs personally who would test positive on a 4DX (though most are not symptomatic). I swear by Frontline. Here is how I see it and how I've explained it to clients. Firstly, it's the safest chemical I'm aware of - and I've sat in on a lot of vet pharmaceutical rep schpiels. Frontline is the only one that is safe to have around children. Secondly, Frontline applied on a dog is safe if your cat is going to be nearby, and Frontline applied on a cat is safe if your dog is going to be nearby. Last I knew, that was not the case for Advantix/Advantage. Thirdly, Frontline KILLS all stages of fleas and ticks. Advantage/Advantix repels fleas and ticks. Look at it like this. You take your dog for a walk, a tick climbs on your dog, but the tick isn't affected by the Advantix poison until your dog is back in your house. That means the tick is repelled and in your house...ALIVE. That tick can now climb on you and possibly give you Lyme disease. That same tick on a Frontline dog will die. I'd rather have a dead tick attached to my dog or laying in my house, then a live tick wandering my house!!

I've pulled dead ticks off of my dog (killed by Frontline), and he has never tested positive for Lyme disease. He has also always been vaccinated for Lyme.

As for the cats, all three are indoor, but only two will allow me to apply Frontline. Funny enough, the third who will not allow me to apply has a severe flea allergy. However, by applying to only the two, the third's allergy has never flared. That's how well Frontline works!

I use Heartgard for worm prevention. I used Interceptor for one summer. I am happy with either product. I'm more gung-ho about my Frontline