Fleas -- Aargh!

Hi M.,
Check the EPA website, I know they have some recommendations for safe treatment of fleas. The advantage should be fine, we used it on my cats, and only needed it for two years, before we didn't get fleas anymore. I'm just concerned about you applying it while you are pregnant. If I were you, I'd have my husband apply it, and then I wouldn't touch the dogs at all for several days, and then as little as possible during the flea season while they have it on them. Another thing we used when we didn't have bad fleas was garlic yeast tablets, and that helped when the fleas were light. But the advantage is good because it cures them from reproducing and infesting the environment. garlic yeast tablets just repel. A couple of other sources to check would be a naturopathic vet in Portland (there are several), and the website Healthy Child Healthy World.
Good luck!

You also need to rid your house and yard of fleas. It's not going to be easy or fun, but necessary if you want these things gone. When we had our one and only flea infestation, we removed ourselves from our house for 36 hours and placed bug bombs....everywhere. Cushions came off the couches, bedding was washed, tip the furniture over so very little is sitting on the carpet (fleas will move to spots where the bomb chemicals can't reach)...etc. Once you bomb the house, go home and vacuum everything. Couches, floors, under couches

Flea's and bugs are naturally repelled by Cedar, so surrounding your yard or your dog house with cedar chips is recommended for outside treatment.

I don't know of an eco-friendly way of getting rid of fleas.

What has worked for me is I sprinkle Borax (it is in the detergent aisle) all over all carpets and couches/chairs. Then I fill a spray bottle with a water vinegar mix and spray my hardwoods, base boards, doors, basically everything because it is not going to hurt it. Yes your house does stink like vinegar for about a day, but it goes away. Don't forget to wash the dog, I use baby wash which is supposed to help keep fleas away, also a tablespoon of garlic on top of dogfood , or a splash of vinegar in the water gives your dog a natural scent that fleas don't like. I wait to vacuum at least overnight, but longer is better the borax kills live fleas and eggs. Anything that is not killed is repelled by the vinegar scent. Bonus is it is safe for your kids to be around.

Good Luck

We use the typical flea treatments and have never had a problem. But, our dog does not frequent the park.

Growing up, my parents didn't have the money to treat the dogs, so they did flea dips at the groomer, and a home treatment. If the problem is really bad, you can bomb the house and start fresh. If the problem is not that bad, you can try my mom's home treatment. She put a dish full of soapy water on the carpet at night and put a bright lamp shining over the dish. The fleas jump to the light for warmth, and when they fall in the dish, they drown. I have used this method in the past when I get paranoid about fleas to see if there really were any in my house.

I have found that my dogs fleas are always worst in the summer and as fall and winter come things certainly slow down. I like the Advantage the best as far as flea killer/remover. I order it from PetMeds.com, it's just so much cheaper and of course the same product. Good luck with the fleas.