Answer

Hello, Ian. Thanks for writing in. You need to get them on a good flea and tick prevention from your vet. You need to apply it every 2-3 weeks for 3 months, then monthly. It can take 3 months to get fleas under control. The ticks need to be removed. Usually tick preventatives won't cause the ticks to fall off. It is better at preventing them from attaching. The house and the yard needs to be treated for fleas and ticks. I recommend an exterminator because they have better products than what you can buy. I have used a yard spray and flea/tick bomb from Home Depot, and they worked pretty well for me for ticks. I did have to treat a couple times, though. Do not use any flea and tick shampoos on them. It will wash off your flea and tick preventative. Use the oatmeal or hypoallergenic shampoo only. No detergent based shampoos. Get a good flea and tick preventative, like Advantix, Frontline or Vectra. Do not get a cheap one from your local grocery store, Walmart, Petsmart or Target. You may want to get some Capstar from your vet. It will kill the fleas in 30 minutes, but it only lasts for 1-2 days. They do not work very well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope this helps.