The short answer: ask your vet. Prescription flea treatments tailored to your pet’s needs and circumstances are far more effective than many ‘over the counter’ products, many of which frankly don’t work. Application error:
How to get rid of fleas on your pet?
Simply sprinkling some flea powder on your pet will not work; simply vacuuming the home vigorously will not work, simply placing a dog flea collar or using a flea topical on your pet will not work. In order to understand how each treatment options works and why you must also treat the environment, we must first understand the flea’s life cycle.
Why won’t my flea treatment work?
Here are four common reasons why this might be happening. Incorrectly applying topical flea prevention is the most common cause for its failure to work. Flea prevention is expensive, and you don’t want to waste a dose.
Can You reapply flea treatment early?
While you can reapply flea treatment early in some cases, you should talk to your veterinarian to find the best and most effective flea treatment for your pet. Your vet will know which products are working well in your region, as some that may have been effective at one time may no longer be killing fleas the way they used to.
Do flea preventions kill fleas?
In conjunction with topical flea treatments, you need to treat your home to provide the best defense against fleas. Most flea preventions do not repel fleas. Flea preventions kill fleas either by direct contact with the fleas or from the fleas feeding on your pet. New fleas from the environment can—and will—jump onto your pet to feed.
What do I do if flea treatment doesn't work?
Your Flea Medication Has Become Ineffective While you can reapply flea treatment early in some cases, you should talk to your veterinarian to find the best and most effective flea treatment for your pet.
Why am I still seeing fleas after treatment?
By allowing treated pets to access all parts of the home you usually let them into, your pet acts as a 'living vacuum cleaner' to kill the newly hatched fleas before they can lay more eggs. Because of this, it is normal to see fleas on treated pets during this time.
How long after flea treatment will I stop seeing fleas?
As eggs hatch and develop, you might find fleas reappearing 10-14 days after treatment - this is quite normal and provided the insecticide remains in place it will kill them.
Does flea treatment sometimes not work?
With spot on treatments, application of liquid to the skin is crucial. If most of the vial is squeezed on the coat rather than the skin by carefully parting the hair, then it won't be as effective. Or only effective for a short period of time, leaving your pet prone to fleas before their next dose is due.
Can I reapply flea treatment early?
Yes, if after two weeks the flea preventive you applied isn't working, you can reapply flea treatment early, or switch to another brand.
Do fleas jump off after treatment?
Flea larvae can remain dormant in your home for months, so new fleas may continue to emerge — even after treatment. These fleas will quickly die after hatching if you've treated your home and kept up with regular flea preventive for your pet, but it can take a while for all the existing fleas to hatch and be killed.
How long can fleas live in carpet?
On average, a flea can live for two to three months in the carpet. But without intervention, they can stay in the carpet without end if they have a host. If a blood meal isn't consumed the flea may only survive for a few days. Flea eggs live for two to three days before hatching.
Why has my dog still got fleas after treatment?
Not treating often enough Fleas go through a life cycle of egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Most flea treatments just kill adult fleas, but fleas can continue to emerge for months after you think an infestation has ended. When a newly emerged female flea finds a host, she can lay eggs within one day.
How do I know if the fleas are gone?
Keep a close eye on the white paper or towel. You are looking for and fleas that fall or jump off. Once you see one, it is safe to assume there are more. Apply petroleum jelly to the flea comb and brush your dog a second time.
How often can you repeat flea treatment?
The known safe answer is to wait the period of time the product is supposed to work, typically 30 days, before reapplying. An alternative is to bathe the pet in a detergent shampoo (meant to strip off skin oils) and reapply after 24 hours.
Can I apply advantage after 2 weeks?
Because it's been 2-3 weeks since the last application, yes you can apply it again. You can also give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes, and it's safe to use with the Advantage.
Why can't I get rid of my dogs fleas?
Control the environment – Adopt control strategies including: Vacuum the carpet 2-3 times a week to remove eggs, wash pets blankets weekly (in the washing machine), spray the house, kennels and yards with an adult flea killer, fog the house to prevent larvae developing.
How long does it take to get rid of fleas?
Getting rid of fleas is a difficult process due to the long lifecycle of a flea. Moderate to severe infestations will take months to control and require a four-step process for complete elimination:
How to treat fleas in pets?
Every pet in the home must be treated. Thoroughly bathe pets with soap and water, then comb them with a flea comb. Pay careful attention to face and neck regions, and the area in front of the tail. Soap will act as a gentle insecticide to kill adult fleas.
How to apply flea treatment?
How to Apply Each Brand of Topical Flea Treatment 1 Hold the tube upright and turn the cap one full turn. 2 Make sure the seal is broken but DO NOT remove the cap. 3 Cats: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply the entire tube to the skin. You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow. 4 Dogs: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply to the skin; do this in one or more spots depending on the size of your dog. For larger dogs, choose two or three spots along the spine to continue the application.
How long do fleas live in the environment?
Flea eggs and larvae can live in the environment for days or weeks. It is best to regularly vacuum all the locations of your home where your pet spends time, wash all bedding in hot water, and keep your pets on flea prevention.
How many active ingredients are in flea prevention?
Flea preventions typically use one or two active ingredients to do the job of preventing fleas. Each brand will use different active ingredients, and these ingredients will work in different ways to prevent fleas. An overdose for most flea preventions could result in the following: Profuse drooling. Vomiting.
How to apply Bravecto to cat?
Bravecto. Hold the tube upright and turn the cap one full turn. Make sure the seal is broken but DO NOT remove the cap. Cats: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply the entire tube to the skin. You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow.
Where to apply hair spray for dogs?
You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow. Dogs: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply to the skin; do this in one or more spots depending on the size of your dog. For larger dogs, choose two or three spots along the spine to continue the application.
Can you treat fleas in your home?
Your Home Hasn’t Been Treated for Fleas. In conjunction with topical flea treatments, you need to treat your home to provide the best defense against fleas. Most flea preventions do not repel fleas. Flea preventions kill fleas either by direct contact with the fleas or from the fleas feeding on your pet.
How do flea and tick preventive treatments work?
Modern flea and tick preventive treatments work in different ways depending on the active ingredient. They are generally much more targeted towards insect biology rather than mammalian biology. Older drugs, such as organophosphates, were much more dangerous, as well as being less effective.
Can garlic be used for fleas?
Using Garlic as a Flea Treatment. There is no good evidence to suggest that feeding garlic has any flea repellant activity. Garlic, onion and chives (all in the allium family) cuse red blood cell destruction which can result in severe anaemia - head here to read more about onion and garlic poisoning in dogs (LINK TO POST.
Is there a side effect of flea medicine?
There are still potential side-effects with modern flea treatments ( something that 's true with any drug), and these might make certain products a good choice for some individuals while not suitable for others. Some examples are: Bravecto, Simparica, and Nexgard.
Can flea treatments be poisonous?
So yes, I don't think we need to think of our flea treatments as a poison and we're poisoning our pet. Like any drug or any drug that actually does something, there is a chance of side effects, but we also need to remember why we're using them in the first place.
Do ticks and fleas work?
Now, modern flea and tick preventative treatments, they do work in different ways, but they're generally much, much more targeted insect biology rather than mammalian biology, which means that they target specific things that are in insects and not in mammals, and mammals being dogs, cats, and people obviously. Insects being the fleas.
Why isn't my dog flea treatment effective?
Why Aren’t Dog Flea Treatments Effective? There may be a number of reasons why your flea treatment isn’t working for your pet. The product could be made of low-quality ingredients or low-powered chemicals, you could be administering the product improperly, or you could be failing to keep your pet’s area clean , which is essential for flea ...
What is Credelio flea and tick treatment?
Credelio is a delicious beef-flavored flea and tick treatment for dogs that treats and controls fleas and ticks. The monthly oral treatment kills fleas in 12 hours and controls dog tick infestations. Consult your veterinarian to determine which methods and products are best for you and your pets.
How long does it take for Capstar to work on dogs?
Buy Comfortis for Dog. Capstar for dogs is an oral tablet that contains a fast-acting adulticide to combat adult fleas on dogs. Within half an hour of administration , it begins to work and kills all adult fleas within seven hours. Buy Capstar.
How long does it take for a flea to grow?
Your Flea infestation did not occur overnight and will not be resolved in a matter of days. In reality, all stages of the flea cycle can take three to eight weeks, or two months, to fully grow and mature. For at least two months, flea treatment must be taken exactly as directed.
Where can I find fleas?
Infestation is most commonly found in your house, yard, and parks. It is vital to read the directions for flea treatments, particularly topical products. Any oral flea treatments must be taken with a complete meal in order to be absorbed. Some topical flea treatments may be less effective if your pet is bathed or swims.
Does Bravecto kill ticks?
For 8 weeks, it even kills lone star ticks. It works quickly and lasts for a long time. Buy Bravecto. Activyl for dogs is a monthly topical flea treatment that is quite efficient. By disrupting the flea life cycle, the effective product destroys not only adult fleas but also flea eggs and larvae. Buy Activyl for Dog.
Can fleas be killed before they lay eggs?
Not using a flea product that kills quickly or contains an insect growth regulator: It is essential to begin killing fleas before they lay eggs or to use a flea treatment that eliminates the eggs. Breaking the flea’s life cycle is important. It takes a bit of time:
Can you exfoliate your pet's skin?
As with humans, exfoliating your pet’s skin and removing extraneous dead skin cells will provide a clean surface for the topical. Follow the directions on your topical, but the directions on most topicals advise to make sure the coat is completely dry before applying the product.
Can you rub a pet's coat the wrong way?
With topical spot-on products, it’s important that the product reaches your pet’s skin and doesn’t sit above their epidermal layer. You’ll want to rub your pet’s coat the wrong way so you can see skin. If the product doesn’t hit the skin, it will not be absorbed in your pet’s sebaceous glands. That’s where the flea-fighting magic happens!
Can flea medicine be absorbed by pets?
If the product doesn’t hit the skin, it will not be absorbed in your pet’s sebaceous glands. That’s where the flea-fighting magic happens! Make sure you are using the entire tube of medication on your pet. Don’t skimp and try to save a few dollars by splitting the product between months or between pets.
