• I used a flea preventive on my dog and I still see fleas. Should I give my pet another dose or bath?

  There are multiple flea control products available, and it can be very difficult to choose which is the best for your pet. Your veterinarian is a great source for a recommendation on what is the safest and best product for your pet in your environment. Most veterinarians recommend one of the monthly spot-on products made by a reputable company.
  
  The most important thing to understand about these products is that the dog products often have an added ingredient to control ticks. These products MUST NOT BE USED ON CATS as they are highly toxic to cats. The spot-on products do not directly kill fleas in the environment,only the fleas on the pet. If your pet lives or hangs out in an environment that is infested with fleas you will likely see fleas on your pet that haven’t yet succumbed and died.
  
  As long as you are following label directions and not bathing or letting your pet swim, the fleas on the pet should die. The newest products, like FirstShield (cats) and FirstShield Trio(dogs, also controls ticks) have insect growth regulators in them so not only do they kill adult fleas, they prevent any eggs or larvae on your pet from maturing to become adults. The spot-on products are distributed across the body through the skin oils. Bathing a pet within 2 days before or after application will decrease the effectiveness of the product. If you need to bathe your pet consult with your veterinarian on the best type of shampoo to use and when you should apply the next dose.

Answered by:

John Smith, DVM
Veterinarian

Dr. John Smith is a graduate of LSU, Class of 1998. He has over 10 years of experience...

Tags

Behavior