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My dog has fleas, losing weight and fur. What flea products work?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Springer Spaniel | Male | neutered | 6 years and 2 months old | 150 lbs

Hi my dog has fleas, we have tried treating him but lately I've seen him loosing weight and loosing fur, he eats hes food when given to him its not as though he isn't hungry. What can I buy to help him with the fleas and hair loss. Thank you

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 22nd, 2018

Unfortunately fleas only hop on the body of your dog when they want to feed, then they hop off again and stay in Marley's environment. So you need to treat Marley as well as the environment (which contains the fleas, their eggs and larvae). First you will have to make sure that Marley indeed has fleas. You need to look through his fur, and hopefully find live fleas or at least a lot of flea poo, which looks like little black specs, Fleas can cause weight loss as well as loss of fur, however there are also other causes for that, and if you do not find fleas, then you should take him to your vet for a skin exam.
Flea treatment:
1) Get some flea medication such as a Flea spray or a spot on from a pet shop or your veterinarian and apply monthly 2) get flea powder, put some in your vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum your house and furniture and also non-carpeted areas frequently to remove flea larvae and eggs which live off house dust., Dispose of the bag in the trash outside. Hot-wash all the pet's bedding,
If you do this diligently for a few months you will get rid of the fleas.
Flea products:
Spot-ons:
Advantage, Advantix
Advantage Multi (Advocate in the UK)
Frontline (ticks as well)
Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats, in tablet form for dogs
Revolution (stronghold in the UK)
Tablets: comfortis (will only kill fleas once)

Collar: Seresto (ticks as well)

House spray: Indoorex

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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