My dog scratches from fleas. Is Frontline enough or am I using too much?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Florida has a terrible flea problem and there are many pets that need multiple kinds of flea preventions a month. Plain Frontline may not be strong enough for Bella. If you are seeing fleas and she is scratching, it is likely from the fleas, but I cannot guarantee she didn't pick up something else. I would discuss with a veterinarian there what preventions they recommend for that area. She may need a topical and an oral prevention which you can purchase from a veterinary office. Just as a reminder, flea baths and flea collars do not work, so don't waste your money. Good luck and kisses to Bella!

You could talk to your vet about switching from frontline to Nexgard. Also, if he has any skin lesions, he may need additional medications to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, or other medications to control the itching. It would be best to call your vet and schedule a recheck examination.

Fleas are a very common cause of scratching, so it will be worthwhile to apply Frontline if he is not on any other flea products at the moment. There are also some other causes of itching, like mites and certain skin diseases, so if the Frontline is not helping within three days of use, then it would be best to take DC to a vet for diagnosis and treatment of his condition. I hope that helps and all is well with DC.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that you try a product called Capstar which can help kill a lot of fleas at once. You can consider switching to another flea preventative product such as Bravecto or Frontline. In the meantime, your veterinarian can consider a medication such as prednisone or Apoquel to help with the itch for now. Good luck!

Flea infestations can be really frustrating to manage! It sounds as though you're doing all of the right things to manage this issue. However, in recent years, I have not found Frontline Plus to be as effective as it once was. Consider talking to your vet about switching to an oral flea preventive, such as Bravecto, Nexgard, Credelio or Simparica. (All are prescription-based, which is why you'll need to first talk to your vet.) I find these medications MUCH more effective at rapidly killing several flea lifestages, which helps to break the flea life cycle (adults lay eggs, which become larvae, then pupae, then adults, which lay more eggs). Consistently giving flea preventives is the best way to resolve a flea infestation. Over the counter oral medications like Capstar are great at killing adult fleas, but only last for 24 hours. K9 Advantix II is an over the counter topical option that works well, but isn't quite in the same league as the prescription orals. Also be sure to wash any blankets, pillows or bedding that is machine washable on the hottest setting allowable. Try to wash these things at least once a week. If all else fails, consult an exterminator to treat your environment. Flea baths are largely ineffective at treating fleas. Many of these flea shampoos cause skin irritation, so I would just try using a regular dog shampoo every few months to wash off any dead fleas or flea dirt. Also be sure to talk to your vet about checking a stool sample for tapeworms, as dogs can ingest tapeworm eggs if they eat infected fleas. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Atlas! https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/flea-infestation-1/

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Maverick. This is my opinion and it's shared by many veterinarians out there. Frontline Plus is not as effective as it used to be and I saw it fail with my own personal pets. Some parts of the country might not see this problem but I actually lived in the 28112 zip code when that occurred. I would advise using a different topical such as ParaDefense, Vectra 3D, Advantix, etc to see if those products work better. Remember, Trifexis doesn't protect against ticks so make sure your topical product kills ticks also. Good luck with Maverick.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Cash. If he is very uncomfortable, (but not displaying any other signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors) I would recommend bathing him with Dawn dish soap. This will remove the product from his skin and should provide him with some relief. Then he should follow up with his veterinarian tomorrow. If he is acting ill, you will need to seek emergency veterinary care for him tonight. I hope this information helps!