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My dog has fleas after PetArmor Plus. Can I use flea shampoo?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | 24 years and 11 months old | 65 lbs

Put petarmor plus on my dog a week ago for flea treatment and still seeing fleas can I use a flea and tick shampoo and give her a bath

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 17th, 2017

Unfortunately Petarmor Plus is a very poor flea treatment for dogs, and it frequently doesn't work. You can give her a bath with the flea and tick shampoo, but keep in mind it doesn't provide lasting protection. I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes, and it's safe to give now. You can give Muffin one a day until two weeks have passed since you gave administered the Petarmor Plus. Then it's safe to use another spot on treatment such as Revolution or Advantage. Both are very effective at killing fleas. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. Good luck, I hope this helps!

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on June 24th, 2019
I'm not surprised that the pill didn't work. Flea pills from places like hardware stores are not very good at all, you need to get medication from the vet which actually works. Unfortunately it will not be safe to give her another pill now. You will have to wait at least two weeks. You can give Sissy a bath now using Dawn dish soap, and you comb out the fleas. In two weeks, give her the flea treatment program below. Best of luck.

First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My dog still has fleas. When can I apply Petarmor Plus topical?

The Vetguard plus contains a product that is not good for killing fleas, so it makes sense why you are still seeing them. The Petarmor is a totally different product, so it's safe to use and has ingredients that are good at killing fleas. I'd recommend trying that product and seeing how it goes. The fleas should all be dead after 3 days. I hope that helps and you get this problem under control soon.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Can I give Capstar to my dog after using Pet Armour for fleas?

Yes, you can certainly give Luna a dose of Capstar after applying Pet Armour Plus. The Capstar should kill adult fleas quickly, but will not provide lasting prevention against maturing larvae and eggs. Pet Armour should be able to provide this prevention for the remainder of the month. However, when Luna is due for another dose of flea prevention next month, I would instead recommend using a higher quality product, such as Nexgard, Bravecto, or K9 Advantix II, as I tend to find these products more effective. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

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My cat still has fleas after PetArmor. Can I reapply it safely?

In order to get rid of all the fleas you will also need to vacuume your house often including upholstered furniture and carpeted and uncarpeted floors. Put flea powder in the vacuum cleaner bag and discard the bag outside in the trash. This will hopefully remove larvae which live on house dust as well as flea eggs. For every flea you see on your cat, there are at least 10 more fleas in his environment. You can reapply the petarmor in a few days. Make sure it is the preparation for cats and make sure to apply it on the skin between the shoulder blades after parting the hair. Unfortunately, there are fleas that are resistant to fipronil, which is the active ingredient of Petarmor.

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Hartz flea treatment didn't work. How to get rid of dog fleas safely?

Unfortunately Hartz is a very poor product and extremely ineffective. I would not recommend using it again. You can give Bella Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes and it's safe to give now. I would wash her to try to get the oily residue off, but you can't give her another spot on treatment until two weeks have passed. During this two weeks, it is safe to give Capstar daily (only one a day) to keep killing the fleas. After the two weeks have passed, I would apply a better quality flea treatment such as Revolution or Advantage. Keep in mind as well you have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps!

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My dog's flea treatment got wet. Is it effective? Should I reapply?

I would refrain from reapplying this topical product, because you cannot be sure how much of it was rinsed off and it is best to not overdose him. Also the biting and scratching can be normal for any pet that has just received flea preventative if there was a large infestation of fleas. The "itch cascade" as we call it can last even after the parasites are gone, and often pets require a short course of steroids or a steroid shot to stop the itch completely. Your best option at this point, if you still see evidence of fleas or ticks, is to follow up with a medication called Capstar. This is the only flea ridding product that can be used in conjunction with topical flea preventatives, because it does not last in the pets system very long. You can safely redose the Pet armour in 2 weeks time. However I will say I am not a fan of this product and find there are better, more effective ones on the market. For instance, Bravecto, Nexgard, Advantage Multi, just to name a few.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog was bathed after flea treatment. Should I reapply flea killer?

Dogs are not supposed to get wet for at least 24 hours after application of a topical flea medication, and more than likely it was washed off during the bath. You can reapply the flea treatment, and I would give them Capstar given you have seen fleas. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes, and it's safe to be given at the same time as the spot on treatment. Just as a note, I would not recommend using Frontline. In my experience (and from the experience of many colleagues), there is a resistance to Frontline, and you may not get the best results from it. I recommend using Advantage or Revolution instead. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash their bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat has fleas, flea collar failed, and I used peppermint shampoo. What now?

You've washed it off thoroughly, so Kiwi should be fine. It won't be in large amounts. I can give you a flea treatment program for her. First, I would give her Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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