Dog fleas: Is shampoo effective, and can I use Cortizone for itching?

Hello! My name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Ugh! Fleas are the worst but the good news is that you can effectively get rid of them if you use a good product and are diligent in the treatment. Here is a link about the flea life cycle: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/flea-control-in-dogs The flea life cycle can last as long as 6 months. The key to getting rid of fleas is to make sure EVERY dog and cat in the house is treated with a good flea prevention AND that this treatment lasts an entire 6 months. Your vet can give you access to the best flea products on the market. Oral flea products like Simparica, Nexgard and Bravecto are the best products out there because they kill fleas so quickly. This decreased to potential for the female fleas to lay eggs which breaks the life cycle. Since the product is in the bloodstream, it also can't be washed off. Lastly, because they are new, there is not a resistance issue in the flea population. They are also cost competitive with a name brand product like Frontline. I recommend to get Smallie on one of these oral flea products and use it for 6 months. If you use a topical flea prevention, only wash Smallie just before the next application of flea prevention is due. Topical flea products like the one you applied can be washed off which means they won't work as well. Also know you will likely continue to see fleas for at least 6 weeks (assuming your product is working correctly) because of the newly emerging adult fleas. Lastly, know there is great variation in the effectiveness of topical flea products. As far as they go, for over the counter options, Seresto, name brand Frontline and Advantage/Advantix are your best options. Use them as directed. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

I hate to hear that Sam is so miserable! Definitely for the fleas I would recommend an oral flea product such as Simparica or Comfortis. These are the top products on the market and will kill any fleas that land on Sam within 3-4 hours. Topical products take 12 - 24 hours. You will need to use a good flea prevention on him and any other pets in the house for a solid 6 months. To help his skin to feel better, give him a cool water bath daily. You can also give him an over the counter antihistamine. If you have an elizabethan collar for him, you can also apply a small amount of cortisone cream. The collar will keep Sam from licking. You need to rub it in well and make sure he cannot lick it. You might also call the clinic daily and check to see if they have any cancelations. You might be able to get Sam in earlier. I hope this helps!

Flea shampoo is not effective and should be avoided. here is the list of the best flea products on the market. Spot ons: Revoulution Advantage Advantage Multi Frontline (ticks as well) Tablets: Trifexis/comfortis Bravecto (ticks as well) Collar: Seresto ( (ticks as well) House spary: Indoorex

Itching can be due to a flea infestation, so it's good to apply the flea medication. In cases of long-standing, or severe itching there is a chance that secondary skin infections may form. A medicated shampoo would be helpful for controlling infection, but would not be helpful for the primary cause of the itch. If you do use the shampoo, then it's best to do it before you apply the flea treatment, or at-least 48 hours after. For more information about relieving itching, I recommend you read the short article at the link below. https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-great-strategies-for-relieving-your-dog-s-allergies/ I hope that helps and all is well with Baby.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Boo! If Boo has scratched himself raw he likely has a skin infection and needs oral antibiotics and steroids. The Epsom salts may burn his skin and likely will not fully help him. Be sure you are using a good flea preventative. I recommend any of the oral preventatives: Nexgard, Simparica or Bravecto. They work fast, are easy to give and allow bathing if necessary. I do not recommend the topical products like Frontline, Revolution or Advantixx. I have seen a lot of resistance. If the fleas are now gone and all that is left is Boo's skin reactions he will heal much quicker and painlessly if you take him to the Vet for medications. I have attached a link to a shampoo than may help his skin. Leave the shampoo lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. I hope this helps and I wish Boo a speedy recovery! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25291

You can try cool baths with an oatmeal shampoo every other day. But there isn't anything that will help with the itch until the parasite is controlled. Cortisone creams will actually make things worse. You can use an e-collar and socks on Simba's feet to prevent damaging the skin (but an e-collar must be used if you use socks to prevent him from eating them!(

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This still may be a skin allergy but Benadryl sometimes does not work. I would recommend using a shampoo such as Douxo PS Chlorhexidine combination shampoo and bathe twice weekly until resolve. I would also recommend using products such as welactin omega 3 fish oil, essential 6 spot on by dermoscent and malacetic conditioning spray. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. All of these product recommendations can be found online. If the problem becomes worse, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Sofie.