Is combining flea shampoo and topical treatment safe for pets?

The short answer is...it is not recommended in most situations. Combining different medications may increase the risk of negative side effects, adverse reactions or can lead to an overdose situation which could put your pet's life at risk. Due to the variety of [different products](https://www.petcoach.co/article/should-you-use-a-prescription-flea-and-tick-preventive) available on the veterinary market today, pet owners are encouraged to discuss the [best preventative option](https://www.petcoach.co/article/whats-the-difference-between-oral-and-topical-flea-and-tick-preve) for their individual pet with their veterinarian. If a pet has[ fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/fleas-life-cycle-anatomy-disease-transmission), most pet owners want to find the fastest treatment option available. In these cases, Capstar ([nitenpyram](https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/nitenpyram)) is an oral flea medication available over the counter for dogs and cats that starts treating fleas in 30 minutes and kills 90 percent of adult fleas on a pet within four hours. While Capstar dosing can continue as frequently as every day, topical flea and tick preventatives can be used in conjunction with this oral medication to provide longer lasting treatment and prevention. Oral [flea and tick preventives](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-and-puppy-flea-and-tick) available for dogs with a prescription from your veterinarian are Credelio, Nexgard, Simparica, and Bravecto. Products that are available with a prescription from your veterinarian for flea treatment include Comfortis or Trifexis. These products also begin to kill fleas quickly and provide ongoing prevention, and do not usually require the concurrent use of a topical medication. If a topical [flea preventative fails](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-reasons-your-flea-prevention-isnt-working), most oral products can be safely used concurrently. ### Capstar is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates.

Most oral flea preventatives are safe to give along with topicals, but it would help to know exactly what the oral medication was and when medications were given. You may want to ask your veterinarian what flea product they would recommend in your area - in some areas fleas could be resistant to the medications. You also may need to treat your home - calling a pest control company is safest.

I would recommend only using one. I prefer topical over collars since not all collars work. There are plenty of topical medications for cats that help prevent fleas and ticks. Some topical you can apply monthly while others like Bravecto can be applied once every 3 months. Without knowing what type of collar and which fipronil product you are using I wouldn't use them together. I would also wait 48 hours before and after a bath before putting topical medication on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The safest flea shampoo for a cat is actually Dawn dish soap or baby shampoo. It is very mild and gentle and does well for killing fleas. After a bath you can try frontline or advantage topical if old enough as those do no require prescriptions

I never consider flea shampoo safe to use, so my answer is no, instead if he has fleas i would recommend using one of the followings (which you can use right away): Bravecto, Nexgard, Advantage, Comfortis.

No this is absolutely not recommended, first of all you can overdose her, secondly i generally do not recommend flea baths for cats, they are less effective and tend to cause severe side effects. Hartz isn't a good product either, for next time i would recommend something from the following list: Spot ons: Revoulution Advantage Advantage Multi Frontline Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats Tablets: Comfortis Collar: Seresto ( (ticks as well) House spary: Indoorex

Yes, the products can be used together. Zodiac flea and tick powder can be quite irritating to a dog's eyes, nose, throat and lungs and is a very harsh chemical, so it is not my favorite method of flea control. I much prefer using a topical spot-op or oral flea and tick prevention which will work better and likely be safer and less irritating for Alice. The oral tablets are safe, but are likely not as effective as the other products on the market. I am attaching a handout below on flea control and a second one that has a link to current flea products on the market for dogs that might be helpful for you. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951999 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952808 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.