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My dog still has fleas after Frontline and baths. What now?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Male | neutered | 45 lbs

My 4 year old Siberian Husky, Atlas, has a severe flea problem. I have been using Frontline Plus for about 3 months, have given him a flea bath a couple days before application, and sprayed my furniture, bedding, and his bedding with flea spray. What else can I do?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Lauren Jones VMD

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 18th, 2020

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/
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 21st, 2017

    Frontline takes some time to kill the fleas after they jump onto your pet so it would not be impossible to find the occasional flea, normally slow moving and unwell from the effects of the treatment. If the infestation is increasing or the fleas were rapid moving, unaffected by the medication you may need to consider rotation to a different product after 14days. You should also consider treating all bedding areas and cars etc with an insecticidal flea spray as only 5% of fleas are found on your pet, the remainder being eggs and larvae in the environment

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 20th, 2017

    Frontline should never be used within 48hours before or after bathing and you may indeed be washing some of the product off. Frontline also takes some time (approx 6hours) to kill the fleas and you may see active fleas between hatching and actually being killed. Ensure you have treated all areas with a product which kills eggs and larvae (such as acclaim household spray); remove and replace as much bedding as possible and consider using a tablet based product such as bravecto or nexguard

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 10th, 2018

    You need to disinfect the environment as well, as the fleas live in that and not on the dog. They will hop on the dog to feed and then hop off. Wash Queen's 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. You can reapply the Frontline two weeks after the initial application. I hope this helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 13th, 2018

    It's too soon to repeat a spot on flea treatment. You have to wait at least two weeks between them. You can give Lyra Capstar now. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes, and it's safe to use. Keep in mind as well that fleas live in the environment, not on the animal, so you need to disinfect your home as well. 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. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
Frontline failed! What topical flea treatments actually work?
I'm sorry you are having such problems with fleas! I have personally found, as have a number of my colleagues, that there is resistance to Frontline and pets continue to have problems with them despite applying the Frontline. I will give you the flea treatment program I typically recommend and have found to be very effective. First, I would give Shadow 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, this is very important. Wash his 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. You may have to flea bomb the house a few times to kill all the fleas. My brother had a problem with fleas in his home, and the exterminator had to visit three times before they were all gone. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog still has fleas after Frontline. Can I reapply or switch?
It is safe to reapply the Frontline now, but in my experience, it doesn't have great flea protection. You may have better luck with Advantage products or a Seresto collar. The best flea protection is the prescription oral flea preventatives, like Bravecto or Nexgard.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Medications
My dog still has fleas after Bravecto. What should I do next?
Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Fleas can be frustrating to eradicate even when using a quality product like Bravecto. You may wish to consider a product like Capstar or even a topical flea medication in addition to the Bravecto. Products like Frontline Gold, Vectra and Advantix tend to work well. The flea life cycle sometimes necessitates that you also treat your household and even your yard to fully eradicate the infestation. Regular laundering of pet bedding can help but you may still end up needing to have an exterminators help. Finally, make sure all pets in the household are treated with a safe, quality flea preventative as often house cats that have not been treated can harbor fleas. Good luck!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My dog still has fleas after treatment. What should I do next?
Capstar will only kill those fleas that are on the dog and sucking blood once. Getting rid of fleas is relatively easy but entails work for a few months: Unfortunately fleas only hop on the body of your pet when they want to feed, then they hop off again and stay in your pet's environment. So you need to treat all pets in the household as well as the environment (which contains the fleas, their eggs and larvae). 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 )Bravecto/Nexgard/Seresto will last longer) 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/Nexgard 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 Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you so much!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why does my dog still have fleas after using Capstar and Frontline?
I'm so sorry you are having a hard time with Boogie! Capstar is safe to give daily, but ONLY kills adult fleas. More fleas will be jumping onto Boogie daily until all of the viable eggs in the environment have hatched or been rid of. Frontline (and Advantage and Revolution) kills adult fleas AND makes the eggs laid by the fleas that are on the dog unable to hatch once they are in the environment. That's why it takes some time to see results, whether you are using Frontline, Advantage or Revolution. That is also why Capstar continues to be beneficial in killing the adults that are on the dog. Think of it this way. Adults fleas get onto the dog. They eat, mate, poop, and lay eggs. The poop from the fleas, and the eggs, both drop off into the environment. When the eggs hatch out, which takes 2 weeks, the larvae (baby fleas) feed on the flea poop that was dropped into the environment. They ultimately develop into the adult fleas that will again find an adult host to infect. Since an adult flea can lay 50 eggs a day, you can see how important it is to treat the environment and break the life cycle. You may find this article helpful. http://www.petsandparasites.org/dog-owners/fleas/ To specifically answer your question, Frontline doesn't "get stronger" with time, but it takes consistent treatment to break the cycle of new fleas hatching out in the environment and getting back on. Until you've got better control, apply either Frontline (or Advantage, or Revolution) as frequently as recommended by your vet; typically this will be about 2 week intervals for 4-8 weeks. Again, consult with your vet for specific advice on your individual dog's needs. Also, vacuum and wash bedding, carpets, couches, etc. I hope that clarifies things for you a bit. Don't hesitate to post on the forum again or request a consultation for further assistance. Thanks for asking PetCoach!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Medications
My dog's Frontline isn't working. Should I try a flea shampoo?
Frontline doesn't always work unfortunately, but a flea shampoo is not likely to give you a better result. Instead I recommend using Advantage or Advocate spot on, Alternatively a comfortis tablet will do an excellent job as well. Do not bath her at least 3 days before and after you apply any spot on. As these flea treatment do not contain the same active ingredients as the frontline, they are safe to use at anytime you chose.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why aren't Frontline or Seresto getting rid of my dog's fleas?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Moon. Frontline and Seresto are both good products. They utilize different drugs. It is unlikely that both products have failed. The problem is likely the environment. The majority of the flea eggs are in the environment not on the dog. The carpet will need to be vacuumed at least once per day. All of her bedding (or yours if she sleeps with you) needs to washed in hot water. The yard can also be a source of contamination and may need to be treated as well. Wild animals or neighborhood cats can carry fleas and continually reinfection her. You can teach her to go potty on a potty pad inside as that may help. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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