Are there risks to using different flea treatments together on my dog?

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.

You can give Nova a flea and tick bath at Petsmart, but I would either give her the Seresto flea collar or the Simparica, not both. It's typically not recommended to give two flea and tick treatments to a dog. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Generally speaking, it is advised to administer one type of topical flea/tick preventative at one time. Administering more than one topical type in a 30 day period may be an overload to her system. The Fipronil is liking absorbed already, so I would not advise you apply the Vectra. Instead, you may ask your veterinarian about a administering capstar or another fast acting oral flea treatment medication. Next month, you may apply the Vectra. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Hello! I'm sorry to hear that Bliss is still struggling with fleas. They can be really hard to get rid of! It is usually safe to give Capstar with Seresto, but if your dog has any medical conditions, I highly suggest that you contact your vet first. Seresto and Frontline used together should not interact, but it's never a bad idea to wait a day or two between removing the collar and applying the Frontline. This is my suggestion for your next few days: First, give Bliss a good bath. I do not recommend using any flea or tick shampoos - a regular dog shampoo or baby shampoo should do the trick. Leave the soapy lather on her skin for several minutes before rinsing, and use a flea comb to get rid of as many fleas as possible. Next, give Bliss the Capstar. Immediately after, be sure to wash all her beds on the hottest cycle. Beds that can't be washed should be dusted with diatomaceous earth or borax powder (away from pets). You can do this with carpets, too. Let the dust sit for an hour, then vacuum everything really well. Borax and diatomaceous earth should not harm your pets, but it's best that they don't ingest a lot of it, so try to keep them away while you do this. Throw away your vacuum bag or toss the contents outside in a dumpster right away. If Bliss is an outdoor dog, I highly recommend spraying the yard with an outdoor flea and tick killer, like Advantage Yard and Premise Spray. These cleaning steps are really, really important as the flea life cycle allows flea larvae to live and eat off of fibers in your home for 3 weeks. You should do this cleaning step again in 2 weeks to get any remaining flea eggs or larvae. After 24 hours, apply the Frontline. You should always wait 24 hours after a bath to apply Frontline as the natural oils in the skin need to regenerate before it will work properly, and bathing removes these oils. It is not unusual to see fleas on your dog even after this process, at least for a few weeks. Fleas only jump on your dog to feed, which is when they will come into contact with the Frontline and within 24 hours. Any fleas or larvae remaining in the home will eventually find their way to Bliss, but the Frontline should get them. If these steps don't work, it's time to involve your vet, and possibly a flea removal specialist, like Orkin. I really hope that Bliss is flea-free soon!

1. You don't need to give Daisy a flea bath before giving her the Advantix. You can give her the Advantix now. I don't recommend flea baths because they don't work well and can be very irritating to the skin. 2. You do not need to use the Advantix with the Sentry flea collar. Using Sentry (which contains fipronil) and Advantix together should be done with caution, as they have not be approved by the manufacturers for use together. The Advantix alone is enough protection. 3. You can give Daisy Capster with the Advantix. It's a one time pill that stars killing fleas in 30 minutes, and is safe to use anytime. That's the only oral medication I woken recommend to use in combination with the Advantix. Don't forget to disinfect the environment as well. Wash Daisy's bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a flea spray in the home such as Indorex, or you may need to flea bomb the house to kill the fleas. I hope this helps!

It is ok to use Seresto along with other topical products, just not oral ones. In some pets there can be a little skin irritation, so watch out for that and notify your vet if this happens. Otherwise, you should be fine to go ahead with Seresto to see if this does the trick. I would also recommend using a flea fogger to treat your home, which can be found at your local Home Depot or Lowe's. If you still don't have good results with the Seresto collar, then I would wait at least 2 weeks and consider better products such as Simparica or Nexgard. Best of luck with your flea issue and Nova moving forward. Take care!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, there is no harm in using a a topical flea treatment along with sentinel. Advantage II, K9 Avdantix, or Frontline Plus or Gold for example would all be okay. I hope this helps!