Should I give my fast-growing puppy a higher flea/tick treatment dose?

Hi there, It kind of depends on the product, but I wouldn't use it on her if it's going to be a slight overdose. Sometimes products have a wider safety margin, but flea products can be toxic at higher doses. Ideally go buy a product that is her size, and that kills adult fleas and their eggs. You can also give her a bath to drown some of them. Sorry you have to deal with that, but congrats on your puppy. Also let the shelter know they have fleas... Best wishes to you and Lucy and thanks for using Pet Coach.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. What a cutie!! I recommend sticking with a product that’s on label for both Nash Ford’s size and age. I really like Nexgard, which is labeled for 4 lbs and up, and as young as 8 weeks. It should be available from most vets. Hope this helps! It’s great that you’re taking such good care of your sweet pup!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sophie. First, you need to ensure the flea medication is labeled for use in puppies. Second, if you do not give medication for the correct weight, it will likely be ineffective. If she already weighs 30 pounds and the medication only covers up to 25 pounds, you will be under dosing her. I hope this information helps!

What breed of dog do you have? I suggest you call the manufacturer of the flea and tick treatment you have on hand. Look on the packaging for the phone number for customer service, or the URL. They should have a customer service number on their web site. This is what I would do as a vet as well, as it is NOT possible to just add medication on for a higher weight. Most large dogs will need less medication per/lbs as the weight increases.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Twerp! If Twerp has demodex, it will not be a "one size fits all" treatment. Classically demodex was treated with oral ivermectin which is dosed based on the animals weight. It is a higher dose of ivermectin than is in heartgard and is off label use of the drug. It works well and the dog tends to be on it for several months until 2-3 negative skin scrapings. Now a days we have found that the oral flea and tick medications have an added "perk" of also killing demodex. You just give the monthly oral dose like it is labeled to give for flea and ticks and by 3 months the fur usually has grown back and the mites are gone. Nexgard, Simparica and Bravecto are the oral medication that can do this and again are based on the weight of the dog. I hope this helps and I wish Twerp the best!

Hello. It would be best to make sure your pet gets the correct dose so the first thing I would try is to see if Costco will exchange the Nexguard for the next higher dose. If not, I would just give your pet 2 of the ones you have. The problem with just breaking off a small piece is the unequal distribution of the product in each chew tab. You may wind up not giving enough. The size you have contains 68 mg of the active ingredient & the next size up that you need ( 60.1 pounds & up ) contains 136 mg. So, 2 tabs are appropriate. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

In most cases, administering the larger dose would be recommended. The one caveat is that some cattle breeds are sensitive to invermectin. If the medication contains invermectin and Addie happens to be a dog with a sensitivity it could result in neurologic symptoms such as seizures. If the medication does not contain invermectin, it should be fine to administer the flea medication for dogs over 55.5lbs.