Is it safe to combine natural flea chews with flea powder for dogs & cats?

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.

I would recommend using caution if the flea/tick shampoo and the topical product both contain permethrins, particularly if you have a small dog. I recommend avoiding all over the counter products containing permethrins for cats since they are prone to toxicity. If you use a flea/tick shampoo with permethrin and a topical product that has a different active ingredient it should be safer. An even safer alternative would be to use blue Dawn dishsoap for bathing, followed by flea combing and then applying a topical product.

Yes they can have both at the same time. The "flea supplement" is not something I would recommend you give though. Fleas are extremely resistant and "natural" products are usually ineffective. They have no clinical trials or testing done on them and there is no ingredient in that product that makes sense to me as to how it would work to repel fleas. I think it is a waste of your money but it should not be harmful to give both products.

Yes, both products are safe to use together. In addition to the pesticide that was sprayed, the yard also needs to be treated. You should also vacuum daily. The vibrations attract the fleas. Then discard the vacuum bag each day so the fleas don't crawl back out. You will have to do this for a month or so as every day there will be thousands of fleas that hatch from the eggs. Make sure to also vacuum under couches, beds, etc as the fleas like to take cover when they are breeding and laying eggs.

You can use both products on the same day so it is fine to start the Advantix at any time. There are better products that Advantix. Top products for dogs are oral products such as Simparica and Nexgard. Top products for cats are topicals such as Revolution and Cheristan. There is also an oral product called Comfortis that both dogs and cats can take. You will need to switch all the pets over to a good flea product. Make sure to discuss these products with your veterinarian first. These products are generally safe for all pets but there are some conditions which are contraindicated for the oral products. Cleaning up and treating the house and yard will also help but it will not clear all the fleas. The main control is making sure the pets are on good products. This is what will ultimately stop the infestation. Also remember every female fleas lays about 50 eggs a day and it could take up to 6 months before the eggs hatch. Therefore, you will need to treat for at least 6 months. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I do not recommend applying the powder in the ears as you are likely to cause irritation to the ear canal. I recommend discussing with your veterinarian one of the oral flea and tick medications. These will kill all fleas and bricks within hours of Sheena taking the medication. Even the ones in the ears.

No, this is not safe to feed to your dog. It contains garlic powder. Garlic is toxic to dogs and causes anemia. Please do not give this to her again. If you want to control fleas, I'd recommend a chewable like NexGard or Bravecto. Best of luck.