How to treat fleas on an elderly dog with heart and lung conditions?

Thanks for reaching out about Fezbomb. Topical flea medications are probably not recommended with heart condition. Has the heart condition been diagnosed? A flea comb and treatment of the environment would probably work best. Treating all other pets in the house is necessary. Vacuum and clean bedding often to decrease re-infection. A veterinary visit is recommended for a consultation. Good luck.

Blair may need a medication that kills the fleas quickly if she seems sensitive to them - you could ask your vet if Capstar would be safe to give to her. This medication kills adult fleas quickly but is not a preventative, so you have to follow up with a long acting preventative medication. If her skin looks red or she has scabs she could have an itchy dermatitis - in that case I'd recommend making an appointment to see your vet because she might need antibiotics and a corticosteroid for comfort. An oatmeal shampoo in the meantime would probably be safe to try.

Pretty much all of the OTC flea medications are safe for 7 month-old puppies. There are several options, such a monthly topicals, flea collars, or a Seresto collar. Flea shampoos don't work well at all. Prescription oral flea preventative seem to work the best, in my opinion, so I would recommend that Grace be checked out by a vet so she can get started on one of these. Please know that it can take several months of consistent treatment to get rid of a flea infestation. Fleas don't live on the dog, they only jump on at bedtime. So, if you see a 2 or 3 fleas on Grace at one time, then there could be 20-30 fleas off of her, laying eggs to make new fleas! Here is some more information on fleas: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3682

You'll need to treat Chloe and the environment. You can use an oral or topical flea treatment to get rid of the fleas on her. Preventatives such as Frontline, K9 Advantix or Revolution are applied once a month. Oral preventatives, such as CapStar or Advantus, can be given daily but only kill adult fleas. The Seresto collar can be effective against fleas and other parasites for up to 8 months. Use a preventative for at least three consecutive months to break the flea life cycle. Year round use is preferred. Next, you'll need to treat the environment. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric and dry in the dryer, not outdoors. Vacuum everywhere Chloe has been and dispose of the bag or empty the canister outdoors immediately after. Use an area treatment, such as Knockout ES or Bayer Advantage Spray, to prevent reinfestation.

Unfortunately fleas do not live on the dog, but only hop on to feed and then they hop off and stay in his environment (your apartment!) until it is time to feed again. 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 (which you have done already) 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 Frontline (ticks as well) Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats, in tablet form for dogs Nexgard Revolution Tablets: comfortis (will only kill fleas once) Collar: Seresto (ticks as well) House spray: Indoorex

Capstar is effective for killing adult fleas that are on Max. You will need a topical or oral treatment to continue killing adults and eggs both on and off him. Frontline, K9 Advantix and Vectra are just a few topical preventatives. NexGard and Bravecto are newer oral medications. Your veterinarian should examine Max to rule out other causes for the hair loss and to dispense antibiotics or antihistamines if indicated. Topicals are very effective when used properly. Use the appropriate dose based on Max's weight. Do not split doses between pets. It must be applied at least 3 days before or after a bath or grooming. It must be applied directly to the skin. This is accomplished by parting the fur with the applicator tip down to the skin. Treat ALL pets in the house for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. Vacuum all areas and dispose of the bag outdoors. Wash all fabrics and beddings that have had contact with any pet in the hottest water temp allowable. The environment must also be treated. Knockout ES area treatment (by Virbac) is just one very effective product that can be used to prevent reinfestation. Lastly, treat all pets for tapeworm since fleas carry the risk of tapeworm infection.

Please do not feed garlic to your dog, it can cause blood disease in dogs! Here are instructions for flea prevention: 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 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 and/or chews Advantage, Advantix Advantage Multi (Advocate in the UK) Frontline (ticks as well) Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats, in tablet form for dogs Simparica, Nexgard Revolution (stronghold in the UK) Tablets: comfortis (will only kill fleas once) Collar: Seresto (ticks as well)