Fleas on dog

Question
Hello!  I just brought my boxer, Lola, home after a week at a friend's house while I was out of town.  I found 2 live fleas on her, and they promptly jumped into the carpet.  She has been on Frontline for about 8 months, and her most recent dose was 2 weeks ago.  She's also on heartworm prevention, if that's relevant.  Should I give her a flea bath/dip?  Do I need to do anything to my carpet and/or car?  Thank you for your time!

Answer

Hi Diana,

Are there other pets in your home who are not receiving Frontline? Are you sure that you've correctly applied the Frontline to your dog's skin, and not to her fur? Do you shampoo your dog often? If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, it cuts down on the effectiveness of Frontline.

Dogs that go outside will pick up an occasional flea, you can't help that. Frontline will kill these stray fleas within approximately 18 to 24 hours of coming into contact with a treated pet, even if they do not bite your dog. You may still spot some fleas once you've applied Frontline, especially because they will become very active right before they die. It's possible the fleas you saw just recently hopped onto your dog, and that's why they haven't been killed yet.

If you want to use a faster acting flea preventative, Advantage's formula begins killing fleas within the first hour of application. However, both Frontline and Advantage's medications kill fleas before the average time - 24 to 36 hours - it takes for a flea to lay eggs on its host.

Since fleas only live part of their life cycle on a dog, it might be best to throughly vacuum your home- including upholstered surfaces and areas where your dog spends the most time.  Throw away the vacuum bag when you're done. Using Frontline should prevent an infestation.

You can call Frontline toll free at: 800-660-1842 if you have questions or concerns about thier product.

Best of luck,
Patti