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Is Frontline working for fleas?

Species: Dog
Breed: Pug
Age: 2-5 years
I live in Iowa and rescued a black Pug from a family in July. The previous owner said it didn't have fleas, it did. I inititally used BioSpot. Didn't do A THING. So I switched to FrontLine Plus when the vet gave me the a-okay. I bathed him before and having been using FrontLine Plus ever since. At first, I put down powder and sprayed some stuff. I periodically spray the flea home stuff around in the carpet/on beds, etc. I check for flea dirt using a flea comb or the furminator almost daily. But I still feel like I have fleas. It's January in Iowa and by now we've had our first frost. I haven't found any flea dirt on him or on this bedding (which I was weekly). However, this morning I found a little brown/black speck where he was laying, put it on toilet paper, rubbed it and it turned red/orange but it was the only speck I found. Am I overreacting? FYI I do have OCD and take medicine for it. I simply want a professional answer on the fleas. Thank you!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It sounds like you are doing the right things. One thing to know about fleas is that you will not be able to cure the problem instantly. When a dog has fleas, there will be flea eggs in your house. While vacuuming will help, it's not going to completely get rid of the fleas.

As the flea eggs hatch, they are amazing at seeking out a cat or dog to jump on. They can only reproduce if they get a blood meal from a cat or a dog. So, you need to keep treating monthly. Sometimes we can get rid of a problem in 3 months, but sometimes it can take 6. You need to be sure that every animal in the house is treated with a prescription product each month.

There are some parts of the world where Frontline is not working as well as it used to. I can't speak from experience because I practice in Canada where we do not have Frontline. But, you could ask your vet's opinion on the efficacy of Frontline in your area. If it is not working well, then you could switch to a product such as Comfortis, Revolution, Trifexis or Advantage.

For more information on fleas, you can check out this article that I wrote:
Help with flea problems.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.