What flea treatment is safe for dogs when I have young kids?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
I have small children and two small dogs with fleas. What should I use that's safe around kids?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 27th, 2015
Most veterinary approved flea products such as Frontline and Advantage are safe to use around children. If you do use a topical product, be sure to just wash your hands and your children's hands if they pet your dogs around the area that is affected to keep from ingesting any product. If you are concerned about the use of a topical coming into contact with your children, oral products are available direct through a veterinarian. Products such as Capstar are a pill given in oral form that can help kill fleas within 24 hours. For your household, keeping the house clean and vacuumed, washing any affected bedding and keeping your pets on a preventive medication will help to keep the flea population away. DIatomaceous Earth (food grade) can also be used to naturally kill fleas through dehydration, and is not harmful to humans or pets. It can be sprinkled around the environment to kill fleas and flea eggs in it. A simple shampoo of Dawn dish soap and a flea comb can also be used to kill fleas on the body and make them easier to remove without the use of harmful chemicals.
9Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 23rd, 2016
Because Pocholo is 10 weeks old, a flea powder can be used on him, but I would read the label of the specific powder to make sure it is safe. Flea powder isn't an effective flea treatment, and it can cause skin reactions. I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I have a 10 week old kitten she is 2.5 pounds. She ended up with fleas and I am having a hard time getting rid of them. I use natural chemistry shampoo and flea spray but i found more on her this morning. What should I use? I also have 2 smal
Treating a flea infestation involves treating the pet(s) as well as the environment. Frequently, these "natural" products do little to resolve an infestation.They don't last long enough and/or are simply ineffective.
You can use CapStar, a small pill, to kill any fleas on Luna within 30 minutes of ingestion This can be obtained from your veterinarian and can be given daily if needed. A monthly topical , such as Frontline or Revolution, should be used for at least 3 consecutive months to break the flea life cycle.You can apply it at night and it will be dry and safe by morning when the kids are awake.
Treat the environment by vacuuming everywhere Luna has been. Discard the bag or empty the canister outdoors immediately afterwards. Wash ALL bedding in the hottest water allowable and dry it in the dryer to kill any flea eggs. A safe area treatment would be Advantage Carpet and Upholstery Spray. See the link below for more information.
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
How do I get rid of dog fleas? I have a treatment for my dogs. But how can I get rid of them inside my house and outside. And how can I make sure that if I get pest control that it will be safe? Or is there something else I could use?
Ideally, a topical or oral flea preventative should be used for at least three consecutive months, preferably year round. Inside, you will need to vacuum everywhere the dog has been and dispose of the bag outdoors immediately after. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric. Use an area treatment, such as Knockout ES, to prevent future reinfestation. These products are generally safe for pets once they are dry. Treating or preventing fleas outdoors is much trickier due to the presence of other pets and wildlife. Contact a local pest control company for the most effective, yet safe, options.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
i think this is from fleas. I tried salt water, but i think they've been there too longnow? I dont want to poison my dog. Its hard for me to get to a vets office. Is there an effective shampoo? Or does she need a pill? i want this gone. thankyou.
Hello! My name is Dr. Elizabeth and I am happy to help. Ugh! Fleas are the worst but the good news is that you can effectively get rid of them if you use a good product and are diligent in the treatment. Here is a link about the flea life cycle: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/flea-control-in-dogs The flea life cycle can last as long as 6 months. The key to getting rid of fleas is to make sure EVERY dog and cat in the house is treated with a good flea prevention AND that this treatment lasts an entire 6 months. Your vet can give you access to the best flea products on the market. Oral flea products like Simparica, Nexgard and Bravecto are the best products out there because they kill fleas so quickly. This decreased to potential for the female fleas to lay eggs which breaks the life cycle. Since the product is in the bloodstream, it also can't be washed off. Lastly, because they are new, there is not a resistance issue in the flea population. They are also cost competitive
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
What is the best working flea wash?
Hi there! I do not recommend any type of flea shampoo or dip, as these all contain chemicals that can be toxic to the dog. Instead, if you need a quick way to get rid of fleas, I would give a dose of Capstar - this is an inexpensive oral tablet that is available over the counter, which will very quickly kill all of the fleas on your pet. It only works for 24 hours, though, so I would make sure to follow this up with a good quality flea preventative like Nexgard or Bravecto for longer-term flea control.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I believe my yorkey has flea's but also has some type of flea or tick that is very big. One on her head and one on her body and I barely got her today from another family member who used to always keep her outside but not sure what type of product to
Here is a great plan to get rid of fleas: 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 (stron
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We found fleas on both dogs. I gave them frontline yesterday. Two hours after I gave that my wife gave them a bath. Should I reapply flea killer?
Dogs are not supposed to get wet for at least 24 hours after application of a topical flea medication, and more than likely it was washed off during the bath. You can reapply the flea treatment, and I would give them Capstar given you have seen fleas. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes, and it's safe to be given at the same time as the spot on treatment. Just as a note, I would not recommend using Frontline. In my experience (and from the experience of many colleagues), there is a resistance to Frontline, and you may not get the best results from it. I recommend using Advantage or Revolution instead. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash their bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
my 13 lb. jack russell is given sentinel monthly on the 25th of the month. he plays with four squirrel in the yard. they carry fleas!!! what can I give or use on my dog to kill live fleas? he is so itchy!! when I wash him I use Dawn dish detergent I
You can safely give an oral flea medication such as Capstar (available OTC or from your vet) with other flea preventives. This will kill any fleas on the body within 24 hours, but will not stop flea eggs or reinfestation, which is why it is important to continue with other regular flea preventives. Making sure to clean out brushy areas, wash all bedding and fabric surfaces, and vacuuming baseboards, etc can also reduce flea eggs and fleas in the environment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I was curious as to what is the best inexpensive brands for flea and tick treatments. We used to use Hartz, but I've been seeing a lot of horror stories surfacing the net about how people have been losing their pets due to something used in this bran
Most licensed flea and tick treatments are safe when used in accordance with the guidelines - most importantly the species (many cannot be used in cats), age of pet (some are not recommended even at 16weeks), weight of pet and most importantly frequency of reapplication of products used. It is vital to never mix flea products unless clearly marked on the packaging or advised by your vets office - many shampoos, sprays, spot ons and household products comtain very similar ingredients and using multiple products at the same time can rapidly lead to overdose and toxicity. The cheapest product off the shelf is often not the most economical as it may be short or poorly acting, only kill adults on your pets and not repel new infestations or may not control the rehatching of eggs laid in the environment. A good quality household insecticidal spray such as acclaim or indorex is vital to inactivate eggs and prevent hatching and reinfestation. Monthly oral tablets such as capstar or comfortis ca
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I just found out that my dog has fleas, chow chow is 2 years. What can I do? I’m looking for effective remedies because I have kids and muy bed has fleas as well. Can you help me pls
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
What the best flea treatment ? We have tried two different kinds any they aren’t working
I'm not sure what flea treatments you have used, so I apologize if I give you ones that you have previously tried. I personally like Revolution and Advantage, so I would use one of them. You can get them from your vet. You can also give Baby Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes and is safe to give with the spot on treatments (Revolution and Advantage). Keep in mind that you need to treat the environment as well, as fleas live in the environment, not on the dog. They only jump on the dog to feed, and then jump off. Wash her bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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