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My dog was bathed after flea treatment. Should I reapply flea killer?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Female | spayed | 6 years and 11 months old

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?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on September 17th, 2016

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.

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