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Why does my dog smell wet and have fleas? How to stop the itching?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | unneutered

I have 8mos minature schnauzer I don't know why but he always have a wet dog smell I gave him a bath dog shampoo with conditioner 2 days ago today i noticed he has fleas I gave him a flea bath but he already had a treatment 1mos ago is there anything I can do to help kill the fleas and stop the itching

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 9th, 2017

I am unsure about the smell without being able to examine him in person, but I think a novel flea product is called for. I prefer oral flea medications, so that if you need to bathe him, or he swims, it will not effect the efficacy of the preventative. I also find the fleas are developing resistance to certain topical products. I recommend Comfortis, Trifexis or Simparica. It depends on your location as to what is best recommended- i.e. including a heart worm preventative, or a dewormer etc. Fleas can be tough to eradicate once they are in your home. It can take up to 3 months to kill all the various life stages. I recommend a knock out spray, and being diligent with laundry and vacuuming. I would also treat him every 3 weeks with his flea product instead of every 4 until this is managed. Good luck!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Celestin, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Dentistry Resident

    Published on

    Hi there! You can give Pudgy a Capstar, which can be purchased at Petco stores. This will kill all adult fleas within 30 minutes. The key to getting rid of a flea problem is breaking the cycle, so it is likely that you may also have to treat the house (i.e. washing all linens in hot water, vacuum, etc). You just want to be mindful of the type of home treatment you use, as they are not all pet friendly and may require that Pudgy not be in the home while you are using the product(s). You may also need to consider switching to a different flea preventative in the future. I would not give Pudgy anymore baths, as frequent bathing plus the chemicals in flea baths can cause dryness and itching. The smell may be coming from a particular area, such as his ears. They tend to be very smelly if there is an ear infection. A general smell may also be an indication of a potential skin infection. Either of these issues need to be addressed by a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Hopefully this information is helpful and I hope Pudgy gets better soon!

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