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What to do when my dog and cats still have fleas after home remedies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered

My dog has had fleas for 2 weeks. We have washed him twice with flea shampoo and once with dawn soap. We also treated him with hartz ultra guard flea stuff. We washed him 2 days after we put the treatment on because he still has severe fleas. The box did not say anything about not bathing him. We spread diatomaceous earth and sprayed our whole house. We also washed all our blankets and clothes with hot water. But now our two cats have fleas and the dog still has fleas. What do we do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on August 16th, 2017

Fleas can be very frustrating to deal with! In my experience, Hartz products and other over-the-counter options like flea shampoos, diatomaceous earth, etc. are not very effective. First, I would recommend getting good quality prescription flea medication from your vet for Darwin and your two cats - you won't have any luck getting rid of the fleas in the house until all of the animals area treated. Nexgard or Bravecto are the best choices for dogs, and Revolution or Advantage Multi would be best for the cats. Once that's done, you can treat your house and yard with a premises spray like Knock Off to get rid of the fleas and eggs in the environment. If the problem is severe, you may need to have an exterminator come and treat the environment professionally. Keeping all of your pets on a good quality flea control medication year-around in the future will help to prevent this from being an issue again.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 5th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Hartz is not a great product for fleas and flea collars don’t work at all. I would recommend talking to your vet about products they carry and recommend. They are better products and safer for cats. You need to treat all the pets in the home every 30 days for at least 3 months to kill the entire flea life cycle. I would also recommend treating your home with a flea spray. Spray all flooring, furniture, and under furniture. When it dries, vacuum well and throw out the bag or empty the canister. Wash all bedding in hot water. Doing the above and treating all the pets should take care of your problem. Good luck and kisses to Lilly!

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