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My dog still has fleas after Bravecto. What should I do next?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Male | neutered

I gave my dog Bravecto 3 weeks ago, but he has still got fleas, is there anything else I can do for him.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on August 17th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Fleas can be frustrating to eradicate even when using a quality product like Bravecto. You may wish to consider a product like Capstar or even a topical flea medication in addition to the Bravecto. Products like Frontline Gold, Vectra and Advantix tend to work well. The flea life cycle sometimes necessitates that you also treat your household and even your yard to fully eradicate the infestation. Regular laundering of pet bedding can help but you may still end up needing to have an exterminators help. Finally, make sure all pets in the household are treated with a safe, quality flea preventative as often house cats that have not been treated can harbor fleas. Good luck!

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9Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The next steps would be treating your home for fleas. Fleas live most of their life cycle off of your dog. Therefore treating your home with a spray available at several pet stores, from your vet or online, will kill the large flea larvae population in your home which continues to reinfect Jimmy. Three solid months of topical flea prevention medicine and treating your home is what is advised to rid yourself of fleas all together. Best of luck! https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 24th, 2017

    Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Jimmy. Fleas are particularly bad this time of year (late summer). If that is the case, I would assume that you have a flea infestation in the environment. Adult fleas feed on blood on the pet then the female fleas start laying eggs. Those eggs fall off in the environment so when you notice fleas on your pet that is only about 5% of the problem. The majority of the problem is environmental. You will probably need to use a topical product advised by your veterinarian along with the Bravecto already given. This will give him added protection. You should only have to do this a few months. I would advise treating his environment and I would follow the advise of your veterinarian. You will also need to vacuum frequently and dispose of the contents of the canister or bag each time you vacuum. This will remove a lot of the eggs from the environment but the eggs can hatch in the vacuum so you must discard that each time you vacuum. They can discuss the surfaces involved and advise the right environmental products to kill not only eggs but also the adult fleas there. Outside environments also can be treated, again I would consult with your vet on this. I'm not familiar with the products available where you live only the products available in the United States. Good luck with Jimmy.

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My vet gave my dog bravecto 4 weeks ago for fleas, but he has still got them, is there anything else I can do for him. Has iam not sure that I can give him anything else in case I overdose him.
Hi and thank you for using Boop by Petco! Sorry to hear about Jimmy. Fleas are particularly bad this time of year (late summer). If that is the case, I would assume that you have a flea infestation in the environment. Adult fleas feed on blood on the pet then the female fleas start laying eggs. Those eggs fall off in the environment so when you notice fleas on your pet that is only about 5% of the problem. The majority of the problem is environmental. You will probably need to use a topical product advised by your veterinarian along with the Bravecto already given. This will give him added protection. You should only have to do this a few months. I would advise treating his environment and I would follow the advise of your veterinarian. You will also need to vacuum frequently and dispose of the contents of the canister or bag each time you vacuum. This will remove a lot of the eggs from the environment but the eggs can hatch in the vacuum so you must discard that each time
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Thank you for using Boop by Petco! You are correct in saying that Bravecto kills fleas, the product should work within a few days. However, Harvey can still be itchy from other causes such as a skin infection, sensitivity to food, or an allergic reaction to the flea bites. Fleas are also rather tricky to treat as they persist in the environment - things like carpets, couches, drapes, etc and can re-infest dogs in the home. I recommend vacuuming these areas in your home to try and get rid of any fleas that may still be present in the environment. You can definitely bathe Harvey, I recommend using a moisturizing dog shampoo or a flea shampoo. I hope this helps!
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My 11 year old cat has fleas for first time. I used Advantage 11 on him 15 days ago, but still have fleas dropping off him onto me. Also using Diatomaceous Earth on all floors and vacuuming. Can I use SteelCoat Plus on him before the Advantage 30 day
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Yes, you may in about 5-6 days. However, I would highly recommend you use a stronger and likely more efficacious product. There are plenty of flea products in the market and a lot of them are very effective. I prefer Bravecto and Frontline plus. You can pick one of those products. The nice thing about Bravecto is that it is very effective and it is only applied once every 3 months. You can also use a product called Capstar along with one of the previously mentioned products which can help kill a lot of fleas at once. Remember to vacuum all the surfaces that have contact with your pup regularly. This is very likely going to work well. Good luck and have a great day!
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I took my dog to Petco and he was prescribed Bravetco for fleas and ticks. It's been just under 2 weeks since he took the first (3 month) dose and he still scratches vigorously though out the day. Why, doesn't the medicine kills fleas/ticks?
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Hello. I am so sorry for your worries about the fleas, but it is illegal to prescribe any medications without first doing an in-person physical examination on your pet. So, you will need to see your regular vet about this. There are, however, several things you can still do at home to combat the fleas. One is to add either Capstar, an oral tablet that you can give once a day, week or as often as necessary to kill fleas. The other is to try a Seresto collar. These really work very well & both my options can be used with the Frontline. You also need to treat your home with sprays or bombs that contain an insect growth regulator, & treat your yard as well. There are many very good products out there to combat fleas. It is not often a one time treatment as it can take up to 3 months to eliminate all the living generations of fleas in your vicinity. I hope this helps & thanks for contacting Boop by Petco.
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My Older cat just got Bravecto put on her three weeks ago and my kitten got fleas from going to the vet two weeks ago and I just started noticing them I put Advantage on the kitten but it looks like the Older cat has fleas too . My question is the B
I would Sophie Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes, and it's safe to give her now. 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. I hope this helps!
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Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Thankfully, you have a few options here. I recommend you consider using a product called Capstar which is to kill a lot of fleas at once to complement a flea preventative product like Advantage. You can go ahead and give another dose of Advantage now as well. I would not give up on Advantage just yet. Continue to use it for now as this flea may be was a one time occurrence and the Advantage was still being effective. Another option is switching to Bravecto now though again Advantage may still be effective so it may be best to exhaust its use. Good luck and have a great day!
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