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How long does dog flea medicine stay on? Can he sleep in my bed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Male | neutered | 1 year and 10 months old | 8 lbs

My dog has fleas I got him medicine called pronyl otc. How long do I keep it on his skin? I also got him a flea collar can he sleep underneath the covers still.

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1 Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 12th, 2018

I'm sorry Romeo has fleas! You do not wash the Pronyl OTC off, it has to stay on the skin so it can be absorbed and remain effective for four weeks. Flea collars are not the best, they often cause skin reactions and are not very effective. The Pronyl should be enough to kill the fleas. I do not recommend using flea collars on pets. If he has fleas, you will need 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. Do the same with your bedding, as if he's been sleeping under the covers, you may have fleas in your bed as well. I would not allow him to sleep under the covers until you have fully disinfected your home. I hope this helps!

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