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How do I get rid of my dog's constant fleas despite all treatments?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 8 years and 10 months old | 20 lbs

We live in a trailer park where feral cats are everywhere. My dog is constantly getting flees, we have used numerous flee bath shampoo, spray, the flee collar, and the powder. They are only on his rear end area and crotch area. We have no idea what to do anymore. Anything else we can do?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 14th, 2018

I'm sorry you are having such flea problems with Gizmo. Typically flea collars and powders are not effective, and flea baths and sprays only work temporarily. I will give you the flea treatment program I always recommend, and it's very effective. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have 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. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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Related Answers from Veterinarians

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 3rd, 2020

    Managing a flea infestation can be an extremely frustrating problem! It sounds as though you're doing everything right with respect to vacuuming and washing bedding. The biggest problem that you're facing at this point is likely that flea preventive/treatment medications are not all equal. Frontline in general does not work as well as it once did, likely because fleas have developed some resistance to it. While generic brands of these preventives contain the same active ingredient, they often use different carrier ingredients, which can make the dispersal of this medication through a pet's skin less effective. As Dr. Leigh mentioned, you should switch to a different flea medication. Oral prescription products like Bravecto, Nexgard, Credelio or Simparica tend to work the most effectively for dogs, whereas topical prescription products like Bravecto and Revolution tend to be most effective for cats. That said, there are MANY other available options. Capstar, for instance, is available over the counter and kills adult fleas within a few hours. However, it only lasts for 24 hours and does not kill the other life stages of the flea. It can take a solid 2-3 months to actually break the flea life cycle to get an infestation under control. At this point, you can use Capstar, switch to a different long-acting flea preventive (as mentioned above), and continue vacuuming and washing bedding. If all else fails, it may be time to call in a professional exterminator. This article has a bit more information about flea infestations: https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/flea-infestation-1/. I hope that everything goes well!

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 29th, 2016

    Unfortunately, there are no home remedies to get rid of fleas. In order to successfully rid Princetapher of fleas, you will need to use medications, which you can get from your vet's office without an exam. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have 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.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 18th, 2019

    I can give you a great flea treatment program for Milo. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have 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. I hope this helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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