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My cat still has fleas after Frontline. Can I give her another dose safely?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Female | unspayed | 4 months and 15 days old | 5 lbs

I gave my cat frontline 2 weeks ago today and I don’t think it worked. In the past two days I’ve pulled off 5 living fleas. I’ve treated the house, washed linens and bought vets best spray. Nothing is working. I’ve also given her 2 flea baths. Would it be okay to give her another dose of frontline?

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 27th, 2018

Poor girl. Yes most topicals can be reapplied safely after waiting a minimum of 2 weeks. However, I would stop the flea baths, which can strip a lot of the product off the skin, leading to a decrease in efficacy. I am not a fan of Frontline due to its poor flea coverage, instead I would suggest another product such as Revolution or Comfortis for better flea management. Also just note that you can give Capstar, a flea pill that rids fleas within 1 hr but is not a long term preventative, at any time, without waiting 2 weeks after a previous flea treatment, if you have another outbreak of fleas. Best wishes with your pet Luna and I hope you resolve your flea problem soon. Take care!

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16Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Stephanie Echols, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 17th, 2017

    Great question! Capstar only kills live fleas and has an effect for 24 hours. It is safe to use with the Frontline. You can apply the Frontline up to every 21 days if needed. Please keep in mind, you need to treat all the pets in the home, even those that aren't scratching. I recommend vacuuming and throwing out the bag/cleaning the canister because they can survive inside the machine. Wash all bedding in hot water. If Negrito is still itchy, he may be allergic to the flea bite. The only way to break that cycle is steroids which you would need to get from a vet. Good luck and kisses to Negrito!

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    23Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 9th, 2019

    You need to wait at least two weeks. You can give Simba Capstar. It's a pill that can be given once daily, and it will kill the fleas in 30 minutes. It's safe to give once a day until the two weeks have passed. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash her 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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    3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 16th, 2019

    Capstar can be given in conjunction with a topical flea medication safely. That said, I would check the cats for visible signs of fleas/dirt as scratching can also be caused by other skin issues such as yeast/bacteria, and also make sure their environment has been cleaned such as washing bedding, vacuuming baseboards, etc to remove any fleas there that may jump back on.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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