My dog has fleas. Can I bathe her before vet or flea treatment?

Question

I haven’t taken my dog to the vet yet. Can I give her a bath without treating the fleas first? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | unspayed | 50 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

You can give a bath, but it may not get rid of all of the adult fleas and any fleas that are now in the environment will be able to jump back on if she is not on a preventative. I do not recommend using a flea shampoo since they can be harsh and some can even cause toxicity in small dogs. I would recommend a sensitive skin dog shampoo and a flea comb. You could also check with your vet and see if Capstar, an oral medication that kills fleas for about 24 hours, would be safe for Lyrik.

My dog has fleas. Can I bathe her before vet or flea treatment?

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