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My dog still has fleas after Frontline. Can I apply Vectra early?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Female | unspayed | 6 years and 9 months old | 72 lbs

Hello! I used Frontline Plus on my pittbull on September 27th. I do not believe it’s working for her. I flea comb her like every other day, I put a little Coconut oil on her itchy parts. I saw like 3 live fleas and still she is still non stop itching. My question is can I put Ventra 3D a week early? Like I’d like to do it today.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 18th, 2021

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Nala. It should be fine to use the Vectra a week early, but you need to be aware that no topical flea product works to kill fleas immediately. With most topicals, the flea needs to be in contact with a pet for some time ( like 30 minutes or so ) while they accumulate the insecticide into their bodies. Then, they die. Nala may also just be extremely sensitive to flea bites, or in fact, be allergic to other things in her environment. The first thing to do is make sure all the other pets in your home, including cats, are also treated regularly for fleas. Most likely, your environment may have fleas, too, so you may need to treat your home with sprays &/or bombs. Make sure you use a product with an insect growth regulator. Finally, consider treating your outdoor space, especially if you have a crawlspace,I pay close attention to treating the area about 3 feet out from your foundation. If Nala continues to itch, you may need to have Nala examined for other allergies. We have very good medications to address this issue in dogs & make them much more comfortable. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 8th, 2017

    Abbie may till scratch from previous flea bites or if she has allergy to fleas it will take a while for the itching to stop even if the fleas are dead. If you feel the front line isn't working I would give her a bath with Dawn dishdetergent, the bluebottle, to strip it out before applying anything else. Otherwise I would wait a minimum of three weeks between applying product. You can get a flea comb at most pet stores or even Walmart, and use that to come through her for to see if there still any live fleas. If not or the fleas all appear sluggish and dying then the front line is working. Itchiness or Puranas can also be due to skin infection, or allergies. So if you get the fleas under control but Abbie is still very itchy then you might want to consider a vet visit to assess if there's another cause. https://vcahospitals.com/montgomery-road/services/primary-care/allergy-and-itchy-skin-relief You could also try using a medicated shampoo for itchiness, but just be aware of this may shorten the direction of action of the topical flea products. If she does need frequent baths then I would recommend talking to your vet about when the oral flea control products versus using topical. I hope Abbie get some relief soon, thank you for using PetCoach.

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