can dogs get fleas even when they take monthly tablets?

Question

my dog gets a tablet once a month that is supposed to prevent fleas, heartworm and other parasites.
this evening i found a black bug on her tummy. it was about the size of a small freckle, and really fast moving.
why is she getting fleas when she is an inside dog (but she does have access to our lawn area which has no trees), and doesn't really see other dogs much (maybe once or two times a month we will take her to the dog park.
also what to do now?!

Answer 1

ASK YOUR VET!

Answer 2

Yes, your dog will still get fleas even though it is taking a preventive monthly treatment--no matter the brand. These products claim to kill the flee after it bites the dog--and take hours. That is why I do not use them at all and have not used them for 10 years. Instead, I do weekly baths and inspect daily. During flea season, I either use an citrus based shampoo, which kills them on contact, or a flea shampoo for weekly baths. My 11 year old dog has passed his heartworm check every time.

The black bug you described is a flea--most likely from the dog park, a place notorious for spreading fleas.

Answer 3

Hi. I'm a vet tech, just want to help you out. there is a pill that does "protect" against heartworm, intestinal parasites, and fleas. and no it does not always work. i would never suggest to anyone to use the topical applications. they are really dangerous for animals and people as well. the research studies are unbelievable. i can't understand why they approve this stuff. animals can get really sick from this stuff. severe skin allergies, seizures, tumors and even death. if you start adding garlic to her diet that will help repell them. as for getting rid of them, that is a little harder. wash her with a really gentle shampoo. natural shampoos are the best, because they can have reactions to the chemical ones. comb her with a flea comb. vaccuum your house every day and throw away the bag, outside away from the house. they can breed in the bag. you can put a lightbulb about a foot off the ground, and a sticky paper under it. fleas are attracted to the warmth, and will jump on the paper. to prevent you can use a product called Flea Free by Green Hope Farms. it is all natural and safe. it works great for prevention. you can also use Diatom Earth. you sprinkle it on her coat, comb it in backwards so that it gets to her skin, and only reapply when she gets wet. i got rid of both my cats fleas in 2 days with just those two products alone. again, please don't use the chemical topicals. I have personally witnessed a dog seizing after an application. you can, and should ask your vet for the research on it. he can get it for you. it is VERY scary.

Answer 4

What tablets are you using?

Inside animals can get plenty of fleas! Don't be fooled - fleas can enter houses, and the do because it's warmer inside.

Most flea tablets only sterilise fleas, which I've never really seen the point of. You need to KILL them!

A spot-on preparation from the vets is your best bet, it's easy to use and will keep fleas off your dog - but if they're already present (and it sounds like they are) you will need to spray your house as well.

Your vet is best to advise you on the right treatment for your situation. I recommend Frontline drops and a veterinary spray for your house. Revolution drops treat fleas, tapeworms and ear mites.


Chalice

Answer 5

You'll need to speak with your vet about this. If it were my dog, I'd switch to a heartworm preventative that allowed dosing more appropriate for the dog's body weight. Even if it means two pills of the 10 pound dose. Do speak to your vet about the tremors as that could be caused by many things. The more you can tell him about specifically when it happens, if anything helps, etc. , the better. ETA: Don't ever take your dog off a heartworm preventative without the vet's OK. If you are going to discontinue one before seeing the vet, lose the flea protection.

Answer 6

Usuallly the tablet is just to prevent the heartworms and not the fleas.
Fleas live in the ground and breed very quickly. They hop on your dog for dinner and then go back to the ground to live. If your dog goes to the dog park and then in your yard with just 2 or three fleas, then within a week, you have flees living in the ground and eating your dog's blood.
The hotter it is, the faster they breed. It is crazy like that, and the only way for them to die naturally is for the ground to freeze for about 10 to 14 days in a row.
What to do?
You wanna take a 3 step approach: yard, dog and house.
Frontline puts out some wonderful products, though i do not use the topical spot treatments. I prefer spray, and i only spray the tummy about once every two weeks in the summer.
I do not like the topical spot treatments, because every dog i have had has developed itchy skin and/or a fowl odor. It just seems too strong.

Answer 7

I have never heard of that but, we give our pup the heart worm pill and then we buy from the vet front line, its a flea and tick lotion we put on her once a month, and we still check for them, it has to put on monthly, did you do the tick vaccine? If not do it, it's worth it and talk to a vet like in pet smart and they will tell you that you should use the front line as it is put on the skin, better safe than sorry.

Answer 8

You need to get ride of visible fleas first, which you can use advantage or frontline TOGETHER with tablet treatment for best result. Tablets does not kill fleas.Spectrum Tablets protect against dangerous worms and flea allergy.

edit. also treat your house for flea infestatons.

Answer 9

Fleas are a major pest. There are various species of fleas - cat fleas, dog fleas, rat fleas and rabbit fleas.
You can get rid of them by the safest and cheapest methods like boric acid.

Answer 10

Some tablets only make the fleas infertile, and don't kill them, get the all purpose one where it kills, and makes them infertile.
Personally, I like Frontline the best.

Answer 11

Yes it is posible, because the tablete doesent always completly work.