I give my dog Frontline for fleas and tics every month - why does she still seem to suffer from fleas?

Question

She is an 11 year old German Shepherd. I take good care of her. WHat can I do - I bathe her once a week in the summer. could it be all the water making the medicine ineffective? I thought it was supposed to be waterproof.

Thanks for your kind words, Debbie. Also thanks to all of you for giving me the advice about refraining from over-bathing. I love my Yoko, and I want her golden years to be as great as possible.

Answer 1

It is waterproof. A little bit of poison gets in the dog's blood system, not enough to kill the dog, only enough to kill fleas, ticks, heartworms. Once it's in the blood, a bath isn't going to wash it off.

Have you seen evidence of fleas? Fleas in the house? Are you getting bitten?

If you answered no to all three questions, I would say that your dog has allergies. Maybe that's why she's still itchy. There are some good doggy shampoos for itchy skin.

You're a good dog mom. Your pet is lucky to have such an attentive mom.

Answer 2

I doubt it's the water.

I saw a news segment just the other night which said that the fleas are much worse this year than in the past. The fleas are more resisistent and sometimes people are having to use a combination of products to combat the infestation of their animals.

I would check with your vet to see about using another product in conjunction with the Frontline - or trying a new remedy altogether.

Hope this helps. Have a great day!

Answer 3

I also use Frontline, but I also flea bomb my house once a year. The Frontline is killing the fleas on the dog but more get on the dog. It sounds like you have to kill the fleas in the house. You can get a good fogger from your vet or pet store. I used to used Vet Kem house foggers, but now I can't find them. Last year I used Zodiak and it worked great. That should take care of the flea problem. You shouldn't have to wash her once a week. Is she getting really dirty? Bathing her so often can dry her skin and make her itchy.

Answer 4

You really shouldn't bathe your dog that much--you are depleting the natural oils on her skin. This could be the reason the flea meds are not working. It works with the oils on the skin to distribute the medicine to the entire body. If you must bathe the dog, try using wipes in between monthly baths. Or if you insist on bathing her weekly, use a good flea and tick shampoo like zodiac flea and tick shampoo. This will rid her of the fleas for the short term. Good luck.

Answer 5

Where do you get your frontline? I had this problem once when I bought my frontline off of ebay, thinking I was getting a good deal. then I read a scam alert that people were selling fake frontline online that of course was cheap and ineffective. So i went back to sucking it up and buying it from the vet and problem solved. Otherwise talk to your vet. There are several different flea control options and maybe you just need a different one.

Answer 6

Those fleas could be anywhere esp where her favorite place to lay down is,get what they call a fogger about $15 for a good one.you and ur pets have to leave the house usually for 2 hours.you can get it at any walmart, giving a dog a bath once a week is not to good either it dries them up real bad.

Answer 7

If you are over bathing your dog you run the risk of drying out its skin which will cause it to scratch. I think once a week is too much. If his skin is dry a tablespoon of veg oil or an egg cracked over his dinner will help.

Answer 8

Maybe she has become immune to the medication. I would take her back to the vet and see what they say about it.

Answer 9

Ask your vet- maybe he/she has a different product you could use.