Is it safe to give a dog flee drops if it hasn't been a month since her last treatment?

Question

I did not have time to drive 30 minutes away and buy the expensive flea treatment that I knew worked (Advantage). So... I bought the cheap alternative at the grocery stoere (Hartz). It claimed to kill both the fleas and the eggs. It didn't do much of either. It's only been two weeks and the poor baby is scratching herself to death, it seems to have made her worse. Can I put Advantage on her now to get rid of the fleas, or do I have to wait for a month? Any ideas on how to relieve her? Flea shampoo doesn't even kill all of these buggers.

Answer 1

probably yes since it was a different brand

Answer 2

Yes, it is safe to use Advantage (or frontline) even if it has been less than a month since you used the Hartz. The two are completely different medicines and they work differently so you will not be overdosing her. To be safe, give her a bath to wash the Hartz off (use regular aloe and oatmeal shampoo or dawn dish soap diluted with water, NOT flea shampoo...flea shampoo does have the same active ingredient as the Hartz and using it so soon after applying the topical probably would cause a toxic overdose) and wait 24 hours before applying the Advantage.

If it is going to be a regular hassle to drive 30 minutes to buy the Advantage, you can purchase several months worth at a time. In order to get rid of the flea infestation you have now you will need at least three months worth of applications anyway to kill not only the live fleas that are eating her up right now but also the eggs in your carpet/furniture that will hatch out over the next 2-3 months. Advantage really isn't all that expensive compared to cheap (and often dangerous, not to mention ineffective) over the counter flea drops when you consider how much better it works and how much safer it is.

Answer 3

I would consult with a vet to be on the safe side before adding another chemical to your dog's coat.

Never buy Hartz again, it has been known to cause anything from chemical burns, to seizures and even death.

It sounds like you have a pretty big infestation and you're going to have to treat more than just your dog to get rid of it.

You'll need to spray your yard, and your home. Wash all of the bedding, including dog bedding in hot water as well.

When you fog your home plan to leave with your pet for several hours while the foggers work. You'll want a home fogger, and a yard spray with an IGR (insect growth regulator) in them. This will kill both adults and eggs. If you get a product without an IGR you'll end up with an infestation again in a week or two.

Once you have treated everything and gotten the fleas under control continue using the Advantage or Frontline on your dog monthly as prevention.

Answer 4

Read what I am inclosing and you will understand why it is so hard to get rid of fleas. The rest of the info...do what you will with it, but it does work.

You need something like FrontlinePlus...good source and cheaper than the vets is petshed.com...I use it so I know it works. A flea comb with a cup of hot water & a little dish liquid to dip the comb in when you comb your dog/cat. LOTs of vac bags and vac everyday and remove the bag and tie it in a shopping bag and take out of the house. This will work and you should see improvements within two months. DON'T use sprays, powders, house bombs, flea collars and over the counter products. They are dangerous and are full of pesticides and can harm you and your pet! To let you know as I was given a paper from the vets...cycle of the flea...They hatch from a cocoon like a butterfly...in one week they are an adult....as a adult they lay a egg every hour of their lives up to 1-2 years they live. The eggs hatch into a larva in about two weeks...they spend three weeks as a larva and then they wrap themselves into a cocoon. In the cocoon stage you can't kill them unless you plan on burning down your house...fire is the only way to kill them in this stage. What makes them hatch from a cocoon is vibration, heat, and all sorts of things. They need a host to feed on within one week or they will die. ( problem being is the cocoons can take up to five months to hatch! and they all hatch at different rates!) WOW that is a lot of fleas! FrontlinePlus uses two ways to kill the fleas...they first have an ingredient that paralyzes the flea so it can't feed and it dies...it does this for two weeks. The following two weeks it just inhibits the flea eggs of the fleas that feed on them and eggs don't hatch. This is why it takes a few months, but it does work. BTW...flea baths don't work either and will make it so the FrontlinePlus won't work.

Answer 5

Do NOT use OTC flea products especially HARTZ!!! These are not only ineffective but they can be extremely dangerous to your dog...the cause skin irritation, skin burns, neurological issues, seizures and even death.
Do not use ANY other flea medication at this time without consulting with your vet.
If you buy a few months worth of the safe flea product at a time it is 1) cheaper 2) you won't have to worry about making "time" to get a safe product for your pet.

Don't use OTC flea shampoos either.

Answer 6

My dog had a VERY bad reaction to the Hartz 3 in 1 flea and tick drops. Someone administered them to her a few days before I adopted her, and when I got her she had awful bald spots and was bleeding from biting herself so much. Her skin looked terrible. I took her to the vet immediately, and she was still covered in fleas. After googling this product I'm just lucky that she recovered at all.

Answer 7

yes please put the good stuff on; but please do not use that hartz brands;as they don;t work at all and lots of dogs and cats get sick when using that brand and makes them toxic.As long as it;s been over 2 weeks yes.If it was 7 days ago i would say no though,,I was down on money and bought 3 hartz flea collers for my3cats and it made thefleas worse and 1 of them got wobely and looked as she had been poisoned; My vet even said to leave all hartz products alone; as they are a waste of money and are toxic to lots ofanimals.good luck with the flea's as the buggers are bigger and more thirsty this year already...,,

Answer 8

Contact a vetenarian before even PUTTING IT ON the dog. i work in a pet store and we always make sure that they will be ok with that product. Please contact your vetenarian before usage. Advantage is a very good product and Hartz( I just hate it...does not even work).