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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Are there ANY flea treatments that still work??

37 replies

zerofeeling · 30/06/2025 19:08

Tried Frontline and other over-the-counter stuff, had Bravecto, Advocate and a Seresto collar all from the vets - none of them have got rid of the fleas.

The only thing that seems to kill fleas is the Bob Martin household spray but obviously I can't use that on the dogs. I'm really losing my mind and I feel so sorry for my poor itchy boys ☹️

OP posts:
muddyford · 02/07/2025 06:43

Spaniel has a Seresto collar, Labrador is on Simparico Trio monthly. Never had fleas or ticks. Several vets have said most fleas on dogs are caught from cats and aren't dog fleas at all (separate species).

TillyandFlorence · 02/07/2025 07:36

Another vote for Simparica, mine have been on it for years and never had a problem.

rumred · 02/07/2025 15:59

I ended up getting pest control bloke in last year. Had to wash all our bedding, and theirs. Seresto collar seems to work. I get a large one and use it for the dog and cat to save money. It's a faff making the bit without the fastener work but doable with glue and velcro.

MauriceTheMussel · 02/07/2025 16:17

Prinocate for us - little pipette thingy every month a few days after his monthly spa session

RunYouJuiceBitch · 04/07/2025 00:12

Most of the above mentioned flea treatments work fine. It's important to understand how they work, or you'll get the impression they don't.

Very few treatments repel fleas. The vast majority are non-repellant, and work by killing fleas once they jump onto the pet. This means you will still see fleas on the pet: you are seeing those that have recently jumped on from the carpet etc. These fleas will not survive long enough to reproduce.

Where you have an infestation in the house (almost certainly the case where you have an infestation on the pet), you don't WANT to repel them. While it's of course unpleasant for the pet to experience having fleas, a pet treated with a good flea treatment is a walking flea killer.

Pupating fleas in the carpet and furnishings are very difficult to kill. Even the household sprays like Indorex and RIP Fleas won't touch them (though they will kill the other life cycle stages, so are still a mandatory part of clearing a flea infestation).

Adult fleas emerging from a cocoon are, conversely, pretty easy to kill. So we want to encourage them out and onto a passing pet who has been treated with a good product, so they can subsequently die. Leaving them pupating indefinitely in the house will only prolong the infestation.

So, the key points in clearing a flea infestation are:

  1. Treat all dogs and cats in the household with a decent product. Keep doing it religiously at the recommended interval.
  2. Treat the house with a good spray like Indorex or RIP Fleas. Do it thoroughly (move furniture, vacuum first, get in every nook and cranny) - it lasts 6-12 months so you shouldn't need to do it regularly, but DO do it well.
  3. Vacuum daily. This sucks up eggs and larvae, and the vibrations can encourage pupating fleas to emerge from their cocoons and ultimately die.
  4. Expect to see fleas on the pet for a while.
  5. Expect complete resolution of the infestation to take weeks-months. Unfortunately it's not a quick process. Which sucks.

Pets who are extremely itchy or making themselves sore can benefit from anti-itch medication while you're getting things under control. The vet will be able to advise on this.

Do note that some oral flea treatments contain nitenpyram (eg Capstar). These are great at killing the fleas that are on the pet at the time you give the dose. But they have no lasting action, so within a couple of days the pet is no longer a walking flea killer. It's important to use a monthly (or three-monthly in the case of ie Bravecto) treatment as well.

Ariela · 04/07/2025 00:16

Seresto collar + wash bedcover weekly + hoover carpet daily worked for us

SchnozzaHoomum · 12/08/2025 09:31

Yorkshireblond · 30/06/2025 19:12

I use the Nexguard tablets for my dog, shes 4 and never had fleas, I get them from the vets on a monthly care plan. Hope you can find something that works for yours.

Nexgard gave our healthy dog cluster seizures.

SchnozzaHoomum · 12/08/2025 09:33

TillyandFlorence · 02/07/2025 07:36

Another vote for Simparica, mine have been on it for years and never had a problem.

Simparica is also known to give dogs major neurological problems, including seizures. Vets don’t provide anecdotal reports of this because of course they have to keep selling it.

BrentfordForever · 12/08/2025 09:36

Stronghold via prescription

we use for our cat but it’s for dogs too

MuffinsAreJustCakesAtBreakfast · 12/08/2025 09:59

Worth mentioning there is an injection version of the Bravetco which is given annually.

good option anyone who has problems getting their dog to take pills disguised in soft cheese 😁

Needanadultgapyear · 15/08/2025 08:47

SchnozzaHoomum · 12/08/2025 09:33

Simparica is also known to give dogs major neurological problems, including seizures. Vets don’t provide anecdotal reports of this because of course they have to keep selling it.

All flea treatments have the potential to have seizures as a side effect in a dog that was already prone to seizures because they work on the nervous system of the flea.
The dog was almost certainly going to start having seizures at some point due to a genetic predisposition. I am a vet with an epileptic dog so I have spoken to several neurologists about my own dog and flea medication.

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