5 Reasons your Flea Treatment isn’t working?
Many pet parents go through this situation once in their life when they find their dog scratching his/her body even after the administration of flea treatment. It becomes quite an annoying site after you have spent both time and money in the search of the apt flea treatment. In such scenarios, you straight away dismiss the treatment by saying that it didn’t work or it is inefficient.
However, according to many vets, this occurs not because the treatment didn’t work but because there are several other parameters that help in making the flea treatment beneficial.
Below are those parameters that you need to make sure your treatment works.
Reading The Dosage Instructions
Yes, reading the package insert and carefully observing each and every dosage guideline is very important. Oral treatments like Capstar require daily administration and Nexgard which is a chew has to be given monthly. In some cases, dogs have to be observed after they are given the chew they might vomit it out. If you are feeding the treatment by mixing it with food ensure that your Fido eats the entire meal because half left meal means that the required amount of dosage is also not fully administered.
When it comes to topical solutions like K9 Advantix, Activyl, Frontline Plus, and Revolution you need to make sure that the solution is applied between the hairs onto the skin and in the neck region.
Clean And Flea Free Surroundings
Adult fleas reside on your dog but flea larvae and flea eggs stay in the surrounding to keep the flea cycle going. However, there are treatments like program flavor tablets that also help in breaking flea life cycle but they are effective on your Fido’s body not in the environment. Moreover, there are adult fleas that are present in the yard, so, if your pooch is playing in the open there are chances of those fleas getting on to him/her. So, vacuum cleans your house and keep your yard treated with flea killers.
Giving Time To The Treatment
In a study, many vets have disclosed that pet parents sometimes want the results quickly and hence they rush and change the treatments quickly. You need to understand that the flea eggs survive in the carpets, beddings and other places in the house when they mature they get on to your pet to feed. Hence, after some time you might see some fleas on your dog. You just need to be patient these fleas will get wiped off. Treat your house and yard to avoid re-emergence. Treatments like Effipro Duo Spot on are helpful in breaking the flea cycle for 3 months you use products like these as well.
Not using a fast kill flea medication or one with an insect growth regulator
It is important to either start killing fleas before they can lay eggs or use a flea medication that kills the flea eggs. Stopping the flea life cycle is important. Research the product you are using so that you know how fast it will start killing fleas. Some products start killing fleas within 30 minutes, and some can take 24 hours or more.
Healthy Skin
Dry skin or unhealthy skin can impact the effectiveness of topical treatments. It becomes difficult for the ingredient to cover the entire body of your dog. Hence, make sure that your pooch’s skin is healthy and not dry. You can use many shampoos and conditioners that enhance the skin and coat quality of dogs.
If you are taking care of all the above points and meticulously observing the dosage instructions and still you see the fleas on your Fido’s body, then you need to consult your vet and know other reasons why the treatment is not working.
David joined CanadaVetCare in 2013 as a product analyst and veterinary assistant. Being a passionate pet lover and keen animal health researcher, David had always found ways and solutions to help pet parents to improve their pets’ health. He is always happy to answer pet health-related queries and recommending pet parents for the right pet product for their furry companions.