Best dog flea drops according to redditors

I rescued a german shepherd mix when he was about 2 months old and he just turned 2 years! He's awesome!

Join /r/dogs for great community, support, and advice.

Here are some of my dog's favorites if you're lost on what to Wishlist on Amazon:

• Hands down the best ball for fetch, if he likes fetch
  
• And the launcher I like this one b/c you can just throw it in a backpack and it'll zip all the way closed (I like to keep a backpack w/ my dog's park toys, some treats, poop bags, wet ones/purell, and his shot records) The best thing about the chuck-it is that you don't have to pick up a slobbery ball.
  
• Three very good chew bones
  
• Advantage Multi if you're not often taking him onto tick-heavy hikes. If you need tick control, get Frontline and Interceptor for heartworm.
  
• The best dog frisbee and I've tried a half dozen. Doesn't fly the best, but it's the most durable, safe, and flies great with a little practice.
  
• This Car seat cover is great
  
• Flexi leash is really handy when used appropriately.
  
• Poo bags can never have enough of. and you go through them pretty quick.
  
• Dog backpack great for burning off energy on walks/hikes, and makes them feel like they're doing an important job! I have this one in black. works great.
  
• Collapsible water bowl handy for hikes/camping/outings
  
• european style leather lead (leash) I'm preferential to the feel of leather for leashes/collars. And the european is absolutely the best - adjustable length and super easy to tether them to a pole/fence if you're eating outdoors or running into a store or something (of course use common sense when doing this!)
  
• Harness I'm not a fan of harnesses - they're annoying to put on/take off and just encourage a dog to pull more. But if you want him to pull, towing you on a skateboard or something (my dog loves this) then it's great
  Furminator GSD mixes don't need regular brushing, but this one works great for shedding season
  Dremel for nail trimming GSD = black nails, a bit trickier to trim. I use this with lots of treats to put a nice round edge and take off a bit of length of my dog's nails. works good but get him accustomed to it slowly and with lots of treats. Pretty soon he won't mind.
  *Zukes are great treats for training
  
• Bowls that don't tip over. Easy to wash. can't break. My pick.
  
• Big crate I use for vacations when I bring my dog but need to leave him in a hotel room or something. It's big and bulky but I like to give him room to move around comfortably.
  
• A good shampoo I like hydrosurge unscented but it's not on Amazon =\
  
• deodorizer I give my dog a little spritz between baths if he starts to get funky
  
• A shower head like this makes bathing super painless. I just bring my dog in the shower w/ me along with some treats and it's quick and easy.
  
• a scrubber like this gets my dog cleaner than I can with my hands. I found one at petco I like
  
  
  Wow I kind of didn't realize I have so much shit for my dog. But he's family so...anyway. Also costco has great beds for $20ish (comparably $80+ from a petstore) They also carry Frontline, lots of treats (buscuits, duck breast jerkey - the best!) good food (Iams ProActive goes on sale once in a while, and they also carry Natures Domain salmon/sweet potato food that's really good).

this
https://www.amazon.com/Merial-Frontline-Control-Puppies-6-Doses/dp/B0002J1FLW/ref=pd_lpo_199_tr_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0MEZB3E4CJGE5Y2VDT0C

or

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/the-secret-history-of-isis/

?

As others have mentioned, stay away from Frontline. We've used Advantix for years and haven't had a tick problem since. My entire yard is surrounded by woods and we still don't have any problems.

Did the dog at least get puppy shots or an initial series of vaccines? If the dog has been vaccinated, chances are it still retains immunity for most if not all of the major diseases it was vaccinated against. I do minimal vaccinations. I do periodic titer testing to make sure my dog has immunity against core diseases (distemper and parvo). The only vaccine I normally keep up to date is rabies, but the dog I have now is immunocompromised so I get a waiver for rabies vaccine every three years. I usually have to vaccinate every 5-7 years!

Tick borne illnesses and heartworm disease are serious diseases your roommate is subjecting her dog to. Thankfully, neither of those are communicable to humans or other dogs. Fleas may be an issue depending on the area, and an infestation in your home may happen. At the very least, I would urge her to keep her dog on the cheap generic Frontline. You can get a 3 month supply for a dog that size for around $16 plus shipping. Here's a link http://www.amazon.com/Sentry-Fiproguard-Squeeze-dogs-lbs/dp/B004SP46SK

The other concern I have is that she may hold you liable if her dog gets sick or injured from playing with your dog. Broken teeth and abscesses are common when dogs are playing a little too rough. These are relatively inexpensive and easy to treat problems if you take care of them immediately, but if you wait to see if they get better on their own, it could be an expensive if not fatal problem. I don't want to scare you, but I saw something similar to that happen to a client of mine. Someone's dog broke his canine on her dog's collar at a dog park, ,and the dog needed emergency surgery to save his necrotic jawbone from the untreated injury. The owner took my client to small claims court over it!

I think it's good to treat the carpets at the same time you treat the animal. We used some Fleabusters (and then diatomaceous earth after we ran out) on the carpets and Vectra for the animals (cats in our case).

If you are going to do a bomb/treat your home, make sure you kill all the fleas on your pets first. Capstar will make sure nothing is left on your pet for 24 hours. I only have experience giving it to dogs and cats, so ask your vet regarding the bunny if he gets fleas.

(Every time my pets are borded, they're given Capstar by the vet techs so they know the facility is clean as well.)

Is he on a good flea prevention? Small red bumps on the dorsum (on top of his back and pelvic area) is classic for flea allergy. Live fleas can be difficult, if not impossible to find, especially on a dark dog. Benedryl will likely help temporarily, but you need to get him on a flea prevention. Consider Advantix, which is a monthly topical, or Seresto, which is a collar that lasts 7-8 months.

It seems to have junk ratings on amazon with a lot of anecdotal reports of side effects.

http://www.amazon.com/Hartz-UltraGuard-Flea-Drops-16-30/product-reviews/B0002AQNU4/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

I was going to suggest this, but the only problem is OP is saying they're seeing eggs, and Capstar works on adult fleas only.

But yes! You can buy it OTC now. On Amazon too!

Eradicating fleas in a home is so dead easy and you can be the hero to this lady. I have a house rabbit, 5 cats, and I foster little street urchins for a local rescue. I have not had fleas on my animals or in my carpets in 20 years.

The cure is, of course, Advantage for the cats, since her pets are indoor/outdoor. Best price for that is on Amazon and best dosing instructions [are written in the comments]
(https://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Advantage-Extra-55-Pound-4-Month/dp/B004QBL9IQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1478704931&sr=1-1&keywords=advantage+for+dogs).

And for the house, sprinkle boric acid in the carpets and furniture. It kills the fleas and the eggs and works until it gets wet. Don't vacuum right away, let it get deep in the fibers where the eggs are. The vet told us to apply it with a flour sifter and a shoe to beat it into the carpets, and that's exactly how I used to do it but that was back before they invented all the wonderful topical pet treatments. Nowdays, I get kittens that are hopping with fleas when they get here and we pop 'em a capstar and that's all we have to do. We don't even have to use Advantage on our cats, just the momma cats and just on the kittens before they go to the shelter for their surgery and to be put on display with other kittens for adoption. No fleas, not in 2 decades. Anything the meds missed drop off and are desiccated by the boric acid. People with outdoor pets should expect to sprinkle boric acid more often to their carpet and furniture.

We used to be able to buy boric acid at Home Depot but now they mix it with pesticides so I don't buy that. I bought some on Amazon a few years ago, simply don't need to use it very often because my pets are all indoor. I've heard some people use 20 Mule Team Borax, but that's a soap mixed with boric acid and although it works, what happens when your carpet gets wet? Endless suds? I just get the exact stuff I want on Amazon and be done with it.

Pet Armor is $10 for three months.

Since you've already treated with topical flea killer, Capstar is a Godsend!

I also spray all bedding, carpets, furniture, etc. with Zodiac. That shit gets the job done! 👍🏻

After that, it's just a matter of breaking the fleas' life cycle by continuing to administer topical flea treatment.

Good luck! 🍀

I can't give you documentation, but from personal experience, I agree. I've seen lots of people come in with cats having seizures, foaming, losing hair, etc after application of cheap topical flea meds. More commonly, I just find animals come in with fleas despite those meds.
http://www.amazon.com/Hartz-UltraGuard-Flea-Drops-16-30/product-reviews/B0002AQNU4/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

There are good OTC flea meds too. Doesn't have to come from a vet. But I would say be discerning at least, and ask your vet. (If they refuse to tell you about quality OTCs, I'd say don't trust your vet.)

Giving flea treatments to a cat that doesn't actually HAVE fleas is fairly pointless. As far as good flea treatments, stay away from seargents, frontline ect. They can be very dangerous to cats causing cancer, liver problems ect in the long run. When my long haired cat gets fleas I use these two products one called "Capstar" (I know it says for dogs but it doesn't really matter if you get the dogs or cats one) and another called "Program" its a two part treatment that the cat takes orally (I mix it into wet food so they don't know) and one of them kills all existing fleas and one of them keeps any eggs from hatching and its done through some sort of enzymes that only harm the fleas and not the cat. I have great success with this and it doesn't make my cat sick like the gel products do.

Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs and Cats, 6 Count, 2-25 lbs, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005Z6UL1M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fYnqzbGG9WJY0

The collars and powders don't work. There is a pill called Capstar which will kill fleas... my vet uses it when we had to board our dogs:

"You can safely use Capstar Flea Tablets for Pets on cats and dogs older than 1 week and weighing more than 2 pounds. Capstar for fleas is also safe to use on pregnant or nursing cats and dogs. Capstar flea pills are great for welcoming home new pets, sending pets to kennels or pet boarders."

The effects last for 24 hours, so you need to start topical flea treatment within that time. You can use the capstar once a day until the spot treatment kicks in... which can take a day or two. Then, if you keep using the spot treatment monthly you should not have issues with fleas.

The Advantage II is the spot treatment I'd use. You apply the medication between the shoulder blades, and it does the rest.

Capstar, you can buy it on Amazon here: http://smile.amazon.com/Capstar-Flea-Tablets-Cats-Single/dp/B005Z6UL1M/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1449439763&sr=1-1&keywords=capstar

Use with a topical like Frontline, as a preventative, which is also available on Amazon from the manufacturer. http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_6_3?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A2619533011%2Ck%3Afrontline%2Cp_89%3AMerial%2Cp_6%3AATVPDKIKX0DER&keywords=frontline&ie=UTF8&qid=1449440129&rnid=2661622011

I recommend starting an Amazon wishlist.

It was this. Bought it at Petsmart for $40.

Here's links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005Z6UL1M/ref=pd_aw_sim_199_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MT1YQ8NADQ4D3MS6HS0E&dpPl=1&dpID=81jHPRSnSvL

I took a sip of something poison, but I'll hold on tight

Man I need a few things.. I need Diapers and Baby wipes for my daughter and I really need these so I can start working out and lose weight. And Frontline for my dogs.. Ugh seems like the list never ends. Thanks for this contest! You are so sweet for helping people out!

Frontline Plus for Extra Large... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002J1FPI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. That’s what I buy

I use my own shea moisturize shampoo on my dog when he’s itchy. You can definitely ask at Petco what they recommend - I’ve seen some oatmeal dog shampoo there for itchy skin.

Good luck . Good for you trying to help the dog.

Before you order CAPSTAR which will run you between 10 and 20 dollars a pill- I suggest these. It's cheap, effective against fleas and will last you about half a year. It is safe enough to use every day though I only use mine once a week or so. I also have a pitbull.

Looks like one of these dog flea combs:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-85838899-Flea-Comb/dp/B001MZWTBU&ved=2ahUKEwiOzuHlqYriAhWswAIHHf-nAjkQFjAAegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw0GnIAM-Sfn6P0FWI5Sf0cG

Edit: typo

Are you willing to try generics? That's what I use on my dog, and we haven't had any issues. They are cheap on Amazon. Or, do you know anyone with a Sam's Club/Costco membership? They carry generic and brand names for a few bucks less than the vet.