Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Frontline and capstar but still has fleas.

Species: Cat
Breed: domestic long hair
Age: 8-11 years
My cat has fleas. We have treated him with capstar and frontline, given him a flea bath, and combed him. We have bombed our house. And then we have repeated this process 3 times. We switched from frontline to advantage. We just found another flea. What are we doing wrong?

Related Article: Your Pet Has Fleas!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

This is a frustrating problem! Both Frontline and Advantage are good products so they should work to treat a flea problem.

Sometimes if there is a severe flea infestation in the house, it can take several months of treatment before we stop seeing live fleas. You can also talk to your vet about using a product called Capstar along with either the Frontline or Advantage to add extra "oomph" to the flea killing process.

Here are some other tips that may help:

-Be sure that you are using the Frontline/Advantage once a month. Any longer and fleas can still survive.
-You need to treat for at least 3 months in a row.
-You need to make sure that ALL animals in your house are being treated.
-Be sure that you don't bathe your cat within 24-48 hours of putting on the product.
-Don't use Frontline or Advantage that you bought online. There have been cases where online pharmacies were selling expired product or even a totally different product.

In my clinic, if an animal is on Advantage and the owner is following all of the directions and is treating all animals in the house, Bayer, the company that makes Advantage will investigate the problem and help you solve it. So, you may want to ask your vet if they can contact Bayer for you.

I hope this helps!
Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Do cats get chicken pox? it is not of a cat of mine a cat i saw he had spots that looked alot like chickenpox... (32526 views)

Wobbly after ear cleaning. Hi, The last two times Tigger has been to the vet, they noted that she had a mass... (22606 views)

Cat won't eat or drink. Licorice doesn't want to eat much or drink. He is lethargic, but his gums are pink... (25104 views)

Cat can't move tail or legs. My girlfriend's family saved a cat viciously attacked by dogs in the street in... (34193 views)

Allergic reaction. Harley is having the following symptoms. Shaking head regularly licking... (7229 views)

Guinea Pig heat cycle. my female guinea pig has a swollen vulva which is very red. this happens once every... (39049 views)

Milky urine in guinea pig. One of my guinea pigs urine is milky, this has never happened before. Their diet is... (13755 views)

Rapid breathing while sleeping. I own a white female boxer. She born in oct. 30,2009. I notice when she's sleeping... (18105 views)

Blind, deaf and no sense of smell. Jack was diagnosed as hyperthyroid in February and has been on methimazole since... (9415 views)

Cat with renal lymphoma. I have a 7 year old female cat who, over the course of the past six months,... (12251 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.