How Often Do You Flea A Puppy?

Fleas are a year-round nuisance to your puppy, even in the colder winter months, so treating your puppy should be a year-round task if necessary. Flea eggs, larva and pupae can be found in your home at any time of the year and in the pupal stage they can lay dormant for several months. The heat of your home makes it a perfect environment for them to hatch, even if you just have your heating on in winter, however the question of ‘how often do I flea my puppy?’ depends on which treatment you choose to use.

There are many different flea treatments available, and we host a selection of them on our dog flea treatment page, but we understand it can be difficult to know which treatments are most suitable for your puppy. Below you can read the differences of each treatment we sell, and more information on flea treatment on a puppy.

Why is it important that I use flea treatment on my puppy?

In mild cases of flea infestation, they can cause a lot of discomfort to your puppy from scratching and skin damage, but it can be even worse if your pup has an allergic reaction to flea bites which is known as flea allergy dermatitis. Heavy flea infestation can cause problems in puppies such as anemia, due to puppies being small, fleas can quickly deplete their red blood cells. To learn more about how to protect your dog from fleas and ticks, take a look at our blog.

Spot-on flea treatment for puppies

Flea spot-on treatments are an insecticide that will kill off fleas on your puppy. Once the treatment is applied, the oils in the dog’s skin distribute the treatment around their body which helps to target fleas all over, and the treatment remains in their hair follicles which helps to continue to kill fleas after the original application. You should apply the spot-on flea treatment to the back of your pet’s neck.

We sell a variety of flea spot-on treatments, including Flevox spot On Flea Treatment for Dogs, which can protect your dog from fleas for up to eight weeks and is to be applied to your dog’s neck every 4 weeks, unless your vet recommends differently. Flevox treatment is not suitable for puppies less than eight weeks old and/or weighing less than 2kg. This is the same for our Fiproclear Spot-On, Effiro Spot-On Flea Treatment, and our Frontline Spot On. We also offer Advantage Spot On Flea Treatment Solution which can fight fleas with ease, it is suggested to apply every month and lasts up to 28 days, but it will kill fleas on contact meaning that fleas are not required to bite in order to be killed.

Flea sprays for homes and dogs

There are two different types of flea sprays, one that you use directly on your pet that are designed for animals, and household flea sprays that help to clear your carpets, furniture and other areas of your home from fleas. In general flea sprays are the ideal product for puppies, as administering the treatment is stress free and most flea sprays can be used from when the puppy is two days old, meaning you can start treatment far earlier than you can with the spot on treatments. 

We sell a Frontline Flea & Tick Spray, which can be applied every 4 weeks for full protection against fleas and ticks for dogs and puppies. 

For household flea sprays, our Indorex Defence Household Flea Spray can kill adult fleas on contact for up to 2 months after application, as well as preventing the development of eggs and larvae for up to a year. Once you’ve sprayed the house, you shouldn’t need to repeat this for up to 12 months. We also sell a Frontline HomeGard Flea Spray which offers a 6 month protection.

Flea collars for dogs and puppies

Flea collars can potentially protect your puppy for a long period of time, without much need for repeat treatment, especially compared to other options. The downside to this is your puppy will be growing, therefore outgrowing the collar and as such you may need to change the collar size partway through the treatment. This leaves a gap in time for your puppy to be unprotected, so we recommend buying 2 sizes if you can, or keeping a close eye on your puppy’s collar and growth. Collars usually have a minimum age of 8 weeks, so please make sure to check depending on which collar you decide to buy for a minimum age requirement.

Our Seresto Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs work for up to around eight months, which is our longest lasting flea collar treatment. We also sell Scalibor Collar for Dogs, which lasts up to around 6 months.

Flea collars will start working right away and it will kill fleas through contact to your puppy’s skin and hair as the collar releases low amounts of doses of the treatment ingredients. The collar is able to kill fleas without the need for biting, and it also targets the flea larvae, thus helping to break the flea life cycle and keep your dog safer for longer. Some people use flea collars alongside other treatments for a more effective flea treatment for dogs that are highly infected/susceptible to infections. 

View our full range of puppy friendly flea treatments or get in touch with our team today.