Flea treatment for your puppy: everything you need to know

Fleas are a nuisance that can spoil your puppy’s fun and make your whole household uneasy. The scratching and skin damage can be very uncomfortable for your puppy – and will be even worse if they have an allergy to flea bites, a condition known as flea allergy dermatitis.

When grooming, your puppy can accidentally ingest fleas – these fleas can carry a tapeworm which can infect your puppy and lead to weight loss and an itchy bottom! In severe cases, fleas can cause anaemia in puppies. This is because puppies are so small that when fleas suck their blood, it rapidly depletes their red blood cells. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your puppy has anaemia, as it can be fatal without a blood transfusion.

There are many flea treatments for puppies available, but some of them may not be the right option for you and/or your puppy.

Flea collars potentially protect your puppy for a long time, without the need for repeated treatment. However, as puppies can grow fast, it’s also very likely that you could need to change collar size halfway through a treatment. This can leave them unprotected, unless you’re keeping a very close eye on things!

Many new pet parents are also tempted by herbal remedies that are marketed as flea treatments for puppies and dogs. But these have not been through the same extensive level of testing that veterinary medicinal products go through to check they are safe and effective before being sold. Some of these treatments contain essential oils, for example, which can be very harmful to pets. So, we would recommend only using a flea treatment on your puppy that has been thoroughly tested.

Many owners prefer to use spot-on products, although the level of protection they offer varies. For instance, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® for dogs offers enhanced protection – its unique formula kills faster and repels more disease-carrying parasites than the next leading competitor brand. It provides long-lasting protection against flying insects as well as fleas and ticks, and is a suitable flea treatment for puppies from 8 weeks old weighing at least 2 kg.

Flea and tick protection in a tablet form has recently become available over the counter, which means it can be purchased online and from specialist pet retailers without a prescription. This new format provides a convenient way to treat dogs against fleas and ticks. FRONTPRO^® is an easy-to-give, beef-flavoured chewable tablet which provides fast and effective protection against fleas and ticks, and kills fleas before they have a chance to lay eggs.

It’s important to reduce the chance of young puppies coming across fleas. If your dog is pregnant or has had a litter, give her a flea treatment that’s safe to use in pregnant and lactating dogs, such as FRONTPRO^®, FRONTLINE PLUS^® or FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON.

Many flea treatments are perfectly safe to use on a puppy. But some may only be suitable for puppies over 8 weeks of age. FRONTLINE^® SPRAY is the exception to this as it can be used on puppies from 2 days old. Young puppies are at a higher risk of developing anaemia from flea bites, so speak to your vet for help and advice.

Potentially! It’s possible to miss fleas so it’s important to check your puppy regularly. Preventing fleas is much easier than tackling an infestation. Fleas can be anywhere untreated pets and wildlife have been, laying dormant in cocoons until the presence of an animal stimulates them to hatch. Fleas on your puppy will start feeding and breeding right away. A single flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day, which will fall off your puppy everywhere they go inside your home. Giving your puppy flea treatment regularly can prevent the chaos of an infestation in the home.

You shouldn’t take your puppy out for walks in public places until about two weeks after their second vaccination, when they’re around 14-16 weeks old. Before then, they can easily pick up viruses, like parvovirus, just by sniffing or licking something contaminated by an infected dog.

But, even if your puppy’s not going out in the world just yet, it’s still possible for them to get fleas. You and your family members can bring in flea eggs or cocoons on your clothing or shoes. Or if an untreated pet visits your home, your puppy could get fleas from them. To be on the safe side, consider giving a flea treatment to your puppy as soon as you bring them home. This will also help them get used to being handled, which will come in handy when it’s time to visit the groomers or vets.

Although fleas are most active in the warmer months (March to October), the risk doesn’t go away when the weather gets colder. Fleas can still jump onto your puppy in the winter, and your warm home will be the perfect environment for triggering flea eggs to hatch. So, if you’re asking yourself “how often should I give my puppy flea treatment?”, the answer is every 4 weeks for optimal protection. Remember it’s always best to treat your pet according to their lifestyle. Pets who visit areas where wildlife can roam, generally need more regular protection than those who don’t.

Many pet parents wonder if their puppy has fleas when they notice them scratching or chewing at themselves. But not all puppies are noticeably itchy and uncomfortable when they have fleas – so you might only realise you have an infestation when you’ve been bitten yourself!

Fleas can be difficult to see as they are very small and move quickly. They’re even harder to spot if your puppy has dark, long or thick fur. The easiest test is to comb through your puppy’s fur, checking for any black specks around the roots of the hairs. Comb these specks onto a damp tissue. If a reddish halo appears around them, it’s flea dirt, AKA your puppy’s blood which has been partially digested by fleas. This means your puppy has fleas.

A flea treatment for your puppy won’t always be enough to deal with an infestation fast; particularly if fleas have established themselves in your home too. Only 5% of fleas are actually on your puppy – the other 95% are in your home as flea eggs, larvae and pupae. It can take 3 months or more to properly deal with a flea infestation, due to the complex flea life cycle.

We hope that with this advice you can feel more confident about protecting your puppy from fleas so you can continue to make lifelong memories together. If you need any more advice, check out our puppy pages.