# New puppy has fleas already



## jyeh74 (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi everyone,

I just got Gizmo who is a 2 month old Shih Tzu. Picked him up from a breeder (so cute!). He aleady has fleas so I went to Banfield Hospital at Petsmart to get him some flea medicine. There are so many kinds.

1) Frontline
2) Advantage
3) Advantix
4) Frontshield

I was told some brands kill only fleas, some fleas + ticks and mosquitos. Some brands work only when the flea bites the puppy and some works regardless of whether there is contact. I bought Frontshield which is a Banfield exclusive. Got 5 rounds for $60 or so. Can anyone comment on these brands? Pros/Cons of each?

I couldn't give him a flea bath because general guideline is 12 weeks old and he is only 9 weeks old. So I applied the Frontshield on the back of his neck. If I give him a bath, will it wash off the medicine?

Thanks!

By the way, I picked up BioSpot shampoo but after doing research on some animals sickness/deaths using these, I decided to return them. 

What flea bath brands do you guys use for baths that do not contain pyrethrins?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I am not familiar with Frontshield, and nothing comes up when I Google it......can you post the ingredients? Unfortunately my experiences with brands other than Advantage, Revolution, and Frontline are not good ones. 

You shouldn't need a flea shampoo if you're using a spot-on. A mild shampoo that won't remove the spot-on would be best.


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## jyeh74 (Jul 14, 2009)

Willowwy,

First Shield Trio is the name sorry.

Ingredients:
Dinotefuran 4.95%
Pyriproxyfen 0.44%
Permethrin 36.08%
Other 58.53%

I read somewhere it is the same as Vectra. It kills fleas, ticks and mosquitos. I was told the other brands, the insects HAVE TO bite the puppy in order for it to work, but First Shield Trio just kills it.

Doesn't say if I can bathe him after or if the medicine will come off.


BTW, I read that Bio Spot and Zodiac shampoo is bad for animals.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

jyeh74 said:


> BTW, I read that Bio Spot and Zodiac shampoo is bad for animals.


Almost all flea shampoos are very dangerous. I don't recommend using any of them.

Permethrin IS a synthetic pyrethrin. Be careful. Call the vet right away if your dog shows signs of a reaction.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

I would avoid the product sold exclusively by Banfield. 

For an 8-wk. old puppy, I'd choose Advantage over all of the others. Do not use a flea dip or shampoo. You can kill fleas by giving the puppy a bath, use a mild puppy shampoo, suds him up and let it sit on him for a good 5 minutes, then rinse. Some people say Dawn dishwashing soap and ONLY Dawn works, but the truth is that any dog shampoo will work. The fleas drown.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

poodleholic said:


> I would avoid the product sold exclusively by Banfield.


Yeah, definately go with name brand flea medication: advantage, frontline, advantix. Cheaper ones don't work as well and could have very bad side effects on your dog. Pyrethrins like permethrin is whats believed to be dangerous in shampoos. But if your dog seems fine so far, then I wouldn't worry about it.



poodleholic said:


> For an 8-wk. old puppy, I'd choose Advantage over all of the others. Do not use a flea dip or shampoo.


If your already applied a flea medication, DON'T apply another one. Atleast not without consulting your vet.

One more thing, 5 doses for $60 doesn't really seem like a bargain. You can order any flea meds online for about as much or less.


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## jyeh74 (Jul 14, 2009)

Thank you everyone for the feedback. What is the difference between all the brands of Frontline vs Advantage vs Advantix? Do some kill fleas only while others kill fleas and ticks? I heard some it only kills when it bites the animal vs some that kill regardless.


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## Dee M (Jun 30, 2009)

I am so sorry to hear that your new baby already has fleas. They can really make life miserable for both of you. Personally, I would not use commercial flea products on such a young puppy but if you do make sure you read the label. Very few are safe for puppies. 

The differences in the products has to do with what they kill and how they do it. Some products kill adult fleas, some kill flea larvae, some disrupt the life cycle of the flea and others do a combination of these. The product will usually state how it works. Those that just kill the adult fleas are the least effective. 

There are two things you should doevery day. The first is to comb your puppy and keep dunking the comb in hot soapy water to kill any fleas you catch. The second is to vacuum all rugs, dog bedding, and anywhere the puppy stays. Fleas live in the carpet not on the dog. They just jump on the dog to feed. 

I have a few blog posts and an article related to this if you are interested. jGood luck!


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## jyeh74 (Jul 14, 2009)

Sure, i would love to read up on it. Seems like everyone says get Frontline. But I have seen some dogs get rashes from it.


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