Ask Dr Fiona

My 28 day old puppies have fleas what can I do for them. Help please.

Fleas can be a real problem for puppies. Fleas feed on blood so they can cause life threatening anaemia in vulnerable puppies very quickly. It is important to get rid of any fleas on puppies as soon as possible.

You can safely use Frontline Spray on a puppy from 2 days of age.This will kill any fleas. See how to do this here.

You should also give your puppies a warm bath and get rid of any dead or dying fleas and flea dirt. Make sure you dry your puppies thoroughly with a towel and keep them warm after the bath.

Don’t forget, you will also need to treat their mother as she may be the source of the fleas. A topical treatment that is safe for lactating bitches (such as Frontline Plus) can be used on the mother. Do not put this directly on to the puppies as it is not safe for puppies.

You will need to treat the environment as the adult fleas will have laid eggs and these have the potential to hatch and cause re-infection. Vacuum thoroughly and empty the vacuum bag immediately. You should also wash all bedding on a hot wash setting to destroy remaining eggs.

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Chat soon,
Dr Fi