Could frontline not work because my dog has a skin problem?

I ask because I use front line on dog and put it on correctly but poor thing still gets fleas fairly bad, my cat however isn't on anything and doesn't get them at all. Even after ill get fleas off of dog and he will be free for a week or so he still will scratch and be up all night. Could allergies or skin problem make fleas worse?





He's a 6 yr old poodle

Could frontline not work because my dog has a skin problem?
You can assume these are the dog flea species, which is why the cat doesn't have them - dog fleas won't bite cats, which is why they're not as common as cat fleas, which bite everything.





I've never thought about it, but I suppose in theory excessively dry skin WOULD stop Frontline spreading - it spreads through the sebaceous glands, so if they're not producing, this in theory would cause a problem.





It sounds like you're doing everything right, so this is tough. Glad you're working with a vet though - let them help you. I can only suggest switching to one of the other veterinary spot-ons like Advocate (just in case it isn't dry skin being the problem) and maybe switching your house treatment. Does sound like there's a skin problem here that needs to be got to the bottom of.





There's always Capstar, that'll work for you if you vet can supply it, as it's non topical. It's not a preventative, but will provide short-term relief while you get to the bottom of the problem.





Chalice
Reply:Frontline or Advantage works on all dogs. I have a dog with extremely dry skin and she scrates all the time.


The Vet said to give her a Benadryl 3-4 times a day and put a little bit of oil in her food (Veg oil, canola oil)


The only other solution would be to have the vet give you cortozine pills but they will eventually kill his/her liver so I do not use them.
Reply:I know Frontline is sold as being one of the most recommended products for fleas out there but I honestly haven't met anyone that its worked for. My gf uses it on her beagle and golden retriever and I tried it on my shih tzu. They all still had fleas.





So far, the one that's worked best for me is Revolution. Plus its heartworm medicine as well.





These meds work in pets just like a prescription works for you. It may work better for some than others. Try switching.
Reply:It could be allergies, we had an allergic golden a while back. You might have to change your dog's diet if thats the case. You should ask your vet about it. You should also consider switching back and forth between frontline and another one like advantage. This will probably help if your dog's skin is sensitive, and it would also help combat the flea problem.
Reply:No, the fleas and flea bites would make the skin issues worse. But the front line is applied to the coat and eventually the medicine travels down the back towards the base of the tail. I would take that front line package back for a new one, perhaps this batch was expired or not working? Then treat all areas of the house to kill the fleas and the eggs including the bedding, carpet, outdoors, etc. And how did you determine he has a recurrence of fleas? Have you actually seen them on the dog ? It sounds like skin problems like allergies so you will want to address that first.
Reply:From what I hear, Frontline is not near as effective as a lot of people think. Try switching.
Reply:i never had a problem with frontline. you're not bathing your dog within 3 days of putting it on right?
Reply:You might want to try Capstar. It is a pill and it is pricey but you don't have to give it everyday but it will kill the fleas on your dog until you can get to a vet who will help you find a product that will work. A good bath on are regular basis will help too. You don't need a flea shampoo just something good like Neem Protect Shampoo. Good luck!
Reply:I have 4 German Shepherd Dogs and use Frontline on all but one. The three males do well with Frontline, but for some reason it just does not seem to work on the female. For her I have to use Advantix. Maybe Frontline just does not work with your dog's body chemistry. Try something else.
Reply:\the weather aggravates dry skin during the winter. if you shampoo wait at least a week so dogs ph levels can stabilize and i find advatage a better monthly treatment stays in the blood system to disrupt flea cycle but if your not treating dag and cat symotaniously your not benefitting either since the treatments are absorbed into either animal individually