How to treat and prevent fleas in puppies.

Reviewed by Dr Sylvia Shortreed BVSc

Fleas can affect your dog at any age – even your puppy can be at risk. Using a flea treatment for puppies is an important way to protect your dog, and your household, from fleas. Find out when it’s safe to start treatment.

Flea bites quickly cause discomfort, prompting your puppy to scratch. Scratching can lead to skin irritation, which can potentially lead to skin infections.

Additionally, if many fleas are present, very young puppies can become anaemic due to blood loss from fleas and that can, in extreme cases, prove fatal.

Administering a flea treatment is an easy way to deal with fleas not only if they have already taken hold, but also to prevent flea infestations. Keep in mind, however, that using some flea treatments on a puppy that is too young can be harmful. Learn how to use these treatments properly to effectively protect your puppy against fleas.

Minimum age for flea treatments

Understanding the appropriate age to begin flea treatment is crucial in keeping your puppy safe and healthy. The recommended minimum age for administering flea treatments will vary depending on the product, and it is therefore important to check each product’s specific age and weight guidelines before use.

Administering flea treatments on young puppies can pose potential risks. The developing organs of a very young puppy may not be able to metabolise and eliminate the ingredients found in many flea treatments, with the potential to cause harmful effects. In addition, many of these products do not have safety studies available for use on young puppies. Always follow product guidelines to avoid any adverse effects on your new family member and choose the appropriate flea product for your puppy’s weight and age.

Very young puppies still nursing from mum

Considering the guidelines for the minimum age of flea treatments, you may wonder how you can protect your very young puppies from a flea infestation. This is where the mother's role comes into play.

In the early weeks of a puppy's life, while they're still nursing and in close contact with their mother, the best way to keep them protected is by treating the mother with a product registered for use in lactating dogs. Using a flea treatment on the mother, such as Advantage™, can extend protection to her puppies as well. This is because the mother's treatment is able to ward off fleas from her immediate vicinity, thus creating a protective bubble around her litter. The close contact and suckling between mother and pup further aids in this passive form of flea protection. Advantix^TM is another product that is safe to use on pregnant or lactating dogs.

It's important to note that this form of protection is temporary and passive. It doesn't mean that the puppy is immune to fleas, but rather that they're less likely to encounter them while under the care of a treated mother.

Treating older puppies

Once your puppy is weaned, or in the case of an orphaned puppy, it is safe to apply Advantage directly onto your puppy as it is safe to use from birth. When your pup is over 7 weeks of age, you can choose between several products to protect your puppy from fleas. Advocate™,  Advantix and Seresto™ are all good options, depending on which other parasites you need to control at the same time.

Advantage is a spot-on flea preventive applied directly to your pup’s skin. It provides comprehensive flea protection by killing adult fleas on your pup and flea larvae in their surroundings. The active ingredient (imidacloprid) kills fleas on contact, which means fleas don’t have to bite your pet for the treatment to work. Advantage kills fleas already on your pet within 12 hours of application and kills reinfesting fleas within just 1 hour.

Advocate, Advantix and Seresto have the same super flea-killing ingredient as Advantage, but they also do more. Advocate treats fleas, mites, and intestinal worms, and protects against heartworm disease. Advantix treats fleas, ticks and biting insects and Seresto treats fleas, lice and ticks. Another fantastic option for puppies from 8 weeks of age is Credelio™ PLUS tasty chews, which protect your puppy from fleas, ticks, mites, heartworm disease and intestinal worms with monthly dosing.

Have a look at the product information for these products or call our Customer Care line on 1800 995 709 to help decide which is best for your puppy to combat the parasites where you live.

By understanding and using appropriate flea prevention from the start, you’re setting your pup up for a lifetime of freedom from flea infestations when administered as recommended.

More treatment methods for puppies

While there are a variety of standard flea treatments and preventive measures available, some pet owners may want to reduce fleas present on their puppy with some additional methods. A flea comb can be a handy and immediate measure to physically remove fleas from your puppy's fur, providing them with some immediate relief. However, it is more of an adjunctive method rather than a stand-alone solution. While it can help in monitoring the effectiveness of flea treatments and alert you to any ongoing issues, it doesn't offer a long-term solution to prevent flea infestations. This tool is best used as part of a more comprehensive flea control strategy, along with other veterinarian-recommended treatments.

Some owners might use flea shampoos, especially for very young or heavily infested puppies. These can provide temporary relief, but they don't prevent new infestations. Always ensure any product you use is suitable for your puppy's age and size.

Always read the label and follow directions.