How to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs (and in Your Home)

How to tell if your dog has fleas

Watch for scratching, chewing, or nibbling, especially around the lower back, the base of the tail, and the back legs. Part the fur in those areas and look for small, fast-moving brown insects. More often you will see flea dirt: tiny black specks like ground pepper. Put some on a damp white paper towel, and if it turns reddish-brown, it is digested blood from fleas.

Some dogs are allergic to flea saliva, so one bite can cause days of intense itching, hair loss, and scabs, even when you cannot find a single flea. Fleas can also give dogs tapeworms when swallowed during grooming, and heavy infestations can cause anemia in puppies and small dogs.

Step 1: Treat your dog with a proven product

Ask your vet for a flea treatment that suits your dog's age, weight, health, and lifestyle. Modern chewables, spot-ons, and collars kill fleas quickly, and many also protect against ticks. Follow the label exactly and use the product for your dog's weight range. Flea shampoos and combs remove fleas on the day but do not stop new ones.

Never use a dog flea product on a cat. Some dog products contain permethrin, which is highly toxic to cats, even from close contact with a freshly treated dog. Do not combine products or use human insect repellents unless your vet says so, and be wary of natural remedies, many of which have no evidence behind them.

Step 2: Treat every pet in the house

If one pet has fleas, assume they all do. Every dog and cat in the home needs treatment at the same time, including indoor-only cats, or the untreated animal keeps the infestation going. Rabbits, ferrets, and other small pets need products made for them, so check with your vet before using anything on them.

Keep treating on schedule, usually monthly, for at least three months after the last flea is seen. The flea life cycle means new adults keep emerging from the home for weeks, and stopping early is the most common reason infestations come back.

Step 3: Treat your home

Wash your dog's bedding, blankets, and any washable throws in hot water every few days at first, and dry on high heat. A washable dog bed with a removable cover is much easier to keep up with during that routine. Vacuum carpets, rugs, furniture, and the edges of rooms daily, including under cushions and in the car, then empty the vacuum or throw the bag away outside. Vibration from vacuuming also encourages pupae to hatch so the treatment can reach them.

For a heavy infestation, ask your vet about a household spray that contains an insect growth regulator, which stops eggs and larvae developing. Follow the instructions carefully, keep pets and children out of treated rooms until dry, and cover fish tanks. A pest control service can help in severe cases.

Step 4: Treat the yard

Fleas thrive in shady, humid spots outdoors, such as under decks, porches, and shrubs, and where wildlife or stray cats rest. Mow the lawn regularly, rake away leaves, and avoid overwatering. Keep garbage sealed so raccoons, opossums, and other animals that carry fleas are not drawn into the yard.

Focus any outdoor treatment on the shaded areas where your dog likes to lie rather than open, sunny lawn, which is too hot and dry for flea larvae. Check with your vet or a pest professional before using yard products, and keep your dog off treated areas until the label says it is safe.

When to call your vet

Call your vet if your dog has scabs, hair loss, red or broken skin, or hot spots, or is scratching so much it cannot rest. A skin infection or flea allergy may need prescription treatment as well as flea control. Mention it, too, if you see small rice-like segments around your dog's rear, which are tapeworms.

Get help promptly for a puppy, a small dog, or an elderly dog with a heavy infestation who seems weak or has pale gums, because flea anemia can be serious. If your cat has been exposed to a dog flea product, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 right away; a fee may apply.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.