When it comes to properly caring for your dog, there are a number of tasks that should be done on a regular basis. One of the most important of these tasks is giving your pup a bath. While most owners know that they should give their dog regular baths, there are some questions that may arise regarding how to best care for your pup following a bath. One such question is: can I put advantage on my dog after a bath?
This is an important question to consider, as using advantage on your dog following a bath has a number of benefits. Advantage is a flea and tick preventative that helps to protect your pup from these pests and the diseases they can carry. Additionally, using advantage after a bath can help to keep your pup’s coat healthy and luxurious. In this blog post, we will be exploring this question in more detail to help you make an informed decision regarding the best way to care for your pup after a bath.
How Soon Can I Bathe My Dog After Applying K9 Advantix?
It is okay to bathe your dog after K9 Advantix has been applied as long as you wait a few days. The medication must be completely absorbed into your dog’s skin, which takes about 48 hours. So try to hold off bathing them for two to three days.
Immediately after application, carefully spot-clean your dog’s paws or face with a damp cloth if they become dirty. Avoid washing the area where you applied K9 Advantix with soap or shampoo because doing so could reduce the medication’s effectiveness.
When spot cleaning, be careful not to get any of the K9 Advantix solution in your dog’s mouth or eyes. If your dog consumes the product, you should call poison control or take them to an emergency vet.
How long after bathing can I apply Advantix?
As a general rule, it is best to wait at least 48 hours before bathing your pet after administering any spot-on, topical, or occasionally even oral medication. This makes it possible for the product to start functioning effectively in the case of flea and tick prevention.
At KVC, Frontline Plus (the fipronil made by Merial) has worked better. Similar to the aforementioned products, you place the solution from one pre-measured tube under the pet’s hair and onto the skin. It actually lasts a month for most pets, unlike the aforementioned products, and it endures bathing. Fipronil is oil-soluble, not water-soluble. When you apply it, it spreads throughout the body through the skin oil. The extra drips into the hair follicles’ oil glands. Certainly you can scrub it off with soap and water. You are aware of how parched your skin feels after stepping out of the shower in the winter because the oil layer has been removed and nothing is left to keep the moisture in. The skin will produce an additional layer of oil even without lotion thanks to tiny glands in the hair follicles. The flea-killing agents will be present in the skin oil if Frontline has been applied to the pet. You should still have reasonable flea control for a month even with weekly baths.
Wal-Mart offers two over-the-counter products: permethrin or pyrethrin. They are also water-soluble, so a bath eliminates the product. Worse, despite stating that you can use them once per month, they fail to mention that these specific chemicals degrade quickly in sunlight and open air. If you use these products, you should probably use them weekly rather than monthly. Now, they don’t seem like such a great deal. [Note: Permethrin-containing products specifically state “do not use on cats”; doing so will result in their death. ].
Unfortunately, if that’s what you were hoping it would do, this only works if the product actually remains on the pet for the entire month. We had a woman today who believed that her dog must have multiple allergy issues requiring a lot of cortisone because she was using Advantage monthly and was able to keep fleas under control. Examination revealed that the dog had many fleas present. Bathing removes the Advantage pretty quickly, you know, so how often do you wash him?” It turns out that this dog enjoys rolling in unpleasant substances (imagine that!) and that sometimes it requires more than one bath in a single day. He certainly gets several baths per month. This instance demonstrates why it is crucial to consider the dog’s entire history when examining the issue. You need to examine that patient’s entire lifestyle.
Here is a flea emerging from its cocoon. I’d go through the whole flea life cycle, but these folks have done a lovely job for you. The point is that most of the flea’s life cycle takes place OFF the animal in the environment. Each flea lays hundreds of eggs each weak, and they fall off into the environment. Once they develop into a new flea, they can remain dormant for months in your yard, carpet, upholstery, etcetera. This is why having a flea-control product that stays on the pet for one month is so great. When they return to the flea-cocoon-infested area, and pick up new fleas (within seconds), the new fleas die before they start the cycle over again.
Now Adantage (Bayer’s imidocloprid) is a good product. When you squirt the tiny tube on the back, it spreads throughout the entire body. The substance creates tiny crystals that adhere to hair and skin and instantly kill fleas (and their eggs). They are not eliminated by a simple wetting, such as getting soaked in the rain. It does last for a month, unless… You scrub it off with soap and water. Half of the product will be used in the first bath, and the remaining half in the second bath. In terms of flea protection, the dog is now “Advantage-free” and unprotected. This is not a product you should use once a month if you bathe three times per month (much less three times per day).
FAQ
Can you put flea medicine on a dog after a bath?
For a few days prior to and following the application of spot-on flea treatment, avoid bathing your dog. There won’t be enough natural oils present if you bathe your dog before applying the medication for it to penetrate deeply into their skin.
Can I bathe my dog before applying Advantage Multi?
We recommend bathing before applying product. When the pet is towel dried, the product can be used. Advantage Multi for Dogs is still effective at preventing heartworm disease 90 minutes after treatment even if shampooing is used.
Can I put flea medicine on a wet dog?
Wait a day or two until your dog is dry and his body oils have returned, or carefully dry him so that any medication he receives won’t be diluted by being damp or wet. You can also decide to use a flea treatment that is unaffected by your dog’s moisture content, like an oral medication.
How soon after a bath can you apply Frontline?
FRONTLINE PLUS is water-fast. Before applying FRONTLINE PLUS, your pet may be bathed, but the coat must be completely dry. Do not bathe, shampoo, or allow your dog to swim for 48 hours after treatment.