Controlling Fleas in Your Home
Fleas can be a major problem for dogs and their owners. Even if they never leave the house, dogs can be exposed to these blood-sucking parasites. Preventing flea infestations is the best protection against them. Comfortis® (spinosad) for dogs starts killing fleas within 30 minutes, before they can lay eggs. And Comfortis lasts a whole month — it can't be washed, rubbed or shaken off.
Why are fleas so hard to control?
Once in your home, a female flea can produce 40–50 eggs per day,1 so even a few fleas can quickly turn into a major infestation. Flea larvae turn into pupae, which are generally more impervious to flea control products applied to the animal or its environment. Adult fleas erupt out of their pupal stage, or cocoon, and quickly find a host, such as your dog. Because these cocoons can be found almost anywhere, including your own living room, it seems to pet owners that fleas appear out of nowhere. (Learn more about the flea life cycle.)
This is why it's important to treat fleas as quickly as possible and to make sure your dog is protected, even before she encounters fleas.
What you can do to control flea infestations
Even with flea protection for your dog, you still want to be sure your household is rid of fleas that were hidden in egg, larva or pupa stages when you treated your dog. The most effective means of controlling severe environmental flea infestations is the use of a pest management specialist (exterminator).
If you discover fleas in your home:
- Consult your veterinarian. Your veterinarian is your best source of information about flea control for your dog. Depending on your individual situation, your veterinarian might make specific recommendations.
- Eliminate fleas on your dog. Comfortis kills fleas quickly, providing fast relief.
- Eliminate fleas in your home. While treating your dog is an important step, you should also kill fleas in your home to prevent family members and any unprotected pets that visit your home from becoming infested. In the sidebar on the left, see suggestions for killing fleas in your home.
- Prevent future infestations. Once-monthly Comfortis kills fleas before they can lay eggs. A key to preventing infestations is making sure other pets in the household are protected, too. See other Elanco products for controlling fleas.
Comfortis offers convenient, month-long flea protection for your dog.
Ask your veterinarian about Comfortis flavored, chewable flea protection for dogs.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for discussion points you might find useful to cover with your veterinarian.
Or visit our Why Comfortis? page to view video testimonials from veterinary professionals about the many benefits of Comfortis.
