Rescue dog flea treatment — protecting resident dogs

Bringing a rescue dog into a home where your two resident dogs are already treated is actually a really common flash point — you've done the right thing for your existing dogs, but the newcomer is an unknown quantity and could easily reintroduce fleas even if your current pets are protected. Worth knowing upfront: treating fleas properly means treating the dog AND the home, because roughly 95% of fleas live in carpets, bedding, and soft furnishings rather than on the animal itself — so one product alone rarely gets the job done. To point you in the right direction: what breed and size is the rescue dog, how long have they been with you, and have you seen any flea activity on them or around the house yet?

Good news that your Spaniel and terrier are on Bravecto — that's solid protection and they should be well covered. The priority now is treating your rescue girl quickly before anything has a chance to take hold in your home. She'll need her own spot-on or oral treatment, and because her history is unknown, I'd treat her immediately rather than waiting to confirm a live infestation. Can I ask — has she been vet-checked since you brought her home, and do you know if the rescue centre gave her any flea treatment before rehoming her?

That's a fairly typical answer from rescues, unfortunately — it's well-intentioned but leaves you with an unknown treatment date and an unknown product. If she was treated in the last two to three weeks with something like Advocate or Advantage, she may still have some cover, but I wouldn't rely on it. For a 22kg dog with an uncertain history, I'd recommend Advantage 100 spot-on. It's applied to the back of the neck, kills adult fleas on contact within 24 hours, is safe to use alongside what your other dogs are on, and you don't need a prescription to get it. Given the Bravecto your other dogs are on covers ticks too, Advantage keeps things consistent without doubling up unnecessarily. Apply it today if you can, and keep her bedding separate and freshly washed for the next week. Alongside that, I'd strongly suggest treating your home with Indorex Defence Household Flea Spray — one can covers up to 150 square metres, kills flea eggs and larvae for up to 12 months, and will deal with anything she may have dropped in the two days she's been with you. Do that before her vet appointment and you'll go in with the situation already under control.

Yes, Indorex is safe to use in a multi-pet household — you just need to keep all pets and people out of the treated rooms for around 30 minutes while it dries, then air the rooms well. Once dry it's fine. As for what to spray: yes, definitely do all soft furnishings — sofas, rugs, and the base of curtains — not just carpets. Fleas love to drop off into fabric at skirting-board height, so spray along the edges of rooms and under furniture too. Wash all the dogs' bedding at 60 degrees on the same day you spray. Your resident dogs' beds should be included even though they're on Bravecto, because eggs in fabric don't care which dog is protected. Do it all on the same day and you're cutting off every stage of the lifecycle at once.

Definitely mention it — just tell them you applied Advantage 100 on the date you used it and they'll factor that into any recommendations. Most vets will be glad you acted quickly rather than waiting. They may well suggest moving her onto the same prescription product as your other dogs once she's registered as a patient, which is worth doing for simplicity — but Advantage will have done its job by then. You're handling this exactly right.