Dog flea baths & tick checks in southern Maine.
Maine ticks don't take the winter off, and one flea in the house becomes a hundred in three weeks. The advantage of a mobile flea bath is simple: it all happens in the trailer, not your bathroom.
from $25 as an add-on · from $60 as a standalone flea bath & comb-out
What's Included
What a flea & tick visit includes
Medicated flea shampoo
A vet-style flea shampoo worked to the skin and left to sit for the full contact time. Rushing this step is why home flea baths so often fail.
Fine-comb pass
A flea comb through the neck, base of tail, belly and groin — where fleas and flea dirt actually live — so we can show you what came off.
Full-body tick check
Ears, in the ear folds, armpits, groin, between every toe, and under the collar. Southern Maine is deer tick country and they hide well.
Safe tick removal
Ticks come out with a proper tick tool, straight out, head and all. We'll bag one for you if you want it identified by your vet.
Skin soothing rinse
Flea bites itch for days after the fleas are gone. An oatmeal or medicated conditioning rinse takes the edge off inflamed skin.
Contained cleanup
Everything — water, fur, fleas — stays in the trailer and leaves with us. No infested bathtub, no fur in your drain.
Good To Know
Fleas and ticks on the southern Maine coast
Deer ticks are established throughout York and Cumberland counties, and they are active any day the temperature is above freezing — including thaws in January. Dogs pick them up in tall grass, leaf litter, and the brushy edges of trails and dunes. Most tick-borne disease transmission takes time after attachment, which is why a systematic check after every groom, and after every hike, matters more than any product.
Fleas are a different problem: an infestation is mostly not on your dog. The adults you see are a small fraction of a population living as eggs and larvae in carpet, bedding, and the cracks of hardwood. A flea bath kills what's on the dog that day — it will not solve the house. Treating the dog, the home, and every other pet at once is the only thing that works.
That's the honest limitation we tell every customer: we're the grooming half of the solution. A flea bath plus a vet-prescribed preventative plus a house treatment is the combination that ends it. A flea bath alone is a good day followed by a bad month.
One more coastal note: dogs who swim daily need their preventative timed around it. Topical treatments have a window before they're waterproof, so tell your vet how much your dog swims.
- Deer ticks are active here any day above freezing
- Most fleas in an infestation live in your house, not on the dog
- Treat dog, home, and all pets at once or it comes back
- Everything stays contained in the trailer
Our Process
How a flea bath goes
Same order, every appointment, in the trailer in your driveway. Typical visit: About 45–60 minutes, one dog at a time.
Inspection before water
We comb and part the coat dry to see what we're dealing with and to find ticks before they're hidden by lather.
Tick removal
Any attached ticks come out first with a tick tool, and we note where each one was so you can watch the site.
The medicated bath
Flea shampoo, worked from the neck backward so fleas can't retreat to the head, and left on for the full contact time.
Thorough rinse
Medicated product left in the coat is a recipe for itch. We rinse well past the point it looks clean.
Comb-out while damp
A fine flea comb through the damp coat lifts flea dirt and stragglers. You get to see exactly what came off your dog.
Dry, soothe, and a plan
Low-heat hand dry, a soothing rinse on bitten skin, and a straight conversation about what to do at home and what to ask your vet.
From The Driveway
What neighbors say.
"Found three ticks on our shepherd we'd completely missed, including one in an ear fold. That alone is worth the appointment."
"Our rescue came home with fleas. They did the bath in the driveway so it never got into the house. Straight advice about treating the rest too."
"Beach dog, tall grass, constant ticks. Their check is far more thorough than mine ever was."
Where We Go
Twelve towns, one trailer.
We bring this service to every town on the southern Maine coast we serve — no travel fee inside the area.
Breeds We Groom
Coat-specific care, too.
Every coat behaves differently. These guides cover what we do differently for each breed.
Also Worth Reading
Services that pair with this.
FAQ
Questions we get asked.
- Will one flea bath get rid of the fleas?
- It will get rid of the fleas on your dog today. It will not get rid of the fleas in your house, and most of them are in your house — as eggs and larvae in carpet, bedding and floor cracks. A flea bath, a vet-prescribed preventative, and treating the home and every other pet at the same time is the combination that actually ends an infestation.
- How much does a flea bath cost?
- It's $25 as an add-on to a bath & brush or full groom, or from $60 as a standalone flea bath and comb-out. Heavily infested or very large dogs may run higher because it's genuinely more shampoo and more time.
- Do you check for ticks?
- Every dog, every visit, at no extra charge — ears and ear folds, armpits, groin, between the toes, and under the collar. Attached ticks are removed with a proper tool, and we'll bag one for your vet if you want it identified.
- Is flea shampoo safe for puppies?
- Not all of it. Puppies under twelve weeks need a different, much gentler approach, and we'll usually recommend a plain warm bath plus manual combing and a conversation with your vet rather than a medicated product. Tell us your puppy's age when you book.
- Can you groom a dog that currently has fleas?
- Yes — that's exactly what this service is for, and it's better done in our trailer than in your bathroom. Just tell us when you book so we can schedule you appropriately and sanitize thoroughly afterward.
- When are ticks worst in Maine?
- Peak activity is spring through early summer and again in the fall, but adult deer ticks are out any day it's above freezing. We check year-round for that reason.
Reading we recommend
- Maine CDC — tick-borne diseases — State data on where and when ticks are active in Maine.
- AVMA: external parasites and your pet — Veterinary guidance on fleas, ticks and preventatives.
Ready when your pup is.
Pick your service, pick your town, and we'll roll into your driveway within the week.