Saying Farewell To Fleas And Ticks Made Easier With The Best Dog Flea Treatment Methods
Fleas - an itchy nuisance? It would be unfair to call it just that. Both fleas and ticks are potential sources of ailments in your pooches. From developing skin allergies via flea saliva to fever, swollen joints, and anemia from ticks and bites respectively; contracting fleas and ticks is plain bad news. Being a dog mom or dad, having an insight into the pet’s problems, hygiene, and health status and how to maintain them is vital. Learn more about the finest dog flea treatment in 2023 in the section ahead.
Irrespective of carrying no experience in dog ownership or having had a furry companionship for a long time, keeping yourself aware enough to maintain your puppy’s hygiene and flea-free is essential. Investing in the right dog flea treatment methods is equally imperative hence proper research into it is necessitated before you directly administer the medication without evaluating your pet’s needs. We have simplified the selection process for you by putting together some of the top picks after a comprehensive review and research.
Finding The Appropriate Dog Flea Treatment Options: A Buyer’s Guide
Consult your veterinarian before purchasing a flea repellent for your dog. Their recommendations as to which product is appropriate for your dog would be predicated on the temperament, requirements, and lifestyle of your pet, as well as the parasites that are prevalent in your area.
Before we dive into the buying process, let us make sure you are up to speed on the fundamentals. We have put together a buying guide for you all to ease up this course.
Safety and Efficacy
It is the single most important attribute that must never be compromised upon. Ensure that you are picking only FDA- or EPA-approved goods for your pet’s care. Always examine the labels and instructions to confirm the safety and efficacy before making a purchase.
Parasitic Coverage
As a general rule, the greater the coverage of a product, the more it is preferred over a product that kills or repels relatively lesser fleas, ticks, and other parasites. Most of the agents require a prescription.
Ease of Use
You would certainly want to choose the products that are easy to use as opposed to the competing items; hence they also receive better ratings from customers. For example, if the dog owner must use protective gear to apply the product or if children and pets must be kept away from the medicated animal for a certain period of time, the product loses its convenience point for many.
Age and Weight Cutoff
Going for preventives that can be used in younger animals can cater to your needs better if you own many dogs spanning across a wide age group. One product can resolve multiple concomitant issues altogether! You would also find better ratings attached with products bearing lower age and weight cutoff when comparing similar products.
Active Ingredients
When choosing a flea treatment, Mike Merchant, Ph.D., a professor and entomologist at the Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Service in Dallas, advocates eradicating not only adult fleas but also their eggs or larvae. Insecticides containing S-methoprene, for example, induce fleas to produce sterile eggs, preventing the larval flea from developing normally. Frontline Plus and PetArmor Plus from our recommendation list all contain s-methoprene.
Types of Flea and Tick Control
Depending on the needs of dogs, you can determine the mode of administration of the medication accordingly; oral, topical, or collar.
For oral infestations
After the medicine is transmitted to a parasite while it is feeding, oral flea and tick treatments that had been absorbed via the gut into the bloodstream destroy it. Tablets, pills, and chewable drugs are examples of oral medications.
Some oral flea-control medications may manifest their protective effects for up to a month or more, while others must be taken more often, as much as once a day, to maintain the flea-free state.
Topical therapy
It is applied topically or as a spot-on on regions where animals cannot reach them, using a pipette, such as between their shoulder blades. These agents are effective at both killing and repelling parasites as the active constituents are absorbed into the dog’s bloodstream, skin glands, or fat layer beneath the skin, killing living fleas and preventing new infestations.
With the usual applications needed only monthly to the skin on the back of the neck in one location, some might last longer.
Collars
Flea and tick collars typically last longer than spot-on and chewable flea and tick treatments. Collars, designed to treat and prevent flea and tick infestations, function by releasing an active chemical that is embedded within the collar itself when it comes into touch with your pet’s skin.
Some flea collars outlast topical flea treatments, providing a solid option for dog owners who cannot keep up with regular topical applications.
Flea spray
Flea spray is applied to the skin and coat to kill fleas. Flea sprays are not recommended because topical spot-on and oral medicines are more convenient and effective.
Flea shampoos
These eliminate fleas on your dog instantly; however, these are not advised for chronic use. Considering topical spot-on and oral medications are easier to administer and more efficacious, we do not advocate flea shampoos in place of other preventatives.
Safety Precautions
- Consult your veterinarian before using any flea or tick treatment. This is especially important if your dog is old or sick, pregnant, allergic to such products, has had seizures in the past, or is on additional medications.
- Comply with the directions. It is not a good idea to use dog products on a cat because it could be fatal. Only use as much as is required for your pet’s size. Never buy two of the same thing. It is not necessary to use a powder in conjunction with a spot-on treatment.
- After applying the medicine, put on gloves or wash your hands with soap and water. Follow the packaging storage and disposal directions carefully.
Leading Dog Flea Treatment
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Home Spray
– Best Overall
Vet’s Best specializes in amalgamating various plant-based elements together to treat and safeguard your pet. Vet’s Best flea and tick home spray for dogs is formulated to combat flea infestations using the quality natural plant extracts, including a special blend of certified natural peppermint oil and Eugenol from clove plants.
Flea sprays can be used to target certain sections of the house as well as your dog. It is safe to use around dogs and cats that are at least 12 weeks old. With its coverage of both indoor and outdoor use; baseboards, pet bedding, pillows, blankets, upholstery, carpets, rugs, and kennels are all the items that the spray can be used upon.
- All-natural, no pesticide constitution makes it 100% safe for use
- Non-staining formula
- No fragrance added
- Massage into fur is needed
Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Treatment
– Runner Up
The Frontline Plus Flea & Tick Spot Treatment is excellent for larger dogs. This fast-acting formula effectively kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, chewing lice, and ticks in dogs weighing 45 to 88 pounds.
Its two main components, fipronil and (S)-methoprene, exert long-lasting effects by altering the life span of fleas and preventing subsequent infestations. 1 dose exhibits its effects for about a month.
It is effortless to administer because all you have to do is put it onto your dog. Place the tip of the applicator above the skin and dab the contents of the applicator in a specific region across your dog’s shoulder blades. It is preferable not to apply over of the hair coat and to stay well away from it until it is completely dried.
- Instantly effective thereby causing quick relief from fleas
- Easy to use; requires a single application for optimal results
- Waterproof; it does not necessitate re-applications if the dog gets wet
- Leaves greasy residue on fur
- Expensive than its alternatives
Capstar Oral Flea and Tick Treatment
– Honorable Mention
These Capstar Flea Tablets offer a fast-acting flea treatment for your dog that delivers immediate relief. They are particularly successful in getting rid of fleas in dogs since they are formulated with the active component Nitenpyram. These fast-acting tablets begin working in 30 minutes and kill adult fleas in four hours with a 90% effectiveness rate.
The pills are compact and easy to consume, rendering them appropriate for pups aged four weeks and higher. While the tablets are little, a single dose is powerful enough to exterminate any parasitic infection in minutes, thereby alleviating the scratch and pain your dog is afflicted with.
- Offers long-lasting protection
- Small tablets that are easy to consume
- 90% success rate
- Slightly pricier than its contemporaries
Solimo Flea and Tick Topical Treatment
– Also Consider
Solimo is a topical flea and ticks preventative for dogs with active substances constituted in the relative ratio of Fipronil 9.8% (s)-methoprene 8.8%, and other ingredients 81.40%. The onset of function starts within 24 hours and it eliminates fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice effectively for up to 30 days.
The medications come in tiny, multi-packs. You are required to cut the narrow end of the tube while holding it with the pointed end tilted up and squeeze the tube tightly to ensure that all of the liquid is applied to your pet’s skin.
- Waterproof; rain or bathing do not affect the application even after 24 hours
- A fast-acting, long-lasting treatment
- As per some customers, this topical treatment is not the most effective option
Destroy anything that comes between you and your dog, least of all fleas and ticks. PetArmor for Dogs is guaranteed to effectively kill adult fleas, ticks, and chewing lice for up to 3 days. PetArmor is an easy-to-use, waterproof, fast-acting topical preventive that can help you stop an existing flea or tick infestation quickly.
It is yet another trusted, excellent formula that contains the same active components as FRONTLINE Plus for Dogs, fipronil, and (S)-methoprene. PetArmor Plus for Dogs has a potent solution that reduces fleas in as little as 24 hours. It works by thoroughly ending the flea life cycle, unlike other flea and tick treatments that may momentarily decrease flea activity. To avert re-infestation, it kills flea eggs and larvae too.
- Added protection against deer tick, brown dog ticks, American dog ticks
- Easy to apply
- Water-proof; offers longevity in protection (up to 6 months)
- The constituents provide high efficacy
- Illness incurred after multiple uses as per some customers (refer to a vet for prescription)
People Also Asked
A: Yes. Even though the possibility of your pets getting infested with fleas lowers over the winter months, global warming has resulted in milder winters, allowing fleas to thrive in the environment for longer periods of time. While central heating is responsible for fleas’ survival indoors in homes. As a result, it is necessary to watch over your pets for flea infestations and keep your pets safe all year round.
A: Yes. If your pets come in contact with an untreated pet visiting your home, or if you or an acquaintance brings in flea eggs or cocoons clinging onto shoes or clothing, even an indoor pet can become a victim to fleas.
A: Despite receiving successful treatment for fleas, some fleas may still have time to lay eggs before they die. Flea eggs can mature into new fleas in as little as 14 days, so it is crucial to deal with them as well. The majority of flea products are only effective against fleas on your pet therefore, look up the right products that kill fleas and ticks, while also preventing flea eggs from hatching and infesting your home, thereby resolving both problems altogether.
A: There are no known health hazards associated with anti-flea products during pregnancy. However, avoiding direct contact with chemicals during pregnancy is a solid rule of thumb.
