Flea and Tick Prevention Products: If you consider yourself a proud dog parent, it’s likely that your four-legged friend is as important to you as any other family member. Consequently, their well-being and happiness becomes your primary concern. Few things can devastate both of those faster than fleas and ticks, which is why prevention and protection are necessary.
There are a lot of different products that can help your dog avoid fleas and ticks, but how do you know which one is the best fleas and ticks prevention product? That’s why, we’ve put together a list of the best flea and tick prevention for dogs, as recommended by veterinarians and other pet owners. The products range from tasty treats to lotions that you put on your dog’s skin.
Before initiating any treatment for your pet, always consult with your veterinarian to make sure it is a good fit for your dog. Possibly, what works for others may not work for your dog. Do some research and then confirm with your vet if it’s the best option for you.
Importance of Flea and Tick Prevention Products:
Flea and tick prevention products are essential not only for your dog’s comfort and health, but they can also help to prevent the transmission of flea and tick-borne diseases. Conversely, Ticks can “transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis to humans.” Severe health complications, including anemia and death, may result from uncontrolled flea infestations.
Preventative medicines like tablets, chews, shampoos, and ointments can lower these risks before your dog gets infected.
7 Best Flea and Tick Prevention Products for dogs:
1. Best Overall: Simparica Trio Chews for Dogs
Simparica Trio lets most dog parents give their dog one monthly preventive. Like Simparica, it provides long-lasting, efficient tick and flea protection and two active components to prevent heartworm and intestinal worms.
The trio of sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel in Simparica Trio prevents heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, fleas, and ticks, including five commonly found in the United States: the Lone Star tick, Gulf Coast tick, American Dog tick, black-legged tick, and Brown Dog tick. Furthermore, this FDA-approved preventive blocks Lyme disease-causing infections.
Simparica has one active component, sarolaner, and six formulations for different dog weights. Standard Simparica is cheaper than Trio, but we think the comprehensive heartworm and intestinal parasite coverage is worth it for most purchasers, and it’s cheaper in combination than a solo heartworm treatment.
Simparica Trio protects dogs from parasites and infections within hours after consumption and outlasts 30 days. Simparica Trio is available in six weight-based sizes and requires a veterinarian’s prescription. It is suitable for puppies as young as eight weeks old and weighing at least 2.8 pounds.
Price at time of publish: $181 (44.1 to 88 pounds, six doses)
Prescription Required: Yes | Active Ingredients: Sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrante | Effective Against: Fleas, ticks, heart worm, roundworms, and hookworms | Delivery Method: Chewable
2. Best Non-Prescription Topical: Frontline Plus For Dogs Flea & Tick Spot Treatment
When it comes to flea and tick prevention , we recommend checking with your veterinarian and finding a prescription medication. “Products prescribed by veterinarians are the best to use [for flea and tick prevention]. “Veterinarians can suggest which product will work best for your pet and how to use it properly.”
The greatest non-prescription alternative is Frontline Plus. However, though more difficult to apply than a chewable, it’s a well-tested, effective, and often veterinarian-recommended tick and flea killer.
The active ingredients, FIPRONIL and (S)-methoprene kill adult fleas and ticks and flea eggs and larvae in this topical medication. Furthermore, by disrupting flea life cycles at multiple stages, Frontline can lessen local infestations,helping to keep your dog from getting fleas. Also chews lice and sarcoptic mites.
How to apply it:
To use Frontline, you open a little tube and squeeze the contents into an area of skin between your dog’s shoulder blades—a region they can’t lick. The mixture is absorbed by the oil glands and provides a full month of protection. Keep your dog dry for at least 24 hours after medication to ensure the product has soaked in. After that, your dog is safe to swim with other pets and children.
Price at time of publish: $63 (22-44, six doses)
Prescription required: No | Active ingredients: Fipronil and (S)-methropene | Effective against: Fleas in all stages, ticks, chewing lice, and sarcoptic mites | Delivery method: Topical
3. Best for Puppies: NexGard Soft Chew for Dogs
Puppies as young as eight weeks old can be given NexGard Soft Chew for Dogs, as long as they weigh a minimum of four pounds. The beef-flavored monthly chewables are extremely effective against fleas and ticks. And, unlike other topical treatments, it’s fine if your dog gets wet right after eating a chew.
NexGard is FDA-approved and highly efficient in preventing Lyme disease-causing infections. NexGard’s primary ingredient, afoxolaner, is absorbed into the bloodstream after ingestion and kills fleas and ticks, including the Lone Star, black-legged, American dog, and brown dog varieties.
NexGard comes in four sizes, and you should choose the weight range that best fits your dog.
Although NexGard is safe for most dogs, it may cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, and itching. Another medicine in this class, the sarolaner in Simparica and Simparica Trio, has not been studied for pregnant dogs.
Price at time of publish: $148 (24.1-60 pounds, six doses)
Prescription Required: Yes | Active Ingredients: Afoxolaner | Effective Against: Fleas and ticks | Delivery method: Chewable
4. Best Shampoo: Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo with Precor
Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo blends potent flea and tick prevention components pyrethrin, s-methropene, and butoxide with itch and skin-soothing ingredients aloe, oatmeal, lanolin, and coconut extract to create a creamy, lightly-scented solution.
Adams Plus is great for sensitive-skinned pups and can be diluted with 2 parts water to lather. Moreover, it is recommended to use only 1⅓ tablespoons for five pounds of pet weight.
This shampoo is appropriate for dogs and puppies 12 weeks and older and comes in 12-ounce, 24-ounce, and gallon sizes. Avoid applying near the eyes.
Though effective at killing fleas, we doubt it prevents them. Adams Plus claims to limit flea growth for 28 days with an insect growth regulator. The Spruce Pets that the shampoo is “good for a current infestation but will not be an effective preventative.”
We don’t recommend Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo for cats because they’re sensitive to pyrethrin.
Price at time of publish: $15
Prescription Required: No | Active Ingredients: Pyrethrins, s-methropene, and piperonyl butoxide | Effective against: Fleas at all stages, ticks, and lice | Size: 12 ounce bottle | Delivery method: Topical
5. Best Budget: Bravecto Chews for Dogs
Bravecto is a chewable preventive that is given to dogs as a treat and is sweetened to make it more enticing. Each prescription-only chew begins killing fleas two hours after eating and provides up to 12 weeks of protection against fleas and ticks. That’s three months of coverage on one chew. Bravecto is thus one of the most cost-effective solutions for flea and tick control all summer.
It is effective against parasites present in the United States, such as black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, brown dog ticks, and Lone Star ticks. However, if Lone Star ticks are an issue in your area, you might consider feeding your dog a Bravecto chew every eight weeks to keep your dog safe against the aggressive ticks.
The chew doesn’t kill parasites on contact, but a topical prophylactic may be difficult to apply to Collies and Shih Tzus’ thick or long coats. Bravecto may bite your dog, but the pest will die, which is good yet risky. Discuss vaccinating your dog with your vet if tick-borne Lyme illness is common.
Price at time of publish: $72 (44 to 88 pounds, one dose)
Prescription Required: Yes | Active ingredient: Fluralaner | Effective Against: Fleas and ticks | Delivery Method: Chewable
6. Best Collar: Seresto Flea & Tick Collar for Dogs
Flea collars have generally been replaced by newer treatments like chewables, but if you still want to use a flea collar on your dog, we recommend the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar. It’s efficient, simple to install, and lasts for an incredible eight months. That’s why we labeled it our favorite overall flea collar.
The Seresto Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs outperforms other flea collars in terms of efficacy, effectively targeting all life stages of the parasites. Each collar includes the active chemicals imidacloprid and flumethrin in a controlled release composition that begins functioning within 24 hours. Seresto collars cover your dog’s entire body, eradicating fleas and ticks on contact. It also kills sarcoptic infections and chewing lice. In addition, the collars are non-greasy, have no chemical odor, and come in two sizes, one for dogs under 18 pounds and one for dogs above 18 pounds.
Price at time of publish: $68 (over 18 pounds)
Prescription required: No | Active ingredients: Flumetrin, imidacloprid | Effective against: Fleas of all life stages, ticks, chewing lice, and sarcoptic mange | Delivery method: Collar
7. Best Natural: TropiClean Maximum Strength Natural Flea & Tick Dog Shampoo
When you suds up your dog’s bath with this solution, you’ll naturally repel fleas and ticks. Additionally, Tropiclean Natural Flea and Tick shampoo contains numerous natural EPA-approved flea, tick, and mosquito repellents, such as lemongrass oil, clove oil, cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, and hydrating sesame oil. The Maximum Strength variant not only works to destroy parasites (adults, larvae, and eggs) on contact, but it also smells fresh and citrus-y for up to a week after usage.
Another advantage is that it is soap-free, utilizing a coconut cleanser to clean your dog without rinsing away certain topical treatments you may have applied just before bathtime. It’s also packaged in spill-proof packaging, so you won’t waste any if it falls over. You can choose from 20-ounce or gallon-size shampoo bottles, as well as a spot treatment, collars, home, bedding, and yard sprays.
Price at time of publish: $16 (20 ounces)
Prescription required: No | Active ingredients: Lemongrass oil, cedarwood oil, clove oil, and sesame oil | Effective against: Fleas, ticks and mosquitos | Delivery method: Topical(shampoo)
Considerations When Purchasing a Flea and Tick Prevention Product
Delivery Method
Today’s popular flea and tick prevention products include topicals, oral pills, shampoos, sprays, and collars. Oral tablets are better if your dog gets wet, which can wash off topical treatments, but they’re more expensive. Topical formulas are liquids that are sprayed on the skin and fur or applied to the back of the neck. Shampoo needs reapplying many times a month. Wipes, collars, and various treatments can be applied to the ground or floors and beds.
Active Ingredients
Most products that keep fleas and ticks away have a chemical in them that kills fleas or their eggs.To find out what ingredients will work best for your dog, it’s best to consult your vet.
Longevity/Usage Frequency
Different flea and tick prevention products have different duration of effectiveness. Some require weekly applications, while others can take a month or more. This will determine how often you must reapply the medicine and how much you spend on flea and tick treatments each year.