One of the most common animal behaviors that we generally see in our pets is itching. Our pets scratch their bodies until they get relief, but there are times when the itch doesn’t stop. Occasional itches are fine and harmless, but when it becomes perpetual then it might be an issue. This continuous itch indicates towards flea issues in dogs. That’s why it becomes important to know the best flea tick prevention for dogs.
Every pet owner knows what fleas can do to their dogs. They are just a nightmare and can do serious damage to a dog’s health. The worst part about all this is that it is easy for any dog to contract these fleas. And getting rid of them can become a challenging task. These small creatures just stick to the skin of dogs and bury themselves in their bodies and suck their blood. So, it becomes necessary to eradicate them as soon as possible. For your surprise, getting rid of them might not be that hard. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the best flea tick preventions for dogs
Advantages of best flea tick prevention for dogs:
- Prevents skin infection and allergies.
- Getting rid of fleas and ticks can protect pets from tick fever
- Risk of Lyme disease decreases
- Tapeworm transmission gets reduced since fleas are a carrier of tapeworms
- Risk of spreading into other pets also gets diminished
- House becomes tick and germ-free
What flea medicine works best?
When it comes to fleas and eliminating them from your pet and its surroundings, then medicines are one of the best options to opt. Medicines can not only kill the fleas and prevent their further spreading, but medicines also treat your dog’s health and the harm caused by them over time.
There are many medicines on the market that can help in eliminating this issue very efficiency and precision, but not all of them are good for your pet’s health. But to make the work easy for you, I have found the best medicines that will work like charm in order to eliminate the flea issue in your pet.
How I selected the 5 best flea tick prevention for dogs:
In order to choose the best flea pills for your dog, there are certain things that should be taken into consideration:-
Safety: Flea pills available in the market are made up of certain chemicals that are designed to kill and prevent the ticks. But it is very important to know that the chemicals in the pills are safe for consumption of your dog. So before making any purchases, make sure that the pills are tested and contain an FDA seal.
Types: Different types of flea issues need to be handled in a different way. A lot of times, people don’t understand the severity of the problem. There are different types of pills available with different working. Some work by killing the parasite whereas some just prevent them from attacking your pet. Also, some of them are available over the counter, which makes it easy to make the purchase.
Convenience: If you need to remove the fleas from your pet’s body urgently (which usually happens when the pets start to itch violently), then look for the ones that are made to kill or remove the parasite instantly. Many pills work instantly, whereas some require a continuous supply of dosage over a period of time.
Bayer Animal Health Seresto Flea and Tick Collar
This is by far one of the best flea and tick collars available in the market right now. To back that statement, here are some facts about this product.
This collar is made for dogs older than 7 weeks and it provides protection to the dogs from the attack of ticks and fleas for around 8 months. Just one collar is offering 8 months continuous protection which makes it a great product for any dog. The best part about this product is that it saves the dog from monthly flea treatments which can be expensive at times. This makes this product a money saver. Moreover, the product is non-greasy and odorless. This collar is so convenient that it can be worn easily with a leash collar.
The working of this collar is pretty good. It kills the ticks and fleas just through the contact which makes it very effective. It also releases in low concentration continuously which makes it a great choice for flea and tick removal. It is not just another product for parasite prevention. It is actually recommended by veterinarians. So, if you are looking forward to freeing your pets from parasite attack, then this product is right for you.
Are dog flea collars safe and effective?
Flea collars are known as one of the oldest flea prevention techniques. These collars work very effectively when it comes to removing the fleas from the animal’s body. Their working is not very complex. These flea collars generally work by discharging chemicals onto the back and neck of the animals wearing them. This way the fleas fall off the animal’s body. But that’s not true for all collars since there are some available that use ultrasonic radiations or some emit gas.
Safety is a major concern as these collars are known to irritate the skin or cause redness and itching.
Bayer Animal Health K9 Advantix II Flea, Tick Prevention
This another product recommended by veterinarians is a monthly dosage medicine, which prevents fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes very efficiently. It is more like a repellent. So, if the surroundings of a dog are infested with parasites or dog is prone to the attack of these parasites then this medicine can help in preventing the attack. The best part about this product is that it can easily kill fleas of all life stages. This means that you won’t have to worry about the larvae or eggs that might get left behind by the parasites. It works effectively in making your pet parasite free.
Working of this product is very simple. It kills the parasites through contact within a time interval of ten minutes, which means no biting is required which generally makes the issue worse. Also, the medicine is waterproof. So, you don’t have to worry about the product getting wiped off after getting in contact with water.
This is an affordable product which works efficiently by removing fleas from your pet’s body. This product also comes with a warning. Make sure that you don’t use it on cats. It is suitable for dogs older than 7 weeks and works great when it comes to killing ticks and fleas.
Frontline Plus for Dogs Large Dog (45 to 88 pounds) Flea and Tick Treatment
This is yet another waterproof treatment for dogs. This Frontline plus is one of the best products available in the market to treat the flea and tick problems in dogs. It is fast-acting and long-lasting which means once you use this product, you don’t have to worry about the flea problems for a long time. It can control the issue within a very short period of time and can be used on dogs weighing between 5-22 lbs.
Apart from killing the adult fleas and ticks, Frontline plus also stops the growth of larvae which helps in breaking the life-cycle of these parasites. So once you apply this product on your pet’s skin, you won’t have to worry about the infestation of parasites anymore. Not only will it remove the existing infestation, but it will also prevent the infestation of new parasites from happening.
This treatment kills ticks and fleas and also the parasites that carry Lyme disease. This means that it can also stop the transmission of diseases making it a great choice for your pet. This is a trusted product recommended by veterinarians from around the world. It is long neurontin 300 mg lasting and generally stays on your pet’s skin for a long time providing immunity from parasite attacks. Once applied, it stays on the pet’s body for 30 days.
Is Frontline bad for my dog?
Frontline works by rattling the neural receptors of fleas. This way, the fleas just leave the body of the host as they become immobile. Now, these Frontlines can become dangerous for anyone if ingested. Since these are very toxic to the nervous system, their ingestion can lead to many harmful side-effects. Apart from the fact that they can cause diarrhea and vomiting if they enter the body of your pet, the same thing can happen to us if we get in contact with the chemical. But if we put the side-effects aside, this Frontline is pretty good when it comes to treating the problem of fleas in your pets.
How do I apply Frontline to my dog?
To know how to apply Frontline to your dog, just follow these simple instructions.
- First, remove the applicator so that you can see the foil backing.
- Now remove the foil safely with a knife or a pair of scissors.
- Hold the applicator in a way that the foil side is facing you.
- Part your dog’s hair with fingers and apply the applicator’s content on the skin of your dog.
Tip: Never apply to the dog’s coat and don’t touch the treated area until it gets dry. Also, target those areas that are hard to reach by your dog.
How often do you have to apply Frontline?
Generally, the frontline should be applied once every month. The solution is known to remain active on the skin of your pet for at least a month. So, if you are looking forward to making your dog tick-free then it is advised to repeat the process once every four weeks. This gives enough time for the applicator to work at its full capacity. And if the flea problem doesn’t stop, then repeating the process again will help in making your pet tick free. The best part about Frontline is that it works efficiently when it comes to removing ticks and fleas from the skin of your pet.
How long does it take for the Frontline to start working?
Since Frontline is applied directly to the skin, it gets easier to kill the ticks and fleas. Frontline is effective in killing almost all the parasites and their remnants. But the question arises is “how long does it take for Frontline to start working?”
This topical product usually works within the 12 hours of application. So if your pet is suffering from flea issues then 12 hours is the longest time it will take to kill the parasite. But in the case of ticks, the time gets doubled. So you can expect the product to reach its full potential within 48 hours of application.
Can you put a flea collar on a dog after using Frontline?
Frontline is a product that works by killing or paralyzing the parasites, whereas flea collars are used to remove and prevent fleas from your pet’s body. So, combining these two is not recommended. Even though some preventive medicines can be mixed together but in the case of these two, a recommendation from a vet is necessary.
Not every pet is the same. Some might react positively to the combination whereas some might react in a negative manner. In order to be sure, it becomes important to take professional help just to protect your pet from any harm that these medications might cause.
Novartis Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs
These flea tablets are made to control the flea problems in small dogs as well as cats weighing under 25 lbs. This is a great product since it provides protection to not just dogs but also cats. It is fast, affordable, effective and fast-working product. It handles the flea problem within a very small period of time. Just 4 hours are enough for this product to control parasite issues and show results in dogs. Whereas, in cats, it takes about 6 hours before showing any results. This is a good product, but the only downside is that it can’t be used for big dogs (dogs weighing more than 25 lbs).
This product comes as a box containing 6 tablets. A single dose is enough to solve the flea issues. Moreover, it works by killing adult fleas which brings us to another downside. These tablets are incapable of killing the eggs and larvae which is an issue since larvae can result in an infestation of these parasites even after the removal of adult parasites. Overall, it’s a decent product with the capability to remove adult fleas in an insignificant amount of time. It is not a long-acting product, but its usage can provide instant relief from parasites for some time.
Do flea pills work?
In short, Yes. Flea pills are the most effective medications when it comes to saving your pet from flea attack. The flea pills are inexpensive and can be bought over the counter. When it comes to the working, these flea pills are different from one another. Some pills work by killing the fleas whereas some pills are used to prevent the growth of larvae.
The pills for killing the fleas are generally used on a daily basis. These are short-term medications and provide relief from flea problems in a small interval of time. The pills that prevent larvae growth are used on a monthly basis. This way the pills work effectively against the larvae growth.
Capguard (nitenpyram) Oral Flea Control Medication
This is another oral medication for flea control. It is affordable, fast working and easy to use. Give this medicine 30 minutes and it will show you how effective it is when it comes to removing the fleas. It is made for animals like dogs and cats weighing under 25 lbs. The product contains 6 tablets and just one tablet is enough to see the results.
It is recommended by veterinarians and contains nitenpyram. Nitenpyram is basically an insecticide. It is commonly used in agriculture for killing the external pests. This shows how strong and effective this product is when it comes to killing fleas from the body of your pet. It targets adult fleas.
It is easy to use and mess-free. Since it is an oral medication, it can’t be washed or rubbed off from the pet’s body. The best part is that it is approved by FDA. The only downside of this medication is that it isn’t a long-lasting med and incapable of killing larvae and eggs which might infest the body of your pet in future. Apart from that, it is a perfect product which shows instant results and provides your pet relief from the harm caused by parasites.
How soon can you give a dog a bath after flea treatment?
In order to see the results, one has to wait for at least two days after the treatment before giving their dog a bath. There’s no problem in giving your dog a bath once the treatment is done since most of the flea products are waterproof. But in order to be sure that your pet’s body is free from parasites, it becomes important to wait out for 48 hours. This gives enough time for the product to show results. And once that time has passed, you can give your pet a bath which will not disrupt the treatment in any way.
Conclusion
When it comes to our pets, we become extra cautious while choosing medicines in order to treat their problems. So, it becomes important to choose the best resources available to help them. The products mentioned above are not only the best but also a way towards making your pet’s life quality better.