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Written by: Dr. Primrose Moss MA VetMB MRCVS
From frantic scratching to potentially serious tick-borne diseases, fleas and ticks can have a big impact on your pet. Flea and tick treatment for dogs is a key part of their preventative healthcare – but which product is best for your dog? This article reviews some of the main factors to consider, helping you choose flea and tick prevention that’s right for your dog.
Why is flea and tick prevention for dogs important?
Both fleas and ticks are blood-sucking parasites that must bite and feed on animals to survive and reproduce.
Fleas and ticks transmit diseases and can cause a range of health issues, including:
- Itching – this can be severe and lead to secondary infections, especially if a dog is allergic to flea saliva
- Anaemia – typically caused by severe flea infestations in young puppies
- Lyme disease
- Tapeworms
- Anaplasmosis
- Bartonellosis
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Babesiosis
- Paralysis due to tick toxicosis – typically reversible after removal
Ticks in particular are associated with the transmission of a wide range of potentially severe diseases.
Unfortunately, these parasites aren’t restricted to certain areas or times of year. While fleas and ticks are typically more active in the warmer months, these hardy parasites can be a threat to dogs throughout the year. Certain regions and terrains, including wooded, shrubby and grassy areas, may be at higher risk, but fleas and ticks are increasingly encountered even in urban environments.
As a result, the Companion Animal Parasite Council recommends year-round flea and tick prevention for dogs throughout life.
How to choose flea and tick prevention for dogs
You know you need regular flea and tick treatment for your dog – but how do you decide which product? There are a vast number of options to choose from, but identifying your priorities can make the process simpler.
Key factors to consider include:
1. Heartworm prevention
Heartworm is present across the USA, but is especially common in the southeast. Regular preventative treatment is recommended for all adult dogs and this is often combined with flea and tick prevention in a single, monthly product. Heartworm treatment is not available ‘over the counter’ and requires a prescription, so if you’re looking to combine this with your dog’s flea and tick medicine it’s best to speak to your veterinarian.
2. Formulation
Flea and tick treatments for dogs come in a wide range of formulations, each with their own pros and cons.
Liquid spot-ons
These products can be easy to apply, and are particularly helpful for pets with a sensitive stomach who struggle with oral products.
If your dog enjoys swimming or has regular baths, these products can wash off, contaminating the environment and potentially leaving your dog unprotected. You’ll also need to be careful that no other pets or children are in contact with your dog while the product dries, especially as some of these products can be toxic to cats.
Currently, no spot-on products prevent fleas, ticks and heartworm, though many spot-on products can treat one or two of these parasites.
Tablets and chews
These are the best choice for many pets, as they ensure the full dose of medication is absorbed – you’ll just need to keep an eye on your dog for a few hours after administering the tablet to ensure they don’t spit it out or vomit in this time.
It’s common to worry your dog won’t take a tablet, but these products are typically tested extensively for palatability and are designed to be easy to give.
If your dog is treated with a tablet, they can swim and bathe with no issues, and there’s a much lower risk of other pets and people being exposed to the medication.
Tablets also tend to offer the broadest protection, with multiple prescription-only options that provide cover against fleas, ticks and heartworm.
Collars
Long-acting collars can be a convenient way to protect your dog from fleas and ticks. Collars containing an effective medication such as flumethrin have similar efficacy to spot-ons and tablets.
It’s important to check whether collars are medicated or based on natural ingredients such as essential oils. There’s limited evidence that alternative, natural products without medication are effective, meaning they may leave pets at higher risk of disease.
Shampoos
Shampoos to treat fleas and ticks don’t tend to be effective by themselves. These products may be used alongside medication if your pet has an active outbreak and may help to soothe the skin. They shouldn’t be used as a long-term preventative plan.
3. Frequency of use
If you struggle with regular application, it may be worth considering flea and tick prevention that doesn’t need to be given every month. For example, some spot-on products may be used every 2–3 months, and flea and tick collars may last up to 8 months. However, these products don’t usually provide effective heartworm coverage.
4. Protection from tick-borne diseases
Ticks usually feed over several days, and while some diseases can be transmitted within a few hours, others, such as Lyme disease, are typically transmitted after 24–48 hours of feeding. The quicker a product kills ticks, the lower the risk of them managing to transmit these potentially severe infections.
It’s therefore worth comparing how quickly flea and tick treatments for dogs kill ticks. While some products kill ticks within 8 hours, others may take up to 48 hours, and this could make a significant difference to your dog, especially if you’re in a high risk area for ticks and tick-borne diseases.
5. Coverage against other parasites
Your dog needs more than just flea and tick medicine. In addition to heartworm protection, regular intestinal worm treatment is also recommended. The best flea and tick prevention for your dog also depends on the worming treatments you’re using.
It’s usually best not to ‘double up’ on treatments, so if your dog is already treated regularly for roundworms, for example, you don’t need a flea and tick treatment that also treats these parasites. Alternatively, if you’re keen to give your dog a broad spectrum flea and tick product that includes roundworm protection, you may be best off choosing a more targeted tapeworm-only worming treatment to use alongside this.
Parasite treatment can be complex, so if you’re confused you’re not alone. If you’re not sure how to choose flea and tick prevention for your dog, your veterinarian is the best person to help you make a simple parasite prevention plan that factors in your dog’s unique needs.
6. Other factors to consider
In addition to the points above, there are a few other things to check when deciding how to protect your dog from fleas and ticks.
- Ensure the product is intended for your dog’s current size, based on an up-to-date weight.
- Ensure products are designed for the correct species – feline products aren’t suitable for dogs, and canine products can contain ingredients that are toxic to cats.
- Check the application directions before use. Some tablets may be best given with food, and others on an empty stomach.
- Read product information to be aware of potential adverse reactions to monitor.
Finally, remember that no product will be effective if it’s not used correctly. Use products at the correct frequency — leaving a gap of even an extra week between doses could allow fleas to feed and begin to reproduce. Similarly, treating only one pet while leaving others unprotected can allow an outbreak to persist in the household. If you have an outbreak it’s likely all the pets in the household are affected, even if they’re not showing obvious signs, so they should all be treated regularly with appropriate products.
