Is your dog fidgety? Losing hair? Or scratching and biting its body abnormally?
Yes?!
Then you need to be extra cognizant of your pet’s health! These symptoms are some major signals that your pet is infested with fleas and ticks. Sometimes, the behavioral patterns of your pets may or may not exhibit the underlying problems caused due to these creatures. As a pet owner, it is better to stay informed about the serious health issues that these fleas and ticks can cause when left untreated for long.
Still, if the pet has already caught up these buggers, try these five amazing flea and tick treatments that we have listed here in this article. They work wonderfully in treating these blood-sucking parasites that are the reservoir of many diseases in pets. Just stay cautious about certain treatments and their administration, for there are products that are specific to particular pet categories.
Top Treatments for Fleas and Ticks
Bravecto Chews
The highest selling chewable, specially designed to destroy the entire population of fleas and ticks, works quickly on your pets. It not just shoves off these creatures from the skin underneath the fur of your pet, but its single chew prevents their recurrence for almost 3 months. This highly effective treatment has proven to kill a varied range of tick species rapidly.
Benefits:
Bravecto for Dogs comes in an easy-to-administer flavored chewable tablet form, which means you can provide long-lasting protection to your buddy with less worries. It provides immediate and persistent tick (adult and juvenile black-legged tick, American dog tick, brown dog tick, and Asian longhorned tick) and flea (Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis) killing activity.
On top of that, Bravecto also helps control mite infestations and sarcoptic mange. The chew can be given as a single dose to your dog by mouth with food. The treatment is available for dogs of all sizes and it also comes in a topical form by the brand name Bravecto Topical Solution for easier applications.
Caution:
Weigh your dog and choose the tablet appropriate for its weight. Remember, the treatment must be followed without any breaks for continuous protection against fleas and ticks. Bravecto contains fluralaner as the key ingredient, which is a member of the isoxazoline class that has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions including tremors, ataxia, and seizures. Therefore, use it with caution with pets that have a history of neurological disorders.
Revolution Spot-On
Revolution is an all-in-one topical parasiticide for dogs. One monthly dose of the product protects pets against multiple common internal and external parasites. It is proven to save dogs from a plethora of diseases carried by these harmful pests.
Benefits:
Revolution works against a range of external and internal parasites, including fleas, ticks, ear mites,heartworms, and sarcoptic mites in dogs. It destroys almost all the fleas on your dog within 36 hours of administration and prevents the deadly heartworm disease for one full month.
Unlike other flea and tick products, Revolution does not require gloves to apply or separation time after application. This makes the entire application process quick, easy, and hassle-free. Revolution is demonstrated to be safe for dogs of all breeds from 6 weeks of age.
Caution:
Revolution only kills heartworm larvae, and so dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infections prior to administration. Do not use it on sick, weak, or underweight pets. If your pet is sick or weak, contact your veterinarian to ensure if is okay to treat your pet.
NexGard Chews
NexGard is a vet-recommended flea and tick treatment approved by dogs and dog parents across the world, and it’s easy to see why. It is a soft, beef-flavored chew that is readily accepted by dogs due to its irresistible taste and texture. In fact, in several studies, it has been shown that NexGard has been preferred over other flea and tick chews.
Benefits:
NexGard for Dogs starts killing adult fleas and ticks soon after administration and knocks them out within a matter of time. It treats and controls black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, lone star ticks, brown dog ticks, and Asian longhorned ticks in dogs and puppies and protects them from a number of diseases caused by these parasites.
The chew can be administered with or without food every month. Nexgard is designed for dogs of all breeds and sizes above 8 weeks of age, and is available in multiple pack sizes, varied by the dog’s weight.
Caution:
The safety of NexGard has not been evaluated in pregnant, breeding, or lactating dogs, so consult your vet before administration in such cases. Also, NexGard contains afoxolaner, so always use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurological disorders.
Seresto Collar
Being the longest-lasting flea and tick control product, Seresto Collar for Dogs offers extended consistent protection for 8 months. It is the simplest way to protect your dog from these creepy-crawlies and the diseases that they carry.
Benefits:
Seresto dog collar kills fleas and paralysis ticks for 8 months, and brown dog ticks and bush ticks for 4 months. This unique collar is designed with an innovative polymer matrix technology that allows its active ingredients (imidacloprid and flumethrin) to migrate into your dog’s skin to repel insects.
This truly amazing collar kills insects through contact, so no biting is required for them to die. Its safety closure mechanism ensures your dog is safe in the unlikely event of being trapped. Furthermore, the collar is non-greasy and odorless, and it is water-resistant, so you do not need to remove it before swimming or bathing.
Caution:
Do not use it on dogs younger than 7 weeks of age and on pregnant and lactating dogs. Always use a soap-free shampoo to maintain the effectiveness of the collar.
Frontline Plus
An easy-to-use topical formula, Frontline Plus repels and eliminates fleas and other pests for up to 30 days. It destroys blood-sucking ticks within two days. And the entire lifecycle of the fleas is expunged and prevented from recurring due to its highly active ingredients, fipronil and s-methoprene.
Benefits:
The formula is waterproof thereby allowing the pet to bath or swim even after its application.
It offers protection from various diseases like – Rocky Mountain Fever and Lyme disease and is helpful in treating Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). It kills adult fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and chewing lice, and repels mosquitoes, ticks, and stable flies for a full month.
Caution:
Allow the application site to remain dry for 24 hours after application. Do not use more than one application per month and apply only the correct pack size as per the current weight of your dog.
How to Know If Your Dog Has Fleas Or Not?
Take my word – Your pets are likely to thank you for preventing them from those painful bites and saving them from other flea-borne diseases that are life-threatening. These top-selling flea and tick treatment products not only protect your pet from infestation but rather, destroy the complete lifecycle of these obnoxious creatures. Apart from these, certain other factors like – vacuuming the house and keeping the surroundings clean can contribute greatly towards stopping their multiplication and recurrence. So, stay informed and act quick!
