Dogs and cats are prone to contracting worms and parasites throughout their lives. Left untreated, these parasites can lead to a number of health problems and can make your pup or kitty terribly ill.
Fortunately, there are a lot of good products available that will help eradicate the pesky parasites living in or on your pet’s body.
Let’s discuss these parasites, their symptoms, and the vet-recommended treatments you can use to stop and manage them.
Which Parasites Can Affect Dogs And Cats?
Pet parents must be cautious of two main types of parasites: internal parasites and external parasites.
Internal parasites are the ones that live inside the body of the animal. Example: hookworms, roundworms, lungworms, heartworms, tapeworms.
External parasites are the ones that live on the body of the host animal. Example: fleas, ticks, mites, etc.
Symptoms of Parasites in Cats and Dogs
Symptoms of parasites vary depending on the type of parasites and the severity of infestation. If you are aware of the symptoms of these parasites, you can easily prevent these infestations from developing by providing proper treatment.
How to Prevent Parasites in Dogs and Cats?
To prevent all types of pets, we recommend using the most effective, vet-recommended treatments. Here are a few of them to review for you to find the right parasite prevention treatment for your cat or dog.
Bravecto: Topical or Chew that Lasts 3 months
Bravecto is an excellent flea and tick treatment for cats and dogs. Bravecto Spot On for Cats and Bravecto Topical Solution for Dogs provide 12 weeks of protection. It is a long-lasting flea and tick solution that breaks the flea life cycle and controls the fleas and ticks reinfestations.
If you think oral treatments are more convenient for your dog, Bravecto also comes in a chew-able form for dogs. Check out Bravecto Chews for dogs, a highly palatable chew that is also effective for 12 weeks.
Parasites covered: Fleas, Ticks
Active ingredients: Fluralaner
Application type: Oral (Bravecto Chew), Topical (Bravecto Topical)
Frontline Plus: Fast-Acting Spot-On Treatment for Cats & Dogs
Frontline Plus spot-on is the most trusted monthly topical treatment. It protects pets against fleas and a range of tick species for 30 days. It fights lice, lone star ticks, American dog ticks, deer ticks, and brown dog ticks.
Frontline Plus for Cats and Frontline Plus for Dogs provide the same protection but slightly differ in the amount of active ingredients Fipronil and S-methoprene since they are meant for different animal species.
Parasites covered: Fleas, Ticks
Active ingredients: Fipronil and S-methoprene
Application type: Topical
Seresto: Flea and Tick Collar That Lasts for Eight Months
Looking for a hassle-free and long-lasting flea prevention treatment for your dog? Seresto Collar’s 8-month protection lasts longer than most other oral and topical treatments. Hence, it is the best option for pets that don’t do well with oral or topical products.
Seresto Collar for Dogs and Seresto Collar for Cats both fight against fleas and many types of ticks, including deer ticks and Gulf Coast ticks. As well, Seresto Collar for Dogs provides additional protection against mange and lice.
Parasites covered: Fleas, Ticks (lice and mange in dogs)
Active ingredients: Flumethrin and Imidacloprid
Application type: Collar
Revolution: Flea and Heartworm Treatment for Cats and Dogs
Revolution for dogs protects against fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic mange, American dog ticks, and heartworms for 30 days. Revolution PLUS for cats covers a broader spectrum of parasites, including fleas, ear mites, hookworms, roundworms, and ticks. Hence, there is no need to use different products for internal and external parasite protection.
Parasites Covered:
Revolution PLUS for Cats: Fleas, Heartworms, Roundworms, Hookworms, and Ear mites
Revolution for Dogs: Fleas, Ear mites, Sarcoptic mange, American dog ticks, and Heartworms
Active Ingredients: Selamectin (Revolution); Selamectin and Sarolaner (Revolution Plus)
Application Type: Topical
