While it’s completely fine for your pet dog to have an occasional itch, if it persists too long, it’s time to check your furry friend for fleas and get your hands on the best flea treatment for dogs. These tiny creatures do not just look gross, they also cause severe itching, making your dog continuously scratch their bodies and can also cause many health problems. They can make your innocent pet suffer from dermatitis, anemia, and make them susceptible to get tapeworms.
For the new pet parents out there who don’t know what fleas are – they are tiny, wingless parasites that live on the bodies of dogs and cats and survive by sucking their blood. If you have a dog or a cat at your home, it is highly important to take preventive measures and immediately treat them in case they get a flea infestation, because the older these small creatures get, the harder it becomes to control them.
Table of Contents
- How to Get Rid Of Fleas on Dogs?
- Finding the Best Tick and Flea Treatment for Your Pet – Things to Consider
- Top Flea Treatment Products for Dogs
- Oral Flea Medicines for Dogs
- Topical Treatments
- Best Flea Shampoo for Dogs
- Best Flea Spray for Dogs
- Best Spot-on Treatments for Dogs
- Criteria Used For Selecting the Best Flea Treatments for Dogs
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Get Rid Of Fleas on Dogs?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions by dog owners. While ideally, you should take preventive measures to protect your pet from getting infested, don’t fret if it has happened. The good news is that there are many flea treatments for dogs that can help kill the tiny monsters living on your pet’s body.
Do not ignore the infestation thinking that it will go away on its own – this could be your biggest mistake as fleas can be very harmful for your dog and can also get transferred to you. Fleas are known to carry an active ingredient that causes the Lyme Disease. Also, you can get a flea infestation in your home. So, control the problem before it gets out of your hands.
Finding the Best Tick and Flea Treatment for Your Pet – Things to Consider
When you are dealing with a tick and flea infestation, choosing the right product(s) for your pet is extremely important. There is a wide range of products available in the market, all claiming to be the best, but not all of them are effective for every dog.
Here are the key factors that you need to consider to make sure you are picking the right product:
- The age and weight of your dog.
- Severity of the infestation.
- Is your dog suffering from any medical condition that makes flea treatment products unsuitable for it? For example, skin condition that can get worse due to the chemicals present in flea treatment products.
- The life cycle stage of fleas – are there adult fleas on your dog’s body, or there are more flea eggs?
- The type of product you are looking for – can you manage to give your dog oral medications? Or you prefer a topical treatment?
- Are you looking for immediate relief or long-term solution?
Top Flea Treatment Products for Dogs
There are many different types of flea treatments available in the market. Here are our top picks for treating a flea infestation on your pet from each category of products:
Oral Flea Medicines for Dogs
Depending on the active chemical, flea medications have different mechanisms of action. Some medicines help to prevent flea infestation, some kill the adult parasites, and some target their larvae.
Choose an oral medicine according to your dog’s condition or consult a veterinarian or an expert pet owner to find the best medication for your dog.
Here are some of the best oral medications for treating ticks and fleas inside out:
1. Capstar by Novartis
Available in a variety of formulas according to the size and weight of your pet, Capstar is a fast-acting over-the-counter tablet that can be used for both dogs and cats. Capstar starts killing the tiny parasites living on your dog’s body as quickly as within 30 minutes and can provide complete relief within 4 hours. It also provides protection from future flea attack.
They are easy to be fed to your dog as they are unflavored. The formula is safe enough to be given to pregnant and nursing dogs, making it one of the best flea treatment products.
To treat ticks and fleas with this medicine, your dog has to be at least 4 weeks old and should weigh at least 2 pounds.
- Hence, more likely to be eaten by the dog
- Safe for pregnant and nursing dogs
- Fast acting – starts killing fleas within half an hour
- Prevents re-infestation
- May not work on flea larvae and eggs
- The effects only last for 24 hours, which means it may not be a good choice for long-term control
2. Bayer’s Advantus Soft Chew
Available in two varieties, for small and big dogs, the soft chewable tablets quickly dissolves into the blood and kills up to 96% of the fleas. It contains imidacloprid – an insect neurotoxin – which paralyzes and kills the fleas within an hour. This makes Advantus soft chew the best choice for people looking for something that provides quick relief to their dogs.
- Easy to administer because they look and smell just like dog treats
- Provides quick relief
- Different varieties for small and big dogs
- A little pricier than other flea medications
- Not much effective for long-term protection and prevention
3. Advantus Soft Chew
Available in two varieties, for small and big dogs, the soft chewable tablets quickly dissolves into the blood and kills up to 96% of the fleas. It contains imidacloprid – an insect neurotoxin – which paralyzes and kills the fleas within an hour. This makes Advantus soft chew the best choice for people looking for something that provides quick relief to their dogs.
- Easy to administer because they look and smell just like dog treats
- Provides quick relief
- Different varieties for small and big dogs
- A little pricier than other flea medications
- Not much effective for long-term protection and prevention
Topical Treatments
Topical flea and tick treatments for dogs include shampoos, powders, sprays and spot-on treatment products. Here are our top picks from each category:
Best Flea Shampoo for Dogs
Here are the best shampoos to get rid of dog fleas:
4. Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo
One of the most popular choices for pet owners, Adams Plus shampoo not only works great for killing fleas, but also helps your four-legged friend to get rid of lice and ticks. It also kills flea larvae and eggs
With coconut extract, oatmeal, and aloe, the shampoo is gentle on the dog’s skin – it is safe enough to be used on puppies as well. It also contains an insecticide enhancer due to which its effects last much longer than other flea shampoos. Your pet will be protected from fleas for up to 28 days.
- Also works for lice, ticks, flea larvae, and eggs
- Provides quick results
- Safe for puppies
- Provides 28 days protection
- Although not unpleasant, but the smell is very strong
5. Bio Spot Active Care Flea & Tick Shampoo
Another highly effective dog shampoo that helps to kill fleas (including their larvae and eggs), ticks, and lice, Bio Spot Active Care is also a popular choice.
With soothing oatmeal and aloe, the shampoo is safe for puppies as well. Just like the Adams’ shampoo, this one also provides 28 days protection.
- Nice smell
- Provides quick and long-lasting results
- May cause an allergic reaction to some dogs – make sure to consult an expert pet owner or a vet
Best Flea Spray for Dogs
While flea sprays are a lot easier to use than any other flea treating product, choosing the right one can be a little tricky as it requires considering the active ingredients and if they are safe for your dog and you (since you will be touching the dog after application).
There are also flea sprays that can be used everywhere (wherever there is flea infestation) – furniture, carpets, etc.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can opt for a spray that offers short-term protection or the one that provides long-term effects. Some sprays only work on adult fleas while others kill larvae and eggs too.
Here’s our choice of the best flea spray for dogs:
6. Adams Flea and Tick Spray
Another highly effective dog shampoo that helps to kill fleas (including their larvae and eggs), ticks, and lice, Bio Spot Active Care is also a popular choice.
With soothing oatmeal and aloe, the shampoo is safe for puppies as well. Just like the Adams’ shampoo, this one also provides 28 days protection.
- Nice smell
- Provides quick and long-lasting results
- May cause an allergic reaction to some dogs – make sure to consult an expert pet owner or a vet
Best Spot-on Treatments for Dogs
Spot-on treatments are chemical formulas in a concentrated liquid form that need to be applied on the back of the dog’s neck. While they may not provide as quick results as oral medications and shampoos, the results are long-lasting.
Within 24 hours of application, the medicine dissolves into the natural oils on dog’s skin and not only kills the existing fleas, but also prevents new ones for up to 30 days.
Here are our top picks for the spot-on flea and tick treatments for your pet dogs:
7. Frontline Plus
This powerful treatment not only kills fleas, but also targets their larvae and eggs. What makes it even more amazing is that your dog will remain protected from fleas and ticks for a month, just after one application. It also prevents new flea infestation by breaking the life cycle of these parasites.
While it takes 24 hours to completely get absorbed, Frontline Plus start providing relief within four hours and kills most of the fleas within 12 hours of application.
Frontline Plus can be used for dogs that weigh between 45 to 88 pounds.
This powerful treatment not only kills fleas, but also targets their larvae and eggs. What makes it even more amazing is that your dog will remain protected from fleas and ticks for a month, just after one application. It also prevents new flea infestation by breaking the life cycle of these parasites.
While it takes 24 hours to completely get absorbed, Frontline Plus start providing relief within four hours and kills most of the fleas within 12 hours of application.
Frontline Plus can be used for dogs that weigh between 45 to 88 pounds.
- Smells better than most other spot-on treatments – it has a citrus-y smell.
- Available at a lesser price than many other similar products
- Works great as a preventive treatment
- Take a bit long to kill fleas – up to 12 hours
- May get a little messy while applying
8.PetArmor Plus for Dogs
PetArmor Plus has the same active ingredients as Frontline Plus, but is low-priced. However, for some reasons it does not act as fast as Frontline Plus. This makes it a perfect choice for the pet owners who are looking for a preventive treatment or the slower reaction time is not a problem for you.
PetArmor Plus kills fleas, chewing lice, ticks, and mites at all stages in the life cycle – eggs, larvae, and adults.
A distinguishing feature of this product is that it is available in four different varieties for different sizes of dogs, ranging from 4 to 132 pounds.
- Smells better than most other spot-on treatments – it has a citrus-y smell.
- Available at a lesser price than many other similar products
- Works great as a preventive treatment
- Take a bit long to kill fleas – up to 12 hours
- May get a little messy while applying
Criteria Used For Selecting the Best Flea Treatments for Dogs
In view of the fact that different pet owners may opt for different types of flea treatment products, depending on various factors, like the severity of the problem, the usage, and the effectiveness, we picked the most effective flea treatment products from each category.
In addition to providing you a variety of options, following factors were also taken into consideration:
- Effectiveness – While all the products that we have picked are highly effective, each type of treatment provides different results. For example, topical treatments provide immediate relief to your furry friend, but they may not be as effective for complete removal of fleas as oral medications.
- Safety – All the products that we have selected are generally found to be safe for all dogs. While we have given safety a huge importance, there may be a few exceptions. Therefore, it is advised to always see the ingredient list and read the instructions on the packaging to avoid any negative effects.
- Price – Knowing that you will most likely be using the treatment multiple times to completely get rid of fleas, we have picked products that do not cost you an arm and a leg.