Flea & Tick Care

Why Is Flea and Tick Prevention Important for Dogs?

Preventative care is a key part of keeping your dog healthy and happy. One of the best ways you can prevent potential health issues is to use monthly flea and tick preventatives.

Fleas and ticks are ectoparasites, meaning they are pests that live on the outside of their host.

For fleas and tick to survive, they must bite their host and then feed on the blood. These bites can directly impact your dog’s health. The saliva from a flea bite can cause severe allergies, dermatitis, anemia, itching, and infection. Tick bites can cause infection, abscesses, paralysis, and even death.

These nasty parasites can also harbor and spread a variety of diseases to dogs, including:

• Lyme disease

• Anaplasmosis

• Bartonellosis

• Rocky Mountain Spotted fever

• Tapeworms

• Babesiosis

Some of these diseases are even zoonotic, which means they can spread to you and your family. That is why it’s critical to keep fleas and ticks off your dog, as well as out of your home.

Caution: No preventative should be used without thorough discussion with your veterinarian if:

• Your pet has previously had an allergic reaction to the drug

• Your pet is sick and/or underweight

• Your pet is pregnant, nursing, or will be used for breeding in the future

- PREVENTION -

When Do Dogs Need Flea and Tick Prevention?

Flea and ticks survive and thrive in mild to moderate weather, so it’s crucial to protect your pets during the warmer months. If you live in areas where the temperature stays warm year-round, then you should make sure you pet is on flea and tick prevention all year.

However, even northern states frequently experience a few warm, spring-like days during the winter months. These brief warm periods provide fleas and ticks enough time to get on your pets and in your house. Once inside, fleas can continue to reproduce, living in the floorboards, carpets, and anywhere your pet lives. If your dog isn’t using a tick preventive, ticks may even crawl off your dog and onto the humans in the house.

What Are Flea and Tick Preventatives for Dogs?

There are a variety of products to help keep your dog free of parasites. These products can be in the form of pesticides, repellents, or growth inhibitors. Each of these types of preventatives tackle pests at different lifestages to prevent infestations.

Some products are only effective against one species, typically fleas. These include products such as flea dips, baths, and powders. To ensure your dog has coverage for both fleas and ticks, you may need additional medications.

Combination flea and tick preventatives for dogs contain multiple ingredients to battle different types of pests. These prevention options typically provide coverage for both fleas and ticks, but may also provide additional protection against heartworm, mites, or intestinal parasites.

Before deciding on a flea and tick medication, always check with your veterinarian and make sure it is a good fit for your dog. You will want to check the product label and consult with your veterinarian to make sure:

• The product is the correct species for your dog

• The product is intended for your pet’s life stage: puppy, adult, or senior

• The product is within the correct weight range for your pet

• The product is administered correctly (is it a chewable or a topical treatment)

• The product protects against the appropriate parasites

• If the product should be given with food

• How often you should administer the product

• How long before the product starts working

• When you can bathe your pet

• If the product has any other safety-related concerns

• You have the correct phone numbers to call in the event of an adverse reaction
  
  

Even if you’ve previously used the medication, re-read the package insert, as the warnings and directions may have changed. Follow all instructions exactly and contact your veterinarian or the product’s company if you have any questions.

- MEDICATION -

Over-the-Counter vs Prescription Flea and Tick Medicine

As you browse your flea and tick prevention options, you will notice that some products require a prescription from your vet while others do not.

Over-the-Counter Flea and Tick Products

Over-the counter (OTC) flea and tick preventatives do not require a relationship with or prescription from a veterinarian. They are typically available for purchase online and in many retail pet stores.

If you decide on an OTC flea and tick preventative, always check in with your veterinarian to make sure it is a safe option for your pet. Your vet can advise you on:

• Potential adverse drug interaction with one of your dog’s current medications

• Potential adverse reaction to your dog’s current medical condition

• Potentially provide a recommendation for a broader spectrum product for your dog

• Whether you should consider testing for genetic conditions before starting a preventative

• Any signs or symptoms of an adverse reaction to the medication

Prescription Flea and Tick Products

Prescription flea and tick preventatives do require a prescription from your veterinarian, but they typically cost a little more than OTC options. Most veterinarians recommend prescription products, as they are typically more effective and safer for your dog.

Many veterinarians agree that while prescription preventatives are more expensive than OTC treatments up-front, they prevent parasite infections and diseases more effectively.

Examples of available products include the following:

• Topical flea products: Activyl®, Advantage® II, Cheristin®

• Oral flea products: Capstar®, Comfortis®, Sentinel® (growth regulator only)

• Topical tick products: Preventic® (dogs only)

• Topical combination products: Frontline®, K9 Advantixx® II (dogs only), Bravecto®, Revolution®, Seresto® (collar), Vectra 3D® (dogs only), Effipro® Plus, Effitix® (dogs only)

• Oral combination products (dogs only): Bravecto®, NexGard®, Trifexis®, Simparica™

Choosing a Flea and Tick Combination Medicine for Dogs

There is no shortage of options when it comes to flea and tick prevention options for dogs, so finding the best one can feel overwhelming. Your veterinarian is a great resource for narrowing down your search and finding the best fit.

Here are 7 factors to consider as you determine what type of flea and tick medicine is the best for your dog.

Application Method

Flea and tick preventatives most commonly come in two forms:

1. 1. 1. Oral: Chewable tablet that your dog ingests

      2. Topical: Liquid that is spread between the should blades or down the back of your dog. Topical flea and tick preventatives are a great option for pets that are picky eaters or have sensitive stomachs. However, if you have small children or other animals, you need to be careful that they don’t touch or lick the product before it has time to dry.

Spot-on flea and tick options may have a medicinal smell or cause transient itching/irritation or even hair loss. Topical treatments are also not a great option for dogs that like to swim a lot or dogs that need frequent baths. Water can affect the efficacy of the product.

Oral treatments can be an easy and convenient option for dog parents because they can be given like a treat. If you use oral treatments, it’s best to monitor your dog to make sure they have eaten the entire tablet and do not throw it up before it can be absorbed into their system.

If your dog vomits after eating an oral flea and tick preventative, call your veterinarian for instructions on re-dosing, as well as to report a potential reaction to the product. Feeding oral preventatives with a meal may help decrease upset stomach as well as help with product absorption.

Dog Flea and Tick Prevention Product Summaries

Advantage® II is a topical monthly product containing the active ingredients imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen. This combination of drugs is fast-acting and kills all forms of fleas, including eggs, larva, and adults, within hours, as well as chewing lice. However, this product has no tick prevention. This product should only be used in dogs and puppies over 7 weeks and who weigh more than 3 pounds. It is typically applied every month.

Advantage® Multi is a topical monthly product containing the active ingredients imidacloprid and moxidectin. This combination of drugs treats fleas, sarcoptic mange, intestinal parasites hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms, as well as preventing heartworm disease.

Advantage® Multi is fast-acting, killing fleas within hours, but other parasites may take up to 24 hours. This product does not provide tick prevention. This product should only be used in dogs and puppies over 7 weeks and who weigh more than 3 pounds. It is typically applied every month.

HOW OFTEN

How often should dogs get flea and tick treatment?

All Dogs should be treated year-round with flea and tick control products. These can be prescription or over-the-counter, and often require application every 30 days.  Ask your veterinarian which product they recommend for your pal.

Lifestyle

While there is no breed that is particularly at risk of acquiring fleas or ticks, some dogs may be at higher risk due to their personality and breed characteristics. Working, herding, and hunting dogs may spend most of their day in the field, while other dogs are content to stay at home, only venturing outside occasionally.

Lifestage

If your dog is still a puppy or is a small dog breed, you will need to consult your veterinarian to find an appropriate product for their weight or age. Most flea and tick preventatives have a minimum age of 6-8 weeks, but always check the package insert for confirmation.

- TALK TO YOUR VET, MEDICAL CONDITIONS -

MDR-1 Gene

Some breeds (such as Collies, Australian shepherds, and Shetland Sheepdogs, etc.) carry a genetic risk factor for a mutated gene that causes drug sensitivity. These dogs cannot safely process certain drugs, including some ingredients in preventatives.

Many veterinarians recommend testing dogs for the MDR-1 gene, especially affected breeds. The Washington State University Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory site has additional information on the mutation as well as which drugs to avoid and ways to test your pet.

Medical Conditions - What flea and tick medications should you avoid?

Some classes of preventatives, called isoxazolines, should be used in extreme caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disease, as it could lower the seizure threshold. This newer class of flea and tick prevention medications that have been linked to toxicity. These medications were the first oral flea and tick products, and while they are highly effective, they can also cause toxicity if given incorrectly or an overdose occurs.

If chemical products are necessary for additional flea or tick control, NRDC recommends s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen, which are less toxic ingredients—but read the labels carefully because some products use them with other, more harmful pesticides

- YOUR DOG AND THE OUTDOORS -

Geography

Different geographic locations have different local parasite populations, including fleas and ticks, as well as other parasites such as heartworms and intestinal worms.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council is a helpful resource to identify the parasites in your area so that you can make sure whichever flea and tick product you choose keeps your dog fully protected.

This keeps our pets happy and healthy, while also costing less than long-term costs of diagnosis and treatment of diseases spread by fleas and ticks.

Access to Outdoors

Consider the types of outdoor areas where your dog spends time. Dog parks, hiking trails, parks, and backyards can all be homes to fleas and ticks. If your dog spends a lot of time in wooded areas or spaces where other animals and dogs spend a lot of time, their risk of exposure to parasites goes up.

Even if your dog doesn’t spend a lot of time outside, fleas can easily come in through window screens, on other pets who go outside, or even on a human’s pants and shoes. That’s why veterinarians will always recommend flea and tick prevention regardless of how much time a dog spends outdoors.

How do I treat my yard for fleas and ticks?

Most people do not like to use chemicals and prefer natural non-toxic products such as Wondercide ® or essential oils.

Options:

Trim the grass, hedges and pluck out the weeds. Remove dirt piles, debris and fallen leaf heaps. Keeping your yard free of debris and dirt piles should keep most of the parasites away from the yard. However, do not go for chemicals unless the infestation is serious. 

- DON'T FORGET INDOORS TOO! -

What is the best way to control fleas and ticks indoors?

Vacuum every day to remove eggs, larvae and adults; this is the best method for initial control of a flea infestation. Be sure to vacuum the following areas: carpets, cushioned furniture, cracks and crevices on floors, along baseboards and the basement.

Is Dawn dish soap good for fleas?

Dawn dish soap will drown fleas that are on your pet, killing them quickly. However, it does nothing to prevent reinfection with fleas, so you are likely to see an ongoing flea issue with your pet unless you switch to a proper preventative flea product.

Fleas can also transmit an internal parasite, the tapeworm, which can cause malnutrition and weight loss in your pet. Furthermore, the cost of eradicating flea infestations from your home can be quite high. Finally, don't forget that flea and tick preventatives for your pet help protect your human family as well.