Best Flea Treatment for Dogs in 2024 (Reviews & Guide)
[table]
[reviews]
How We Picked the Top Products
Choosing the best of the best wasn’t easy, as there are tons of great products for helping your dog with fleas. Nevertheless, only the products that passed our rigorous testing found their place on our list. Here’s our ranking methodology:
Ingredients
The most crucial thing in a flea treatment is the ingredients list. Our list includes only products made from high-quality ingredients that have been tried and tested and proven safe for pet use.
Value for Money
Buying the best cheap flea treatment for dogs is every pet parent’s goal. So, we chose treatments that contain the highest-quality ingredients but come at reasonable prices — or prices that match the quality of the product—all for the sake of getting the best value for money.
Frequency and Convenience
Checking your pet for fleas every day is hassle enough, so we chose products that work for 14 days up to several months. This is convenient for both you and your pet.
Dog Flea Treatment Reviews – Real User Experience
We went through reviews, forums, and chat rooms. We searched high and low, and took what other people were saying about each product into consideration.
- Are they good, bad, average?
- What are the effects?
- How are pets reacting to the products?
We thought of everything.
Brand Reputation
Sure, having a great product is fantastic, but we want to know who stands behind the brand too. So we diligently research each company, what they stand for, and what they believe in.
The policies and practices are a significant part of any company and are responsible for earning the users’ trust. Therefore, only transparent and honest brands have made it on our list.
Complete Buyer’s Guide to Flea Treatment
Dogs are amazing, and they deserve the best. So be extra careful when choosing the right flea treatment. Here are some of the most important tips and questions you should ask when selecting a product for your pup.
How to Know If Your Dog Has Fleas
You should always have a top–rated flea treatment for dogs on hand, as these pests can surprise you when you least expect them. Fleas can live on any part of the dog’s body, but they mostly hide in areas where your dog can’t scratch them off so easily.
It’s recommended you use a special flea comb while inspecting your pet. Scabbing, red, and inflamed skin are definite signs of fleas.
Now, if you find tiny dark specks in your dog’s fur, don’t panic, because sometimes it’s just dirt. Instead, put the speck on a paper towel and put a few drops of water over it. If it turns a dark reddish-brown color — it’s probably a flea.
So, You Found Fleas. What Next?
As we mentioned, consult your vet first when it comes to choosing the best–rated flea treatment for dogs. You’ll also need to clean your dog from fleas and clean your home, which takes about three to four months — you need to attack them at all life stages.
On top of that, you’ll need to:
- Wash beddings in hot and soapy water regularly
- Vacuum your entire home and throw away the vacuum bag when done
- Apply a home spray from our flea treatment for dogs review (or call a local pest control)
- Come up with a regular flea prevention routine and stick to it
Soothing Flea Bites
Flea bites are incredibly itchy and irritating. They’ll make your dog scratch and bite itself, which can lead to skin damage, wounds, and even hair loss. We’ve also included some of the best flea shampoos on our list, which will quickly soothe the bites.
Do I Really Need to Use a Top Flea Treatment for Dogs?
Absolutely — yes! You don’t have to buy the most expensive one, but you need to use a safe and effective treatment. Fleas are annoying, hard to get rid of creatures that are dangerous to your pet’s health.
There’s a high chance of transmitting microorganisms into your pet’s bloodstream once they get bitten. If not treated, fleas can cause:
Flea bite dermatitis — this is the most common complication caused by a flea bite. The skin becomes red and irritated, and at times even swollen and uncomfortable.
If it’s not treated with a flea and tick treatment for dogs, it can lead to scratching, cuts, and wounds. Other bacteria and microorganisms can also enter the bloodstream and cause more severe health issues too.
Typhus — fleas carry several strains of the virus that causes typhus, resulting in muscle and joint pain, fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, and depression.
Plague — although not so common, fleas can also transmit the plague that causes fever, severe swelling of the lymph nodes, and in some cases, even death.
Tapeworm — it’s possible for dogs to ingest fleas that are infected with a tapeworm, which can then breed further and make your dog ill.
Haemobartonellosis — both ticks and fleas carry this disease. The bacteria invade and disrupt red blood cells and prevent them from providing enough oxygen to the tissue.
Should I Choose an Oral or Topical Dog Flea Medicine?
First things first, you need to determine which type of treatment is best suited for your dog. There are topicals, chews, shampoos, sprays, etc., literally hundreds of products. Now, every dog is different, so you should mainly consider their lifestyle, age, and whether they’re pregnant or not when deciding on the treatment.
All flea treatment categories are good, but here’s what each of them is best used for:
Collars
Collars prevent and keep fleas off of your pet. They’re great for puppies and dogs who are just starting to socialize or like to wander around and play outside, where they’re most likely to pick up fleas.
Pet parents love them, and for a good reason too! The best flea and tick collar for dogs will be easy to use and will stay on no matter what after you put them. On top of that, the flea poison lasts for months, so you don’t have to mess around with topicals and chewables every day.
Topicals
Topical treatments are the most common flea treatments. They’re popular because they’re easy to apply and are super effective. They usually kill ticks and mosquitoes, as well. Topicals are best for fast action and are vet-recommended.
Oral Treatment
Tablets and pills are usually recommended for dogs that already have fleas. The best chewable flea treatment for dogs is tasty (just like your traditional dog treats), yet effective at killing parasites.
Shampoos
Flea shampoos, too, are made for dogs that are already infested with these annoying pests. They’re specially designed for killing fleas while cleansing your dog’s coat and relieving their skin from nasty itches. However, you need to use them often.
Sprays
Another product for already infested dogs is a flea spray. Much like shampoos, flea sprays kill pests while maintaining your dog’s coat shiny and healthy.
Most of them are waterproof and last about a month. The best ones can also be used on pet beddings and around your home.
Powders
Flea powders are designed to kill parasites directly on contact. They’re a safe flea treatment for dogs. You can sprinkle them on your pet’s fur, bedding, carpets, and other infested areas. There are even powders that can be sprinkled on pet food, too.
You should consult your vet before buying the treatment to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction. Also, you shouldn’t use flea treatments designed for other animals. Treatments designed for felines can be toxic to dogs and vice versa.
You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and your vet’s recommendations.
Even the Best Dog Flea Treatment Has a Protection Period
You should consider the protection period of the product you choose for your dog. Collars usually protect the longest. Topicals can protect your dog for up to a month, while oral treatments provide only short-term protection.
Waterproof Is Important
If you decide on a topical treatment, choose a waterproof one whenever possible. This will ensure that your dog is fully protected and that the medicine is effective even if you bathe your dog.
Multifuncional Products Are Lifesavers
Some flea treatments kill other parasites as well. So multifunctionality isn’t an essential feature for pet treatments. Still, it’s nice to protect your dog from ticks, mosquitoes, and lice too, and keep the pest situation under control.
Safety
The safety and effectiveness of a particular flea treatment are essential. Before buying a product, make sure it’s tested and safe for your dog. Be sure always to check the ingredients and customer reviews first.
Frequency of Treatment Application
How often you’ll apply the treatment depends on the treatment itself and the manufacturer.
Collars, for example, provide the most extended protection — up to several months. They’re also an excellent preventative measure.
Topicals offer protection 15–90 days after their application. Yet, the flea poison needs to be absorbed through the skin, which means it takes them a bit longer to start working.
Chewables are by far the newest and most effective flea treatment for dogs, and you should administer them about once a month, depending on the brand.
Treatment frequency also depends on where you live. If you live in areas where fleas are active all year round, you’ll have to keep your pet protected at all times. On the other hand, if you live where fleas are only a seasonal occurrence, you should give your dog flea treatment only a couple of times per year.
Prescription Flea Treatment for Dogs and Other Medication
We understand that you may want to mix your dog’s flea treatment with some other medication to enhance the effects. However, this isn’t recommended, as no one can tell what side-effects combined medications can give.
Now, if your dog is already on some medication, but you need to give them flea treatment, too, we can’t stress this enough — talk to your vet. They’ll know which medication and treatments can be combined, and they understand drug interactions and effects a lot better than you do (or us, for that matter).
Homemade Flea Treatments
Using an all-natural treatment is excellent and all, but we don’t recommend DIY-ing it. However, our best dog flea treatment reviews include natural products, too, so check it out.
Making your own treatment is dangerous as you can mix ingredients that are usually harmless to your dog, yet combined can cause allergies, for instance. On the other hand, products on the market are tried and tested and won’t harm your pet as long as you follow the instructions.
Flea Treatments for Sensitive Skin and Allergies
Your dog may be sensitive or allergic to some of the ingredients — even in the all-natural ones. Moreover, if you’ve been using a specific treatment for a long time, they may develop sensitivity.
Their skin can become tender, sore, and inflamed, so ask your vet to recommend another treatment.
Natural Treatment or Chemical Treatment
Both are great, so it basically comes down to your choice. Our list includes only the top-rated, safest, and tried and tested chemical and natural products. Hence, it’s up to you to decide.
If you have a more severe flea problem, chemical treatments may offer a faster solution, but both categories work well.
The Treatment Isn’t Working – It Must Be Bad
There are a million factors that can influence the efficiency of the treatment. A proper application may sound simple enough, but it’s often the main reason the treatment isn’t working.
Therefore, be sure that you’re applying the vet prescribed flea treatment for dogs the right way. Read the instructions carefully and pay attention to the correct dosage.
You have to treat all the animals in your home, not just the ones that go outside. Moreover, you have to clean your home too, to get rid of each and every flea, their eggs, larvae, and pupae. It also takes lots of time to get rid of these pests, so be persistent and don’t give up!
Best Prevention Flea Treatment for Dogs — Tips and Practices
Using aggressive, yet effective (and safe), treatments for your dog is excellent. But nevertheless, if you don’t do something about your home and the surrounding environment, you’ll be facing fleas, and who-knows-what, time and again.
Here are some tips on what you should do to prevent fleas at home:
- Clean your backyard. Fleas love hiding in cracks and crevices where there’s lots of moisture.
Spray your backyard with a pesticide that’s safe for your family, your dog, and the environment. Mow your lawn regularly and keep the shrubs well-spaced and tidy to prevent infestation.
- Safeguard your property. Put up fences to prevent feral animals from entering your yard and infecting your pet.
- Consider professional help. Buying the best flea treatment for cats and dogs is all fine and dandy. However, you should still call a professional to clean your home thoroughly to ensure that no fleas are left behind.
- Use a pet hair vacuum. Also, clean and mop your floors and other surfaces to remove flea eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult fleas. Leave no space untouched, especially dark places — fleas just love those.
Also, be sure to throw out the vacuum bag after each use.
- Wash the beddings regularly. And your dog’s toys too. Leave everything in the sun until it’s completely dry. This should kill any remaining fleas.
- Avoid certain ecosystems. Keep your dog away from fleas’ natural habitats. That includes tall grasses, woods, decaying leaves, overgrown shrubs, etc.
- Check your dog for fleas daily. Even if you’re using the best and newest flea treatment for dogs, check your pet every day. Inspect between their toes, in and around their ears, head, neck, their tail, and belly.
- Act fast. Do everything you can to prevent your dog from getting fleas. If they still pick them up, act as quickly as you can and start treating your pet and thoroughly clean your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after flea treatment can I bathe my dog?
The most common question among pet owners, yet the answer depends greatly on the product itself. When it comes to oral treatment, you can bathe your pup whenever you want as the treatment isn’t affected by water in any way.
However, when it comes to topicals, powders, and similar products, you should follow the brand’s specific instructions. For example, with Advantage, you have to wait for 24 hours before bathing your dog. With some other products you can bathe them after just two hours have elapsed. We recommend you wait 24–48 hours, just to be sure.
How often can you put flea medicine on a dog?
Again, the answer depends on the treatment you choose.
- Shampoos are effective for soothing your dog’s skin, but they only work while you’re shampooing your pet, so you have to use them frequently and team them up with another product.
- Flea sprays are longer-lasting. They should be applied every few days or weeks, depending on the brand.
- Tablets, pills, and chews are fast-acting, but you’ll need to re-administer them to your dog every couple of days (up to a month), depending on the brand.
- Topical/Spot-on treatments last about a month or more, also depending on the brand.
- Collars are the longest-lasting of all treatments. They start working the moment you put them on your pet and last for months.
What happens if you put cat flea medicine on a dog and vice versa?
Some flea treatments are designed to work both on cats and dogs. If this is the case, it will be clearly marked on the packaging. However, using flea treatments on the wrong animals can cause serious health issues and even death.
Cats should never, under no circumstances, come in direct contact with dog flea treatment. Not only is canine flea treatment more potent, but it also has insecticides that are toxic to felines. Cats can’t metabolize those pesticides. Hence, they get poisoned.
Poisoning symptoms include hyperexcitability, drooling, tremor, twitching, depression, seizures, vomiting, loss of coordination, and worse — death.
If you’ve accidentally put topical flea treatment for dogs on your cat, reviews say you should:
- Bathe them as quickly as possible with mild soap to strip their skin of toxins. If you notice any symptoms, skip this step and go to the nearest emergency vet immediately.
- Rush them to the emergency vet, where they’ll thoroughly cleanse your pet with specialized decontaminates. If your cat has absorbed toxins, the vet will give them medications that will stop their body from processing them.
- Monitor your cat for any symptoms or changes in behavior for the next couple of days, and revisit the vet if you notice anything strange.
How long does it take for fleas to die after flea treatment?
Spot on treatments and collars kill fleas on contact. On the contrary, oral treatment and some topicals need some time as they’re active in your pet’s bloodstream. This means that a flea has to bite your dog for it to get poisoned and die. Oral treatment usually takes two hours to a day to kill fleas.
You should note that a fleas’ life cycle consists of the egg, the larvae, the pupae, and the adult stage. Flea treatments kill mostly adult fleas, so you have to repeat the treatment a couple of times to remove them altogether.
How long do you have to wait to wash a dog after flea treatment?
The answer depends on the brand of treatment you’re using. Be sure to follow the brand’s specific instructions and guidance. However, our recommendation is the same as with bathing — wait for at least 24–48 hours before washing your dog.
What is dog flea medicine and how does it work?
Dog flea medicines are unique treatments for your pet designed to prevent flea infestation while protecting your dog’s overall health.
Each treatment category is efficient but works differently:
- Topicals deposit chemicals into your dog’s sebaceous glands. Once there, the toxins attack the fleas’ nervous system and cause them to lose the ability to feed on your dog.
Some spot-on treatments also have an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents eggs from developing.
- Collars are better for flea prevention than treatment.
- Repellent collars release a gas that averts fleas from biting.
- Treatment collars release ingredients that kill fleas before they get to bite your dog. Plus, they also contain medication that’s absorbed into your dog’s sebaceous glands.
- The best oral flea treatment for dogs targets either eggs or the adult fleas themselves, eradicating but not killing the fleas. They’re incredibly efficient and fast-acting.
- Sprays and powders kill fleas on contact and are suitable for pets of all life stages.
- Shampoos, much like sprays and powders, kill fleas on contact, but you have to massage them into your dog’s fur and rinse them out properly while also taking care of your pet’s eyes and ears.
Can you use vinegar to get rid of fleas on a dog?
In short — don’t do this. Adding apple cider vinegar (ACV) to your dog’s water, or massaging it into their fur, is just a myth and won’t actually kill the fleas. Instead, you need a treatment that will kill and eradicate the pests, and ACV simply can’t do that.
Vinegar solutions, white vinegar, or ACV may help repel some fleas because of the taste. Still, it’s not good prevention, nor treatment, as it does absolutely nothing for those two. Our best flea treatment for dogs and the home will give you a much broader set of options that are also more effective as well.
Bottom Line
Our list includes only the best flea treatment for dogs. Why? Well, as pet owners ourselves, we understand that providing your dog with the best possible care is essential to their happiness and health.
We hope that this list will make your search for the best flea product for your pup a lot easier. Stay safe!