Your dog could be the cleanest pup in the neighbourhood, but unfortunately they are still at risk of catching fleas. The only way to keep the pesky parasites at bay is to administer the best flea treatment for dogs on a regular basis.
There are a wide variety of flea and tick treatments for dogs available and different formats to suit your dog’s lifestyle. The most common are spot-on solutions, tablets, collars and household sprays. There are some treatments that also deal with worms as well as fleas.
Best Spot-On Flea Treatment for Dogs
Spot-on flea treatments are applied to your dog’s skin, usually the back of the neck, using a pipette. Most spot-on treatments are applied to the back of the neck as dogs cannot reach to lick it off. To administer spot-on flea treatment, part the fur on the back of your dog’s neck (just in front of the shoulder blades) until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze the pipette several times to empty its contents directly onto the skin in one spot.
It’s important to keep your dog dry for around 48 hours after applying most spot-on treatments, so avoid walks in the rain or bathing them in that time.
Some of the best spot-on flea treatments for dogs include:
Fipnil Plus Flea and Tick Spot-on Solution
Application: Topical by pipette | Sizes: S (for 2–10kg), M (10–20kg), L (20–40kg) or XL (40–60kg) | Frequency: Four-weekly | Active ingredients: Fipronil + (S) Methoprene
Fipnil Plus helps control flea infestations alone, or in conjunction with ticks and biting lice. It also kills flea eggs. It will effectively kill fleas within 24 hours, and ticks and lice within 48 hours.
To administer, part the coat on the back of your dog at the base of the neck in front of the shoulder blades until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze the pipette several times to empty its contents directly onto the skin in one spot.
Application: Topical by pipette | Sizes: S (for 2–10kg), M (10–20kg), L (20–40kg) or XL (40–60kg) | Frequency: Four-weekly | Active ingredients: Fipronil + Methoprene
Frontline Plus is an advanced 'vet-strength' formula that kills fleas, but also stops their eggs from hatching and infesting your home. It kills ticks too, helping to reduce the risk of tick-borne disease transmission. Unlike some spot-on treatments water exposure does not affect the efficacy of the product as long as it doesn’t occur more than once a week.
To administer, part the coat on the back of your dog at the base of the neck in front of the shoulder blades until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze the pipette several times to empty its contents directly onto the skin in one spot.
Best Flea Collars for Dogs
If you find it difficult to keep on top of administering regular flea treatment, or your dog won’t stay still long enough for you to apply the treatment, you could try a flea collar. This method of flea treatment for dogs is easy to apply, and works by slowly and steadily releasing its active ingredients to kill fleas over many months.
Seresto Flea Collar
Application: Collar | Sizes: Up to 8kg or 8–120kg | Frequency: Every 7–8 months | Active ingredients: Imidacloprid + Flumethrin
One way to ensure you don't miss a flea treatment is to try the Seresto collar. The collar protects your dog for up to 8 months and releases active ingredients at a slow and steady rate to kill fleas, ticks and repel biting lice. Other advantages to the collar is that it's water-resistant, odour-free and easy to apply.
Not suitable for pregnant or lactating dogs, or puppies under 7 weeks old.
Best Flea Tablets for Dogs
If your pet has sensitive skin, or you prefer not to use spot-on treatments or collars for any other reasons, flea tablets could be a good option for your dog.
Flea treatment tablets for dogs can be mixed in with your pet’s food, or disguised inside a treat or pill assist. Make sure your dog doesn’t spit the pill out while you’re not looking!
Application: Oral by tablet | Sizes: Up to 11kg or over 11kg | Frequency: Maximum one tablet per day | Active ingredients: Nitenpyram
Capstar tablets are a fast and effective treatment against flea infestations that can be given directly in the mouth or mixed with food. The tablets start killing fleas within 30 minutes (you can literally see dead fleas fall of your dog!) and the treatment lasts for 24 hours. Depending on the severity of the infestation, you may need to treat your dog daily or every other day to control the fleas.
Best Flea Shampoo for Dogs
Bugalugs Flea & Tick Dog Shampoo 250ml
Application: Shampoo
Bugalugs flea and tick shampoo is made with Neem oil, a natural insect repellent, which disturbs the flea and tick feeding and reproductive cycle and will keep other unwanted guests away from your dogs coat. It can be used in conjunction with other flea and tick treatments to avoid pests and soothe the skin after insect bites.
Wrapping up
We hope our round up of some of the best flea and tick treatments for dogs has helped you decide which might be most suitable for your pet. Always have a chat with your vet if you're unsure of anything, or if you’d like to discuss the option of prescription-only flea treatments. As fleas jump around, it is advisable to use some other form of flea control, such as Indorex Defence Spray in the house.
It's important to remember to treat your dog for fleas all year round. This will help to protect against infestations and diseases that can be harmful to the rest of the household as well as your dog.
To learn more about keeping your dog safe from all common parasites, read out Ultimate Guide to Fleas, Ticks & Worms for Pet Owners.
