One of the most critical tasks when caring for a dog is preventing fleas and ticks from entering your home, as they can can carry diseases like Lyme disease as well as cause allergic reactions and irritations to both skin and eyes. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite flea and tick prevention methods to keep your dog protected.
Advecta Ultra Flea and Tick Prevention
Advecta Ultra Flea and Tick Prevention is a monthly topical treatment designed to keep your pet free of fleas, ticks, biting flies, mosquitoes, pyriproxyfen and imidacloprid which work together to break the lifecycle of fleas in order to stop infestations from beginning.
This topical treatment begins to work within 24 hours after application and is waterproof to avoid irritating your dog’s skin. Furthermore, it provides up to 30 days’ protection from fleas, ticks and biting flies!
When choosing flea and tick treatment products for your pets, make sure that it can be safely used on both cats and dogs. Some products contain ingredients like permethrin that may be toxic to both species.
If you want a long-term solution, opt for a topical treatment that provides year-round protection. Many flea and tick preventatives require less applications throughout the year than their counterparts, which can make life less stressful for your pet.
Frontline
Frontline has long been trusted by pet parents as a monthly flea and tick treatment, featuring two powerful pest control ingredients like fipronil and (S)-methoprene to break the flea lifecycle and provide your pet with protection for a full 30 days against fleas and ticks.
This product is suitable for dogs 8 weeks old or older weighing 5 pounds or more and helps prevent the spread of Lyme disease.
These products contain two key chemicals, fipronil and S-methoprene, that work by targeting various stages in a flea’s life cycle. Fipronil damages flea nerve endings while S-methoprene blocks their eggs from hatching.
Seresto Collar
Seresto Collar is an easy and long-term flea and tick control solution. It works by continuously dispensing flea and tick medications into your dog’s skin through continuous release of medications that target fleas and ticks.
This collar contains two active ingredients, flumethrin and imidacloprid. Together these chemicals help kill existing fleas as well as repel or eliminate future infestations.
Prevention against new fleas starts within 24 hours after using Seresto collar and continues for up to 8 months. For maximum effectiveness, any existing fleas must first be removed as some may remain undetected by Seresto’s active ingredients and will therefore not be killed by them.
The collar provides protection from deer ticks, American dog ticks, brown dog ticks and Lone Star ticks; safe for puppies 7 weeks of age or older.
Natural Flea and Tick Prevention
Natural flea and tick prevention is effective, yet may present its own unique set of challenges. Applying it properly requires more time, care, and patience in ensuring it doesn’t get into your dog’s eyes.
However, natural methods may be your best solution if you want to avoid synthetic pesticides in both your home and yard. Synthetic pesticides have been linked with serious health problems in animals including learning disabilities.
The National Resources Defense Council advises replacing pesticides containing DDT or aldrin with safer options such as s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen in products designed to repel fleas and ticks, such as s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen.
Apple cider vinegar is another natural solution to keep fleas at bay; just a few drops mixed with water can keep the fleas at bay while keeping your pet’s coat healthy and shiny.