The best flea and tick treatment for dogs

Ticks and fleas not only cause discomfort for dogs, but also carry dangerous diseases. Fleas are the cause of dermatitis, which causes various complications, including otitis media if the dog actively scratches its ears. Ticks are carriers of Lyme disease, encephalitis, babesiosis, and other pathologies. Today we will talk about how to protect your dog from ticks in spring and other times of the year.

How to protect your dog from fleas and ticks: basic methods

The dog must be regularly treated with flea and tick medications, even if there are no parasites. Timely prevention will protect your pet from pests and prevent them from gaining a foothold on the dog’s fur and skin when they attack the dog.

Most modern remedies cause paralysis and rapid death of the parasite. Their effectiveness and duration of protection directly depends not only on the brand, but also on the product you use to treat your dog.

Collars

Collars give a good long-lasting effect, are inexpensive, and easy to use. It is enough to put the collar on the dog and not remove it for 1-2 months. They protect dogs well, who live in the yard, near the forest, and often walk in the fields.

The downside is that the collar often causes allergies. It manifests itself in the form of itching, redness of the skin, so the symptoms are easily confused with a reaction to parasites. If your dog is itching while wearing a flea collar, but there are no parasites, change the product.

Pills

Tablets are the answer to the question of how to protect a dog from ticks in the country. They cope with the task better than other means. They have a systemic effect and are effective for 1 to 3 months. When the bloodsucker begins to suck blood, the active substance enters his body, causing instant paralysis and rapid death. Therefore, even if a tick or flea bites an animal, it will not be able to cause harm.

There is a lot of controversy about the effect of tablets on a dog’s health. If you decide to use tablets to protect your dog, buy only proven products that are safe for your pet.

Drops on the withers, sprays

Drops on the withers, sprays - topical preparations. Their active substance is distributed not through the bloodstream, but through subcutaneous fat. The drug does not enter the plasma. It causes parasites to become paralyzed at the first contact with the poison, and after a while they die. Drops give a short-term effect. They protect against ticks for 2-3 weeks, and against fleas - a little longer.

In order for the anti-tick product for dogs to work, the pet must not be washed 3 days before and after treatment. If the dog gets caught in the rain after applying the product, there is a high probability that the drug will be washed off. Tick protection for dogs should be applied not to the fur, but to the skin so that the dog does not lick it off - near the ears, shoulder blades.

Plus, drops and sprays against ticks rarely cause allergies. If it appears, to remove the symptoms, just wash off the product.

Shampoos

The effectiveness of shampoos is lower than that of drops; the duration of action is from 1 to 3 days. They are recommended to be used not so much for prevention as for treating the animal. According to the instructions, you first need to bathe your pet to kill the parasites, then after a few days use anti-tick drops for dogs. They not only get rid of pests, but also quickly relieve itching and inflammation, and heal the skin.

Shampoo can also be used a few days after treating the animal with drops. It will wash away dead fleas and other parasites.

What to look for when choosing?

When choosing a drug, it is worth considering its volume, range of action and adaptation of parasites, because with regular use of one product, fleas adapt to it, so the effectiveness of the composition decreases.

When choosing a drug, you should adhere to the following action plan:

first you need to decide for what needs the product is used - prevention or treatment;
It is worth taking into account the characteristics of the pet and its habitat;
determine the degree of infection;
assess the physiological state of the dog.

How to protect your dog from fleas

A flea can jump on a dog even if the pet has not been in contact with other dogs. Therefore, prevention cannot be ignored. If a dog is infected, it is necessary to treat not only the dog, but the entire apartment. Particular attention should be paid to the bedding on which the dog sleeps.

The Best Flea Treatments for Dogs

The best protection against fleas for dogs is provided by tablets that cause paralysis in fleas. The rating is topped by the following flea remedies for dogs:

Bravecto (fluralaner) – kills fleas in 8 hours. Validity period: 3 months.
Nesgard (afoxolaner) – parasites die after 6 hours. Give to your pet once a month during the active season.
Simparica (sarolaner) – kills fleas in 8 hours. Give once every 32 months.

If you are concerned about the safety of the tablets, buy drops. Effective flea treatments for dogs:

Frontline COMBO (fipronil, S-methoprene) is a drug that protects against fleas for 90 days.
Beafar (diazinon) – protects against parasites for 3 weeks.
Advantix (imidacloprid and pyrmethrin) – keeps fleas away from your dog for a month.

Among the cheap drugs, we can highlight Bars, which protects the dog for 1-2 months. Don't be afraid to buy an inexpensive flea treatment for dogs. The fact is that fleas develop resistance to many insecticides, regardless of their price. Therefore, even expensive drugs become ineffective over time.

Many people do not trust cheap flea drops for dogs, and this is their advantage. Insects encounter them little, so they quickly die without having time to develop resistance.

Important: if you notice that the flea drug has ceased to have the desired effect, buy another flea drug for your dog.

Signs of infection

Often, owners begin to breed fleas on their pets when there are already a lot of fleas and they pose a potential danger to the dog. To prevent negative consequences for your pet’s health, the animal must be carefully examined and its behavior observed.

The following changes in your pet's behavior may indicate the presence of fleas:

the animal sleeps restlessly and constantly tries to change its resting place;
the dog jumps up suddenly, having previously been in a calm state;
the pet itches quickly and intensely, which is significantly different from habitual scratching.

If the owner detects one or more symptoms, the dog’s skin should be examined. Dried blood and inflamed areas indicate the presence of parasites.

But it is not always possible to track parasites on the dark fur of pets. You can determine whether your pet has fleas by performing a simple test.

This will let you know if your dog has flea excrement. The owner should arm himself with a fine-toothed comb and carefully comb the pet’s fur with it. If your dog is infested with fleas, the comb will be left with traces of insect feces in the form of characteristic black dots.

If your dog is prone to allergies or has very sensitive skin, a red rash will form on it. Typically, the inflamed areas are localized on the withers, behind the ears, on the stomach and inner thighs. Purulent ulcers gradually appear at the bite sites. The pet's fur begins to shed profusely.

In severe cases of infection, the dog has bald spots on the withers and croup at the base of the tail. Lack of veterinary intervention can lead to complete hair loss and even death of the animal.

How to protect your dog from ticks

Ticks are more dangerous than fleas because they can crawl from dogs to human skin. Research shows that 6 out of 100 ticks are infected with viral encephalitis alone; in some areas the percentage is higher. Therefore, when treating your dog, you protect not only the pet, but also yourself.

The Best Tick Remedies for Dogs

To protect a dog from ticks, the same products are used as against fleas, only they act on arthropods for 1-2 weeks less.

The best and most effective tick repellents for dogs are Bravecto, Nesgard and Simparica tablets. Don’t think that if you give your dog a pill and go into the forest, you won’t find a tick on your pet. If a parasite falls on a dog, it will crawl along it until it burrows into the skin. The tick will become poisoned when it starts feeding. He will be instantly paralyzed and will die after some time.

Therefore, if you gave your dog a pill, went into the forest and found a tick crawling on your pet, don’t panic. Carefully remove the parasite and destroy it.

Frontline and Advantix also protect well against ticks. These tick repellents for dogs top many ratings. You can also use shampoos (Pchelodar, Bea Flea), which will help if you did not notice a tick during the inspection. We should not forget that the shampoo does not last long and gives a good effect as a comprehensive protection.

Antiparasitic collar or drops?

In addition, many breeders prefer to use an anti-parasitic collar. But it is difficult to consider it a full-fledged replacement due to the specific qualities of such protection:

Collars are often made from the cheapest and roughest materials. This leads to the fact that they cannot be properly fixed on the dog’s neck.

Dogs are very “gnawing” creatures, and therefore there is a high chance that the dog, having thrown off the “harness” from its neck, will first slobber all over it thoroughly. Nothing good will come of this, since insecticides taken orally are a strong and very unpleasant toxin.

Finally, if the dog is large, then there will be no fleas on the neck, but they will feel great on the rump. The effect of the collar, unfortunately, does not extend that far.

But there are also positive nuances. Firstly, collars can in most cases be used to protect pregnant and lactating bitches. Secondly, they are also used to protect puppies.

How to remove a tick

If you find a tick attached to your dog, do not pull it out under any circumstances. To remove it:

Take tweezers and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Gently pull out the tick by turning it clockwise or counterclockwise.
Do not pull sharply upward or loosen the tick, otherwise you will tear off its head, which will remain in the body. He may also get scared and inject dangerous saliva into the blood.

To make removing a tick easier, buy a special device in the store in advance and follow the instructions.

How to protect your puppy from ticks

Most flea and tick treatments are made for puppies 8 weeks and older. Until this time, it is necessary to protect its contact with the environment. It is important to remember that he should not be allowed outside until the vaccination is completed. The first vaccination is given at 2 months, the second after 10 days.

Therefore, when the doctor allows the puppy to go outside, it can already be treated with drops against fleas and ticks. Manufacturers of Bravecto, Nesgard, Simparica claim that the tablets can be given for 8 weeks. But it is important to remember that a young, growing organism can react negatively to any chemical, so drops against ticks are preferable.

If you pick up a puppy with fleas and ticks from the street, wash it with shampoo several times at short intervals. For example, Doctor Zoo can be used from 2 weeks. It has a mild effect, and the risk of infection is higher than the risk of getting a negative reaction from the drug. If Doctor Zoo is not in the pharmacy, ask your veterinarian to sell a product that can be used to treat babies against fleas and ticks.

Reasons for appearance

Even a pet that does not interact with other four-legged animals and does not walk on its own can develop fleas. It is enough to walk once through the grass on which an infected individual was running for pests to appear. In a week, their colony will grow to such a number that even without close communication with the animal, a person will notice it.

Approximately 5-10% of fleas live on the dog, while the rest are found in the environment (indoors). As a rule, these are larvae, eggs and pupae. No amount of thorough cleaning will get rid of them, nor will insecticides. It can take up to 200 days to wait before hatching if there is no suitable potential host.

This is interesting: many compare fleas to lice. But this is a misconception. They reproduce faster and do not attach eggs to the hairs, which is why they roll down and end up on the floor, furniture and other household items where the pet has been.

Miniature breeds of dogs, which in principle rarely walk outside, are also susceptible to infection. Fleas end up in the house by being carried on shoes, through the doormat, or similar ways. The main thing, as soon as you notice that the animal is constantly itching, is to take appropriate measures and not delay treatment.

How to protect a pregnant and lactating bitch from parasites

It is highly undesirable to treat a female dog for fleas during pregnancy. The owner must take this into account and be sure to carry out the treatment earlier. If you cannot do without it after pregnancy, consult your doctor. He will tell you which flea and tick treatment is best for your dog.

Manufacturers of Bravecto, Simparica, Nesgard allow pills to be given during pregnancy. But we must remember that at this time, especially at the beginning of pregnancy, the baby’s organs are formed. Any tablets can affect this process, so it is better to use drops against fleas and ticks.

As for lactation, flea and tick tablets can get into the milk and cause a negative reaction in puppies. Manufacturers do not indicate this, but many drugs have this effect on infants. Therefore, to protect the bitch, it is better to use anti-tick drops, applied to the withers, between the shoulder blades. It is imperative to ensure that the puppies do not lick the flea and tick medication when the bitch is lying down.

Prices for medications for flea treatment of dogs

Russia

Mr. Bruno, shampoo, 350 ml, from 260 to 280 rubles;
Lugovoy, shampoo, 270 ml, from 140 to 155 rubles;
Beaphar, shampoo, 250 ml, from 500 to 530 rubles;
Bars(AVZ) Forte, drops, 4 pcs. 1.8 ml each, from 260 to 275 rubles;
Frontline (Merial) Spot-On XL, drops, 4.02 ml, from 570 rub. up to 590 rub.;
BlochNet max, drops, 1 pipette, from 130 to 145 rubles;
Frontline (Merial), aerosol, 100 ml, from 950 to 1100 rubles;
Beaphar Spot On Spray, spray, 400 ml, from 580 to 600 rubles;
RolfClub, collar, from 255 to 270 rubles;
Celandine, collar, from 90 to 100 rubles;
Bravecto, chewable tablets, from 1250 to 1700 rubles;
Eprimek, solution for injection, 100 ml, from 720 to 750 rubles.

Ukraine

Phytoelite, shampoo, 220 ml, from 43 to 45 UAH;
Frontline, spray, 250 ml, from 600 to 605 UAH;
Bars, drops, 2 pipettes of 5 ml, from 114 to 115 UAH;
Frontline, drops, 1 pipette, from 210 to 215 UAH;
Bravecto, chewable tablets, from 680 to 685 UAH;
Advocate, drops on the withers, 1 pipette, from 260 to 270 UAH;
Bars, spray, 100 ml, from 107 to 110 UAH;
Beaphar, collar, from 85 to 95 UAH;
Mister Zoo, collar, from 15 to 20 UAH;
Barrier, shampoo, 100 ml, from 20 to 22 UAH;
Ivermectin-10, solution for injection, 50 ml, from 85 to 90 UAH.

How to protect an older dog from fleas and ticks?

An older dog should definitely be treated for fleas and ticks. As they age, their immunity declines and they become vulnerable to diseases that they could previously easily cope with. They often develop dermatitis from fleas. Constant scratching can cause inflammation of the lymph node in the ear, which may require surgery. Old animals do not tolerate anesthesia well and take a long time to recover.

Older dogs also become more vulnerable to diseases transmitted by ticks. They have a harder time coping with encephalitis, Lyme disease and other dangerous pathologies than younger dogs.

As in other cases, drops, sprays, shampoos, and tablets can be used to protect the dog. When choosing a product to protect dogs from fleas and ticks, consider the following parameters:

Health. If the dog is sick or has a weak immune system, it is better to give drops.
Allergy. With age, allergic reactions often occur. If your dog rarely goes to the forest or fields, it is better to limit yourself to flea and tick drops. If a reaction occurs to them, just wash the dog. If an allergy manifests itself to an anti-mite tablet, serious consequences are possible.
Age. The older the dog, the more gentle the flea and tick treatment should be.

Before treating your dog for fleas and ticks, consult your doctor. He will examine your pet, prescribe tests if necessary, and recommend the best tick repellents for dogs.

Vet's Best Spray

Vet's Best Spray
The uniqueness of this spray lies in its plant base. Vet's Best spray contains only natural ingredients: peppermint oil and clove extract. Flea spray does not contain insecticides. The preservative and the additive that makes up the soap base are its only non-natural ingredients. That is why the spray is recognized as an absolutely safe drug. However, when using it, side effects are possible in the form of allergic reactions to the substances contained in the product.

Many consumers have already assessed the effectiveness of this drug and have come to the conclusion that a positive result will not be long in coming when using Vet's Best spray and regular cleaning of the room.

Folk remedy for ticks and fleas for dogs

Previously, in order to rid dogs of fleas and ticks, pets were washed with gasoline, vinegar, alcohol, and other solutions. Then they spent a long and tedious time catching parasites in the fur. Don't do this. These home remedies for fleas help your dog temporarily. They can only temporarily stun the flea, when it comes to its senses and resumes its activities.

If you stubbornly avoid "chemicals", you can try essential oils. You can also prepare solutions from them and spray your dog and apartment. Fleas are repelled by orange and wormwood. Ticks are repelled by cedar, lilac, bird cherry, eucalyptus, and lavender. These plants briefly stun fleas and ticks and may repel them, but they do not provide much effect.

Now there are many expensive and inexpensive products on sale that effectively get rid of parasites. The main thing is to buy a tick repellent for dogs at a veterinary pharmacy. Avoid bazaars where they might sell you counterfeits. The insects die quickly after applying insecticides, and you don't have to spend much effort to remove them from your dog. It is enough to bathe your pet with a special shampoo a few days after treatment.

Spray Bars

A domestically produced antiparasitic drug intended for regular treatment of the fur of your four-legged friend. It is based on permethrin, an insecticide that causes side effects in cats. For dogs, Bars is absolutely safe, especially for larger pets. The spray is used to treat animals older than 2.5 months. The manufacturer recommends using it outdoors, at a distance of 0.3 m from the pet’s skin. Relatively low cost is another advantage of Bars spray.

Review
Fleas are a common occurrence for dogs, and doubly common for hunting dogs. After every visit to the forest, I treat my pets with Bars spray, since there are so many bloodsuckers that they can be seen even with the naked eye. After using the spray, the parasites die right before your eyes. The effect lasts for a month. And the cost of the product is relatively low. I also use Frontline spray and drops.
Oleg, Voronezh