Fast acting. The best flea treatment will also be fast acting; the faster it works, the faster your dog will get relief, and the sooner the problem will be under control. Most of the top rated flea treatments for dogs start working within 24 hours of application; though many start working within just a few hours. Capstar—a tablet that is available without a prescription—only targets fleas and is only effective for a short time. Capstar kills fleas that are on your dog at the time you administer the tablet, but it doesn’t have the long-lasting benefits of other flea preventatives. (It only kills adult fleas as opposed to other oral products that have growth regulators, in addition to adulticides.) “In really bad infestations, we will sometimes use Capstar along with a preventative so we kill the fleas faster but prevent reinfestation,” says Barnes. The collars have growth-inhibiting substances in them to stop fleas growing but most are not reliable enough. Some can also cause irritation to your pet. This method should only be used if it’s a high-quality and safe product recommended by your vet. Dog flea treatment shampoo Fleas can cause serious illness, transmit infectious diseases, and be a source of major discomfort. So, choosing flea medicine for dogs with optimal protection is a pretty big deal. The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy and lactation in the target species. Therefore, the use of the product is not recommended in animals intended for breeding or during pregnancy and lactation.

This article was researched and written by KJ Callihan, a writer for The Spruce, who has worked in animal shelters, helped socialize animals for adoption, and fostered animals of various kinds. She also writes for CNET, AAA Northeast magazine, and more.The recommended minimum doses for dogs are 10 mg/kg body weight imidacloprid and 2.5 mg/kg body weight moxidectin, equivalent to 0.1ml/kg body weight Advocate for dogs. Oral flea treatments such as tablets and chews are great for treat-loving dogs – as long as you can convince them that a flea chew is something tasty, of course. These treatments are absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning a flea is only killed when it bites your dog and ingests the active ingredient. You only need to administer an oral flea treatment every three to four months, and it often contains a deworming treatment, too. Long lasting. The treatment should also offer long lasting coverage. It won’t be very effective if it stops working in just a few days!

Avoid getting your dog wet for as long as the instructions recommend (often 24 hours). If the weather is bad, put a coat on your dog to protect them from heavy rain. Prevention matters Selamectin: Found in products like Capstar and Selarid, this causes overexcitement of the nervous system leading to paralysis and death. Like we said, there are a number of flea treatments for dogs on the market. So, how can you tell which options are the best? Below, we highlight some of the most important features that the best flea treatment options will offer:Virbac doesn’t have a scent and won’t leave any residue behind, so you won’t notice it after use. One aerosol contains 500ml of spray, which should be sufficient to cover a three-bedroom home. Make sure to keep all pets out of the treated rooms for at least two hours until the Virbac spray dries, as the active ingredient, permethrin, can be toxic to cats. Last up on our list of the best flea treatments for dogs is Advecta II Flea Treatment. This product is specially formulated to effectively break the life cycle of fleas. In other words, it is made to kill fleas during all stages of their life cycle, including eggs, larvae, and adults. It contains the same active ingredients as other products on our list, but it’s sold for a fraction of the price, which makes it an attractive option for pet owners who want to find an effective flea treatment for dogs but don’t want to spend a lot of money.