What Flea Treatment Is the Best for My Dog?

Fleas may be small in size, but they can cause your dog to experience excessive itching, hot spots, and skin infections. In general, these conditions can be prevented by using a flea control preventative. Don’t let your dog suffer from an uncomfortable flea infestation. Help remove fleas on your dog and prevent future infestations by using the variety of available flea control products such as those listed below.

Oral tablets & chews for flea control
Oral flea treatments such as NexGard Chewables are quick and effective. The medication travels through your dog’s bloodstream and to the skin’s surface, helping to kill biting fleas. Combination pill treatments such as Sentinel Spectrum and Trifexis also prevent heartworm disease and other intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. See product label for details.

Topical flea solutions
Topical flea control for dogs is most popular in liquid drop form. These products can treat existing infestations and help prevent future outbreaks. Apply the product directly onto your dog’s skin, between the shoulder blades, unless otherwise noted on the product packaging. For small breeds, Flea5X Plus for Dogs is recommended and for large dogs, we recommend Frontline Gold, Frontline Plus, or K9 Advantix II. All are waterproof.

Collars are thin, flexible, and adjustable. The plastic band is coated in a chemical meant to repel fleas and ticks. Most flea collars like Seresto last for several months and are considered an economical choice.

Flea sprays
Flea sprays are best in between baths, since the product will wash off when your dog gets wet. However, the sprays are inexpensive and relatively effective. Simply spritz your dog’s coat all over, from the neck down and along the tail. For the head and eye area, spray on a gloved hand or washcloth and rub gently into your dog’s hair, being careful not to get any of the product in your dog’s eyes or mouth.

Flea shampoos
Flea shampoos are used like any other bath product, yet most require allowing the product to sit on the skin for several minutes before rinsing.