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An infestation of fleas can cause a lot of discomfort for your dog, resulting in significant health problems. Additionally, fleas can take over your home and be extremely difficult to eradicate. They can even cause skin issues for you and the rest of your family.
As for ticks, if your dog steps one paw outside, then you’ll want to make sure you’re proactive in understanding the various preventative options. Ticks can cause infectious diseases that can enter the bloodstream, so it’s good to search yourself and your pets for ticks after any outdoor activity.
Flea and tick preventative treatments can reduce the headaches associated with eliminating pesky critters from your home and dog. Learn more about your options, including topical oils, collars, sprays, shampoos, dips, and more.
Article Overview
- Why Prevent?
- What Are The Best Tick & Flea Control Products?
- Products We Do NOT Recommend
- Natural Products
- Flea Prevention Tips
- Tick Prevention Tips
- How To Remove Ticks (Video)
- Infographic
- Need Help Eliminating Fleas?
Flea and Tick Prevention Is Critical: A Personal Story
Every year the threat of disease-ridden ticks and fleas becomes more ominous, especially where my family and I live in Virginia. While we have a beautiful scenic view of the Blue Ridge mountains from our home with deer often in our backyard, our lawn backs up to tall grasses and woods that attract ticks and other pests. Our dog, Tiny, loves to roam our surroundings, but he’s brought unwelcome pests into our home.
One spring, after finding many ticks in our house (and on me) — and having one of my daughters with suspected Lyme disease — I had had enough. So I searched for preventative measures to rid Tiny of his (and our family’s) ongoing pest problem. We followed these proactive measures and saw a big difference. Don’t let this happen to you, and stop the infestation before it begins.
What’s The Best Flea And Tick Prevention For Dogs?
There are a ton of preventative flea and tick products on the market. Here are some of our recommendations for their overall reputation and popularity. We suggest you consult your vet before starting any medical treatment.
Best Topical: Frontline Plus
This monthly topical treatment kills adult fleas and larvae before they hatch, all life stages of four major tick species, and chewing lice. It comes in a three-pack or six-pack, with a range of products based on your dog’s weight.
Price
The prices below are for a three-month supply.
- 5 to 22lbs – $36.98
- 23 to 44lbs – $34.99
- 45 to 88lbs – $36.98
- 89 to 132lbs – $36.99
- Cats and Kittens – $36.98
Honorable Mention: Bayer Advantage II
Advantage II is another monthly topical flea treatment that kills adult fleas and larvae before they hatch (but not ticks). It’s safe and repels fleas from your dog. It comes in a four-pack or six-pack, and there are products for small, medium, large, and extra-large dogs.
Price
The prices below are for four doses.
Be sure to check out our article comparing Frontline and Advantage II to learn more about these popular, veterinary recommended products.
Best Shampoo: Adams Plus
A popular product among pet parents, this shampoo kills fleas, ticks, flea eggs, flea larvae, and lice and provides 28 days of control for pre-adult fleas. It contains soothing aloe, lanolin, coconut extract, and oatmeal and is safe for dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens.
Price
Best Spray: Adams Plus
From the makers of our recommended shampoo (above), this easy-to-apply spray gives your dog quick relief from biting fleas. It kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, and ticks and breaks the flea life cycle for up to two months. It’s also helpful in repelling mosquitoes.
Price
- 32 oz: $22.29
Products We Don’t Recommend
Collar: Bayer Seresto
This waterproof and odorless flea and tick collar kills fleas within 24 hours of initial application and reinfesting fleas within two hours. It also prevents tick infestations within 48 hours after application and kills and repels reinfesting ticks within six hours. This collar lasts for eight consecutive months and comes in a variety of sizes.
However, according to USA Today, this product has been linked to deaths, hair loss, rashes and neurological side effects over the years, yet the EPA has not issued a warning. So, one of the products we recommend above may be a better choice.
Price
Chew Or Topical: Bravecto
We do not recommend Bravecto due to ongoing concerns from our readers and a class action lawsuit filed against the manufacturer, Merck.
Natural Flea And Tick Prevention For Dogs
Don’t want to cover your dog with potentially toxic chemicals? There are many more natural flea and tick prevention products on the market.
Some experts say essential oils work just as well. Cedarwood, lavender, lemongrass, citronella, and geranium oils are a safe way to go, but be sure to dilute them in olive oil or sweet almond oil before applying them to your dog. Check out our tested natural insect repellent for dog recipes.
We recommend soaking your dog’s collar in a bowl of water with a drop each of citronella (flea) and geranium (tick) once a week. Don’t overdo it, though, as a dog’s sense of smell is much more sensitive than yours.
If you’re looking for other natural options to prevent your dog from getting fleas and ticks, here are some of our recommendations. You can also learn more in our detailed article on homemade flea and tick prevention.
Best Natural: Wondercide
Wondercide’s products include organic, human-grade ingredients that kill the flea and tick life cycle upon contact and provide ongoing prevention. They offer natural sprays, shampoos, oils, and tonics, as well as yard and home control products.
Price
Below is a sampling of Wondercide’s products.
- Ready to Use Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Yard Spray: $34.99
- Flea, Tick, and Mosquito Spray for Dogs, Cats, and Home: $24.99 ($1.56 / Fl Oz)
- View all options
Cedarcide
Cedarcide offers several 100% natural and eco-friendly sprays that kill and repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs, mites, ants, chiggers, flies, moths, and more. They also carry pet-safe flea and tick repellent granules for your yard. And their pricing is very reasonable for natural products.
Vet’s Best
This advanced strength flea and tick dog shampoo contains 100% certified natural essential oils and plant-based ingredients (no harsh chemicals). It kills fleas, flea larva, flea eggs, and ticks on contact. This shampoo also cleans and deodorizes your dog’s coat with a pleasing rosemary and peppermint scent. It’s safe for puppies 12 weeks and older.
Price
- 12 oz: $11.99
What’s The Best Flea Prevention For Dogs?
If you don’t want a major flea infestation in your home, it’s crucial to know how to prevent fleas on dogs. Every female flea can lay up to 600 eggs in her lifetime. It’s frightening to think about the possibilities. Some of the preventative measures you can take to avoid fleas are the same for ticks (see below), but with different pests come various problems to conquer.
Safeguard Your Yard
Since fleas spread like wildfire, it’s important to limit wildlife access to your yard. Opossums, raccoons, skunks, deer, coyotes, and even untreated cats and dogs can easily shed flea eggs into a yard. Consider fencing off your yard, for starters. And your local nursery landscape professional may have some tips — specific plants and other landscaping options can help deter animals from your yard.
Use Flea Control On Your Dog
Consider using one of the products we’ve reviewed above. These include topical oils, collars, sprays, shampoos, and more. There are also oral medications you can give your pup that work to control fleas.
Act Fast
Don’t wait if you find even one flea on your dog or in your house. Where there’s one flea, there are likely more fleas or eggs. Treat your pup with a flea control product that kills live fleas and eggs. And be sure to check out our article on how to get rid of fleas in your home.
Consider Professional Pest Control
If you have a serious problem, you may want to get professionals to treat your yard and house. But do your homework about what kinds of chemicals they use to make sure they are safe for your family members and pets. Some companies may offer natural extermination remedies instead of toxic chemicals.
What’s The Best Tick Prevention For Dogs?
There are several proactive measures you can take to keep your dog away from tick-infested areas.
Avoid Certain Ecosystems
This tip may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember. Keep your dog away from natural tick habitats. Ticks thrive in dense, wooded, and vegetative areas. When walking your dog, avoid woods, tall grasses, overgrown shrubs, and decaying leaves on the ground. If you take your pup hiking, make sure he stays on the trail. And if he strays off-trail, check him thoroughly for ticks before getting home.
Have A Well-Kept Yard
Maintain a tick-free yard. If you have a large, open lawn, you shouldn’t have tick problems (as long as you keep your lawn trimmed regularly). Ticks don’t typically live out in the open. But if your yard borders a wooded area or you have lush gardens and shrubs and shady areas with decaying leaves, your dog is at risk if he roams your yard.
Rake up decaying leaves and keep your garden area and shrubs well-groomed. Another great tip is to make sure your outdoor trash cans have tight lids to keep away rodents and their accompanying ticks from your yard.
Check Your Dog For Ticks Daily
Be sure to check your dog’s head, neck, belly, tail, toes, and in and around ears. Separate the fur with your fingers and check under their collar to make sure ticks haven’t attached to the skin.
Consider Professional Yard Pest Control
Many pest control companies can treat your yard for both ticks and fleas. But first, do your homework about the types of chemicals they use. Some companies offer more natural treatment options that use essential oils or other natural ingredients.
How To Remove Ticks From Dogs
If your dog gets a tick, watch the following video or read our article on how to check for and safely remove ticks from your dog.
Flea & Tick Prevention Infographic
Check out this infographic we created that summarizes how to prevent fleas and ticks, remove ticks, and provides the recipe for our recommended DIY natural flea and tick treatment.
Want More Info On Flea And Tick Control?
Dog flea and tick prevention is just the first step in the ongoing worry we pet owners have about keeping these pests at bay. We hope we’ve given you some tips to prevent them from infesting your home.
But if you need more information about how to kill fleas once you’ve reached that point, be sure to read our article on getting rid of fleas on your pets and in your home.
You can also read our review of Frontline vs Advantage to get a better handle on which of these popular flea prevention products may be a better fit for your family.
Is your dog protected, or have they experienced fleas or ticks?