The flea and tick season is here again, and since more and more products are flooding the market we have put together a little overview about the most popular ones.
Unfortunately some are a little pricey (especially if you let your vet administer them), but well worth the money. Sadly, the most effective ointments/liquids do contain chemicals but unfortunately the ones that are botanical, based on natural ingredients, just don’t do the job, especially not in an area with lots of fleas.
If you keep your cat strictly indoors, you might get away with one of these though, or not use any at all. For dogs that like to get close to bushes and trees, and are frequently walked on grass, they simply don’t work.
Please be aware of “fake” versions of these topical treatments. Always buy from a trusted source and keep in mind - if it is “too cheap” it’s most likely not an FDA-approved version and might be dangerous for your pet’s health.
Keep in mind that dogs can get lime disease from mosquito bites. Especially dogs with a dark/black fur are magnets for mosquitoes. Keep that in mind when choosing treatments. Also, not all flea treatments automatically protect against ticks.
Ingredients: Pyrethrins 0.15%,Piperonyl Butoxide, Technical 1.50%,N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide 0.50%,Di-N-Propyl Isocinchomeronate 0.50%.
up to 10 lbs
11 to 20 lbs
21 to 55 lbs
56 lbs and over
Advantage for Cats come in 2 sizes and is safe to use on kittens at 8 weeks of age.
Cats/Kittens under 9 lbs
Cats/Kittens over 9 lbs
Ingredients: Imidacloprid; N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine 8.8%, Permethrin 44.0%. Other ingredients 47.2%
up to 10 lbs
11 to 20 lbs
21 to 55 lbs
56 lbs and over
up to 22 lb
23 to 44 lbs
45 to 88 lbs
89 to 132 lbs
Frontline Topspot for Cats is safe to use on kittens at 12 weeks of age.
Ingredients: Fipronil 9.8%, Methoprene 8.8%. Inert Ingredients 81.4%
up to 22 lb
23 to 44 lbs
45 to 88 lbs
89 to 132 lbs
Active ingredients: permethrin 45%, s-methoprene 3%. Other ingredients: 52%.
dogs & puppies up to 16 lbs
16 to 30 lbs
31 to 60 lbs
61 lbs and over
Our opinion: it might work as a preventive treatment; if your dog already has fleas not as effective as K9 Advantix or Frontline.
4 to 15 lbs
16 to 30 lbs
31 to 60 lbs
61 to 90 lbs
Active ingredients: peppermint oil 3%, cinnamon oil 4.5%, lemon grass oil 4.5%, clove oil 5%, thyme oil 5%, 2-phenethyl propionate 5%. Other ingredients (vanillin, isopropyl myristate) 73%
One of the less expensive products, botanical. It claims to work immediately and lasts 4 weeks. We have tried it, it did not kill fleas and left a bad smelling, oily residue on the dog’s coat. Waste of money.
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