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.
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The flea and tick season is approaching fast. Be prepared and treat your dog(s) and cat(s) before these nasty beasts can settle on your animal and in your home!

Remember, fleas can cause allergic dermatitis, tapeworms and anemia in your animal. See our article about Fleas & Ticks.

For best prices on the net (and lower than retail) with free shipping, visit the link below.

See more product reviews on our sister site PetStuffReviews.

Fleas and ticks are one of the least pleasurable experiences every animal owner will be faced with at some time. Even if your dogs or cats are healty, they still can get the target of these nasty little buggers.

Fleas are probably the most successful creatures on the planet in terms of reproduction. There are over 2,400 species. They are difficult to control for a variety of reasons. One female flea will produce 25,000 offspring in one month. An unfed adult can live for several months. Fleas are very good at mutating to resist new pesticides.

Some people swear that garlic added to food helps, that lime rubbed into the fur prevents fleas from latching on to an animal, well, I have tried it all - it did NOT help.

We agree on one thing - most topical treatments contain substances we’d rather not use. But the choice to treat animals is not really a choice. Fleas are a menace to dogs! They cause allergic dermatitis, tapeworms, (see separate article Common Diseases) and anemia. Most of the eggs are not laid on the dog but in the dog’s bedding, in the rug, and on the furniture. It is extremely difficult to eradicate fleas completely. The most you can hope for is to control them and to keep your dog reasonably comfortable during the warm, moist flea season.

The most effictive products are topical medications, applied once a month. It’s more or less a personal choice if you use Frontline, Advantage or K9-Advantix, etc. Try to stick with brand-names though and make sure you don’t buy a cheap import from Asia which might not be approved by veterinarians, or worse, even be deadly for your animal. It also depends on the size of your pet, some products are not available for really small dogs. Never use these on kittens or puppies 8 weeks or less, read the lables!

Another important factor is widely overlooked. If your animal has fleas, these fleas have been carried into your home. Treating the animal alone will help temporarily but it will be re-infected by fleas from his bedding, toys, blankets, etc. Fleas can also be nesting in carpets, upholstery, even hardwood floors. Don’t forget to treat your house with either a fogger or a flea spray and wash the pet’s bedding, preferably put it in the dryer. Do not be surprised if you occasionally find a flea on him, even when using precaution and medicine. He will bring them in from outside. Remember, you cannot get rid of them, only control them.

Should your animal experience skin irritations which are very common during/after a flea infestation, please see our product review at out sistersite for >>Miracle Mist Skin Spray to relieve itching.

Local pet stores are charging hefty prices for these products, an average of $45.00 and up for 3-months treatments. I have done a lot of research and found several online pharmacies where you can get the items much cheaper, from a certain oder total on some don’t charge shipping. Our online source link page lists pharmacies we have ordered from.
You can also find some good deals through Ebay, the sellers are listed on our reference page. It pays to compare prices, and don’t forget to check on the shipping expenses, these vary significantly!

>>Online Sources

>>Tapeworms