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Dog Flea Medicine Reviews
Dog flea medicine can protect your pet from nasty parasites that can cause great discomfort to your pet. But there are so many different products, and they all claim to be the best.
With so many choices, how do you pick the right one for your pet?
By the way, a lot of the products that I will mention here provide protection not only from fleas, but ticks as well. Some even provide protection from mosquitoes.
Types of Flea Medications
These medications can be separated into 4 categories. Lets take a look at each one and try to figure out what works and what doesn't…
Spot-on Topicals
You apply spot-on topicals from different manufacturers more or less in the same manner…
Part the hair on the dog's back between the shoulder blades, until the skin is visible. For smaller dogs, apply the entire contents of the tube to this one spot. For larger dogs, apply the contents of the applicator tube to the skin at 3 or 4 spots on the top of the back from the shoulder to the base of the tail.
Of course, you will need to follow manufacturer's instructions for the product you decide to use.
Each spot-on flea medicine comes in different dosages, based on your dog's weight. Make sure you buy the right one.
Oral Tablets
Oral tablets are tablets that your dog will need to eat, that is, if you can trick him into it!
They work well but, from my experience, it's a lot easier to apply a spot-on medication than to trick your dog into eating a tablet. They also have limitations when compared to spot-on topicals.
Flea Collars
Flea collars don't work as well as the other two. It's best to use them as insurance, together with spot-on topicals or oral tablets. Don't use them as the only flea protection.
Zema Dog Flea & Tick Collar is one of the better flea collars and provides protection for up to 6 months.
And as you can see from the name, it provides protection not only from fleas but ticks as well.
Shampoos
Flea shampoos don't really fall under the flea medicine category, but they are medicated and can be effective. How effective it is depends on the degree of flea infestation.
What I would do is, I would try the shampoo first. If it didn't help, I would add either spot-on topicals or oral tablets and continue using the shampoo.
Flea Medicine Reviews
K9 Advantix
This is a spot-on topical product that you apply on your dog once a month.
In addition to fleas, it provides protection against ticks and mosquitoes. While other products only kill the above parasites, K9 Advatix also repels them.
You can start using K9 Advantix on puppies as young as 7 weeks and it kills 98-100% of fleas within 12 hours after the first application. It's also waterproof, meaning that bathing your dog will not wash it off.
K9 Advantix is one of the best, if not the best, products on the market.
Frontline Plus
Another excellent dog flea medicine.
Just like K9 Advantix, you apply it once a month and it's just as effective. It's waterproof and will also provide protection against ticks.
Unlike K9 Advantix, it does not provide protection against mosquitoes. And while Frontline Plus does a very good job at killing fleas and ticks, it will not repel them.
One advantage Frontline has over K9 Advantix is that you can also use it on cats.
I've been using Frontline Plus on Bo for several years now to kill ticks and we both are very happy with it!
Advantage
Unlike the previous 2 products, Advantage works only on fleas.
Like Frontline Plus and K9 Advantix, Advantage is a once a month spot on flea medicine that's also waterproof.
One huge advantage it has over the other products is it's speed – Advantage stops fleas from biting in 3-5 minutes and kills 98-100% of fleas on dogs and cats within 12 hours of application.
If your dog is suffering from flea bites, Advantage is the product to use!
Program
Unlike other products we just covered, Program is taken orally (it's a pill).
It works, but it's not one of my favorite flea medicines…
Its major drawback is that it does not kill adult fleas – Program is designed to stop flea eggs and larvae from developing into adult fleas.
Capstar
Like Program, Capstar is an oral flea medicine. That's where the similarities end.
Unlike Program, Capstar kills adult fleas and is fast acting (starts killing adult fleas on your dog within 30 minutes).
Its drawback is that it's effect lasts for only 24 hours.
I would use it in situations where my dog may be exposed to fleas for a short time only (a dog park, an obedience school, a dog show, etc.). I would also use it if I needed to get rid of fleas really fast.
Each flea medicine that we just reviewed is safe and works well. Though it's rare, some dogs may experience an allergic reaction to any of these medicines. If that happens, immediately contact your veterinarian.
Some owners, instead of commercial products, prefer to employ home remedies to kill fleas. If you would like to learn more, visit home remedies for fleas page.
I hope you will find this information useful and it helps you to recognize some common health problems your pet may be experiencing. However, if you suspect your pet is ill, immediately contact your veterinarian. He or she will be able to help you decide the best course of action when it comes to caring for your pet.
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