The Difference in Flea Medications
Posted by Bentley & Bella on 21st Mar 2016
Flea medications can be a confusing topic for any owner, especially with the large variety of different products on the market. Here are the most common types of flea medication available and how they work so you can find the right product for your pet! Remember, flea medications are for pets over 8 weeks of age and 2 pounds of size, so if you have a very small dog or kitten, it is best to talk to your vet.
Monthly Topicals
Topical flea medications are flea medications that often come in a small plastic tube to be opened up and placed on the skin along your pet’s back. These work by absorbing into the skin glands on your pet to give full-body protection within 24 hours. When the flea hops on to take a bite, it ingests some of the medication, which kills it. These topicals are usually safe, but care should be taken to make sure the product is intended for the species you are giving it to as the chemicals in some dog flea medications can be harmful to cats.
Bayer's Advantage II Flea Control products for Dogs & Cats
Oral Pills
Oral pills work in a similar fashion to topicals, however they are ingested and work systemically in your pet. They often begin to work in hours rather than days, and are usually available via prescription and in situations where the amount of fleas is very high. Oral pills can sometimes give allergic reactions, but are often better tolerated than topical medications in some pets. Other types of oral pills are formulated to kill fleas currently present on your dog's skin.
Flea Collars
Over the counter flea collars often get a bad rap as they are usually ineffective in controlling fleas for the entire body. Flea collars can also be dangerous in pregnant or lactating animals as it can cause harm to the fetus and young animals. However, for healthy adult pets, many new flea collars are coming onto the market via prescriptions that last up to 8 months and offer full body protection taking the hassle out of remembering to give a pill or put a topical on every month.
Preventic Tick Collars for Dogs & Cats
Shampoos & Sprays
Shampoos and sprays are common in the over the counter market, and are effective for quickly killing fleas on the body in one go. However, these products often don’t have a lasting effect and so are usually used in conjunction with a topical or oral medication. This allows an owner to quickly kill the fleas on the body, and then use lasting protection to prevent their return.
Flea & Tick Shampoos
Ovitrol X-Tend Flea & Tick Shampoo
Triple Action Flea & Tick Shampoo
Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo
Sprays
Ovitrol Plus Flea, Tick & Bot Spray
Environmental Cleaners
Environmental cleaners work to clean your pet’s environment of fleas and eggs, such as flea bombs, carpet sprays and natural products like diatomaceous earth. These are great to use in addition to a medication directly on your pet, as the environment can re-infect your pet after treatment if not also treated.
Knockout Area Treatment Sprays & Foggers
With the large variety of products available, it is easy to find protection that is safe and effective for your pet. A good combination of flea product and environmental cleaners will also ensure your home and pets stay flea-free!
With Love,
Mr. Bentley & Ms. Bella
About our Writers
Pet Wish Pros is proud to have Bentley and Bella contributing to our pet health blog. For many years, Bentley has been passionate about improving and learning from the lives and experiences of homeless pets in the greater Atlanta area. Bella is usually busy discovering new pet health products and medications. In her free time, Bella enjoys working on her horse farm. Both Bentley and Bella are devoted to animal health & their experience allows them to keep you informed while saving YOU money!
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