Everyone knows that dog is man’s best friend, so it’s only obvious that you want to give your dog the best life that you possibly can.
Protecting your fur baby against flees is one of the most important things that you can do for pet and for your own household as well. While there are many methods in which to eliminate flees once they arrive, it is better for everyone to prevent them from coming into your life all together!
When you are choosing the best flea protection for your dog, there are a few considerations that you need to make to ensure your dog’s safety and the safety of the rest of your family as well. The best flea prevention treatment will be age-appropriate for your dog, the location that you live, and if there are any small children around your dog should all be considered when looking into the many different flea treatment options available.
While all flea prevention products are different, they all work by entering your dog’s bloodstream and killing the fleas from the inside out. This means that your dog is protected when they go for that swim at the beach, or take a bath, giving you the owner some peace of mind. The three most commonly recommended flea treatments by veterinarians on the market are flea/tick collars, topical treatments, or oral treatments. Each of these options have their own positives, but your situation will best determine what is right for your dog.
Flea/tick collars
Flea/tick collars are coated in chemicals that work to kill fleas (and ticks) at all stages of life. They last for several months, when not in contact with water. While flea/tick collars are largely effective at removing fleas, they should not be used around small children. Regardless of the brand, all flea/tick collars leave traces of the chemicals both on the collar itself and on the dog’s fur, making it dangerous to use around young children in particular.
Topical treatments
Topical – or spot-on – treatments are highly effective at protecting your dog from fleas and other dangerous worms. These treatments do not work against ticks, however. It is important that dogs cannot lick the site where the treatment has been administered, and you should ensure that no one, particularly children, touch the toxic chemicals. If you have a cat also, you should seek council from your doctor before using topical treatments as the chemicals used within these treatments can be fatally harmful to felines.
Oral treatments
Oral treatments come in the form of a pill or a chewable treat for your dog. These typically last between 8-12 weeks and protect your dog from everything from fleas to ticks to heartworms. Oral treatments are available from puppy to adult ages and for all weight ranges and are available at any pet shop or vet. Oral treatments such as Nexgard Spectra are the most recommended option for households with children and other pets as they work internally and do not allow anyone else to come into contact with the chemicals used within.
