Flea and tick protection for dogs includes spot-on skin treatments, natural protective methods and products, oral tablets and collars. Many of these products contain strong insecticides, which have the potential to cause reactions in dogs or harm cats and small children in the home. Pet owners should talk with their veterinarian about the safest flea and tick protection product they should use on their dog and which product would be best for their home.
Spot-On Protection
Spot-on treatments designed for flea and tick protection in dogs are applied to the dog's back, in between the shoulder blades and behind the dog's ears. These products contain an active ingredient which paralyzes or kills fleas and ticks once they land on the dog or when they bite the dog.
Spot-on treatments available in grocery and pet stores contain organophosphate or pyrethoid insecticides (e.g. Hartz, Happy Jack and Kill-Ko). Prescription spot-on treatments available through a veterinarian use newer generation insecticides such as imidacloprid, arylheterocycles or insect growth regulators such as lufenuron or diflubenzuron (e.g., Frontline, Advantage and Revolution).
Natural Protection
Natural methods for flea and tick protection in dogs include frequent bathing and combing to remove fleas or ticks, natural flea and tick products that do not contain insecticides or insect growth regulators and homemade products that use essential oils and powders to keep fleas and ticks at bay. Persons who are interested in using natural methods for their dog's flea and tick protection need to employ these methods frequently to keep any flea and tick populations in their dog's environment under control.
Oral Tablets
Oral tablets that contain active insecticide ingredients will protect dogs from existing and future flea infestations. These products contain ingredients such as nitenpyram or lufenuron (e.g. Capstar and Program). Capstar tablets for dogs may be used when ever fleas are seen on a dog, and they can be used as often as once a day; Program is a once a month oral flea preventative which breaks the flea life cycle to prevent adult flea populations from forming. (See additional reference in notes section.)
Collars
Flea and tick collars for dogs help to repel or kill fleas and ticks once they come into contact with the collars. The collars contain active insecticide ingredients which may include: amitraz, deltamethrin and/or pyriproxifenthat. Flea and tick collars for dogs may last anywhere from one to six months and most collars are water resistant. Brands of flea and tick protection collars for dogs include: Adams Delta Force, Preventef-D and Preventic Plus. (See additional reference in notes section.)
Risks and Warnings
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated a statement on June 23, 2009 that announced that the EPA was intensifying evaluations of spot-on pesticide flea and tick products due to a link between adverse reactions, including death, of some pets which are exposed to these products. The Humane Society of the United States advises pet owners to avoid flea and tick products which contain organophosphates and pyrethoid ingredients as these ingredients have been linked with severe reactions in pets and people. Pyrethoids are toxic to cats and should not be used on dogs that come into contact with cats.
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