How to Pick the Suitable Flea Treatment

Fleas and ticks are parasites that feed onthe blood of host animals. Some of the fleas and ticks are pathogenic, thusbiting by them may cause severe diseases and skin infections not only in petsbut also family. Dogs and cats can pick up fleas and tick both outdoors andindoors as parasites live everywhere and breed quickly. Therefore, choosing theappropriate anti-flea and tick products for pets is important for every petowner.

Currently,the most popular anti-flea products on the market include topical, flea andtick collar, bug spray, flea powder, and oral flea and tick treatment. Theyeach have their unique advantages. When choosing the right flea products foryour pet the following points need to be considered.

1. Pet Age and Weight.

Regardless of using flea drops,flea collars, or oral flea chews, it is important to choose the correspondingtreatment plan based on the pet's weight and age. If the wrong plan is chosen,the treatment may not be effective. If small dogs take large dogs plan could befatal due to an overdose of medication.

2. How Quick Begin to Work.

Theaction time of oral flea treatment is generally faster than non-oral fleatreatment. Most of the time flea drops and collars start to kill within 4 hoursand flea tablets and chews start working within 1 hour after taking them. It'simportant to note, that oral treatment always enters blood circulation andneeds to bite to death. Flea collars and topical (excluding abamectin) do notenter blood circulation instead they are stored in the sebaceous layer and killby neural interference, no biting needed.

3. How Long will the flea and tick treatment last.

The commonly used flea and tickdrops function for one month and need to be used regularly on a monthly basis.

Flea and tick collars have 4months protection (natural essential oil collar), 6 months protection, and 8months protection based on the active ingredients embedded. Pet owners need tocarefully distinguish them and select the best for their pets.

The protection time of fleatablets and soft chews depends on the ingredients, some of them needprescriptions, and should strictly follow the instructions and seek help fromveterinarians when necessary.

4. Whether the Product is Waterproof.

Furry babies need to bathe afterapplying flea treatment. Additionally, due to the arrival of summer, our petswill like to play with water to have some fun. So, it is necessary to considerif the treatment is waterproof or not. Luckily, most of the flea medicationproducts on the market have this function.

5. Convenience of Flea Treatment Application.

Theeasiness of application and frequency of application needs to be to beconsidered. Taking flea drops as an example, the tube of some brands needs tobe opened with scissors others don't.  

Lastly, even the same brand offlea and tick treatment product may have different prices depending on theformula used. Pet owners need to carefully select the right product based oncost per use and pets’ adaptation situation.