You’re determined to give your dog the happiest, healthiest life. You know the ingredients in their food, their treats, and maybe even their toothpaste. But do you know exactly what’s in your dog’s flea and tick medicine?
Different forms of flea and tick preventatives have different medicines, which keep pests away in different ways. Find your treatment below to learn more about what’s protecting your pup.
Flea Collars for Dogs
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: DELTAMETHRIN
- Found in: ShieldTec Flea & Tick Collar
- Requires a prescription?: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 6 months
- Age limit: 12 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by disrupting nervous system function.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: TETRACHLORVINPHOS, (S)-METHOPRENE
- Found in: Hartz UltraGuard Pro Flea & Tick Collar, Hartz UltraGuard Plus Flea & Tick Collar, and Adams Plus Flea & Tick Collar
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 7 months
- Age limit: 12 weeks or older (Hartz UltraGuard); 6 weeks or older (Adams Plus)
- How it works: Tetrachlorvinphos kills fleas by overstimulating the nervous system. (S)-Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interferes with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: TETRACHLORVINPHOS
- Found in: Hartz UltraGuard Flea & Tick Collar, and Zodiac Flea & Tick Collar
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 7 months
- Age limit: 12 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by overstimulating the nervous system.
Topical Flea Medicine for Dogs
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: DINOTEFURAN, PYRIPROXYFEN, PERMETHRIN
- Found in: Vectra 3D Flea & Tick Treatment
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Dinotefuran and Permethrin kill fleas by overstimulating the nervous system. Pyriproxyfen is an insect growth regulator that interferes with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: ETOFENPROX, PYRIPROXYFEN, (S)-METHOPRENE
- Found in: Adams Plus Flea & Tick Spot On
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 12 weeks or older
- How it works: Etofenprox kills fleas by overstimulating the nervous system. Pyriproxyfen and (S)-Methoprene are insect growth regulators that interfere with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: FIPRONIL
- Found in: Sentry FiproGuard Flea & Tick Squeeze-On
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Fipronil kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: FIPRONIL, (S)-METHOPRENE
- Found in: Frontline Plus, Onguard and PetArmor Plus
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Fipronil kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system. (S)-Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interferes with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: FIPRONIL, (S)-METHOPRENE, PRIPROXYFEN
- Found in: Frontline Gold Flea & Tick Treatment
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Fipronil kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system. (S)-Methoprene and Priproxyfen are insect growth regulators that interfere with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: PERMETHRIN, (S)-METHOPRENE
- Found in: Zodiac Spot On Flea & Tick Control
- Requires a prescription: No
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 6 months or older
- How it works: Permethrin kills fleas by overstimulating the nervous system. (S)-Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interferes with insect growth and development, thus preventing reproduction
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: FLURALANER
- Found in: Bravecto Topical
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: 12 weeks
- Age limit: 6 months or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by overstimulating their immune systems.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: IMIDACLOPRID, MOXIDECTIN
- Found in: Advantage Multi
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 7 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: SELAMECTIN
- Found in: Revolution Topical Solution
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 6 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills adult fleas by disrupting their nervous systems; stops reproduction by preventing eggs from hatching.
Chewable Flea Tablets for Dogs
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: NITENPYRAM
- Found in: Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs
- Requires a prescription: No
- Target: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: As prescribed by veterinarian
- Age limit: 4 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by overstimulating their immune systems.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: AFOXOLANER
- Found in: NexGard Chewable Tablets
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Target: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas and ticks by overstimulating their immune systems.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: LOTILANER
- Found in: Credelio Chewable Tablet
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 8 weeks or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: LUFENURON , MILBEMYCIN OXIME
- Found in: Sentinel Flavor Tablets
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Target: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 4 weeks or older
- How it works: Lufenuron is an insect growth regulator or insect development inhibitor that interrupts the biosynthesis of chitin (which makes up their exoskeletons) in flea larvae but has no effect on adult fleas.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: SAROLANER
- Found in: Simparica Chewable Tablets
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas and ticks
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 6 months or older
- How it works: Kills fleas by inhibiting a key neurotransmitter in the pest’s central nervous system.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: SPINOSAD
- Found in: Comfortis Chewable Tablets and Trifexis Chewable Tablets
- Requires a prescription: Yes
- Targets: Fleas
- Treatment frequency: 30 days
- Age limit: 14 weeks or older (Comfortis); 8 weeks or older (Trifexis)
- How it works: Attacks the adult flea’s nervous system, causing rapid death.
Now you're up to date on your pup's flea and tick meds—but what should you do if you're already spotting fleas on your dog? Follow our guide to how to deal with fleas on dogs to send those pests packing for good.
More Flea & Tick Faves
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