Not all flea preventatives contain products that repel ticks, but if you live in a location that is frequented by these parasites, then you might consider finding a product that repels these blood-suckers. If you and your dog live in a suburban or urban environment with little or no wildlife and neither you nor your dog frequents wooded areas or dog parks, then you may be able to use a product that specializes in flea preventative without addressing ticks.This is especially true for dogs that rarely venture past their backyard.

You also need to consider the area of the country in which you live. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are everywhere, but not all the time. For example, a dog owner in Florida needs to consider using flea and mosquito repellent most, if not all of the year. An owner in Alaska, however, does not need to worry about fleas, ticks, or mosquitoes during the winter months. Consider where you live then ask your vet to recommend the times of year when these types of parasites are most prevalent.

Since many flea products contain both parasite preventive and heartworm preventative, refraining from using such products during part of the year could put your animal at risk for heartworms. However, you have the choice to give your animal an oral heartworm preventative (with the same active ingredient) without spending the extra money on a flea preventative during inactive times of the year.By splitting up the flea preventative and heartworm preventative into separate doses, you may be able to save money when fleas are dormant.

Brands, brands, brands. Keep in mind you generally get what you pay for. Recognized brands, like Advantage and Frontline Plus, that are advertised in vet offices, television, and internet ads are usually more costly but also have a history of scientific testing. Do your research to find which product best fits your needs and budget. Ask more than one veterinarian or veterinary technician about their opinions on the product and what they’ve heard from clients. Some flea-only preventatives, like Advantage, last longer and work more effectively against fleas than the combination products, but do not cover the potential risks of ticks and mosquitoes. But what about the flea preventatives at the grocery store? Cheap over the counter flea medicines are inexpensive but have not been tested to the extent of the more costly products. This means that they may not prevent against fleas under some circumstances (like dog swimming) or have a greater tendency for your animal to react to the chemicals. Some of these cheaper flea preventatives have caused skin reactions in dogs and some have even caused neurological reactions in cats.

By mouth or by neck, that is the question.It used to be that flea collars were the only acceptable method of flea prevention (and I’ll address those collars in a moment) but topical and oral prevention have managed to push aside the collars to become leaders in the industry. flea preventative generally start working within the first 48 hours after application. You have to beware not to get your animal wet before or after application as the product is likely to wash off and be rendered ineffective.Topical preventatives are easy to apply and very effective if used according to the directions. There are also oral flea preventatives that, although easy to mask in a tasty bit of peanut butter, take up to eight weeks to begin working.The choice is yours.

Flea collars. These ring-around-the-neck alternatives to topical flea preventatives are cheap but very ineffective. Not only can they be toxic to children and other animals, they only prevent fleas in a small area around the neck.Flea collars do have their place, however. These powdery strips can be cut into small pieces and dropped into the vacuum cleaner bag to kill any fleas that may be sucked up during cleaning.

Keep in mind when choosing a flea preventative that the flea life cycle can take anywhere from two to four weeks.Most flea preventatives control adult fleas and larvae but few actually kill eggs or pupae. This means that an owner may see fleas as little as two weeks after topical application. Do not be alarmed, the preventative will kill the adult fleas in a short period of time, breaking the lifecycle. Maintaining a flea preventative schedule with your dog means that you can restrict the need to prevent fleas in your yard or around your home. Fleas need blood to survive and dogs and cats are the preferred hosts for these parasites. By preventing fleas on your dog you can decrease the risk of fleas in your yard and home.

Click here to see a comparison of the the top-ranking topical flea preventatives.

Be sure to ask your veterinarian about the specific needs for your animal and the best solutions to prevent fleas in your home and on your pet.

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