What is the best non prescription flea medicine for dogs

A dog or cat overzealously scratching an itch can send shivers down a pet owner’s spine. The last thing you want is to have a flea or tick outbreak in your home, not to mention the chance of disease-carrying parasites harming your family. To protect both pets and humans from these frights, we’ve rounded up the most effective vet-recommended flea and tick treatments.

Every product we recommend will treat fleas, but fleas might not be the only parasite you have to deal with. Depending on where you are in the country, there are a number of different, region-specific ticks that you might need to fend off, as well as internal parasites like heartworms or roundworms. And some treatments can be applied in different ways or with different regularity. So consult your own vet: They are the best source to advise you on the right treatment based on your pet’s medical history and pest prevalence in your area.

If you’re looking for a medication targeted toward a specific pest, jump to this table.

The research

• Bravecto: A prescription-only topical or chew that lasts three months
• Revolution: A monthly, prescription-only topical treatment with heartworm protection
• Frontline Plus: A non-prescription topical treatment with similar protection for cats and dogs
• Seresto: A non-prescription flea and tick collar that lasts for eight months
• The types of pests each medication treats
• Why you should trust me
• How we picked and tested
• When in doubt, ask your vet
• What about flea sprays?
• How to spot (and manage) fleas
• The competition
• Sources

Bravecto: A prescription-only topical or chew that lasts three months

Our pick

Bravecto Topical Solution for Dogs (22 to 44 pounds)

Our favorite topical for dogs

Bravecto lasts for three months, so you can apply it less frequently than any other topical treatment we recommend (and it also comes in a chew for dogs that have sensitive skin). But it requires a prescription. For doses to treat smaller or larger dogs, see below.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.

Who should use this: Bravecto Topical Solution for Dogs and Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats are ideal if you like the concept of going three months between treatments, and your primary worries are fleas, American dog ticks, black-legged ticks, and brown dog ticks (in dogs) or fleas and black-legged ticks (in cats). If you have a dog that’s happier swallowing a chew, rather than having a treatment applied to their neck, Bravecto also comes in an oral form. Bravecto protects against these pests on a 12-week cycle, and it also fights lone star ticks (in dogs) and American dog ticks (in cats), but only for eight weeks at a time. That leaves you with a four-week window where your dog or cat might be exposed.

What it treats: Our veterinary experts agreed that Bravecto is one of their favorite flea and tick treatments for cats and dogs. It’s also the only brand we recommend that sells a single dose that’ll last for three months between applications. But if you live in an area where lone star ticks are common, including Eastern, Southeastern, and South Central states, you’re better off opting for a monthly treatment, such as Frontline Plus. Bravecto protects against lone star ticks for up to eight weeks only (as opposed to its 12-week protection against other tick species). This means your pet could be left unprotected against lone star ticks for an entire month between Bravecto treatments—or that you’ll have to apply it more frequently (PDF).

Bravecto is also one of two picks that offer a formula to protect cats against heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. (Revolution also protects cats from some parasitic worms.) There’s no cure for heartworm disease in cats, notes the American Heartworm Society, so you need to protect your cat from getting it in the first place.

Bravecto Chew and Bravecto Topical Solution for Dogs protect against fleas, black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, and brown dog ticks for 12 weeks, and against lone star ticks for eight weeks. But they don’t protect against heartworms. The chew formula is convenient because you don’t have to apply a messy goo to your pet’s fur. But if you use this formulation, an insect needs to bite your pet to come into contact with the pesticide. Comparatively, topicals distribute throughout your pet’s fur and oil glands, so when a pest comes into contact with the fur, it’s toast. (If your pet is especially sensitive to bug bites, and not to a medicated ointment, opt for a topical instead.)

Active ingredients: fluralaner (Bravecto Chew and Bravecto Topical Solution); fluralaner and moxidectin (Bravecto Plus)

Applications/frequency: 12-week chew or topical solution for dogs; eight- or 12-week topical solution for cats

Known side effects: neurologic adverse reactions, including ataxia (lack of coordination), seizures, and tremors; other known side effects—vomiting, hair loss, rash, lethargy, diarrhea, decreased appetite, dry skin, and itching

Variants: Bravecto Chew for Dogs 4.4 to 9.9 pounds, 9.9 to 22 pounds, 22 to 44 pounds, 44 to 88 pounds, 88 to 123 pounds; Bravecto Topical Solution for Dogs 4.4 to 9.9 pounds, 9.9 to 22 pounds, 22 to 44 pounds, 44 to 88 pounds, 88 to 123 pounds; Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats 2.6 to 6.2 pounds, 6.2 to 13.8 pounds, 13.8 to 27.5 pounds; Bravecto Plus for Cats 2.6 to 6.2 pounds, 6.2 to 13.8 pounds, 13.8 to 27.5 pounds

Revolution: A monthly, prescription-only topical treatment with heartworm protection

Our pick

Revolution Plus for Cats (5.6 to 11 pounds)

Kills more pests in cats

Revolution Plus for Cats combats more pests—fleas, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and several species of ticks—than any other treatment we recommend. But it requires a more-frequent monthly application, and you’ll need a prescription. For versions suited to lighter or heavier cats, see below.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $124.

Who should use this: If you have a cat, and you don’t mind applying the medication monthly, Revolution Plus for Cats provides a broad spectrum of coverage that includes fleas, ear mites, roundworms, and some ticks. If you have a dog, and you aren’t particularly worried about ticks, Revolution for Dogs will provide protection against heartworms and ear mites.

What it treats: Revolution Plus protects cats from more pests than our other picks. It’s an especially good solution for cat owners who live in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states because it’s the only topical treatment we recommend against Gulf Coast ticks, which flourish in those areas. It’s also our only pick that treats ear mites, which, according to VCA Hospitals, are the second-most-common pest after fleas. Like Bravecto, Revolution Plus also protects against common parasites in kittens, including roundworms and hookworms. It also works against fleas, black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms. (The non-Plus version of Revolution for Cats doesn’t protect against ticks, so we don’t recommend it in this guide.)

Revolution for Dogs protects against a narrower range of pests compared with the other flea treatments we recommend—but it’s the only one that protects against heartworms. Revolution doesn’t protect against brown dog ticks, which are found worldwide. (Bravecto, Frontline, and Seresto do fight these.) Revolution kills fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic mange, American dog ticks, and heartworms.

Active ingredients: selamectin (Revolution); selamectin and sarolaner (Revolution Plus)

Applications/frequency: 30-day topical solution

Known side effects: neurologic adverse reactions, including ataxia (lack of coordination), seizures, and tremors

Frontline Plus: A non-prescription topical treatment with similar protection for cats and dogs

Our pick

Frontline Plus for Dogs (23 to 44 pounds)

No prescription required

Frontline Plus is our favorite non-prescription topical treatment, and it protects against fleas and a range of tick species. But it requires monthly applications, and it won’t fight against parasites like heartworms. For dosing that is suitable for dogs of other weights, see below.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $68.

Who should use this: Frontline Plus for Dogs and Frontline Plus for Cats are treatments you can buy without a vet’s prescription, so you can pick up the medication easily. Consider this treatment if you have both dogs and cats, and you want to protect them from the same set of pests, on the same schedule.

What it treats: Frontline Plus is the only flea and tick treatment we recommend that treats the same pests for cats or dogs, on the same timetable, without a prescription. Since they’re species-based, the two versions have slightly different amounts of the active ingredients, but you can keep both cats and dogs on the same application schedule and deal with the same pests. Both treatments fight fleas, lice, lone star ticks, American dog ticks, deer ticks, and brown dog ticks. So there’s no need to mix and match different brands of medication to ensure every pet has the same level of protection in your home. Comparatively, Bravecto offers four formulas that protect against different combinations of pests, with less coverage in its cat products; this can get confusing for pet owners of both cats and dogs that want to protect their pets from several parasites with a single dose. Frontline Plus takes out the guesswork so pet owners can focus on playtime rather than on flea-bath time.

Frontline Plus is also the only topical product we recommend that doesn’t require a prescription. So you can quickly pick up a new box while running errands without worrying if your vet filled the prescription. And since it’s an over-the-counter medication, it’s also cheaper than our prescription picks from Bravecto and Revolution.

Active ingredients: fipronil and S-methoprene

Applications/frequency: 30-day topical solution

Known side effects: irritation

Seresto: A non-prescription flea and tick collar that lasts for eight months

Our pick

Seresto Collar for Dogs (over 18 pounds)

A dog flea and tick collar

This flea collar’s eight-month protection lasts much longer than a topical, and it protects against fleas, ticks, lice, and mange. But it won’t protect against internal parasites like heartworms, hookworms, or roundworms, and some pets may not like having an extra thing around their neck. For a collar that’s suitable for smaller dogs, see below.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $60.

Who should use this: If your pet doesn’t do well with topical medications, they might find a medicated collar to be less stressful. The Seresto Collar for Dogs and Seresto Collar for Cats both provide protection that lasts as long as possible between reapplications (eight months per collar, compared with one month for most topicals). This treatment is good if you’re trying to combat deer ticks and Gulf Coast ticks in both cats and dogs, or mange and lice in dogs.

What it treats: Get a Seresto collar if your pet won’t sit still long enough for you to apply a greasy ointment—or you want to use something that will protect against infestations for the longest time possible. You can slip it on faster than it takes to apply a tube full of goo to your pet’s neck, and the collar needs replacing only every eight months. (Half of our picks, including Frontline and Revolution, require monthly topical treatments.)

Seresto doesn’t protect against parasitic worms (as our Bravecto pick does), but it fights fleas and many tick species. Also, some pets may not appreciate having the extra bulk of a collar around their neck. And pets with especially sensitive skin may experience side effects of redness or inflammation near the collar; if this sounds like your pet, try an oral or topical treatment instead. Seresto Collar for Cats protects against fleas, American dog ticks, deer ticks, brown dog ticks, and lone star ticks. Seresto Collar for Dogs protects against fleas, American dog ticks, deer ticks, brown dog ticks, lone star ticks, lice, and sarcoptic mange.

Active ingredients: flumethrin and imidacloprid

Applications/frequency: eight-month collar

Known side effects: scratching, redness, hair loss, inflammation, and lesions

The types of pests each medication treats

Those marked with an asterisk (*) are treated, but for a limited period. For example, Bravecto provides only two months of protection against lone star ticks, even though it protects against fleas during the full three months between doses.

Why you should trust me

As Wirecutter’s pets writer, I’ve covered everything from essential oil myths to how to get rid of fleas. I’m also a lifelong pet owner and a shelter volunteer with over a decade of experience who’s dealt with her share of pets with fleas, ticks, and other pests.

For this guide, I spoke with six professionals, from veterinarians to pesticide experts, about how to select the best flea and tick treatment for your pet. I spoke with Jennifer Gervais, a pesticide specialist at the National Pesticide Information Center, and Ken Labbe, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about pesticide regulation. I consulted Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, about how to select the appropriate medication for your pet. I asked Dr. Tierra Price, a spay-neuter surgeon and founder of the BlackDVM Network, and Dr. Jennifer Welser, chief medical officer at Mars Veterinary Health, about their favorite flea and tick medications. And I discussed product safety with Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

How we picked and tested

To find the best flea and tick treatments, we spoke with six pet and pesticide experts about medications, side effects, active ingredients, and regulatory concerns. Our two veterinarians shared their personal product recommendations and shopping advice, which guided us in this review. They agreed that flea and tick treatments should both “kill” and “protect” against these bugs and work for at least 30 days. They also shared the favorite treatments they recommend to their own clients. We cross-referenced their advice with dozens of treatments sold across retailers like 1-800-PetMeds, Amazon, Chewy, Petco, and PetSmart, among others.

We categorized our search by orals/chews, topicals, collars, sprays, and shampoos. We dismissed sprays and shampoos because they offer protection for only days or a week at a time, and pet owners are more likely to misuse them compared with other products. That left us with eight brands of chews, topicals, and collars for cats or dogs. We selected the four brands that were highly recommended by our experts, that kill and protect against a wide range of pests, and that are sold across retailers at a variety of budgets.

When in doubt, ask your vet

The right treatment depends on your location, your activities, and your pet’s medical history. Pet owners who hike with their dogs have different needs than those who have house cats. Avoid just grabbing any box off the shelf—instead talk with your vet, who will be aware of recent pest outbreaks in the area, product recalls, and your pet’s medical history. All pesticides have risks, from skin irritation to seizures. We recommend only FDA-approved (for ingested medications) or EPA-registered (for topicals) treatments that both kill and protect against pests. All are regulated to ensure safety and efficacy, said Dr. Jennifer Welser of Mars Veterinary Health. Treatments that both destroy and defend against pests ensure that your pet is protected 24/7.

If your pet has a minor reaction to the flea and tick product, such as application site discomfort, don’t freak out. “I do see topical site reactions and it’s not common, but some animals just have more sensitive skin than others,” said Dr. Tierra Price, who’s a shelter veterinarian and the founder of the BlackDVM Network. She added that it’s best to consult your vet before switching to a different flea and tick treatment if you’re worried about side effects.

Still, anecdotes about potential reactions can leave some pet owners on guard—especially when those reactions make headlines. The FDA has issued a fact sheet warning pet owners about adverse effects associated with some flea and tick products, including some we recommend. Troubling reactions include neurological symptoms, like tremors and seizures. Similarly, in 2009 the EPA disclosed an increase in adverse-effect reports among topical flea and tick treatments. In the investigation it identified 11 active ingredients, which half of our picks contain. Bravecto and Revolution do not use any of those actives. More recently, Seresto (our flea and tick collar pick) was linked to “hundreds” of pet deaths, according to a March 2021 article in USA Today. At this writing, the EPA hadn’t issued a warning, but it reminded the public to follow application instructions.

Our experts said pet owners shouldn’t dismiss these products entirely. “It’s possible there were multiple factors [like preexisting conditions or improper dosages] that could contribute to problems,” noted Jennifer Gervais, a pesticide specialist with the National Pesticide Information Center, an EPA partner. “We just don’t know.”

“Flea and tick medications have become safer over the past couple of decades as they have become more specific for flea and tick nervous systems,” added Dr. Tina Wismer, a veterinarian and senior director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

To ensure the best outcome for flea and tick treatments, never buy medication without first consulting your veterinarian. Avoid counterfeits by buying products from your vet or a reputable retailer (we like Chewy). Follow the application instructions. Never split doses among pets. If you use a topical, keep pets separated until it dries, to avoid ingestion. And never use dog products on cats because the dosage levels can be dangerous.

Any side effects, such as skin irritation and lethargy, need a veterinarian’s care. Emergency situations include neurological signs, such as wobbling, walking in circles, and drooling, noted Price. “If owners see neurologic signs, especially in their cats, they should bring them into the vet immediately,” she said.

If your pet does have a reaction, look for an FDA or EPA label on the box and report the problem to the appropriate agency. (The FDA and EPA both accept virtual submissions.)

What about flea sprays?

Flea sprays are cheaper than their topical or oral counterparts. But many products need weekly applications, so in the long run they aren’t as cost-effective or convenient as a monthly topical or chew. Since these treatments kill on contact, you also generally need to spray down your entire pet, which takes a lot more work than a couple of drops on the scruff of the neck.

Some treatments, like Advantage Treatment Spray for Dogs, direct owners to rub the spray around the pet’s eyes, nose, and mouth, and they can cause adverse reactions if ingested. Others, like Vet’s Best Flea & Tick Home Spray for Cats, contain essential oils that are toxic to cats. Some sprays also contain alcohol—which sometimes isn’t disclosed—warned the ASPCA’s Wismer. “If a pet is soaked with one of these products, they can actually become intoxicated, and this requires immediate veterinary care,” she said.

How to spot (and manage) fleas

Usually, the first sign of a flea—or other pest—infestation is your pet frequently and aggressively scratching. Also, keep your eyes open for flea “dirt,” small black flecks that you’ll see on the floor and furniture (these flecks are the insect’s droppings). If you’re worried that your dog or cat might have fleas, check their fur using a flea comb, paying attention to the base of the neck near the shoulder blades, as well as the tail and tummy. Remove as many as you can before giving your pet a bath and treating them with flea and tick medication.

Fleas rise to the top of your pet’s fur when they die, so don’t worry if you see their remains after applying treatment. But if you continue to see living fleas in your home, it’s possible that flea eggs existed before you started using flea medication. Some owners may also skip treatments, thinking their pet was in the clear. But if the fleas haven’t been completely eradicated, they can multiply again. So be sure to keep up your treatments for as long as your vet recommends.

“People think because they don’t see fleas, that their cats and dogs don’t have fleas,” Price said. Nothing could be further from the truth. “When you discover fleas on your pet, you discover only 5% of the infestation,” echoed Welser of Mars Veterinary Health. “The other 95% is hiding throughout your home in the form of eggs, larvae, and pupas.”

Fleas can remain dormant in the wintertime, so it’s possible for an infestation to linger throughout the year. To combat the problem, be sure your pet is on year-round protection. You’ll also need supplies—like a flea comb, pet shampoo, and vacuum cleaner—to rid your home of fleas for good. But there’s an art to the madness of wrangling the disease-carrying pests. Read our blog post on how to get rid of fleas.

The competition

Advantage II for cats and dogs and Advantage Multi for cats and dogs topical solutions protect against a narrower range of pests compared with our picks.

Selarid is a monthly, prescription-only topical treatment for both cats and dogs. This product was difficult to find online.

Sources

1. Jennifer Gervais, PhD, pesticide specialist at the National Pesticide Information Center, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, email interview, February 11, 2021

2. Ken Labbe, spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, email interview, February 11, 2021

3. Douglas Kratt, DVM, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, email interview, January 29, 2021

4. Tierra Price, DVM, MPH, a spay-neuter surgeon and founder of the BlackDVM Network, phone interview, February 10, 2021

5. Jennifer Welser, DVM, chief medical officer at Mars Veterinary Health, email interview, February 5, 2021

6. Tina Wismer, DVM, MS, DABVT, DABT, senior director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, email interview, January 29, 2021