Best Flea Medication for a Young Cat Advantage Review

The research

• Bravecto: A prescription-only topical or chew that lasts three months
• Revolution: A monthly, prescription-simply topical treatment with heartworm protection
• Frontline Plus: A not-prescription topical treatment with similar protection for cats and dogs
• Seresto: A non-prescription flea and tick neckband 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 nearly flea sprays?
• How to spot (and manage) fleas
• The contest
• Sources

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

Photo: Bravecto

Our choice

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 betwixt treatments, and your primary worries are fleas, American dog ticks, blackness-legged ticks, and brown dog ticks (in dogs) or fleas and black-legged ticks (in cats). If you have a dog that'southward happier swallowing a chew, rather than having a treatment applied to their neck, Bravecto also comes in an oral class. Bravecto protects against these pests on a 12-week wheel, and it also fights lone star ticks (in dogs) and American dog ticks (in cats), merely only for eight weeks at a time. That leaves you with a 4-calendar week window where your dog or cat might be exposed.

What information technology treats: Our veterinary experts agreed that Bravecto is ane of their favorite flea and tick treatments for cats and dogs. Information technology's also the only brand nosotros recommend that sells a single dose that'll last for three months between applications. But if you lot live in an area where lone star ticks are mutual, including Eastern, Southeastern, and South Central states, you're better off opting for a monthly treatment, such as Frontline Plus. Bravecto protects against alone star ticks for up to eight weeks only (as opposed to its 12-week protection against other tick species). This ways your pet could be left unprotected confronting lonely star ticks for an unabridged month between Bravecto treatments—or that yous'll have to employ it more than ofttimes (PDF).

Bravecto is besides one of two picks that offer a formula to protect cats confronting heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms. (Revolution also protects cats from some parasitic worms.) At that place'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 beginning 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 viii weeks. Merely they don't protect against heartworms. The chew formula is user-friendly because you don't accept to apply a messy goo to your pet's fur. But if you utilize this formulation, an insect needs to seize with teeth your pet to come into contact with the pesticide. Insufficiently, topicals distribute throughout your pet's fur and oil glands, so when a pest comes into contact with the fur, it'south toast. (If your pet is especially sensitive to problems bites, and not to a medicated ointment, opt for a topical instead.)

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

Applications/frequency: 12-week chew or topical solution for dogs; viii- 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 pare, and itching

Variants: Bravecto Chew for Dogs 4.4 to ix.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, nine.9 to 22 pounds, 22 to 44 pounds, 44 to 88 pounds, 88 to 123 pounds; Bravecto Topical Solution for Cats 2.6 to half dozen.2 pounds, half dozen.2 to 13.eight pounds, xiii.eight to 27.v pounds; Bravecto Plus for Cats 2.half dozen to 6.two pounds, 6.2 to thirteen.8 pounds, 13.eight to 27.5 pounds

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

Our pick

Revolution Plus for Cats (v.6 to eleven pounds)

Kills more than pests in cats

Revolution Plus for Cats combats more than pests—fleas, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and several species of ticks—than any other handling we recommend. But information technology requires a more than-frequent monthly application, and yous'll need a prescription. For versions suited to lighter or heavier cats, run into below.

Buying Options

$68* from Petco

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

Who should apply this: If you have a true cat, and yous 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 yous take a dog, and you lot aren't particularly worried near 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 particularly good solution for cat owners who live in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states considering information technology's the only topical treatment we recommend against Gulf Declension ticks, which flourish in those areas. Information technology's also our but pick that treats ear mites, which, according to VCA Hospitals, are the second-almost-common pest after fleas. Like Bravecto, Revolution Plus also protects confronting mutual parasites in kittens, including roundworms and hookworms. It besides works confronting fleas, blackness-legged ticks, American dog ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, ear mites, roundworms, hookworms, and heartworms. (The not-Plus version of Revolution for Cats doesn't protect confronting ticks, so nosotros 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—only it's the just one that protects against heartworms. Revolution doesn't protect against brown domestic 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-twenty-four hour period topical solution

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

Frontline Plus: A non-prescription topical treatment with like 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. Merely information technology requires monthly applications, and it won't fight against parasites similar heartworms. For dosing that is suitable for dogs of other weights, see below.

Ownership Options

$72* from Chewy

*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'south prescription, so you can pick up the medication easily. Consider this treatment if you lot have both dogs and cats, and you want to protect them from the same fix of pests, on the same schedule.

What information technology treats: Frontline Plus is the just flea and tick treatment nosotros 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 tin keep both cats and dogs on the aforementioned application schedule and deal with the aforementioned pests. Both treatments fight fleas, lice, lone star ticks, American dog ticks, deer ticks, and brown dog ticks. And so there'due south no need to mix and match different brands of medication to ensure every pet has the aforementioned level of protection in your home. Insufficiently, Bravecto offers four formulas that protect against different combinations of pests, with less coverage in its true cat products; this tin can get confusing for pet owners of both cats and dogs that desire to protect their pets from several parasites with a single dose. Frontline Plus takes out the guesswork so pet owners tin focus on playtime rather than on flea-bath fourth dimension.

Frontline Plus is also the only topical product nosotros recommend that doesn't require a prescription. So you tin can quickly choice upward a new box while running errands without worrying if your vet filled the prescription. And since it'due south an over-the-counter medication, it'due south likewise cheaper than our prescription picks from Bravecto and Revolution.

Agile ingredients: fipronil and S-methoprene

Applications/frequency: 30-day topical solution

Known side effects: irritation

Seresto: A not-prescription flea and tick collar that lasts for 8 months

Our pick

Seresto Collar for Dogs (over 18 pounds)

A dog flea and tick collar

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

Buying Options

$63* from Chewy

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

Who should use this: If your pet doesn't practise 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 betwixt reapplications (viii months per collar, compared with one month for about topicals). This treatment is good if you're trying to combat deer ticks and Gulf Declension ticks in both cats and dogs, or mange and lice in dogs.

What it treats: Get a Seresto neckband if your pet won't sit down still long plenty for you to apply a greasy ointment—or you desire to employ something that volition protect against infestations for the longest time possible. You can slip it on faster than it takes to utilize a tube total of goo to your pet's neck, and the collar needs replacing only every eight months. (One-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 non capeesh having the extra bulk of a collar around their neck. And pets with especially sensitive skin may experience side effects of redness or inflammation about the collar; if this sounds like your pet, attempt an oral or topical treatment instead. Seresto Collar for Cats protects against fleas, American canis familiaris ticks, deer ticks, brown dog ticks, and lone star ticks. Seresto Neckband for Dogs protects against fleas, American dog ticks, deer ticks, brown dog ticks, lone star ticks, lice, and sarcoptic mange.

Agile ingredients: flumethrin and imidacloprid

Applications/frequency: eight-calendar 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, just for a limited period. For example, Bravecto provides only two months of protection against lone star ticks, even though information technology protects against fleas during the full 3 months between doses.

Why you should trust me

Equally Wirecutter's pets author, I've covered everything from essential oil myths to how to get rid of fleas. I'1000 besides 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, most how to select the best flea and tick handling for your pet. I spoke with Jennifer Gervais, a pesticide specialist at the National Pesticide Data Center, and Ken Labbe, a spokesperson for the U.Southward. Environmental Protection Bureau about pesticide regulation. I consulted Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the American Veterinarian Medical Clan, most how to select the advisable medication for your pet. I asked Dr. Tierra Price, a spay-neuter surgeon and founder of the BlackDVM Network, and Dr. Jennifer Welser, master 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 Heart.

How we picked and tested

To observe the all-time flea and tick treatments, we spoke with six pet and pesticide experts about medications, side effects, agile 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. Nosotros cross-referenced their communication with dozens of treatments sold across retailers similar 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 considering they offer protection for only days or a week at a time, and pet owners are more than likely to misuse them compared with other products. That left us with eight brands of chews, topicals, and collars for cats or dogs. Nosotros selected the four brands that were highly recommended by our experts, that kill and protect confronting a broad 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 take unlike needs than those who have firm cats. Avert merely grabbing any box off the shelf—instead talk with your vet, who volition be aware of recent pest outbreaks in the surface area, product recalls, and your pet's medical history. All pesticides accept risks, from skin irritation to seizures. We recommend only FDA-canonical (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 practice see topical site reactions and it's not common, but some animals just have more than sensitive peel than others," said Dr. Tierra Price, who's a shelter veterinary and the founder of the BlackDVM Network. She added that information technology'southward best to consult your vet before switching to a different flea and tick treatment if you're worried about side effects.

Nonetheless, anecdotes about potential reactions tin get out some pet owners on guard—particularly when those reactions make headlines. The FDA has issued a fact sheet warning pet owners near adverse effects associated with some flea and tick products, including some nosotros recommend. Troubling reactions include neurological symptoms, like tremors and seizures. Similarly, in 2009 the EPA disclosed an increase in adverse-outcome reports amidst topical flea and tick treatments. In the investigation it identified 11 agile ingredients, which half of our picks contain. Bravecto and Revolution do not use any of those actives. More recently, Seresto (our flea and tick neckband selection) was linked to "hundreds" of pet deaths, co-ordinate to a March 2021 commodity in USA Today. At this writing, the EPA hadn't issued a warning, but it reminded the public to follow awarding instructions.

Our experts said pet owners shouldn't dismiss these products entirely. "It's possible in that location were multiple factors [like preexisting conditions or improper dosages] that could contribute to problems," noted Jennifer Gervais, a pesticide specialist with the National Pesticide Data Heart, an EPA partner. "Nosotros just don't know."

"Flea and tick medications take become safer over the by 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 Creature Poison Control Heart.

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

Any side effects, such every bit skin irritation and lethargy, need a veterinarian's intendance. Emergency situations include neurological signs, such as wobbling, walking in circles, and drooling, noted Price. "If owners run into neurologic signs, peculiarly in their cats, they should bring them into the vet immediately," she said.

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

What about flea sprays?

Flea sprays are cheaper than their topical or oral counterparts. But many products demand weekly applications, and then in the long run they aren't as cost-effective or convenient as a monthly topical or chew. Since these treatments impale on contact, you also more often than not demand to spray downwards your entire pet, which takes a lot more work than a couple of drops on the scruff of the neck.

Some treatments, similar Advantage Treatment Spray for Dogs, direct owners to rub the spray around the pet'south eyes, olfactory organ, and mouth, and they tin can cause adverse reactions if ingested. Others, like Vet's Best Flea & Tick Dwelling Spray for Cats, contain essential oils that are toxic to cats. Some sprays likewise contain booze—which sometimes isn't disclosed—warned the ASPCA'south Wismer. "If a pet is soaked with 1 of these products, they can really get intoxicated, and this requires firsthand veterinary intendance," she said.

How to spot (and manage) fleas

Usually, the offset sign of a flea—or other pest—infestation is your pet frequently and aggressively scratching. Likewise, proceed 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 y'all're worried that your domestic dog or cat might have fleas, check their fur using a flea comb, paying attending to the base of the neck near the shoulder blades, likewise as the tail and breadbasket. Remove as many as you can before giving your pet a bathroom and treating them with flea and tick medication.

Fleas rise to the top of your pet's fur when they die, and so don't worry if y'all see their remains after applying treatment. Just if y'all proceed to run across living fleas in your domicile, information technology's possible that flea eggs existed before you started using flea medication. Some owners may also skip treatments, thinking their pet was in the articulate. But if the fleas haven't been completely eradicated, they can multiply again. And so exist sure to continue upward your treatments for as long equally your vet recommends.

"People remember because they don't see fleas, that their cats and dogs don't have fleas," Cost said. Nothing could be further from the truth. "When you detect fleas on your pet, you notice only five% of the infestation," echoed Welser of Mars Veterinary Health. "The other 95% is hiding throughout your domicile in the form of eggs, larvae, and pupas."

Fleas can remain fallow in the wintertime, so information technology's possible for an infestation to linger throughout the year. To combat the trouble, be sure your pet is on twelvemonth-round protection. You'll besides need supplies—like a flea rummage, pet shampoo, and vacuum cleaner—to rid your home of fleas for good. But at that place'southward an art to the madness of wrangling the disease-conveying 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 Centre, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon Country University, email interview , Feb 11, 2021

2. Ken Labbe, spokesperson for the U.South. Environmental Protection Bureau, electronic mail 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 Wellness, electronic mail interview , February 5, 2021

6. Tina Wismer, DVM, MS, DABVT, DABT, senior manager of the ASPCA Fauna Poison Control Center, electronic mail interview , Jan 29, 2021

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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-flea-treatment-cats-dogs/