5 of the Best Flea and Tick Preventatives and Treatments for Dogs in 2024
Treatments to ward off transmission this spring and summer.
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Ah, spring. It’s a wonderful time of year filled with blooming flowers, longer days, and blood-sucking demon bugs the size of a sesame seed. Yup, it’s the start of flea and tick seasonopens in a new tab — and personally, I am already over this boogeyman-bug horror showopens in a new tab. Thankfully, there are more options than ever for combating these blood-thirsty pests and keeping both your pets and your human family safe.
“Tick controlopens in a new tab is important not just to take care of pets, but also to prevent establishing a transmission cycle where the pathogens can be transmitted to the humans in the household,” says Dr. Maria Esteve-Gasent, an assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
Even better, more products are coming to the market that utilize natural methods to stave off fleas and ticks; these chews, sprays, and treatments can give you some peace of mind about keeping your pup safe from both bugs and harsh chemicals. Ahead, our choices for the best flea and tick preventatives for dogs to keep your whole family safe during these warmer months.
Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)
Best Oral Chew
Best Oral Chew for Large Dogs
Best Topical Spot Treatment
Best All-Natural
Best Spray
Keep in mind that even when using these products, experts recommend you be on the lookout for signs of any tick-borne illness after finding a tick on your pet. “Most of the clinical signs associated with tick-borne diseases are lethargyopens in a new tab, fever, weight loss, joint painopens in a new tab and swelling, weakness, enlarged spleen or lymph nodes, and changes in gum coloration” says Dr. Esteve-Gasent.
Even so, these products are the first line of defense in keeping you and your pet safe from a (blood) sucky springtime.
Rebecca Caplan
Rebecca Caplan is a writer based in Brooklyn whose work has been featured in The New Yorker, Reductress, and Vulture. She lives in Brooklyn with her perfect, toothless dog Moose.
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