Flea and Tick Treatment For Dogs

By Everything Shih Tzu July 15, 2022

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It's the season for the flea and tick again and your beloved pooch is suffering from these pesky biting bugs.

And as if that weren't bad enough, they are also coming into your home!

Fleas and ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme and flea allergy dermatitis, with an added bonus of fleas possibly infecting your fur baby with tapeworms.

But what can you do?

Tan Shih Tzu dog outdoors

There are several products for your dog on the market, but you're having a hard time deciding which one should you choose?

A few things you should consider when choosing a treatment are:

  • How quickly and reliably does it work?
  • Is it easy to use?
  • What are the side effects and how will it affect my dog?
  • How much money you have to spend on flea and tick products?

How To Keep Fleas and Ticks Off Your Shih Tzu

Wondercide Flea, Tick and Mosquito Repellent 

Wondercide natural flea, tick and mosquito repellentWondercide Repellent

I believe the best method is to stop the pests before they even jump on my dogs and Wondercide natural repellent has worked well for my Shih Tzu dogs. It's easy to use too, simply spray it on.

We got the cedar one in the 4oz bottle to try it, and it worked great at repelling the ticks from my boys. 

Prior to finding Wondercide, I had decided to try Frontline again, and although the ticks I found on my dogs were dead there were several unattached ticks, that were finding their way to me.

The final straw was when I picked about a half dozen off my dogs that weren't attached.

The Frontline was not repelling the ticks, so I looked for something else to thwart these creepy crawlies.

I scoured Amazon for a repellent and found the Wondercide Cedar Spray. Just have to say I am loving it!

Sprayed it on my boys, then on my shoes, socks and legs and, since using it not one tick on my dogs or me!

It contains human grade ingredients and is safe to spray directly onto their coat and also around the home.

If you want to repel ticks, fleas, mosquitos, then I highly recommend getting yourself some of this spray.

Read what others are saying about Wondercide Flea and Tick on Amazon.

Note: don't spray Wondercide directly into their face. Instead spray into your hands then rub your hands on your dog's head and under their chin, avoiding the eyes.

Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control

Frontline PlusFrontline Plus

We used Frontline for several years before switching to a less toxic approach.

Once Frontline is applied, it stores itself in the oil glands in your pet's skin. It then self-distributes continuously for 1 month to your pet's hair and skin through the hair follicles. Frontline contains fipronil and (S)-methoprene.

Although it doesn't actually stop fleas and ticks from biting your dog, once it does bite them these pesky fleas and ticks will die off.

Read what others are saying about Frontline Plus over at Amazon.

Bravecto For Dogs

Bravecto Flea and Tick Medicine for DogsBravecto

Bravecto is for dogs 6 months and older that are over 4.5 pounds.

This product prevents fleas, black legged tick, brown dog tick, and also controls the lone star tick.

What's different about Bravecto is it a chewable pill that claims it will last up to 3 months instead of the monthly application normally needed from other flea and tick medicine.

Keep in mind, Bravecto only kills adult fleas, it doesn't work on flea eggs or larvae.

The active ingredient is Fluralaner, which was approved in 2013 as an insecticide.

You can find Bravecto at your local pet stores or online

NexGard Flea and Tick Control

NexGard chewables flea and tickNexGard

A soft chewable for dogs only, that is given monthly.  It uses an ingredient called Afoxolaner.

Nexgard kills and prevents adult flea infestations. It also kills ticks and prevents the infestation of 3 common dog ticks, American, Deer and the Lone Star.

Nexgard may cause some adverse reactions which include vomiting, dry/flaky skin, diarrhea, lethargy, and lack of appetite and it is recommended not to use it in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs, and it cautions against dogs with a history of seizures.

Read more reviews about Nexgard Chewables at PetMeds

Richards Organic Flea & Tick Shampoo

Herbal Defense flea and tick shampooOrganic Shampoo

This organic shampoo is a great alternative to traditional flea and tick shampoos, as it claims to contain all-natural ingredients to kill fleas and ticks, and repels mosquitos, while soothing your dog's skin. 

It also doesn't include harsh chemicals like sulfate, paraben, or dyes; however, you need to be careful to avoid getting this in your dog's eyes as it can cause irritation.

See what others are saying about Richard's Organic Flea & Tick Shampoo on Amazon.

Advantage Flea Treatment

Advantage II flea treatmentAdvantage II Flea Treatment

Advantage is a monthly flea treatment for dogs which kills adult fleas, larvae, and eggs. Plus, it kills fleas through contact, which means fleas don't have to bite your pet to die.

However, it doesn't do anything against ticks.

If ticks aren't an issue for your dog, then you may do well with this product.  If ticks are a problem, you'd probably do better with one of the other medicines for both flea and tick.

See what others are saying about Advantage II on Amazon

Capstar Flea Tablet

Capstar oral tablet for fleasCapstar for fleas

Capstar is an oral tablet that kills adult fleas.  Ticks are not affected by it. It's said to have very few side effects and is effective.

However, it does not kill flea eggs and larvae so it might have to be administered several times to completely get rid of an infestation.

Some say it's most effective when used combined with a monthly treatment for both immediate and long-term relief.

Read what others are saying about Capstar on Amazon

Seresto Flea and Tick Collars

Seresto flea and tick collarSeresto collar

The Seresto collar is made by Bayer and is said to kill and repel ticks within 48 hours and kills fleas within 24 hours of application.

I used this for a summer on my dogs, and it worked, however I started having breathing issues that I can't say for certainty was caused by these collars, but after I stopped putting them on my dogs, the breathing trouble went away.  Just to note I did mention to my Vet about the breathing issue, but he didn't think this collar had anything to do with it.

UPDATE ABOUT SERESTO COLLARS 2021: 
A Congressional subcommittee is calling for a temporary recall of Seresto flea and tick collars for reports of serious reactions in some dogs. You can read more about this on BusinessInsider.

Essential Oils

Herbal Defense Essential OilEssential Oil

Essential oils like Lavender and Lemongrass  are a more natural approach to controlling fleas and ticks on not only your dog, but also can be used on you too.

Essential oils are said to be a great natural way to repel most bugs and pests.  However, keep in mind you will likely have to reapply more often.

Read what others are saying about Easy Defense Natural Flea and Tick at Amazon

What If Fleas Are Already in Your Home

If you are seeing fleas around your home, you can be sure there are probably a lot more than what you are actually seeing.

This little pests are relentless and such an annoyance, plus can carry diseases, and can leave very itchy flea bites on you.

The last thing you want is to have your home crawling with them.

FleaBustersRX

Flea buster powderFlea buster

What we have used with great result is FleaBustersRX.

This is a powder substance that you shake on your carpets and hard floors leave it overnight then vacuum it up.

It says its okay for pets and kids to walk on the carpet or floors after application, but it may be better if you can avoid doing so for a little bit.

You may want to give your dog a bath too, to give him some relief too.

Read what others are saying about FleaBusters over at Amazon

If you want to learn more about how to eradicate these pesky fleas, Pest Strategies offers some advice.

Hope you have found some useful information in this page, and hopefully you can find some relief for your dog's flea and tick infestation.

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