Best Medications to Get Rid of Fleas on Dogs

Once they have taken up residence on your dog, fleas are one of the hardest things to get rid of on your dog without a flea preventive. One flea can lay hundreds of eggs, spreading an infestation to your home and yard rapidly. Fortunately, the veterinary community has come up with a few products to make the process of killing fleas and getting an infestation under control quite a bit easier.

  1. Advantage

    • Advantage, the forerunner of all oil-based flea medications, is the most inexpensive flea treatment on the market today. Use Advantage for quick relief of fleas on your dog. Apply oil on back of your dog's neck area, between the shoulder blades. While it takes a full 12 hours for all the fleas to die, they will be incapable of biting your dog within 15 minutes.

      Keep young children away from the application spot for 24 hours, as it takes this much time for the oil to absorb into the skin. Apply once a month.

    Frontline

    • Frontline, while not quite as effective in killing fleas as Advantage, also has the added benefit of killing ticks. For added protection against fleas, try Frontline Plus. Unlike other flea medications, Frontline lasts for up to three months per application. How the medication reacts with your dog's body chemistry plays an important part in determining how long your dog will be protected from fleas and ticks. The intensity of the infestation plays a significant part as well.

      For major infestations, Frontline offers a flea spray you can use to spray your pet's bedding for optimum flea control.

    Revolution

    • Revolution, like Advantage and Frontline, is an oil-based flea medication applied between the shoulders of your dog's neck. Living up to its name, Revolution kills adult fleas and stops any eggs from hatching for three to four weeks. With an adequate length of time to stop an infestation, your dog and home will be flea free within a month.

      An added benefit of Revolution is that it also prevents heart worms, making it a convenient choice for a frugal pet owner.