Comparing Dog Flea Medication

There are a variety of classes of flea medications on the market for dog owners to consider. Some work internally and are administered orally with a pill, others are applied to the dog's neck. Still others come as shampoos. Finding the right one is essential to your dog's health and well-being.

  1. Oral

    • Oral medications such as Program and Capstar are helpful in controlling fleas but only one of them continues to kill fleas and inhibits flea development. Capstar kills fleas within thirty minutes of ingestion but does not continue to kill fleas, while Program does. Be sure to read the labels on the boxes to find the one that best meets your needs.

    Topical

    • Topical flea medications are administered by placing several drops of the product on the dog's neck where it is hard to reach and therefore cannot be ingested by mistake. Examples of this type of medication are Advantage and Frontline. This medication works by causing the skin to be uninhabitable to fleas and may also repel ticks and mosquitoes--the cause of heartworms in dogs.

    Shampoos and Dips

    • Shampoos kill fleas immediately upon contact; the mere act of bathing a dog will kill the fleas whether the shampoo contains an insecticide or not. Dips contain an ingredient to repel fleas after the bath. These methods are required for major infestations of fleas to treat the problem immediately but should be used in conjunction with other products like Frontline or Advantage for long-term effect.

    Holistic

    • Holistic and homeopathic oral products such as Brewers Yeast and Garlic by Only Nature Pet Products may be effective against fleas. Topical holistic preparations such as Natural Defense are also used by proponents of the holistic approach.