Affordable Flea/Tick Prevention in DFW

What products do we recommend?

We carry our favorite flea/tick preventative products:

• Bravecto (3 month flea/tick tablet) – (only $65)
• Bravecto Plus for cats (only $43)
• Simparica Trio (all in one heartworm, flea & tick preventative) – $29/month

We recommend regular use of flea/tick preventative in DFW, due to year-round tick and flea problems.

How Fast Does Flea/Tick Prevention Work?

Bravecto starts killing any fleas on your dog within 2 hours, and kills 100% in 12 hours. Bravecto Plus for cats kills all fleas within 8 hours.

Topical versus Oral Flea/Tick Preventative: Does It Matter?

When it comes to how preventative is given to your pet – topical or oral – it actually isn’t that important. Neither topical nor oral preventatives are necessarily more effective. What matters is the active ingredient in the preventative.

However, for pet owners who have current flea problems, you might want to consider the topical prevention we carry, Provecta Advanced, to start with. Provecta can kill fleas before they even bite your dog. The oral preventative we carry, Bravecto, usually relies on a flea or tick biting your dog, which results in the parasite’s death.

A Note on Flea Collars

For the most part, flea collars are ineffective at preventing fleas or ticks. There are certainly some that work well, but those generally are the higher-priced options. Affordable flea/tick collars rarely have the range required to protect your dog, especially since fleas target the backend area of dogs and cats.

There’s certainly some great products out there, but we recommend doing your research to see how effective they are – especially with flea collars. Currently, Seresto flea collars are the only collars we recommend for flea/tick preventative.

We carry two flea/tick preventatives: Bravecto for fleas & ticks which is an oral tablet that lasts for 3 months, and Provecta Advanced for fleas, ticks & mosquitoes, which is a topical that lasts for 1 month. Both are very effective and reasonably priced.

How to Get Rid of Fleas for Good!

Flea preventative protects your dog from flea bites, but it takes at least 3 months to get rid of a flea population. It can take up to 3 months before you stop seeing fleas on your dog and in the environment.

Unfortunately, flea preventatives can’t keep fleas away. Some preventatives can kill fleas before they bite, but they still rely on the flea coming in contact with your dog. That’s why even if your pet is on flea & tick preventative, you might continue to see fleas.

Sometimes, this misleads pet owners, as they aren’t sure how well the preventative is working. What you should see is a dramatic improvement in your pet’s itchiness. We especially recommend Provecta Advanced for dogs with flea allergies, as this product will kill the fleas even before they bite. 

If you’re in a controllable environment, then you should stop seeing fleas in about 3 months. Bravecto, which lasts 3 months, completely wipes out your flea population. It will also decrease your flea population by over 90% during the first month, and 99% during the second month. Keep in mind, this can only happen if all pets in the area are on preventative. Your pets will act as flea exterminators, slowly killing off the entire lifecycle of the flea. You can make this process quicker by treating the environment while using preventative.

Many households struggle with flea-ridden environments. In neighborhoods or apartment complexes with untreated pets, fleas are difficult to completely remove. If that’s the case, it’s important that you use a preventative that can kill fleas before they bite your dog. Since you can’t get rid of all the fleas, you can stop your dog from suffering by killing fleas before they can bite.

Does Your Dog Have Flea Allergies?

Some dogs have flea allergies. These dogs will become intensely itchy and scratch themselves, sometimes to the point of drawing blood, even when you don’t see many fleas.

If you’re not sure whether or not your dog is suffering from fleas, then find out where they’re itching. The backend area is “flea territory”. In almost all cases, if this is where your dog is primarily irritated, the problem is fleas.

Itchy ears, neck, sides, or paws are not as likely to be flea-related. These could indicate other allergies or skin problems.

Finally, always consult with a veterinarian. This is always critical before making a diagnosis.

We treat dogs with flea allergies at our full-service clinic in Irving, TX.