Fleas can be difficult to spot, create an infestation in your home very quickly, and cause some serious health problems in your pets. It is for this reason that pet owners are encouraged to use flea preventatives all-year-round to protect their cats and dogs, and avoid having to go through the painstaking process of getting rid of fleas in the house and yard.

Traditionally, flea preventatives came in the form of topical or spot-on treatments, the more effective of which includes Bravecto Topical, Revolution, and Frontline Plus. Topical treatments are applied on your pet’s skin, typically at the base of their neck or between their shoulder blades. 

More recently, however, oral treatments such as Bravecto Chews, Nexgard, and Simparica are gaining in popularity. This is because there are a number of benefits of flea pills, oral chewables, and tablets, including its convenience and fast-acting properties.

Bravecto Chews

NexGard Chewables

Simparica

 

Capstar

Credelio

Easy to administer

Using oral flea treatments to get rid of and prevent fleas on your pet is as simple as feeding them a pill, chewable or tablet. There is no messy and sticky residue, and you don’t need to worry about the treatment being washed off accidentally, or getting on children or other pets.

Oral flea treatments are more often available only for dogs, since it is notoriously difficult to make cats swallow pills.

Takes effect quickly

Once your pet swallows the oral flea treatment, their digestive system breaks it down, allowing the chemicals to be absorbed into the bloodstream, rapidly circulating throughout the body.

Tablets such as Capstar kills adult fleas within 30 minutes of administering and can be given to both cats and dogs.

Kills fleas—and ticks—successfully

Oral flea treatments do not just kill the fleas you see, but the eggs and larvae as well, effectively getting rid of fleas completely. Bravecto and NexGard also kill the newly emerged fleas before they can lay eggs, preventing any future infestations.

Oral flea treatments can also kill ticks, protecting your pets from the parasite’s harmful effects.

Long-lasting impact

Many oral flea treatments will continue to kill fleas, eggs, and larvae for up to one month, giving your pet protection against fleas for an extended period of time. Bravecto chews (for dogs) even provide up to 12 weeks of protection against fleas, preventing new infestations.

Use oral flea treatments regularly

If you decide to give your pet flea pills, oral chewables, or tablets, you need to be vigilant about administering it, to ensure it does not stop working. It is possible for cats and dogs to get fleas during winter, so use flea treatment products all-year-round, and not just in summer. This is to prevent leaving your pet vulnerable to re-infestation, thanks to the fast breeding and flexible life cycles of fleas.