The best flea and tick prevention for cats and dogs

If you're a pet parent, then you already know that fleas and ticks are no laughing matter. 

Not only do these problematic pests impact your pet's wellbeing and overall health, but they also transmit nasty diseases. 

That's why it's important to invest in good flea and tick prevention products that are reliable and safe. 

Luckily, we have a great team of real veterinary experts with decades of experience happy to pass on their recommendations. 

In this blog, we share our insight into what we believe are some of the best flea and tick treatments for your pet. 

And we’ll even give you the inside scoop including our reasons behind why we’ve picked these products. 

From topical shampoos to UK veterinary licensed treatments, keep reading to discover the best parasite protection for your furry friend. 

Shampoos 

Shampoo can be a good way to reduce the number of fleas in a flea infestation before treating your pet. And the good news is, any pet-friendly shampoo will work for this. 

There are many citrus scented and flea specific shampoos, you'd be right to wonder "well, which is the best flea shampoo?!". 

But in theory, it's the action of shampooing and bathing which will help you combat fleas, so any will do! 

We wouldn’t recommend this for cats as most of our feline friends aren’t very fond of baths! Hands up if you have the scratches to prove it! But a spray bottle filled with water can help you drown the fleas without a fight! 

Wait until your cat is content and calm and lightly spray him/her with water, then run a flea comb through the fur. 

We wouldn’t recommend this treatment for long-haired dogs as it would be too tricky to see and remove the fleas. 

For short-haired dogs, wet your pet's hair but avoid wetting the head as this encourages shaking! Imagine the flea frenzy following that! 

Apply and massage in shampoo and then comb through the coat with a flea comb to remove fleas. 

Get rid of any fleas by dropping them into a solution of water and washing up liquid so they don’t jump back onto your furball. 

Alternatively, use a wedge of wet kitchen roll to wipe the comb/fleas on and dispose of this immediately. 

Although a bath will kill the eggs, larvae, pupae and adult fleas, doing this alone doesn’t address the flea eggs in your home. 

As well as washing all the soft furnishings your pet has come into contact with on a high heat and thoroughly vacuuming/cleaning - It’s always best to use a topical treatment after to ensure your pet stays flea free! 

Remember, if you shampoo your pet most spot-on flea treatments advise not to be applied within 24-48 hours before or after bathing. 

Ideally a flea treatment to kill the fleas would be advisable rather than bathing. But it doesn’t hurt to do both! Plus, baths are great bonding time for you and your Buddy! 

Spot-on treatments

Our favourite flea product out on the market is without a doubt, FleaScreen, which is available here. 

As well as being one of the most affordable flea treatments, FleaScreen is also UK veterinary licensed. This just means it’s a safe and effective medicine. 

Depending on how old/big your pet is and how long you want to protect them for, there are a number of FleaScreen treatments available for both cats and dogs. 

Ranging from small dogs (2-10kg) to medium (10-20kg) and large dogs (20-40kg) and extra-large (40-60kg) dogs. 

The FleaScreen combo is only suitable for dogs aged 8 weeks or older, that weigh more than 2kg.   

If it's flea and tick treatment for cats you're after, luckily it’s a lot simpler! FleaScreen is available in one size only for cats weighing 1-8kg and can only be used from aged 8 weeks or older.

Remember that all animals in the house should be treated with a suitable flea treatment ideally every 4 weeks for best results. 

Always read the label and consider separation to prevent other pets from licking the treatment. 

What our experts say:

“Fleascreen is easy to use. It is a monthly spot-on treatment containing fipronil and s-methoprene. 

The fipronil is an ingredient that has been used for many years and scientific studies have proven that it still works just as well today.  

The s-methoprene stops the fleas from breeding in your home. If anyone has ever had a flea infestation you will understand how important this is!  

It can take months to get rid of a flea infestation in the home even using effective treatments. I personally use this treatment for both my dogs and cats and it works extremely well when used monthly.  

It’s one of the more affordable treatments which can be important, especially if you have three cats and three 3 dogs like me!” Fiona, our lead registered veterinary nurse. 

Why not take a look at our flea and tick treatments and start protecting your pet today?

Shop Flea and Tick Treatments

Environmental treatments 

For any households that have pets it would be advisable to use a good quality flea spray in the house at least once a year. 

If you move into a new home we would advise to spray when you move in if you have pets.

Flea eggs can remain dormant in carpets, furniture, and even in the cracks of wooden floors.  

Warmer weather and vibrations from movement in the home can encourage them to hatch. 

Indorex Defence Household Flea Spray is an approved insecticide that’s very effective and safe to use in the home.

Just one 500ml spray is enough to treat an average size 3 bedroomed house! 

What’s more, It provides up to 12 months environmental flea control in a single can! 

What our experts say:

“This is the only household flea spray I would recommend. There is always a can of this in my cleaning cupboard ready for use!

It’s safe, even if you have crawling babies or are pregnant! Just remember to read the instructions and wash your hands after use.

The main thing is, IT WORKS. It can be so stressful if you have a flea infestation and I've come across so many pet parents throughout my career who have tried numerous different products and are at the end of their tether.

But once they use Indorex and treat the pet, it’s all sorted!” 

Natural Remedies

You may have seen a lot of advice on Google and across social media relating to natural remedies to reduce the chances of fleas and ticks. 

Whilst there may be certain essential oils (such as citronella and geraniol) which do repel fleas and ticks, it’s difficult to use these safely on your pets.  

We would never advise to use them undiluted in their natural form as this can cause severe skin issues. 

Also, dogs and cats are continually grooming themselves, so it can be dangerous if essential oils are ingested.  

For that reason, we only recommend safe and effective flea and tick treatments which we know won’t cause harm. 

Although it can be tempting to trial a chemical-free method, there’s no science whatsoever to back these methods! 

And due to the resilience of fleas, natural remedies are simply not enough to kill them. 

Home care solutions 

There are a number of things you can do from home to prevent fleas and ticks. 

Even though they aren’t a guarantee you will avoid parasites altogether, they will help keep fleas and ticks at bay. 

Check out our blog 'How to get rid of fleas on cats and dogs' here for our top tips including how to prevent a reinfestation. 

Year-round prevention is key to getting rid of fleas and keeping them away.   

If your pet has fleas, it’s important to use a de-wormer to combat internal parasites like the roundworm Toxocara canis that can be passed to humans. You can get your worm treatment here.

Regular treatments help break the lifecycles of these parasites and keep your pet and your family healthy, happy and pest-free! 

Once you’ve treated your pet for fleas, keep up with good home hygiene habits to keep them from coming back. 

It can take up to three months to be sure every flea is gone, so be consistent with treatment and preventative flea products.  

If you need any more support for all things flea and tick related, you can reach out to our lead vet nurse Fiona on live chat here, or book a free consult here.

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