Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs in 2023 | Reviews & Buyers Guide

We listed best flea and tick pills for dogs that are more effective and safer. These will affect parasites without side effects. Get flea pill for dogs to eliminate unwanted parasites from your pup

flea and tick medication

A flea infestation in dogs is just a common mishap many pooches, as well as their parents, have suffered from. Generally, fleas require a warm environment to start its colony. Also, this infestation can pass on from one infected pet or host to the healthy one easily. And the easiest way to stop these bugs from spreading is to use flea and tick pills for dogs. Because it will rarely have any side effect and effectively kill the parasites in no time.

Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs

Editors’ Pick:

  • Best for flea treatment
  • Available in two size and style
  • Soft and East to Chew

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Contents

Top Picks for Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs – At a Glance

Brand
Editor's Picks
Rating**
Advantus Soft ChewBest of All
4.9
Sentry Capguard Oral Flea Control MedicationBudget Buy
4.7
Elanco Oral Flea Treatment for Large DogsPremium Treatment
4.6

**Rated by experts at Petlovesbest at the time of publication. It has nothing to do with Amazon ratings and reviews.

What is the Oral Flea Treatment for Dogs?

types of flea pills for dogs

The flea and tick pills for dogs are, of course, meant for oral consumption. You have to either feed the pills along with the regular meals or make your dog take the pill at an empty stomach.

However, the two types of the flea and tick pills for dogs i.e. chewable and enteric-coated. It means the dogs get to eat the chewable pills without even noticing the actual taste of the medicine because of its flavored coats.

Apart from the oral consumption of flea pills, there are other flea control options i.e. topical medication or flea control collar for dogs. having said that, the topical flea control meds refer to the method of applying the medicine to the dog at a particular region of his body where he cannot lick.

The topical medicines are generally, a liquid lotion which you can apply on the upper portion of the dog’s neck. It lotion will not only spread to every contour of dog’s skin but also start killing the parasites in a few hours of application. In the same manner, the flea control collar has the medication dose in the collar which starts acting till the time the dog wears the collar.

How does the Flea Pill for Dogs Work?

oral flea pills for dogs

We all know the oral medications directly dissolves in the bloodstream after some time fo ingestion. Then the dose of the pill reaches the target spot i.e. organs and starts acting. In this case, the dose of the flea and tick pills for dogs will stay in the bloodstream for a few months depending on the brand and keep the fleas away.

Having said that, the flea and tick pills for dogs will only affect the parasites i.e. flea, ticks, etc. when these parasites get in contact with the blood vessels. It means parasites will get affected by the flea and tick pills for dogs when they bite the dog. However, the flea eggs which have entered the dog’s body via any injury will instantly suffer.

As the matter of fact, the oral flea medicine pills for dogs prominently have Spinosad, Lufenuron, Nitenpyram as its active ingredient. Adding to the fact, the Spinosad and Nitenpyram kill the adult fleas, Lufenuron will not kill the adult fleas but only the flea larvae. Not to mention, Nitenpyram is the fast acting pill that is generally present in the high-dose meds.

In addition to that, the flea and heartworm pills for dogs can also have imidacloprid, Fipronil, or Pyrethroids. The topical meds prominently use these ingredients and similarly, some brands of oral meds too.

To explain the inefficiency of the flea and tick pills for dogs, it will kill the fleas, ticks, etc. when they bite and we presume that it will happen eventually. On the contrary, the fleas that have already laid their eggs or the larvae will not bite the dog until they become adult fleas themselves. Hence, getting rid of the parasites completely might take some time depending on how worse the infestation is!

Nevertheless, if you choose the best flea pill for dogs which last for months then your dog will get rid of the infestation gradually.

Is Oral Flea Medication Efficient?

best oral flea and tick prevention for dogs

There are many ways people could go wrong using the flea pills for dogs and cats, moreover, it happens because they fail to follow the proper application or dosing method. However, using the oral method is the simplest of all that too, it is hassle-free.

Coming to the effectiveness of the oral medication part, yes, the using the dog flea pills or tick pills for dogs is reliable. Although some researches state otherwise for the reason that parasites have to bite the dog first. Only thereafter the dose of flea and tick pills for dogs will start affecting the parasites.

Nevertheless, the oral medication will not only save the pooch from side-effects of using the topical meds. Not to mention, some of the topical meds have had worse outcomes which have scarred the dogs’ parents temporarily.

In addition to that, the oral meds will start acting once it reaches in the bloodstream. In fact, it will last for a few months once you have dosed the flea and tick pills for dogs. Hence, not only it will kill the adult fleas but also eventually kill the flea eggs.

Best Flea & Tick Pill for Dogs Reviews

You will find cheap flea pills for dogs with the best effectiveness potential for killing fleas and ticks. This section contains a review of each of the product describing the product in detail.

1. Advantus Soft Chew

Starting with the review, we have the best flea pill for dogs i.e. Advantus Soft Chew for many reasons. Stating the most relevant reason, then it will be its effective chemical recipe. You will not find another product delivering similar results. Not to mention, the Advantus comes with the variety of dosage and the bottle size for convenience.

Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs

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In addition to that, the Advantus has imidacloprid as its active ingredient being the Bayer’s product. Imidacloprid is one popular ingredient many topical, as well as oral flea control medicines, have. Also, the apparent product will start acting within one hour of consumption of the chewable flea control pill.

  • Suitable for: 23 to 110 lbs
  • Pill Type: Chew
  • Starts Working In: 1 Hour
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: imidacloprid is its active ingredient, starts acting within one hour

Apart from that, the makers of Advantus recommend of using feeding dog flea and tick pills as per the requirement of the severity. However, you shall not use more than a pill per day. On the contrary, you can visit the vet for better guidance for the issue if the Advantus does not affect the fleas on your dogs. Also, make sure you are dosing your pooch with flea meds according to the method producer or vet has directed.

  • Contains imidacloprid.
  • Starts acting within one hour.
  • Easy to feed flavored chewable pills.
  • Over the counter flea pills for dogs.
  • Does not kill ticks.

2. Sentry Capguard Oral Flea Control Medication

The Sentry Capguard contains nitenpyram as its active ingredient. Hence, the apparent medicine will kill all the adult fleas on the Fido. In fact, the fact acting checimcal formula makes the tablet to start killing the fleas within 30 mins. Because the 11.4 mg of nitenpyram does its part really well killing the adult fleas.

flea pills for dogs

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Moreover, people inquire about the effectiveness of these meds against the flea eggs. Although the nitenpyram does not kill the flea eggs until they are eggs. Once the flea eggs develop as larvae and eventually as adult fleas, the Sentry dog flea pills will kill them all.

  • Suitable for: 2 to 25 lbs
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: 30 Minutes
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Fast acting formula, Contains nitenpyram as an active ingredient

Lastly, the current medicine for flea control is of tablet type and not chewable one. Hence, feeding this to your dog will require some efforts initially until you learn. However, you can put the tablet with his daily meal and let him eat that without noticing.

  • The flea and tick pills for dogs contains nitenpyram.
  • Quick action i.e. after 30 mins of consumption.
  • Kills adult fleas.
  • Kills fleas only.

3. Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs

Here we have another entry from the same brand Capstar. Hence, you will find some similarities in both the product i.e. the previous one and the current. Furthermore, the apparent product is also the composition of Nitenpyram killing all the fleas residing on your dog.

dog flea pills

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The Capstar tablets are suitable for both dogs and cats for killing the adult fleas. Hence, getting the Capstar Nitenpyram tablets is advisable if you have both a cat and dog at home. As the matter of fact, you will have to medicate both pets if anyone out of them is infested with fleas. You will not have to medicate both your pets but also treat the interior of your house.

  • Suitable for: 2 to 25 lbs
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: 4 Hours
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Effectiveness, Suitability for all the dogs

The apparent product will start killing the fleas with an hour after consumption if the pill. In addition to that, it will successfully kill all the fleas on your dogs by four hours and on cats by six hours. It makes this product appropriate for the pet who is suffering from mild to moderate flea infestation. Also, if your Fido has a heavy infestation then you can give a tablet every day to your pooch until he is cured.

  • Suitable for both cats and dogs.
  • Fast acting flea and tick pills for dogs.
  • Contains 11.4 milligrams of Nitenpyram in each tablet.
  • Does not affect ticks.

4 Elanco Oral Flea Treatment for Large Dogs

The Elanco’s Fast-acting oral flea treatment is specially formulated for large dogs and it is also very similar to the Capstar Flea Treatment Pills for Small Dogs which we have also added in our product reviews.

Oral Flea Treatment for Large Dogs

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Unlike the other variants of flea treatment pills, this one contains 67 mg of nitenpyram which is effective for large dogs weighing from 26 to 125 pounds. Being high in mg does not mean that it would be harmful to your pet. When used in the prescribed amount, the tablet is safe as well as effective.

  • Suitable for: 26 to 125 pounds
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: 30 minutes
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Fast-acting formula that is highly effective in large dogs

The fast-acting oral flea treatment formula starts killing fleas within 30 minutes of administration. You can immediately witness the results and watch dead fleas fall off from your pet. One tablet of this flea treatment effective kills almost all adult fleas from the dog’s coat. However, this medication cannot prevent reinfestation, so in that case, if reinfestation occurs then give another tablet to your dog.

  • Specially formulated for large size dogs makes it effective and kills almost all fleas on the first administration.
  • Over-the-counter flea treatment pill does not require and a prescription in order to purchase.
  • Not suitable for small dogs.

5. Flea Away All Natural Flea Repellent for Dogs

This is the second product that can repel many parasites from the dog than just fleas. The Fleaaway is also capable of repelling fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes from your Fido effectively. Hence, this brand is just similar to the previous one. However, the apparent one does affect the gnats and hence has received the lower position.

nexgard flea pills for dogs

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Coming to the product, the Fleaaway is convenient to feed your dog because it comes on chewable tablet form. Therefore, feeding it to your dog with his meal becomes very easy. In fact, you can crush the tablet and mix it with your dog’s meal such that even the pickiest eater will not notice it.

  • Suitable for: All Dogs
  • Pill Type: Tablets
  • Starts Working In: Instantly
  • Effective for: Fleas, Ticks, Mosquitoes
  • What We Liked: Effective for flea, ticks, mosquitoes

Lastly, to add to the description of the concurrent product, these are good flea and tick pills for dogs suffering from flea allergies. In fact, the Fleaaway will not even irritate the pooches suffering from extreme flea allergy dermatitis. In addition to that, the Fleaaway will even be useful for removing ticks, mosquitoes. Apart from that, these parasites don’t even need to bite to get affected/repelled.

  • The fast-acting composition is great.
  • Repels fleas before even they bite.
  • Repels or kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes.
  • Chewable tablets are easy to feed the pooches.
  • Nothing in specific.

6. Only Natural Pet Chewable Tablets

These tablets from Only Natural Pet will keep your canine pal pest-free because they contain a combination of garlic and brewer’s yeast that will make his odor unpleasant for ticks and fleas but the odor will go unnoticed by dogs or humans.

Only Natural Pet Brewer's Yeast & Garlic

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This is an all-natural formula to keep pests at bay in both cats and dogs and it comes packed with vitamins B and other essential minerals to keep the skin and coat healthy.

  • Suitable for: Any weight, dosage 1 tablet for every 20 lbs body weight
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Effective for: Ticks and Fleas both
  • What we liked: Herbal formula with no chemical ingredient

The tablets are chewable and can be fed standalone or can be crushed and mixed with the dog’s food. In fact, the tablets are made from natural turkey flavor and will taste like a delicious treat when fed separately.

  • This is a natural formula to keep fleas and ticks from infesting your pet.
  • The odor produced by combination of garlic and brewer’s yeast unnoticeable to dogs and humans.
  • Each tablet also loaded with vitamins and minerals for healthy skin and coat.
  • Administering this tablet is easy because it is a treat with turkey flavor, it can also be crushed and fed mixed in pet food.
  • Does not kills the fleas and ticks but only helps to repel them.

7. PetArmor 6 Count FastCaps for Dogs

Lastly coming to the final product i.e. prescription flea pills for dogs from PetArmor. The apparent product has Nitenpyram as its active ingredient. Therefore, this medicine can kill the adult fleas very effectively which are present on your Fido. In fact, these fleas will instantly die when they bite the dog.

non prescription flea pills for dogs

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In addition to that, these pills are safe for pregnant or nursing Fido. It not only makes this tablet safe for the pooches but also very helpful even when they suffer from flea dermatitis. You will observe your Fido or cat behave abruptly for a while during the medicine is actually killing the fleas.

  • Suitable for: Over 25 lbs
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: 30 Minutes
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Effective for killing adult fleas

Lastly, the apparent product is one of the best solutions that you can have in order to control flea infestation. It has everything a dog needs at the time of suffering from flea infestation. The Petarmor is fast acting chemical dose, it is suitable for both pooches and cats, and the 57 mg Nitenpyram dose for big dogs is just great! Coming to the features of this product, the Springtime flea and tick pills for dogs is one of the best treatment options. It effectively kills many parasites right from fleas, ticks to even mosquitoes and gnats. Also, the best part about this tablet is that it is chewable. Hence, you can crush and mix it into your dog’s meal and feed him without any hassle.

  • Suitable for both dogs and cats.
  • Fast acting pills.
  • Contains Nitenpyram.
  • Easy to feed tablets.
  • Does not affect ticks or other parasites.

8. Capstar Flea Treatment Pills for Small Dogs

Best flea treatment pills for small dogs

As the name of the product from Capstar suggests, it contains Nitenpyram as its active ingredient. Moreover, Nitenpyram kills the adult fleas efficiently. In fact, the apparent medicine is capable of initiating the flea killing action right within half an hour after consumption.

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In addition to that, the Capstar Nitenpyram is a safe alternative to the topical flea control solutions. Because you just have to feed a small tablet similar to the Benadryl ones to the dog and wait for the results. The tablet will take about half an hour to start killing the fleas and ticks on the dog.

  • Suitable for: 2 to 25 lbs
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: 30 Minutes
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Fast-acting chemical composition easy to feed tablet that is safe and effective for small dogs

In the end, we would want you to understand the process of dosing your pooch with the flea control meds properly. You can give this tablet to your dog according to the severity of infestation is. However, you shall refrain from giving your dog more than one tablet a day. Because the 11.4 milligrams of Nitenpyram in one tablet is enough for the day. Otherwise, your Fido could suffer from its side effects unnecessarily.

  • Starts acting within 30 minutes of time.
  • Easy to feed small tablets.
  • Effectively kills adult fleas.
  • Safe for small dogs.
  • Does not affect ticks.

9. Springtime Bug Off Garlic Chewables for Dogs

First things first, if you are thinking that garlic is not the right ingredient for dogs then it is not the case. People or vets have mistakenly publicized the exaggerated effects of garlic on dogs than what actually is! Even Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences conducted a test taking test proportions of garlic and feeding it to four dogs. Not to mention, the researchers gave the dogs 5 grams of garlic per kg of dogs’ body weight every single day for seven days consecutively.

Moreover, this much amount of garlic can even give goosebumps to humans. Nevertheless, feeding lesser amounts of garlic will not only have positive effects but also not harm your pooch in any way.

chewable flea pills for dogs

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Coming to the features of this product, the Springtime flea and tick pills for dogs is one of the best treatment options. It effectively kills many parasites right from fleas, ticks to even mosquitoes and gnats. Also, the best part about this tablet is that it is chewable. Hence, you can crush and mix it into your dog’s meal and feed him without any hassle.

  • Suitable for: All Dogs
  • Pill Type: Tablet
  • Starts Working In: Instantly
  • Effective for: Fleas, Ticks, Mosquitoes, Gnats
  • What We Liked: Fast action formula, Kills many parasites easily

In addition to that, this medicine is capable of initiating the killing action as soon as you feed it to your pooch. Also, a tablet a day will be sufficient for utmost results. However, you can go for another tablet the next day if there are some parasites alive on your dog.

  • Kills fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats.
  • Beef liver flavored tablets.
  • Fast acting medicine dose.
  • Easy to feed chewable tablets.
  • The strong garlic ingredient can be difficult to feed to some dogs.
  • Garlic can be dangerous for sensitive pooches.

10. Petstar Nitenpyram 11.4 mg for Dogs

Coming to the Nitenpyran product once again which we have seen in the top positions. However, the petstar is no less than the product we have rated at the top. On the contrary, there are some positives about this product that you would like better than the other.

oral flea pills for dogs

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In addition to that, the Petstar contains 11.4 milligrams of Nitenpyram in each of its capsules. Hence, the dose of the medicine remains the same even though there are many brands selling their own method of flea and tick pills for dogs. Not to mention, you can feed this medicine to your dog as well as your cat if you have one by following the consumption guidelines.

  • Suitable for: 2 to 25 lbs
  • Pill Type: Enteric-coated capsules
  • Starts Working In: 30 Minutes
  • Effective for: Fleas
  • What We Liked: Effectively kills fleas

On the other hand, you might have one problem feeding this medicine to your dog because it is an enteric coated capsule. Hence, feeding this to your cat and dog can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, you can open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into your Fido’s meal.

  • Fast-acting formula.
  • Contains 11.4 mg of Nitenpyram in each of its capsules.
  • Effective for flea control.
  • Suitable for both cats and dogs.
  • Capsules will be difficult for dogs to swallow.

Buyer’s Guide

While your dog is suffering from flea, tick, etc. infestation and you cannot figure out which product to choose. Moreover, getting a perfect product will not be a difficult task after you refer to the guide we have described below. It will step-wise guide you to get the product that is best for your little pup or grown Fido.

Therefore, go through each factor about the product carefully to know more about the products.

What is the Best Flea and Tick Pill for Dogs?

You can easily get your hands on the product which suits your fourlegged friend the most. All you have to do is systematically assess each of these factors and get the product qualifying all the requirements. However, you have look for the pills and no other treatment options i.e. flea spray, shampoos or topical products.

Suitability of the Pills

Firstly, you have to measure your Fido’s weight before even considering any flea and tick prevention pills for dogs. Because the pills will have an active ingredient in it which will do all the work of killing/repelling the fleas. Also, the pills will have some supplement chemical ingredients or composition which does the same task.

The makers produce different pills using the standard amount of ingredients suitable for the different weight of pooches. You will observe pills containing Nitenpyram as its active ingredient will have either 11.4 mg or 37 mg concentration each. The 11.4 mg pills are the flea pills for small dogs whereas, 37 mg ones are for flea pills for large dogs.

Therefore, you shall weigh your dog accurately to determine which type of concentration will be the best for your Fido.

Types of Pills

The oral flea pills for dogs come in two different forms i.e. chewable flea pills for dogs and swallow tablets. Moreover, people have complained that their dogs often throw-out the swallow pills. Although the pet parents try to hide the pills in the meal dogs still can throw out.

Nevertheless, is then advisable for you to either crush the pill and mix it in the meal or just go for the chewable pills. As the matter of fact, many pooches consume the chewable pills thinking it to be a treat. Hence, going with the chewable is suitable in this case.

The Effectiveness of the Dog Flea Pills

This is another factor to consider, the oral flea medication for pups have a certain period to when the medicine will start and stop acting. Generally, many medicines will start acting within an hour of consumption and majorly kill the parasites till 6 hours.

Further, even if a single dose is not sufficient to kill all the flea on your pet then you can use another pill the next day. The oral medication is not monthly flea pills for dogs that will last for month long. Moreover, the dose gets drained out of the dog’s body after a few hours of fading flea killing action.

Ingredients of the Pills

As we mentioned in a section above, there are a few ingredients many flea and tick pills for dogs have. It includes Nitenpyram, imidacloprid, spinosad, lufenuron, etc.

In rare cases, the sensitive pooches might have the side effects of any these ingredients which are not desirable. Therefore, you can consult your vet prior to getting any of the flea and tick pills for dogs is recommended. On the other hand, it is safe going with the otc flea pills for dogs.

Prescription Flea Pills for Dogs

Having said about the otc flea medication, this sub-section is different from the previous one. In this case, you shall take proper advise from your vet before blindly believing everything. Because having nonprescription flea pills for dogs is good to the point till you see any progress. Therefore, consulting a professional is necessary if nothing works for your pooch.

FAQs

Go through these queries pet parent commonly have regarding the flea and tick pills for dogs.

Difference between Topical meds and Oral flea and tick pills for dogs?

Topical Medication: Flea control medicine that is in liquid form and used for externally. Also, you have to spread liquid on dog’s neck and back such that licking the medicine will become impossible. Thereafter the medicine itself spreads to the whole skin of the pooch by itself. We call it topical because we have to apply the medicine to a spot and have its effect on the whole dog’s body.

This repels or kills the parasites coming in contact with it.

Oral flea pills for dogs(or tick): These are either swallow tablets or chewable pills that you have to feed to the flea infested dog. The medicinal dose will dissolve in the blood and affect the parasites once they get in contact with the dogs’ blood after a bite.

Why flea control pills are sold according to the dog’s weight?

Makers of the flea and tick pills for dogs prepare the dose by using a different concentration of the active ingredients. Having said that, the least concentration pills will be suitable for lightweight dogs(puppies). Whereas, you will observe that the medicine meant for the bigger dogs will have higher amounts of active ingredient.

Generally, these concentrations are derived depending upon the weight of the dog. Hence, you the flea and tick pills for dogs have the weight categorization.

What are the ingredients in flea and tick pills for dogs?

Moreover, the oral flea and tick pills for dogs have Nitenpyram as its ingredient. Apart from Nitenpyram, the dog flea and tick pills will have imidacloprid, spinosad, lufenuron, etc.

THE ENDNOTE

You can opt for the product which suits your Fido the most. In fact, you shall drop a comment describing your query which is different from the faqs a the last.

Finally, you have to make sure that your pooch does not get an overdose of the medicine unnecessarily. Because the ingredients used in these flea and tick pills for dogs can have side effects if you feed it in excess to your pooch.

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