Flea and internal parasite control is actually quite simple if you know which products to use.
How the flea cycle works: A flea jumps on your pet and stays there for life. The female flea begins to lay eggs and will lay about 30 to 50 per day. These eggs drop off your pet and into the environment (i.e. your couch, carpet, bed linens and yard) and hatch into a flea in 14 to 365 days, depending on the environmental conditions.
When your dog is on Sentinel (a monthly chewable tablet) and your cat is on Bravecto (topical solution), the flea eggs will never hatch. Therefore, there will be no flea cycle and no new fleas! These are the only products that will keep your environment flea-free.
For dogs and cats with a current flea problem, we recommend using an adulticide in addition to Sentinel and Program. Available for both short-term and long-term control, these products begin killing adult fleas on your pet within 24 hours.
For tick and adult flea prevention in dogs, we recommend Bravecto, a soft chew that protects against adult fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks. A monthly topical product called Activyl Tick Plus is also available.
Every year, the doctors at The Drake Center review all types of flea and parasite control and choose the safest and most effective products available for your pet. We tailor a parasite prevention program for each pet based upon the number and types of animals in the house and the lifestyle of both the pet and the owner.
For year-round flea and parasite control, we recommend:
Sentinel for dogs
- Available in a monthly flavored tablet to be given with a meal
- Controls fleas by not allowing flea eggs to hatch
- Safe for dogs over four weeks of age
Bravecto for cats
- Available via topical solution every 12 weeks
- Controls fleas by not allowing flea eggs to hatch
- Safe for cats and kittens over 6 months of age
Revolution for outdoor cats
- Available in a monthly topical gel
- Kills fleas and prevents intestinal parasites and heartworms
- Safe for cats over eight weeks of age
When flea adulticides are needed, we recommend:
Capstar for dogs and cats
- Available in an oral tablet
- Kills adult fleas for 24 to 48 hours
- Safe for dogs and cats over four weeks of age
- Most effective when combined with Program or Sentinel
Comfortis for cats
- Available in a flavored tablet to be given with a meal
- Kills adult fleas for up to 30 days
- Safe for dogs over 14 weeks of age
- Most effective when combined with Program or Sentinel
Activyl for cats
- Available in a monthly topical gel
- Kills adult fleas for up to four weeks
- Safe for cats over eight weeks of age
- Most effective when combined with Program
For tick and adult flea control, we recommend:
Bravecto for dogs
- Available in a flavored chew to be given with a meal
- Kills adult fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks
- Safe for dogs over six months of age
Activyl Tick Plus for dogs
- Available in a monthly topical gel
- Kills adult fleas and ticks for up to 30 days
- Safe for dogs over eight weeks of age