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After you’ve welcomed a new puppy into your home, it’s important to ensure you’re setting your puppy up for a long and happy life. Flea and tick protection for puppies is a critical part of that. Add flea and tick puppy prevention to your checklist, along with required and recommended vaccinations for your puppy, the socialization process, and initiating a regimen of quality preventive care, including heartworm preventatives.

Flea and Tick Protection for Puppies

Most flea and tick products for puppies are not safe to use until they’ve reached at least seven or eight weeks of age (see chart below). Your veterinarian will be able to recommend a flea and tick medicine for puppies to safely use, and advise you on when it’s safe to begin administering it to your puppy. Always confirm that you are using the correct product based on your puppy’s current weight and age.

Product Minimum Age Route Frequency Fleas Ticks Heartworms
Simparica Trio 8 weeks/2.8 lbs. Tablet Monthly X X X
Nexgard 8 weeks Chew Monthly X X
Advantage Multi 7 weeks/3 lbs. Topical Monthly X
Bravecto 6 months Tablet 12 weeks X X
Credelio 8 weeks Tablet Monthly X X
Capstar 4 weeks/2 lbs. Tablet As needed X
Comfortis 14 weeks Tablet Monthly X
Frontline Plus 8 weeks Topical Monthly X X
K9 Advantix II 7 weeks Topical Monthly X X
Revolution 6 weeks Topical Monthly X X
Sentinel Flavor Tabs 4 weeks/2 lbs. Tablet Monthly X X
Seresto 7 weeks Collar 8 months X X
Trifexis 8 weeks/5 lbs Tablet 1 month X X
Vectra 3D 8 weeks Topical Monthly X X
Virbac Effitix Plus 8 weeks Topical Monthly X X
Virbac Effipro 8 weeks Topical Monthly X X

What to Do If Your Puppy or Dog Has Fleas

Flea treatment: According to veterinarian and AKC Family Dog columnist Jeff Grognet, Capstar is safe to give to puppies as young as four weeks old (and a minimum of 2 pounds). This medication is given in a tablet form to treat flea infestations. Because its active ingredient (nitenpyram) works for only 24 hours, it is not effective as a preventive medication. Always speak to your veterinarian before offering your puppy or dog a new medication to ensure it is safe for your dog to take and to confirm dosage.

Flea shampoos & collars: Most veterinarians do not recommend flea shampoos or collars for puppies or adult dogs because they are not very effective, Grognet says. There is an exception: The Seresto collar is designed to slowly release its active chemicals (imidacloprid and flumethrin). This product may be useful at stopping flea larvae from molting. Seresto is effective against fleas and ticks for up to 8 months and can be used on a dog as young as 7 weeks old. Speak with your veterinarian about this option.

Grognet also points out that some flea shampoos can be beneficial for nursing dogs because it will prevent exposing the puppies to the chemicals, which are washed off with the shampoo. Some experts swear by bathing a flea-infested pregnant dog or young puppy in Dawn dish detergent, but Grognet is wary of this method. “It strips out the dog’s natural oils and does not kill fleas,” he says. If you do use this method, Jerry Klein, AKC’s Chief Veterinary Officer, advises being thorough when rinsing. “Many times the rinsing should take longer than the lathering,” Klein says. “This complete rinse after a shampoo is one of the most important aspects of any bath, and is often hurried in many cases.”

Consult with your veterinarian before using any product on your dog, especially if your dog is pregnant or nursing.

Flea comb: As an alternative to medications (or for pups younger than four weeks), Grognet recommends using a flea comb to check your puppy for the presence of fleas and safely remove them.

Clean the home: Depending on the severity of the infestation, it may be necessary to also treat your home to ensure flea eggs and larvae don’t grow to re-infest your puppy later. Of the flea population, only 5 percent includes adult fleas on pets, Grognet says. The rest are in various stages of the life cycle and can be found outdoors or in your home. Vacuum your carpets (remember to remove the bag afterward) and clean all bedding your pet has used as well as any chairs with padding. Speak to your veterinarian about what additional steps you should take to treat the problem and prevent it from returning.

Why Flea and Tick Prevention Is Important

In addition to being uncomfortable for your dog, fleas are also the leading cause of tapeworm, a parasite whose larvae is carried by fleas. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and other serious conditions. (Read more about tick-borne diseases from the AKC Canine Health Foundation.)

Dr. Andrea Tu of Park East Animal Hospital in New York City recommends regularly running a flea comb throughout your dog’s coat to check for fleas. Also, be on the watch for “flea dirt,” little black specks usually found on a dog’s belly or around the tail. Vacuuming the home and spraying flea and tick yard treatments on shaded areas in the yard can also be useful in keeping any potential flea problems at bay. Some people prefer the more “natural” options of using nematodes (an organism that feeds on flea larvae) or diatomaceous earth on their yards. Other popular plant-based yard pest control products use essential oils as a deterrent.

After visiting woody areas or spending a lot of time outdoors, give your dog a tick check, looking him over for any embedded parasites. If you spot a tick on your pet, carefully remove the tick from your dog, preferably with a specialized tick-removal tool, and contact your vet in case further treatment or testing is necessary.

How to Prevent Flea and Tick Infestations

Once your puppy is old enough, it’s important to start using a monthly flea and tick preventive medication to help ensure that your dog won’t be affected by fleas or ticks in the future. Many of the treatments available and are effective for preventing both fleas and ticks. Talk to your veterinarian about the best medication for your dog based on your location, the age and weight of your pet, and more.

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