5 Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs

If you’ve chatted with your vet about fleas, you know how important it is for dogs to be on a year-round flea and tick preventive.

Parasites like fleas and ticks can do more than drive your pup crazy—they can spread diseases and host other parasites, potentially causing serious health problems for your pet.

Oral flea and tick pills are one of a few highly effective options for killing fleas before they can lay eggs and ticks before they can transmit tick-borne diseases.

To find the best flea and tick pills for dogs, let’s look at what veterinarians say about what makes different flea and tick preventives effective.

Why Should Your Dog Be On Flea and Tick Pills?

Oral flea and tick preventives offer several advantages.

These chewable pills quickly kill ticks and adult fleas, thanks to active ingredients such as fluralaner, spinosad, and afoxolaner.

“An adult flea’s whole mission in life is to take a blood meal right away,” says Lorraine Corriveau, DVM, DABVP, DABLS, a primary care clinician at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Hospital.

Because oral medications are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, she says many can kill up to 99% of adult fleas within four hours.

In comparison, topical flea medications can take up to 12 to 24 hours to kill 90% of adult fleas on your pup.

If your dog readily accepts flavored chews or treats that hide medication, administering oral medications can be a no-fuss task.

Plus, when dosing guidelines are followed, there’s little risk of human error compared to topical applications, which require precise application to the skin, not the fur.

"If my client doesn't know how to apply a topical product, their dog is going to be susceptible to fleas, ticks, and heartworms,” warns Dr. Roberto Cortiñas, a veterinary parasitology professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "And that's not cool. Heartworm disease could be a death sentence."

Top 5 Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs

When shopping for the best flea and tick preventive, consider your pet’s lifestyle, age, and size as well as treatment frequency and potential side effects. While oral pills are convenient, they might not be suitable for all dogs. 

"For instance, dogs with food allergies might benefit from hydrolyzed protein preventions, topical treatments, or flea collars," Corriveau says.

If cost is a concern, the Seresto® flea collar comes highly recommended by veterinarians, including Cortiñas and Corriveau.

The collar is an affordable and effective option that protects dogs against fleas and ticks for up to eight months.

Review the oral medication options below, then talk with your vet about which parasite prevention is best.

These products require a prescription.

1. Bravecto®

Bravecto® offers long-lasting protection against fleas and ticks. This oral chew is made with hydrolyzed pork, which is a good option for some food-allergic dogs.

One chew provides coverage for 12 weeks, which is significantly longer than other oral options. It effectively begins killing adult fleas within two hours of administration and protects against four common tick species—the black-legged tick (deer tick), American dog tick (wood tick), brown dog tick, and Asian longhorned tick.

Bravecto also safeguards dogs against the lone star tick for up to eight weeks.

However, Bravecto doesn’t offer important protection against heartworms or intestinal parasites.

For complete protection, ask your vet about combining Bravecto® with a product such as Sentinel Spectrum®, a heartworm and intestinal parasite preventive that comes in a beef-flavored chew.

Bravecto® is safe for dogs 6 months and older and weighing more than 4 pounds.

If your puppy is between 8 weeks and 6 months old and weighs more than 4 pounds, ask your vet about Bravecto® 1-Month instead. 

2. NexGard® PLUS

NexGard® PLUS is a beef-flavored soft chew that contains three active ingredients—afoxolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel—for combined protection against:

• Adult fleas

• The American dog tick

• The black-legged tick

• The lone star tick

• The brown dog tick

• Heartworms

• Hookworms

• Roundworms

This is an excellent all-in-one prevention.

"Heartworm preventives work by attacking and killing heartworm larvae in the tissue stage before they make it to the bloodstream or develop into adults," says Dr. Elizabeth Clyde, a small animal veterinarian and a member of the board of directors for the American Heartworm Society (AHS).

However, moxidectin will not kill adult heartworms, so your vet may recommend heartworm testing before starting NexGard® PLUS.

The bite-sized monthly dose is approved for puppies as young as 8 weeks and weighing at least 4 pounds.

3. Simparica Trio™

Simparica Trio™ is another convenient all-in-one oral prevention for dogs, providing a simple "one dose a month and done" solution, as one happy pup parent puts it.

This treatment combines three active ingredients—sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel—to offer comprehensive monthly protection against fleas, heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms.

Simparica Trio® also guards against five types of ticks, including the lone star tick and the Gulf Coast tick, making it a top choice for dogs who live in the Gulf Coast tick range (Southeastern United States and as far north as Virginia).

The liver-flavored chewable is formulated to be tasty to dogs, so your pup may enjoy it as much as a treat. Simparica Trio™ is suitable for dogs weighing 2.8 to 132 pounds and who are 8 weeks of age and older.

4. Simparica®

If your dog is already on a heartworm preventive like Heartgard®, you might prefer a simplified flea and tick treatment that covers your region's tick population, such as Simparica®.

This is another option for dogs with food allergies—it’s made with hydrolyzed protein.

Each dose of Simparica® protects against adult fleas and five tick species—the black-legged tick, American dog tick, brown dog tick, lone star tick, and Gulf Coast tick—for 35 days.

Using one active ingredient, sarolaner, Simparica® works by overstimulating the nervous system of fleas and ticks, leading to paralysis and death.

Simparica® is available with a prescription and is safe for pups 6 months and older who weigh at least 2.8 pounds.

5. Credelio®

Credelio® packs a powerful punch against fleas and ticks.

Its key ingredient, lotilaner, begins killing fleas and four common tick species within just four hours, eliminating all fleas within 12 hours and for an entire month.

This speed is crucial because fleas lay eggs within a day of feeding. By eliminating fleas quickly, Credelio® prevents adult fleas from reproducing, stopping flea infestations before they start.

Credelio® comes as a tasty beef-flavored chew that many dogs enjoy. In fact, 94% of dogs in a study willingly ate the medication whether offered by hand, in an empty food bowl, or with food.

For best results, give Credelio® with food or within 30 minutes of eating. This option is safe for dogs 8 weeks and older who weigh at least 4.4 pounds.

How Frequently Should You Give Your Dog Flea and Tick Pills?

How often your pet requires flea and tick pills depends on the specific product you use.

Each medication has specific dosing guidelines and it's important to follow those directions carefully, along with your veterinarian's instructions. Missing even a single dose can leave your dog vulnerable to parasites.