When To Start Flea and Tick Prevention for Puppies

As a responsible pet parent, you may be wondering, "When can I start my puppy on tick and flea control?" or "Which flea and tick preventative is safe for my puppy?"

Starting tick and flea treatment for puppies can vary, based on the specific product selected and the needs of the specific dog.

It’s important to follow the instructions on how to use tick and flea control for puppies—they can typically be found on the front of the product box.

Let's look at when to start your puppy's flea and tick control, why it's important, and how to make the best choice for your furry friend.

When To Start Flea and Tick Treatment for Puppies

Typically, many preventative veterinary products for puppies can be started in pups that are 6 to 8 weeks old.

However, some can’t be started until 6 months of age (such as Bravecto® (oral and topical).

Working with your vet to find the right flea and tick product for your puppy is an important step in your pet's preventative care.

Why Flea and Tick Control Is Important For Puppies

Fleas and ticks are external parasites that cause multiple problems and diseases in both pets and people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many state public health departments maintain detailed tracking information on these pests. All 50 states have reported the presence of fleas and ticks.

Between walks, outdoor playtime, and potty breaks, puppies can be exposed to parasites.

Some internal parasites (such as roundworms) can be passed to puppies both in the mother’s placenta and in the milk when nursing—all before a pup is adopted and enters a new home.

A number of these internal parasites are zoonotic, meaning they are transmissible to humans.

Many flea and tick treatments for puppies contain internal parasite preventives, so this is an added benefit for new puppies and their human companions.

If your new pup comes home to you already infested with fleas and/or ticks, a treatment medication may be prescribed to eliminate the pests before a preventive is introduced.

Considerations to discuss with your vet when choosing flea and tick prevention include:

• Most convenient dosing method (oral tablets or chews, topical products, collars)

• Number and type of other pets in the home

• Young children or immunocompromised family members living in the home

• Outdoor environment of the home

• What your puppy’s lifestyle will ultimately include (dog shows, agility competitions, hunting, water sports)

• Age and weight of your puppy at adoption

• Overall health status of your puppy

First-time puppy parents should keep in mind that even though there is an expense with prevention, this is the best strategy to lower the risk of disease—which would be much more costly to treat.

Lapses in prevention can lead to drug-resistant fleas and ticks on your pet.

Ticks can transmit several serious diseases, including:

• Lyme disease

• Babesiosis

• Ehrlichiosis

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• Anaplasmosis

• Southern tick-associated rash illness

• Tick-borne relapsing fever

• Tularemia

• Bourbon virus

• Colorado tick fever

• Heartland virus

• Powassan disease

• Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis

Certain types of ticks are more prevalent in certain areas of the country. Common ticks that carry transmissible diseases in the U.S. include:

• American dog tick

• Black-legged tick

• Brown dog tick

• Gulf Coast tick

• Lone Star tick

• Rocky Mountain wood tick

• Western black-legged tick

Fleas can spread tapeworms to pets and humans. They also can transmit plague, endemic murine typhus, and cat scratch disease.

If your pet has fleas, you may see flea dirt (flea feces), which looks like dried dark debris, over the tail base of the puppy.

Fleas feed on blood, and just one flea on a pet can cause pain and itching, intense hypersensitivity, allergic reactions, and trauma.

How To Find the Best Flea Treatment for Puppies

Tick and flea treatment for puppies is important for both you and your pet.

It’s important to start your puppy on an age and weight appropriate tick and flea control to protect them against these pesky skin parasites as well as the diseases they might transmit.

Some flea and tick preventions also have intestinal parasite prevention which is also ideal.

Preventing and treating your pet with these medications also protects you from any effects of these parasites should your pup pass them to you as well.

There are many safe and effective products that can prevent or treat flea and tick infestations.

Understanding some of the science behind flea and tick parasites, and the differences between them, may help as you consider starting a puppy on flea and tick preventives.

For example:

• Fleas and ticks have different life cycles: egg, larval, and adult for fleas; nymph, larval, and adult for ticks.

• Male and female adult ticks of the same species may look different.

• Different medications prevent one or multiple stages of the parasite or have been proven effective in treating the parasite.

• Because tick species vary by region of the country, location may be a factor in your choice of medication.

Since these pests live in the environment all around us and can be continuously carried by wildlife, it is important to treat all pets in your household (both dogs and cats) and the environment at the same time.

Treatment of the environment includes:

• Using products made to kill/control pests

• Trimming bushes and shrubs

• Cleaning up leaves and excess debris

• Limiting standing/stagnant water

• Minimizing wildlife exposure

• Removing wood piles near your home

If you find yourself overwhelmed with the options or want to know which tick and flea control is best for your puppy, reach out to their veterinarian for assistance.

Types of Flea and Tick Control for Puppies

Many products contain combinations of drugs and chemicals to protect against multiple parasites.

As you discuss your puppy’s needs and individual situation with your veterinarian, keep in mind that certain dog breeds can have drug sensitivities.

A common example is a genetic mutation called MDR1 in some Collies and Sheepdogs.

Collie and Sheepdog crossbreeds are sensitive to the drug ivermectin. If your pup has this gene, certain drugs to avoid are:

• Vermectin

• Moxidectin

• Selamectin

• Milbemycin oxide (Heartgard®, Nexgard® PLUS)

• Simparica Trio™

• Trifexis™

• Advantage multi™

• Revolution®

While having this gene does make dogs sensitive to this class of medications, the low dose used in heartworm prevention should not cause an issue and can be used in these breeds safely (with their vet’s approval).

Dogs with the MDR1 gene mutation have an abnormal protein. This protein is normally in charge of eliminating drugs and keeping these substances out of the brain and other organs.

When this happens, these dogs get a buildup of drugs and toxins in the brain causing serious neurologic impairment.

What Flea and Tick Treatment is Safe for Puppies?

Do not use cat flea and tick products on dogs.

Dogs and cats have different metabolisms and process medication differently. Weight range and dosing vary depending on the medication strength required between species.

Always use a medication that is specifically labeled for dogs and that is the correct weight range for your puppy to avoid toxicity.

Examples of common types of prescription prevention for puppies include:

• Revolution®

  • Type: Topical product, monthly

  • For puppies at least 6 weeks old

  • Labeled for:

    • Heartworms (adults)

    • Fleas (adults and eggs)

    • Ticks (American dog)

    • Ear mites

    • Sarcoptic mange

• Credelio®

  • Type: Oral product, monthly

  • For puppies at least 8 weeks old

  • Labeled for:

    • Fleas (adults)

    • Ticks (Lone Star, American dog, black-legged, brown dog)

• Simparica Trio™

  • Type: Oral product, monthly

  • For puppies at least 8 weeks old

  • Labeled for:

    • Heartworms (adults)

    • Intestinal parasites (Roundworms and hookworms)

    • Fleas (adults)

    • Ticks (Lone Star, Gulf Coast, American dog, black-legged, brown dog)

• Advantage Multi™

  • Type: Topical product, monthly

  • For puppies at least 7 weeks old

  • Labeled for:

    • Heartworms (adults and microfilaria)

    • Fleas (adults)

    • Intestinal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms)

    • Sarcoptic mange

• Sentinel Spectrum®

  • Type: Oral product, monthly

  • For puppies at least 6 weeks old

  • Labeled for:

    • Heartworms (adults) 

    • Fleas (eggs)

    • Intestinal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms)