Skip to Content

10 Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs That Actually Work (2024)

This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.

beagle dog scratching body on green grass outdoor in the park on sunny day. - flea dogs s and pictures best flea andFleas and ticks are a danger to your dog’s health, causing discomfort and potentially spreading diseases.

To protect your pet, you’ll need the best flea and tick pill for dogs.

These oral medications provide effective and long-lasting protection against these pests.

Our guide will help you choose the right one for your dog’s needs, considering factors like age, weight, and lifestyle.

We’ll introduce you to the 10 best flea and tick pills for dogs that actually work, ensuring your furry friend stays safe and pest-free.

What Are Dog Flea Pills?

flea life cycle circle with headlines vector illustration - flea dogs stock illustrations clip art cartoons & icons

Flea pills are oral insecticides that help to combat, treat, and prevent flea infestations in dogs.

Veterinarians often prescribe different flea pills, and each has a different active chemical ingredient that uniquely targets fleas.

Some flea pills kill adult fleas, others kill larvae, and some inhibit a flea’s ability to flea eggs.

Knowing which part of the flea life cycle is the dog flea pills targets is essential for effective flea control, so read the label carefully and talk to your veterinarian.

Types Of Flea Pills For Dogs

The Merck Veterinary Manual lists the following chemical compounds in flea pills that are most effective against fleas:

  • Afoxolaner
  • Fluralaner
  • Nitenpyram
  • Spinosad

Most of us have only heard of these compounds by their brand names, but it is useful to know the active ingredients during your research.

What to Look Out For in the Best Flea and Tick Treatment for Dogs

yorkshire terrier dog and flea and tick preventative - flea dogs s and pictures What To Look Out For With The Best Flea

If your pet is infected with these little critters, you need to know what to look out for in tick and flea control products.

How To Use

If you want to cure your dog of fleas and ticks, consider the treatment. Oral medication (flea pills) should usually be taken daily until the infection has disappeared. However, local treatments can be administered once a month and can last up to 30 days.

Are There Cats at Home?

Dogs are not the only animals that can be infected by fleas and ticks. Cats can do that too, and they can pass on cat fleas to your dog. It is important that when you treat your dog against fleas and ticks, you also treat your cat to prevent them from passing on fleas and ticks after the treatment is completed.

Effectiveness

Although current treatments provide relief almost immediately, they are not as effective as oral medication.

Because a veterinarian prescribes flea pills, they are a stronger and more powerful form of treatment that causes fleas and ticks to be killed.

Preference

There is no preference for curing fleas and ticks in your pet, rather than what you think will be the best form of medication for your dog.

Remember, check all the factors we mentioned above and ensure that the best flea pills for dogs you choose are suitable for your pet.

Both Dogs and Cats

If you are looking for a treatment that affects both dogs, while curing cats is a topical treatment, this may be the best option for you.

Oral medication prescribed by a veterinarian has a different dosage for cats and dogs and varies depending on their age and weight. However, topical treatment is applied to the skin to be safe for both dogs and cats.

Age of Your Dog

Your dog’s age will play an important role in determining whether topical oral medication treatment is the best form of treatment for your pet. Depending on brand and ingredients, local treatments can usually be given to pets from 7 weeks. However, oral medication is given when your pet is usually 14 weeks or older.

10 Best Flea and Tick Pills for Dogs 2024

Current flea and tick treatments refer to

flea and tick shampoos, spot-on flea and tick treatments, and powders with varying degrees of success.

You can find cheap flea pills for dogs with the best potential for killing fleas and ticks.

Here is a list of the best flea and tick pills for dogs to beat the infection that drives your dog crazy!

1. Novartis Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs and Cats

Novartis Capstar Flea Tablets for Dogs and CatsView On Amazon

Capstar is a pill that only works to remove a current flea infestation on your dog comes in two formulas based on your dog’s weight, and it is a great solution for a bad flea infestation that you want to end as soon as possible.

It is killing all adult fleas on your dog within four hours. Although the future flea or tick of the last 24 hours does not occur, it is by far the best solution for a flea situation that got out of hand.

Combine with a floor shampoo to kill eggs and combat future pests. Best result.

Assessors say Capstar is their help for immediate flea help and often the first step in a multi-step flea removal process.

If you find yourself suddenly fighting an annoying flea situation, Capstar is a great solution to solve the problem.

Pros
  • FDA approved
  • Effectively kills adult fleas.
  • Safe to use several times (one pill per day)
Cons
  • Not effective with flea eggs
  • Some reports of side effects

2. Capaction Oral Dog Flea Treatment

Capaction Oral Dog Flea TreatmentView On AmazonThese flea pills for dogs are also based on nitenpyram, the FDA-approved active ingredient that kills adult fleas, but not flea eggs. Like other similar dog flea pills, these also work quickly and last for 24 hours. That means you can take one pill daily. Swallow for as long as necessary.

You can get this product for small and large breeds, both of which come in packs of 6 pills. As the pills are designed to provide immediate relief and kill the adult fleas, they are not effective infusion eggs, and you may need to combine this product with other flea treatments to completely break the life cycle of fleas that have infested your dog and your home.

When I used CapAction oral flea treatment, I combined it with a deep clean and disinfection of all areas of my house where fleas could stay, and I have been using the product for two weeks now to make sure all flea eggs would mature into fleas, but some dog owners have had no success with this product.

Pros
  • FDA approved
  • Effectively kills adult fleas
  • Safe to use several times (one pill per day)
Cons
  • Ineffective with flea eggs
  • Some reports of ineffectiveness

3. Sentry Capguard Oral Flea Control Medication

Sentry Capguard Oral Flea Control MedicationView On AmazonThe Sentry Capguard contains nitenpyram as the active ingredient. That is why the apparent medicine will kill all adult fleas on the Fido. In fact, the fast-acting chemical formula ensures that the tablet starts killing the fleas within 30 minutes. Because the 11.4 mg nitenpyram kills its share in adult fleas very well.

Besides, people are asking about the effectiveness of these drugs against flea eggs. However, the nitenpyram does not kill the flea eggs until they are eggs. As soon as the eggs develop as larvae and finally as adult fleas, the sentinel dog’s flea pills will kill them all.

Finally, the current tablet type flea agent cannot be chewed. That is why it initially takes some effort to feed this to your dog until you learn. However, you can place the tablet with his daily meal and let him eat without eating anything.

Pros
  • The active ingredient is nitenpyram (scientifically proven effective)
  • FDA approved
  • It starts working 30 minutes after ingestion.
  • Works in dogs weighing more than two pounds and over 4 weeks old
Cons
  • It only works on adult fleas.
  • It takes longer to eliminate contamination than other products.

4. Petarmor 6 Count Fastcaps for Dogs

Petarmor 6 Count Fastcaps for DogsView On AmazonLike most over the counter dog pills, PetArmor FastCaps also have nitenpyram as the active ingredient. These pills are also FDA approved and safe to use even for pregnant and lactating dogs, as long as you choose the right pill for your dog’s weight. You can give them directly to him to swallow, but it may be easier to mix them with food.

These pills work quickly, just 30 minutes after you give them to your dog. Like other nitenpyram-based pills, they only kill adult fleas while not being effective against flea eggs that you have to use other products if you want to break the fleas’ life cycle.

This product comes in a pack of 6 pills, and each pill is effective for 24 hours. However, you can give your dog one pill per day as long as he is still infected with fleas. Unfortunately, some dog owners reported that these pills total were ineffective and did not actually kill fleas.

Pros
  • FDA Authorized
  • Effectively Kills Grownup Fleas
  • Safe to Use Several Circumstances (A single Pill Per Day)
Cons
  • Not Effective with Flea Eggs
  • Some Reviews of Ineffectiveness

5. Advantus Soft Chew Flea Treatment

Advantus Soft Chew Flea TreatmentView On Amazon

Starting with the assessment, we have the best flea pill for dogs, i.e., Advantus Soft Chew, for many reasons. Stating the most relevant reason, this will be an effective chemical recipe.

Advantus Soft Chew Flea Treatment 1You will not find another product that delivers comparable results. Not to mention, the Advantus comes for convenience with different dosages and bottle sizes.

Besides, the Advantus has imidacloprid as its active ingredient as a Bayer product. Imidacloprid is a popular ingredient that has many topical but also oral flea remedies. The apparent product also starts to work within one hour after the consumption of the chewable tablet.

Apart from that, the makers of Advantus recommend flea and tick pills for feeding dogs according to the severity requirement. However, you may not use more than one pill per day.

On the contrary, you can visit the vet for better help with the problem if the Advantus does not affect the fleas on your dogs. Also, make sure you dose your pooch with flea medicines according to the method prescribed by the manufacturer or veterinarian.

Key Features
  • Single-dose kills adult fleas
  • Begins killing fleas within 1 hour
  • Flavored soft chew, contains no animal protein

6. Four Paws Brewers Yeast Dog Flea Tablets

Four Paws Brewers Yeast Dog Flea TabletsView On AmazonLike the above, Four Paws’ Brewers Yeast Tablets are a daily dietary supplement formulated to promoteyyoupromote your overall heal well-beheal wellct them from flea and tick infestations.

It is made in the USA and used for natural and nutrient-rich ingredients such as brewer’s yeast and garlic powder. It contains protein, biotin, and zinc to help keep pets’ skin and coat healthy. Five sizes are available, starting from125 count to 2000 count.

The benefit of Four Paws Brewers Yeast Garlic Flavored Dog and Cat Tablets is clearly its health, and there are no harmful chemicals in the ingredients list. It is highly nourishing and helps keep the skin and coat healthy. This flea pill for dogs stops shedding and prevents flea and tick infestations to some extent. It is also effortless to give to your pets because the pills are so much like treats.

Even if they are a natural choice, they are not the best choice for treating a flea infestation in your pets the same way as our first four products. In other words, you won’t always get the ground fell after you gave your pets Four Paws’ Brewers yeast: sometimes it works, usually not, but if you are considering using a long-term product to prevent a flea infestation in your pet and you find that the person above does not want to use it, this would be a decent and safer choice.

Pros
  • Natural daily supplement
  • Created in the USA
  • Includes all-natural proteins
  • Zinc
  • And biotin for wholesome skin and coat
Cons
  • Should give 1 tablet per day for every ten pounds of entire body extra excess weight
  • Our canines appeared location off by the smell of these tablets and would not consume them
  • It isn’t going to always function

7. Flea Away All Natural Flea Repellent

Flea Away All Natural Flea RepellentView On Amazon

This is the second product that can ward off many parasites from the dog than just fleas. The Fleaaway is also able to effectively ward off fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes from your Fido. That is why this brand is comparable to the previous one. The apparent, however, affects mosquitoes and is therefore lowered.

Comes to the product, the Fleaaway is useful to feed your dog because it is in a chewable tablet form. That is why it becomes elementary to feed it to your dog during his meal.

You can even crush the tablet and mix it with your dog’s meal so that even the pickiest eater won’t notice.

Finally, these are good flea and tick pills for dogs suffering from flea allergies, to add to the description of the concurrent product. In fact, the Fleaaway will not irritate even dogs suffering from extreme flea allergy dermatitis.

Moreover, the Fleaaway is even useful for removing ticks, mosquitoes. Apart from that, these parasites do not even have to bite to be affected/rejected.

Pros
  • Natural ingredients
  • Repel fleas
  • Ticks and mosquitoes
  • Tasty
  • Made in the USA.
Cons
  • Strong odor
  • Tablets too big for small dogs
  • Some reports of ineffectiveness

8. Dog Md Quicktabs Nitenpyram Flea Treatment

Dog Md Quicktabs Nitenpyram Flea TreatmentView On AmazonThis is another oral flea treatment with nitenpyram as the active ingredient, meaning the pills don’t start to work until 30 minutes after taking it. Like other dog pills containing this active ingredient, the treatment lasts for 24 hours, after which time it is safe to take another pill for your dog.

This flea pill is also FDA approved and did not affect other medications. However, this treatment is only available for dogs weighing up to 25 pounds and can serve as a quick relief, but not a long-term solution unless it is combined with other flea treatments and measures to take to make sure your home is free of fleas that can get on your dog.

This is because this pill is not effective in killing flea eggs. However, you can use these pills once a day for as long as needed, so you have enough time to take in a safe environment without fleas while your dog receives this oral treatment. While this pill helped my dog, some dog owners claimed it didn’t work for them.

Pros
  • FDA Accepted
  • Effectively Kills Grownup Fleas
  • Protected to Use Numerous Instances (1 Pill Per Day)
Cons
  • Not Efficient with Flea Eggs
  • Some Reviews of Ineffectiveness
  • Only Accessible for Dogs Up to 25 Lbs

9. Capstar Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment for Small Dogs

Capstar Fast-Acting Oral Flea Treatment for Small DogsView On Amazon

As the name of the Capstar product suggests, it contains Nitenpyram as the active ingredient.

Besides, Nitenpyram efficiently kills adult fleas, and the apparent drug can initiate flea destruction immediately within half an hour after consumption.

The Capstar Nitenpyram is a safe alternative to current flea control solutions. Because you have to give the dog a small tablet such as the Benadryl and wait for the results, it takes about half an hour for the tablet to kill the fleas and ticks on the dog.

Ultimately, we want you to understand the process of dosing your pooch with the flea products. You can give this tablet to your dog, depending on the severity of the pest. However, you must not give your dog more than one tablet per day because the 11.4 milligram of Nitenpyram in one tablet is sufficient for the day. Otherwise, your Fido may suffer from the side effects unnecessarily.

Pros
  • It starts to work 30 minutes after taking the tablet.
  • It does not require a prescription from a veterinarian.
  • Suitable for all dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens 2 pounds body weight or more over 4 weeks old
Cons
  • It does not prevent ticks or mosquitoes.
  • Is not a continuous preventative drug. Works to kill an existing flea infestation but does not provide continuous protection beyond 24 hours.

Flea Pills for Dogs Vs. Topical flea treatments and Collars

funny dog scratching fleas vector cartoon - flea dogs stock illustrations clip art cartoons & icons Flea Pills For

Flea pills are just one option for flea treatment and prevention.

Topical flea treatments, flea collars, shampoos, and environmental insecticides are also options to help you tackle a flea infestation.

The decision to use a pesticide/insecticide is up to you and your veterinarian. Floor resistance to certain products can play a role in this decision-making process and safety concerns or personal preferences for topical flea preventives and flea collars.

Pre-existing medical conditions, your dog’s age, and whether it is pregnant can also help determine the right flea product for your dog.

In some cases, a fast-acting flea pill that kills fleas within a few hours may be part of a flea allergy dermatitis treatment plan.

Your veterinarian may have a fast-acting preventive flea pill to relieve your dog’s symptoms or recommend a freely available flea pill, such as Capstar, in addition to a monthly preventive.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What if My Pet Still Has Fleas?

Although preventive measures against oral fleas effectively kill adult fleas, they do not kill new flea eggs and larvae.

These flea eggs and larvae invade your garden and home and lead to infections if they are not treated.

If your pet takes a flea preventively and you still see many fleas, you may need to treat your home to get rid of the problem.

Products for controlling fleas in the home, including foggers, sprays, and powders, can help.

Do I Need a Vet to Get Flea Pills?

Flea measures have changed considerably over the years. The flea dust that your local hardware store used to sell may not be the best choice compared to some of the more advanced options of today. As a customer, it is difficult to navigate pharmaceutical companies’ promotional material and thousands of conflicting websites about flea pills.

Fortunately, you don’t have to make a decision yourself. Your veterinarian knows a lot more about the different options and can guide you to the most effective option for your dog.

More importantly, your veterinarian is aware of possible side effects and medication interactions between flea pills and other preventive agents and prescriptions.

Your veterinarian can let you know if there is an aptitude for side effects of the breed and if there is anything else in your dog’s medical history that may be relevant.

What Are the Different Types of Flea Treatments for Dogs?

There are a few types of flea treatments for dogs. We have maintained spot-on treatments and oral medicines because they are easy to buy and manage. Curious about what else is available?

  • Flea collars contain insecticides that repel or absorb fleas in the thick layer of dogs to kill fleas. The last one we found varies from six to 12 weeks. In the end, we didn’t review flea tires because they all contain at least one of the potentially harmful insecticides that we have avoided.
  • Flea shampoos use powerful insecticides and are generally only needed for a serious infection. (They are also much messier to use than a spot-on or oral treatment.)
  • Flea sprays get stuck in oils on a dog’s skin. They work like on the site but are more diluted and must be applied to the entire body as often as once a week. This is much less convenient than spot-on treatment, which usually only needs to be applied once a month for the same benefits.

Why Are Flea Pesticides Sold According to the Weight of the Dog?

Manufacturers of flea and tick pills for dogs prepare the dose with a different concentration of the active ingredients. That said, the pills with the least concentration are suitable for lightweight dogs (puppies). While you will note that the medication intended for the larger dogs will have larger amounts of the active ingredient.

In general, these concentrations depend on the weight of the dog. That’s why you have the weight category for flea and tick pills for dogs.

Future Flea & Tick Prevention

Thank goodness fleas can be prevented. After choosing the best flea and tick pills for dogs, follow any additional steps recommended by your veterinarian.

In most cases of flea infestations, you must also treat your home and garden for fleas, along with other household pets, and you must stay on top of your flea and check a preventive schedule to make it effective to keep.

Finally, you must ensure that your dog does not receive an unnecessary overdose of medicine because the ingredients used in these flea and tick pills for dogs can have side effects if you give it too much to your dog.

Avatar for Mutasim Sweileh

Mutasim Sweileh

Mutasim is the founder and editor-in-chief with a team of qualified veterinarians, their goal? Simple. Break the jargon and help you make the right decisions for your furry four-legged friends.