Best Tick & Flea Control Products

• Fleas can be found all year round, however they’re more widespread in summer months and in warm, humid regions.
• One female flea is capable of producing up to 2, 000 eggs in her 3-week lifespan. After laying eggs, these will fall off your pet's body and hatch within 2-5 days, contaminating your home’s environment.
• Fleas jump from one host to another, so if you have more than one pet, you should automatically treat this as multiple infestations.
• Fleas host tapeworms, which can also be passed onto your pet if they eat the fleas.
• A flea bite often causes discomfort and itchiness in animals, and some cats and dogs are hypersensitive to the bite and also the saliva released by the flea, which results in an allergic reaction - flea allergy dermatitis. Pets may also constantly scratch and bite themselves, leading to further irritation.

What kills fleas instantly?

There are two types of cat and dog flea treatment.

Killing existing fleas

A number of products are designed to cause adult fleas to die and fall off your pet’s body within a short, stipulated period of time. Some products promise that existing fleas infesting your pet will drop off in just 30 minutes.

Some of these products also claim to kill ticks, and they all do so using a strong insecticide, such as nitenpyram.

They’re made with one purpose in mind - to kill fleas quickly. Most are ‘adulticides,’ meaning they only kill adult fleas. Source a product that also contains an insect growth regulator - as this will also kill eggs and larvae.

These products may provide immediate relief to your pet, however they are short-term solutions that deal temporarily with an existing infestation.

Preventing re-infestation

There’s usually nothing to stop fleas from jumping back on after the treatment time of instant-kill products is finished.

That’s why it’s important to have some kind of ongoing preventative treatment plan in place. This includes sourcing either a commercial flea prevention product or a natural flea treatment for dogs of cats. You'll also need to thoroughly clean your house.

When cleaning pay particular attention to areas your pet frequently rests (such as bedding and a kennel) - but the whole residence will need cleaning, as fleas and eggs are spread throughout a home.

Flea pupae can stay dormant in an environment for up to 12 months. Eggs then hatch and re-infest your pet - and you don't want either them or you to go through that again.

Flea prevention treatments

These medications aim to prevent flea infestations to begin with. They should be administered regularly, depending on the manufacturer's directions. There are products that need to be administered to your pet as a form of monthly protection. Other products need to be taken every 3 months or 6 months.

Fla prevention treatments are made to disrupt the flea life cycle, killing flea larvae and sometimes preventing eggs from hatching.

These treatments may not kill adult fleas already infesting your pet - which will likely necessitate the use of an adulticide, as discussed above.

• Ticks are tiny, blood-sucking parasites that latch onto your dog or cat using hook-like mouth parts.
• While around one-eighth of an inch in width to begin with, ticks can swell up to half an inch when ‘engorged.' This happens after the pest feasts on your pet’s blood.
• Ticks are found in the bush, on long grass and on native wildlife. If you live near bushland your dog is at a higher risk. However, even if your dog or cat only goes out to play in the yard occasionally, they can still pick up a tick from a bird or possum that has passed through the area.

Types of ticks

Brown dog ticks

These are the most common tick type in Australia, and is found across all Australian states. When latched onto your pet, it causes irritation and restlessness.

Ticks can also infect your pet with blood-borne diseases when they bite, including tick fever. Tick-borne illnesses can be contracted when a tick is left too long on an animal’s body. This includes Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Bush ticks

These are found in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. They carry the same diseases as brown dog ticks, and will cause the same symptoms.

Paralysis ticks

Found along coastal regions of eastern Australia, paralysis ticks are the most dangerous. The same symptoms are caused by the Southern Paralysis tick, found specifically in lower NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

Paralysis ticks release a toxin called holocyclotoxin into a host animal through their saliva, before biting. This toxin causes severe illness in pets, leading to paralysis, and potentially death.

Even if your cat or dog is bit by a tick and you successfully remove it from the body, it’s important to go to the vet straight away, as the toxin will still be doing its damage.

Also importantly, not all tick control medications protect pets against tick paralysis. If there are paralysis ticks where you live, make sure to source a product that protects against this specific type of dangerous tick.

What kills ticks immediately?

There are a number of products that can prevent ticks on dogs and cats. However, if your pet already has a tick on them, the first step is to remove the tick from your pet’s body.

There’s a method to this.

Ticks latch onto your pet's skin using their hook-like mouth parts.

Gross, right? This means if you try and pull a tick off your pet’s body without much thought, it probably won't budge.

Their mouths are firmly under the skin, forming a secure kind of anchor.

Don't try to twist or jerk the tick off - this means that while it's body may pop off, its mouth parts will stay inside your pet's skin.

Source the right tools.

It’s best to either buy a special tick tweezer or a tick removal hook. However, fine point tweezers will also work, if you have them.

The method

First make sure your pet is calm, then grasp the tick with the instrument as close to your pet’s skin as possible. Pull straight up, gently. It may take a little while, but if you keep applying pressure with a steady hand, the tick will be successfully pulled off.

Killing the tick

Then you can move on to killing the tick. Place the tick in a secure jar along with some rubbing alcohol. Listerine may also do the trick. It’s important not to just throw the tick in the bin, as it’s still alive and can re-contaminate your pet.

Types of tick and flea control products

Oral treatments

This refers to a variety of tablets or ‘tasty chews’ that you feed your pet, rather than applying it to their body, as you would with a topical treatment.

These treatments (particularly oral chews) may have to be chopped up and hidden in your pet’s food, as most won’t accept being hand-fed the medication.

Make sure to stick to the recommended dosage according to the manufacturer. This dose is often based on your pet’s size and weight.

Topical treatments

Spot-on treatments

Pictured in the image above, these medications have a gel-like consistency and are applied from a small tube. They’re applied to a specific spot on your pet, for example high up on the back of your dog’s neck - so they can’t lick it off.

Sprays

Spraying for fleas is similar to applying a spot-on treatment in the sense that it's applied onto your pet's skin. However, it will come in a spray bottle, and have a liquid consistency.

Shampoos

Shampoos or rinses contain medicated ingredients to prevent fleas and/or ticks infesting your pet.

Flea and tick collars

These look like regular pet collars, but they’re infused with chemicals that repel fleas and ticks.

An important note about side effects

This can seem counter-intuitive, as these products are designed to protect a pet from harm and keep them healthy.

However, these products can be dangerous because the active ingredients are strong pesticides. These are required to kill fleas and ticks, by forcing their nervous systems to fail.

However, because these harsh chemicals are released into your pet’s bloodstream, they can cause serious side effects. The most extreme of these, tragically, is death.

For example, products containing isoxazoline class drugs (such as Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica) have been scientifically proven to bring a risk of muscle tremors, impaired movement and seizures.

Make sure to choose a product specifically designed for cats. Many flea and tick products contain permethrin, which is extremely toxic to cats and causes extreme side effects, the worst of which is death. Advantix is an example, and should never be used on cats.

While it can be difficult to predict whether your pet will suffer an adverse reaction, it doesn’t hurt to be as informed as possible before beginning a course of flea and tick treatment.

Do independent research beyond the manufacturer’s promises of safety, to see if there are any contra-indications that may suggest it's unsafe for a medication to be given to your pet. This includes reading reviews from other pet owners.

Always seek the advice of a vet if you’re unsure - or if your pet is breeding, pregnant, lactating, or experiences an ongoing health condition. They may not be able to take these medications at all.

Puppies and kittens can only start taking these medications after they're a certain number of weeks in age (depending on the specific product). Again, if you're unsure, consulted with your trusted vet in this instance as well.

Due to the potential risk of harm from these products, safety is also a more important consideration than price.

Wrapping up

Finding the right flea and tick treatment for dogs and cats can provide peace of mind for both you and your beloved fur companion. However since these products contain strong chemicals, they can be dangerous to pets.

Doing research into a prospective product to make sure it's likely to be suitable for your pet is recommended. You can then balance this with other considerations, such as effectiveness, convenience, and whether to pair your new medication with a heart and intestinal wormer or buy a combined flea, tick and worm prevention product.