What is the Best Flea and Tick Treatment for Pets in Australia?
This article is written by Pet Circle veterinarian, and updated by
With an ever-growing number of flea and tick prevention products for pets released each year, it's not surprising that many Australian pet owners don't know where to start.
Which products treat which parasites? Does newer mean better? Which flea treatment is actually the most effective, and most importantly - which is the safest?
The truth is, the best flea and tick treatment for your pet depends on a number of important factors. We've broken it down for you into 4 different points, so you can make the right decision for your pet!
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A monthly chew which protects against fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworm. Sister product to Nexgard, which is a flea and tick treatment only.
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NexGard Spectra is the first true 'all-in-one' product for cats. It offers unparalleled protection against common external parasites and internal worms, ensuring your feline friend stays healthy and happy.
Monthly protection for your cat against fleas, ticks, heartworm, intestinal worms and ear mites in one easy spot on treatment.
- The 4 Important Questions When Choosing a Preventative
- How to choose which parasite prevention To use
- Cost: Which product is the best value?
- Complete comparison table
Contents:
The 4 Important Questions When Choosing a Preventative
1. To treat for fleas and ticks, or just fleas?
The first thing to consider is which parasites are actually a risk in your area. While fleas are generally considered to be Australia-wide, ticks tend to have geographical hot spots.
Paralysis Ticks: Generally, paralysis ticks are mostly found along the East Coast of Australia. However, vet clinics as far west as Melbourne have reported paralysis tick cases in recent years. Only the paralysis tick causes deadly paralysis.
Brown Dog Ticks: While the Brown Dog Tick and the Cattle Tick do not cause paralysis, they can spread diseases, such as Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis to dogs, which can be fatal. Generally the risk to cats from Brown Dog Ticks is low.
Bush Ticks: Bush ticks are generally associated with cattle, but dogs, horses and some marsupials and birds can be affected. They can transmit Babesiosis to dogs, which can cause fatal anaemia.
While maps are helpful, we recommend checking with your local vet clinic as they will know which ticks are a problem in your area. It's also important to know that ticks can travel, such as on pets, clothing and vehicles, so we recommend erring on the side of caution and protecting your pet with a tick preventative.
Tick Preventative Recommendations
For Dogs
For dogs along the east coast at risk of paralysis ticks, we recommend using isoxazoline-based products such as Simparica, Credelio, Bravecto or Nexgard.
For dogs living along the east coast in areas at risk of both paralysis ticks and brown dog ticks, we recommend an isoxazoline-based product (as above) as well as a repellant product such as Seresto.
For non-east coast locations in Brown Dog Tick areas, we recommend kill and repel products such as Seresto.
For Cats
For cats who spend time outdoors, we recommend tick preventatives such as NexGard Spectra, Bravecto and Bravecto Plus or Revolution Plus.
2. Topical or Oral?
Definitions:
"Topical" refers to 'spot on' treatments - or anything that is applied
externally on your pet.
"Oral" refers to chewables or tablets, which are given internally via your
pet's mouth.
So which is better, topical or oral treatments? When it comes to dogs, most vets in high-risk tick areas believe that oral treatments are the most effective form of flea and tick prevention. With oral treatments there is less room for human error, efficacy is generally guaranteed so long as your dog swallows the chew (or tablet) and doesn't vomit soon after.
Topical treatments, on the other hand, require a little more skill with application, and won't work if your dog gets wet up to 48 hours afterwards, or if you apply to the wrong part of the fur. Because many topicals need to be absorbed through the skin in order to work, the pet owner needs to ensure the liquid is applied onto the skin - just splatting it onto the outer layer of fur won't work.
For cats, giving tablets or chews can be a real struggle for most pet parents. While there is a small number of oral preventative available for cats, the majority come in a topical application.
Note: there is currently no oral treatment for cats that covers for ticks, only topical treatments or a cat tick collars.
Do topical flea treatments get absorbed through the skin? This is a common question and unfortunately the answer differs depending on the product. While most topical treatments need to get absorbed through the skin in order to work (which is why you need to part the fur so well!), some products work by dispersing along the outside of the coat, in the fatty lipid layer of your pet's natural skin oils. For more detail about a particular product, we recommend checking with the manufacturer.
To summarise, here are the pro's and cons of each:
Benefits of ORAL prevention
- Doesn't matter if your dog gets wet after administration (won't wash off as it's
oral)
- Most are modern drugs with less resistance, therefore more effective in high risk
areas
Cons of ORAL prevention
- Some pets may vomit medication up
- Harder to give in pets who won't take chewables or tablets
Benefits of TOPICAL prevention
- Easier to apply in dogs who can't be tableted or won't eat chewables
- Some brands do not enter the bloodstream
Cons of TOPICAL prevention:
- Most lose effectiveness if your pet gets wet within 48 hours of application
- Typically older drugs which may have reduced effectiveness in high risk flea and
tick areas (apart from Bravecto, Bravecto Plus and Revolution Plus)
- Open to human error - the full tube must be applied in contact with the skin (not on
top of the outer fur layer)
- Some treatments leave a chemical smell on your pet's fur
3. Frequency of Treatment
There are now flea and tick prevention products to suit a whole range of schedules. While many combination products are required monthly, some brands only need to be given every 2, 3, 4 or 6 months.
For dogs, Bravecto chews are recommended every 3 months to control fleas and ticks, while Bravecto Spot-ons protect for a full 6 months. Seresto repels paralysis ticks and fleas for 8 months (as well as brown dog ticks and bush ticks for 4 months).
For cats, Bravecto Spot-on provides protection for 3 months from fleas and paralysis ticks, while Seresto controls both fleas and ticks for 8 months.
For many pet parents, giving a monthly treatment is the way to go. It is easy to remember, and if given in combination with heartworm treatment, it lines up well. A great monthly treatment option is NexGard Spectra for dogs and cats.
However, there are still plenty of people who prefer to give a monthly treatment, as they might find it easier to remember, or perhaps they are already giving monthly heart worm tablets and it lines up well with this. Simparica is a good example of a monthly flea and tick treatment.
See the table at the bottom of this article to find out how long each product lasts for.
4. Should I Use a Combination Product?
Which is best - a flea and tick only product, or a combination product which takes care of worming too? The truth is, it all depends on your personal preference. Many of the different products use similar drugs, so you don't need to worry about a 'combination' product being less effective than a 'flea and tick only' product.
Giving a flea and tick treatment separate to worming can have its benefits - for example, some people might only wish to give flea treatment in the warmer times of the year, but need to continue worming all year round. But for other people, combining everything they need into one treatment is very convenient indeed.
A Little Something About All-in-One Treatments
Now, we should just make something clear - not all products that are referred to as 'all-in-one' actually cover for all parasites. The term 'all in one' gets thrown around by manufacturers a lot. Currently the only 'true' all-in-one product available that covers for absolutely every significant Australian parasite is a NexGard Spectra for cats.
Here are some 'all-in-one' products that come close:
- Nexgard
Spectra for dogs
was released in 2017 as the first product to cover for fleas, worms, intestinal worms (including
flea tapeworm) and
ticks. The only major parasite it doesn't cover is the hydatid tapeworm. In 2023, NexGard Spectra for cats was
released as the
first true 'all-in-one' product for pets.
- Simparica Trio (dogs only) was released in 2020 and has
similar coverage to
Nexgard Spectra - protecting against fleas, ticks, most intestinal worms (not tapeworm or whipworm),
and heartworm.
- Credelio Plus (dogs only) also protects against fleas, ticks,
heartworm, and
intestinal worms including flea tapeworm. It does not provide protection against hydatid tapeworm.
- Bravecto Plus (cats only) is an easy spot-on product which
keeps kitty cats
protected against fleas, ticks, mites, intestinal worms, and heartworm. Again, it lacks only
tapeworm prevention. A
major advantage for Bravecto Plus is that it only needs to be given once every two months.
- Revolution Plus (cats only) is an easy spot-on product
similar to Bravecto
Plus, except it requires monthly dosing. It protects cats against fleas, ticks, mites, intestinal
worms (apart from,
you guessed it, tapeworm!), and heartworm.
There are plenty of products on the market which cover for fleas, worms, and heart worm, but don't have tick coverage. These products include Comfortis Plus, Sentinel, Advocate, and Revolution.
Shop All-In-One Products for Dogs and Cats
How to Choose Which Parasite Prevention To Use
The easiest way to know which parasite prevention you need is actually quite simple - start by looking at your heartworm regime and then working backwards.
For Dogs:
Ask yourself: Do I want to get a yearly heartworm injection at the vet?
If you do choose to get the yearly heartworm injection, you'll still need to give an intestinal wormer every month. It might then be most convenient to give your flea and tick prevention every month, too, so they line up together. The best flea and tick option for you, therefore, would be the monthly Simparica, Nexgard or Credelio chews. Alternatively, you could give the 3-monthly Bravecto Chews or 6-monthly Bravecto Spot On, and give a monthly wormer such as Drontal.
If you do not choose to get a heart worm injection, you'll need to give heartworm prevention every month. It might then be most convenient to combine your flea and tick prevention with your heartworm and intestinal worming. Therefore, the best preventative for you might be a combination product like Nexgard Spectra, or you can use a separate flea and tick product like Simparica with a wormer that covers for heart worm and intestinal worms such as Interceptor.
For Cats:
There is no heartworm injection for cats, so start by considering the heartworm preventative that you want to start with. You may opt for a monthly 'all-in-one' product such as NexGard Spectra. Alternatively, you may opt for a tablet such as Milbemax monthly to protect against heartworm and intestinal worms, with the addition of a flea and tick preventative such as Bravecto Spot-On every 3 months.
Which product is the best value?
Here we have it - the million dollar question. Which is the cheapest flea treatment? As you may have realised, it's difficult to directly compare the cost and value of different flea and tick treatments, as they differ in how frequently they need to be given. So we've taken the hard work out for you and done a bit of a comparison table based on their value per month.
For the purpose of this comparison, we've provided the cost for three different sized dogs - 5kg (small breed), 20kg (medium breed), and 40kg (large breed). We've also focused on products that protect against both fleas and ticks, at their recommended dosage for both parasites.
Note - for a comparison of which parasites each product covers, see our table at the bottom of this article.
| Product Name | Frequency | Pack Size | Cost Per Pack | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bravecto chew |
Every 3 months* | 1 chew |
5kg dog: $56.99 10kg dog: $60.99 20kg dog: $62.99 |
5kg dog: $19 10kg dog: $21 20kg dog: $21 |
Bravecto spot-on |
Every 6 months | 1 topical tube |
5kg dog: $83.99 10kg dog: $81.99 20kg dog: $86.99 |
5kg dog: $14 10kg dog: $14 20kg dog: $14.50 |
Nexgard |
Every month | 6 chews |
5kg dog: $86.99 10kg dog: $91.99 20kg dog: $91.99 |
5kg dog: $14.50 10kg dog: $15.30 20kg dog: $15.30 |
Seresto |
Every 8 months** | 1 collar |
5kg dog: $59.99 10kg dog: $59.99 20kg dog: $59.99 |
5kg dog: $7.50 10kg dog: $7.50 20kg dog: $7.50 |
*For ticks alone, Bravecto chew only needs to be given every 4 months.
**Seresto controls paralysis ticks for 8 months, however it's repellant action on paralysis ticks lasts 4 months. It also only controls brown dog ticks and bush ticks for 4 months. For fleas alone, Seresto has 8 months coverage.
Note: The prices above were accurate at time of publication. Prices may fluctuate; please consult links above to see current prices of any specific products.
Complete Comparison Table
See a complete breakdown of all available flea and tick products below. These tables provide an unbiased comparison of all products, what parasites they each cover, and for how long.
(Skip to Table for Cat Products)
DOG Products Comparison Table
Advantage
1 month
Topical
Advantix
2 weeks
4 weeks
Topical
Advocate
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Aristopet Fleas, Heartworm & Worms
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Aristopet All Wormer
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Bravecto
4 months Chewable6 months Topical 3 months Chewable
6 months Topical
- Chewable
- Topical
Capstar
24 hours
Tablet
Comfortis Plus
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Credelio
1 month
1 month
Chewable Tablet
Credelio Plus
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable Tablet
Drontal
1 month*
1 month*
- Chewable
- Tablet
- Liquid
Evicto
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Frontline Plus
2 weeks
4 weeks
Topical
Heartguard Plus
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Interceptor
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Kiltix
6 weeks
5 months
Collar
Milbemax
1 month
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Milpro
1 month
1 month*
1 month*
Topical
Neovela
1 month
1 month
Topical
Neoveon Plus
2 weeks
4 weeks
Topical
Neovet
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Nexgard
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Nexgard Spectra
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Paragard
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Revolution for Puppies
1 month
1 month
Topical
Sentinel Spectrum
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Seresto
8 months#
8 months
Collar
Simparica
1 month
1 month
Chewable
Simparica Trio
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
Chewable
CAT Products Comparison Table
Advocate
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Advantage
1 month
Topical
Bravecto
3 months
3 months
Topical
Bravecto Plus
10 weeks
3 months
3 months
3 months
Topical
Capstar
24 hours
Chewable Tablet
Drontal
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Evicto
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Frontline Plus
1 month
Topical
Frontline Spray
3 weeksAlso controls brown dog ticks 2 months Topical Spray
Milbemax
1 month
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Milpro
1 month
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Neovela
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Neovet
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Neoveon Plus
1 month
Topical
Paragard
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Profender
1 month*
1 month*
Tablet
Revolution
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Revolution Plus
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
Topical
Seresto
8 months
8 months
Collar
Further Reading
Want to read more? Check out our other articles:
Heartworm Facts Every Pet Owner Should Know
Tick paralysis in dogs and cats
Your guide to fleas, ticks and worms
Adverse Reactions to Flea, Tick and Worming Products
Everything You Need To Know About Ehrlichiosis, The Tick-Borne Disease Emerging in Australia
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