Which Flea and Worming Product Does Your Dog Need?

Last updated 9 January 2024

This article is written by Pet Circle Veterinarian, Dr Carla Paszkowski

With an ever-growing number of flea and tick prevention products for pets released each year, it's not surprising that Australian pet owners are often left feeling a little confused.

Which products treat which parasites? Does newer mean better? Which flea prevention is actually the most effective, and most importantly - which is the safest?

We've put together a helpful guide to parasites and prevention products, so that you can be sure you're selecting the right product for your dog!

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1. Parasites of Concern in Australia: Know your enemies!

  • Fleas - Small wingless bloodsucking insects that live on your dog's body and lay eggs in the environment. These guys cause intense itching and dermatitis.
  • Ticks - Another wingless bloodsucking insect, however unlike fleas, paralysis ticks inject a paralysing toxin which can be lethal. There are 3 species in Australia: The Paralysis Tick, The Brown Dog Tick, and the Bush Tick. Only the Paralysis Tick is venomous.
  • Heartworm - blood-dwelling worms transmitted by mosquitos. After transmission, larvae travel to the heart and lungs where they grow to adult form in the chambers of the heart.
  • Intestinal worms - Worms that live in the gastrointestinal tract including whipworm, hookworm, roundworm and tapeworm.

Learn more about common parasites with our article A Guide To Fleas, Ticks, Worms and Heartworm.

2. What Coverage Do You Actually Need?

Some parasites may not pose a risk to your pet, depending on your area or lifestyle.

Do I need to cover ticks? Paralysis ticks tend to only live along the eastern coastline of Australia, however some odd cases may occur as far west as Melbourne. Ticks are also seasonal, which means they may not pose as much of a risk from April to August - however this changes year by year.

The Brown Dog Tick and Bush Tick are more widespread throughout Australia, and though they do not cause paralysis, they can transmit deadly diseases such as Ehrlichiosis.

For dogs along the east coast at risk of paralysis ticks, we recommend using isoxazoline-based products such as Simparica Trio or Bravecto.

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 Tick Collar.

For non-east coast locations in Brown Dog Tick areas, we recommend kill and repel products such as Seresto.

Source: Virbac Australia

Do I really need to cover for tapeworm? With so many preventatives lacking hydatid tapeworm coverage (such as Nexgard Spectra, Neovela, and Advocate), many pet owners wonder if tapeworm is really that important. The truth is, different species of tapeworm can be transmitted from fleas, lizards, native animals, dead farm animal carcases - particularly in rural areas. Ultimately, we recommend tapeworm prevention for every dog. (You never know if that dog poo at the park contains a few eggs!). Products that cover tapeworm include Drontal, Milbemax, Milpro.

3. Is there an 'All-In-One?

What treatment covers for all parasites?

Now, let's make something clear - there is no true 'all-in-one' single-dose product in existence. (Yet!). The term 'all in one' gets thrown around a lot by manufacturers, but alas, no. There is currently no single-dose product that covers absolutely every significant Australian parasite.

There are, however a few products which come close. Nexgard Spectra, Credelio Plus, and Simparica Trio cover fleas, heartworm, intestinal worms - and ticks. The only major parasite that none of them cover is the hydatid tapeworm - this is spread via consumption of infected animal carcasses or raw offal.

4. Options for Full Coverage

To help you decide which product might work for you, we've outlined a few combination options below.

Recommended for: Product A Product B Product C (if applicable)
Option 1
  • Dogs in paralysis tick areas
  • Dogs not receiving the heartworm injection
  • Owners who prefer to give as few products as possible
 Oral Flea, Tick, Heartworm and Intestinal Worming
credelio plus small dog pink Monthly

Alternatives products are Nexgard Spectra and Simparica Trio All-Wormer or Tapewormer (from your vet)
paragard allwormer dog green 3 months Dogs at low risk of tapeworm
6 weeks Dogs at high risk of tapeworm

Alternatives products are Drontal and Endogard
Option 2
  • Dogs in paralysis tick areas
  • Dogs not receiving the heartworm injection
  • Owners who prefer to give all monthly treatments
 Oral flea and tick prevention

Monthly
Alternatives products are Credelio and Simparica Oral heartworm, intestinal and tapeworming
Monthly
Alternatives products are Milbemax and Milpro
Option 3
  • Dogs in paralysis tick areas
  • Dogs receiving the annual heartworm injection
 Oral or Spot On Flea and Tick
3 months Chewable
6 months Topical

Alternative oral products are Nexgard, Simparica and Credelio given monthly. All-Wormer
Monthly
Alternatives products are Paragard and Endogard Heartworm injection from your vetYearly
Option 4
  • Dogs in non-east coast, brown dog tick areas
  • Dogs not receiving the annual heartworm injection
 Spot On Flea, Heartworm and Intestinal Worming
Monthly
Alternatives products are Neovet, Aristopet and Talentcare. All-wormer or Tapewormer

3 months Dogs at low risk of tapeworm
6 weeks Dogs at high risk of tapeworm

Alternatives products are Paragard and Endogard Tick Repellant

4 months#
Option 5
  • Dogs in areas at risk of both brown dog ticks and paralysis ticks
  • Dogs not receiving the annual heartworm injection
 Oral flea and tick prevention

Monthly
Alternatives products are Nexgard, Credelio and Bravecto (given either 3 monthly (Bravecto chews) or 6 monthly (Bravecto spot on). Tick Repellant


4 months# Oral heartworm, intestinal and tapeworming
Monthly
Alternatives products are Interceptor and Milpro
# Seresto kills paralysis ticks for 8 months, however it's repellant action lasts 4 months. It also only controls brown dog ticks and bush ticks for 4 months. In paralysis tick areas, we recommend using isoxazoline-based products such as Simparica, Bravecto, Nexgard or Credelio.

For a worming guide for puppies under 12 weeks of age, see our veterinary written New Puppy Guide.

Remember that these are just examples. You should consult with your veterinarian before administering different combinations of treatments.

Still confused? See our Flea and Tick Quiz which interactively takes you through relevant steps and picks a combination for you!

5. Comparison Table of Dog Parasite Preventatives

See our product comparison below for an easy guide to flea, tick and worming treatments and their coverage.

Product Ticks Fleas Heartworm Intestinal Worms Tapeworm Type
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 Chewable
6 months Topical
 3 months Chewable
6 months Topical
  • Chewable
  • Topical
capstar blue for small cats and dogs Capstar 24 hours Tablet
comfortis plus extra small pink Comfortis Plus 1 month 1 month 1 month Chewable
credelio extra large dog blue Credelio 1 month 1 month Chewable Tablet
credelio plus small dog pink Credelio Plus 1 month 1 month 1 month 1 month Chewable Tablet
drontal dog allwormer chewable 10kg Drontal 1 month* 1 month*
  • Chewable
  • Tablet
  • Liquid
evicto for small dog dogs Evicto 1 month 1 month 1 month Topical
frontline plus medium dog blue Frontline Plus 2 weeks 4 weeks Topical
heartgard plus lge dog brown Heartguard Plus 1 month 1 month Chewable
interceptor spectrum chews large blue Interceptor 1 month 1 month 1 month Chewable
kiltix tick and flea collars Kiltix 6 weeks 5 months Collar
milbemax all wormer for dogs Milbemax 1 month 1 month* 1 month* Tablet
milpro for dogs Milpro 1 month 1 month* 1 month* Topical
neovela flea and worming for small dogs Neovela 1 month 1 month Topical
Neoveon 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
Valuheart 1 month Tablet
* Please Note: The monthly worming recommendation is based on an adult dog not receiving any additional worming control (such as in an all in one product). For dogs on all in one products, we recommend 3-monthly tapeworming prevention with either a tapeworm tablet (purchasable from your vet) or an all-wormer. For a worming guide for puppies under 12 weeks of age, see our veterinary written article New Puppy Guide. # 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.

6. Other less-common Parasites

In some areas your pets will need protection from other irritating insects. Mites, including skin mite Demodex and ear mite Otodectes, can pose a risk, particularly to puppies. Bravecto, Simparica, and Nexgard all treat mite infestations.

Whatever parasite problem you're facing, there is a treatment available to save the day. Always read the label on medications carefully to ensure that your pet will be fully covered against all common parasites.

For example, some medications that appear to treat intestinal worms do not necessarily treat tapeworm, and a separate treatment may be required. If you are unsure as to which treatment path to embark on, it is always best to consult with a professional.

Still confused? Why not Ask a Pet Circle Vet for some guidance. We're here and happy to help!

Further Reading

Want to read more? Check out our other articles:

A Guide to Fleas, Ticks, Worms, and Heartworm

How To Get Rid of Fleas Once and For All

Stop the Scratching: Cures for Skin Allergies in Dogs

Premium Pet Food: Is It Worth It?

What are Yeast Infections in Dogs?

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