Flea and Parasite Control

Consistent prevention helps protect your pet from fleas and internal parasites. The right products depend on your pet's species, age, weight, health, and lifestyle. Our team at Angelus Pet Hospital can help you choose a parasite prevention plan for your pet.

How the flea life cycle works

Adult fleas feed on your pet, and female fleas lay eggs that fall into the surrounding environment, such as carpets, bedding, furniture, and shaded areas of the yard. Eggs generally hatch into larvae within 1 to 10 days. The larvae develop into pupae inside cocoons before emerging as adult fleas. Development time varies with temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions.

Sentinel Flavor Tabs help interrupt the flea life cycle by preventing flea eggs from hatching, but they do not kill adult fleas. Existing infestations may also require an adulticide, a medication that kills adult fleas, and environmental control.

For effective flea control, each dog and cat in the household needs an appropriate treatment. Regularly vacuum areas where pets spend time and wash their bedding. Fleas already developing in the environment may continue to emerge after treatment begins, so consistent treatment is important.

Choosing a prevention plan

We tailor parasite prevention to the animals in your household and their exposure risks. The options below have different parasite coverage and dosing schedules. Ask our team which product or combination is appropriate, and follow the prescribed directions and the label for your pet's exact product and weight.

Options for year-round flea and internal parasite control

Sentinel Flavor Tabs for dogs

• A monthly flavored tablet given with a meal
• Prevents heartworm disease and treats and controls adult roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms
• Helps control flea populations by preventing flea eggs from hatching; does not kill adult fleas
• Labeled for dogs and puppies at least 4 weeks old and weighing at least 2 lb

Bravecto Plus for cats

• A topical solution applied every 2 months
• Kills adult fleas and treats and controls the tick species listed on the label for 2 months
• Prevents heartworm disease and treats roundworm and hookworm infections
• Labeled for cats and kittens at least 6 months old and weighing at least 2.6 lb

Bravecto Plus and regular Bravecto topical solution for cats are different products. Regular Bravecto topical provides 12 weeks of flea protection and protection against black-legged and Asian longhorned ticks, and 8 weeks of protection against American dog ticks. It does not provide heartworm prevention or intestinal worm treatment.

Revolution for cats

• A monthly topical solution
• Kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching for 1 month
• Prevents heartworm disease and treats and controls ear mites, roundworms, and intestinal hookworms
• Labeled for cats and kittens at least 8 weeks old

This section describes original Revolution, which does not provide tick control in cats. Revolution Plus is a different product with different coverage and labeling.

Options for killing adult fleas

Capstar for dogs and cats

• An oral tablet that starts killing adult fleas within 30 minutes
• Provides short-term treatment of adult fleas; ongoing prevention is needed to help control reinfestation
• Labeled for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens at least 4 weeks old and weighing at least 2 lb; choose the correct tablet strength for your pet's weight
• Ask our team how to include it in a longer-term flea control plan

Comfortis for cats

• A flavored tablet given with a meal once a month
• Kills adult fleas and prevents and treats flea infestations for 1 month
• Labeled for cats and kittens at least 14 weeks old and weighing at least 4.1 lb
• Ask our team whether your cat needs additional protection against other parasites

An option for tick and adult flea control in dogs

Bravecto Chews for dogs

• A flavored chew given with food
• Kills adult fleas and provides flea protection for 12 weeks
• Treats and controls black-legged, American dog, brown dog, and Asian longhorned ticks for 12 weeks, and lone star ticks for 8 weeks
• Labeled for dogs and puppies at least 6 months old and weighing at least 4.4 lb

This section describes the 12-week Bravecto chew. Bravecto 1-Month is a separate formulation. Our team can advise on the appropriate product and dosing interval for the ticks your dog may encounter.