Not a day goes by that your dog doesn’t come home with fleas and ticks hiding in their fur. You don’t want to tell them to stop playing outside, but you’re tired of dealing with these parasites every week. You’ve tried flea baths, flea collars, flea ointments, and flea medication. Nothing seems to work for more than a few days— and you can’t keep putting your dog’s health at risk. To make matters worse, fleas and ticks carry diseases that could infect the entire household.
When you treat your dog’s flea problem, you can’t exactly explain to them why prevention is so important. That’s why you need a treatment that’s quick and easy for both you and your dog. Bravecto is a simple chewable that your dog eats like a treat, giving them protection for the next three months. Unlike other medications, Bravecto kills the existing fleas and ticks, then prevents future infestations for up to twelve weeks. Your dog will be able to run around and play outside without bringing parasites into the house. Plus, you won’t have to deal with weekly combings and flea baths— one chewable is all you need to protect your dog.
Like any medication, Bravecto comes with possible side effects. Most of these side effects are mild compared to the diseases that fleas and ticks carry. The only downside is that you can’t buy Bravecto off the shelf— you’ll need to get a veterinarian’s prescription. Some pet owners use Bravecto as a last-ditch resort when flea shampoos, medications, ointments, and collars have all failed. It’s also more expensive up front, but it might save you money in the long run.
Overall, Bravecto is a quick, convenient treatment that might eliminate your dog’s flea and tick problem for good. It’s not for everyone, but here’s why Bravecto is a good solution for the majority of pet owners.
Article Summary
What is Bravecto?
When you talk to your vet about your dog’s flea problem, they might prescribe Bravecto. This is a medication that contains a fluralaner, an insecticide that kills fleas and ticks and prevents future infestations. Each box contains one chewable that you’ll give to your dog. Depending on your dog’s weight, your vet might recommend a chewable with a different concentration of fluralaner. Note that your dog must weigh at least 4.4 pounds to safely take Bravecto.
How Do You Use Bravecto?
Bravecto is one of the easiest treatments on the market. Simply give your dog the chewable like you would a treat, then let the medication protect your dog for the next twelve weeks. No weekly treatments, messy ointments, or stressful flea baths. Your dog probably won’t even notice the difference between Bravecto and one of their regular treats.
How Effective is Bravecto?
Bravecto works quickly and efficiently, killing 98% of the fleas and ticks on your dog’s body twelve hours after their dose. After twelve hours, Bravecto kills 100% of the fleas and ticks on your dog’s body, then kills fleas and ticks at a nearly 99% success rate for the next three months. This makes Bravecto one of the most effective treatments on the market and a good choice for exasperated guardians who have tried everything else.
Does Bravecto Have Side Effects?
Like most medications, Bravecto comes with a list of side effects. Most dogs experience only a few mild side effects if any. Common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of energy, increased thirst, and decreased appetite. One study revealed that vomiting is the most common side effect with dogs. However, you might think it’s worth the trade-off considering how deadly tick diseases can be.
It’s unlikely, but there’s a small chance that your dog might have a history of seizures after taking Bravecto. If this happens, stop using Bravecto immediately and take your dog to the vet. This is one of the few adverse reactions that can’t be ignored.
Are There Any Dogs That Shouldn’t Take Bravecto?
Bravecto is safe for most dogs, but there are always a few exceptions. Here’s a list of dogs that might not be able to take Bravecto:
- Dogs who weigh less than 4.4 pounds
- Dogs who are younger than 6 months of age
- Dogs with a history of seizures
- Dogs who may be allergic to any of the ingredients which may case adverse reactions
Why is it Important to Keep Your Dog Safe from Fleas and Ticks?
When your dog comes inside after a long day of playing in the yard, you’ll probably find a few ticks hiding in their fur. Usually, tick bites are harmless. However, ticks carry diseases that can affect humans as well as dogs. If your dog brings ticks into the house, it might transmit diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Here’s a rundown of some of the most common tick-related illnesses.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is one of the most common tick-borne diseases that can infect animals and humans. If your dog contracts Lyme disease, it might suffer from swollen lymph nodes, fever, limping, and loss of energy. To make matters worse, the symptoms of Lyme disease might not show up for months, giving you the impression that your dog has come down with a mysterious illness. Untreated Lyme disease can cause kidney failure and even death.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Similar to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is commonly found in deer ticks. The symptoms might include poor coordination, swollen lymph nodes, fever, and loss of appetite. Dogs and humans can contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, so even if your dog doesn’t get sick, they could bring an infected tick into the house.
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is one of the most serious tick-borne illnesses. This disease causes your dog’s red blood cells to break down, leading to jaundice, pale gums, and other sickly symptoms. Babesiosis is rare, but it’s also difficult to treat.
Hepatozoonosis
Hepatozoonosis is a disease that causes muscle wasting, pain, lethargy, and anemia. Unlike other tick-borne diseases, hepatozoonosis isn’t transferred through bites. Instead, your dog has to eat a tick to contract this disease. Your vet could recommend treatments for hepatozoonosis, but the disease is often fatal.
It’s hard to tell when your dog contracts a tick-borne disease, especially if the symptoms don’t show up for months. For this reason, it’s important to be proactive and kill ticks before they have the chance to infect your dog. They might come home with ticks all the time and not fall ill, but it only takes one infected tick for your dog to contract a deadly disease.
Do Fleas Carry Diseases?
Fleas aren’t just annoying pests–they’re carriers of diseases and parasites that could compromise animal health. Here are just a few of the diseases that your dog could contract from a flea infestation.
Worms
If your dog chews or licks their fur, they could swallow fleas in the process. These fleas could infect your dog with tapeworms–also known as the infamous “worms.” Your dog might suffer from a decreased appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Infamously, many dogs with worms drag their bottoms across the floor. Luckily, worms are a common infection that your vet could help you treat.
Anemia
Surprisingly, a serious flea infestation could give your dog amenia. The fleas can suck so much blood out of your dog that they start to suffer from a low red blood cell count. Your dog might experience symptoms like weakness and loss of energy. If it’s not treated, anemia in dogs can be fatal.
Allergies
Flea infestations cause itching and discomfort on their own, but these infestations are even worse if your dog has a flea allergy. Your dog might suffer from itchiness, irritation, and infections. They might also experience hair loss from chewing and pulling at their fur. Fortunately, eliminating flea infestation should alleviate these symptoms.
What Are Some Other Flea and Tick Treatment Options?
If you’re not sure if you want to try Bravecto just yet, here are a few other treatment options:
- Flea collars. They don’t require much effort on your part: simply put them on your dog and let them repel the fleas. You can find plenty of affordable flea collars at your local pet store.
- Flea and tick shampoo. If your dog has a bad infestation, give them a flea bath with a nourishing flea and tick shampoo. This option is more time-consuming, but it kills parasites that other treatments could miss. Some shampoos also make your dog’s fur cleaner and shinier.
- Flea chewable. You can find non-prescription flea chewable online or at your nearby pet store. Unlike other forms of treatment, your dog probably won’t resist them unless they dislike the taste.
- Flea spray. Similar to bug spray for humans, you can spray your dog with flea and tick spray before they go outside.
- Flea dip. A flea dip is a liquid that you pour on your dog’s fur. It’s similar to flea shampoo, except you don’t wash it off afterward. Some people make homemade flea dips with natural ingredients, but you can also buy commercial products.
Has Bravecto Caused Any Fatalities?
There have been very few, if any, fatalities associated with Bravecto. It’s more potent than other flea and tick medications, but it’s not dangerous for your dog unless they have a history of neurological issues. If you’re worried about it, talk to your vet about the potential side effects, adverse reactions taht can happen, and what you could expect when your dog starts taking Bravecto.
Conclusion
If you’re sick of seeing your dog come home with flea and tick infestations, Bravecto might be the high-strength product that your dog needs. Bravecto kills 100% of the fleas and ticks on your dog’s body within twenty-four hours. Afterward, Bravecto gives your dog protection from future infestations for the next twelve weeks. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your dog won’t bring a potentially deadly infestation into your house.
Your vet has to prescribe Bravecto, so it’s a little harder to get than other flea and tick treatments. It’s also a little pricier— but it lasts much longer than other treatments, so it’s probably much cheaper in the long run. Bravecto comes in a handy chewable, so all you have to do is give your dog a treat and wait for the medication to kill the fleas and ticks. Serious side effects are rare, although a small number of dogs have suffered from seizures.
Talk to your vet if you’ve tried every other treatment and nothing seems to work. Bravecto is more potent than other treatments and comes in multiple formulas for dogs of different sizes and body types.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Bravecto killed dogs?
Life-threatening complications with Bravecto are extremely rare. The vast majority of the time, your dog might only be at risk if they have an allergic reaction to the ingredients. Other than that, most side effects are mild and non-life-threatening.
Can Bravecto make a dog sick?
Bravecto side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of energy. However, most dogs experience few side effects, if any. In fact, Bravecto could help your dog avoiding getting sick by killing ticks that carry common diseases.
Can Bravecto cause neurological problems?
In rare cases, some dogs have a history of seizures after taking Bravecto. It’s unlikely to happen, but stop using Bravecto and take your dog to the vet immediately if they have a seizure. Your vet might recommend a safer alternative for your dog.
What is the safest flea and tick treatment for dogs?
Every dog is different, so only your vet could recommend the safest flea and tick treatment for your pet. However, studies have proven that Bravecto is one of the safest and most reliable treatments on the market. Complications are rare, and most side effects are mild. Plus, you only have to give your dog Bravecto once every three months, limiting their exposure.
