Parasites like fleas, ticks, heartworms and intestinal worms are more than just a nuisance — they can seriously affect your pet’s health and comfort. Protecting your dog or cat with the right combination of preventative and treatment products is essential for year-round wellbeing.
In this guide, we’ll compare some of the most popular and veterinarian-recommended treatments, explain what they target, and help you choose the best option for your pet’s lifestyle and risk level.
Understanding Parasites & Why Treatment Matters
Common Parasites
- Fleas: Cause intense itching, allergic reactions and can spread tapeworms.
- Ticks: Can transmit serious diseases and more seriously they can be deadly.
- Intestinal worms: Including roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and heartworms can affect organs, gut microbiome and impact on general health.
Even indoor pets can be exposed — fleas and ticks can hitch a ride indoors on people and other animals. Regular parasite protection is recommended year-round, regardless of season.
One very important note is that all parasite control is dosed according to your pet’s weight so be sure to select the product relevant to their weight.
Worming Only Products for Dogs
Intestinal parasites can be acquired from contaminated soil, water and even playing with other dogs. It is important to keep on top of worming to prevent malnutrition, serious illness and even death if left untreated.
Drontal provides your dog with coverage against roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm, as well as controlling the shedding of Giardia cysts. It is given every three months (rather than monthly) and comes in a range of chews, tablets or a puppy suspension to make treating your pet as easy as possible.
Milbemax Allwormer is an all wormer tablet for the treatment of all major internal parasites including roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm. If given monthly Milbemax also protects against heartworm!
Flea and Tick Treatments for Dogs
Below is a range of products that treat and control primarily fleas and ticks only. It is important to note that an additional wormer, such as those mentioned above, is required to protect against intestinal worms.
Simparica
Simparica is a tasty flavoured chew that contains Sarolaner for the treatment and/or control of:
- Fleas – Breaking the flea life cycle by killing adult fleas before they can lay eggs.
- Ticks – Treats and controls paralysis ticks, brown dog and bush ticks
- Ear mites, demodex mites and sarcoptic mange for a full month.
Bravecto
Bravecto 3 Month Chews contains Fluralaner, an isoxazoline compound, in a tasty chew that protects your dog for 3 months against fleas, 4 months against deadly paralysis ticks and 8 weeks against brown dog ticks.
- Treat and prevent flea infestations for 3 months – rapid onset of action kills newly emerged adult fleas before they lay eggs
- Treat and control paralysis ticks for 4 months
- Treat and control brown dog ticks for 8 weeks
- Treat and control demodicosis (demodectic mange) for up to 3 months
- Treat and control sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) infestations for up to 1 month
- Treat and control ear mite (Otodectes synotis) infestations for up to 1 month
- Are a chewable dosage form that is not affected by bathing or swimming
Bravecto Spot-on contains Fluralaner, an isoxazoline compound, that protects your dog for 6 months against fleas, 6 months against deadly paralysis ticks and 12 weeks against brown dog ticks.
- Treat and prevent flea infestations for 6 months
- Treat and control paralysis ticks for 6 months
- Treat and control brown dog ticks for 12 weeks
NexGard
NexGard is a tasty beef flavoured chew that protects your dog from fleas and ticks for a full month.
- Rapidly kills fleas and prevents re-infestations for a month
- Kills deadly paralysis ticks for a month
- Kills brown dog ticks and bush ticks for a month
- Oral treatment, meaning there are no restrictions on bathing or swimming
Flea, Tick and Worm Treatments for Dogs
Below we compare products that not only treat fleas and ticks but also intestinal worms!
| Product | Administration | Fleas | Ticks | Heartworm | Intestinal Worms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bravecto (chewable) | Oral (every 12 weeks) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | Very long-lasting flea/tick protection; no worm or heartworm coverage. |
| Bravecto (spot-on) | Topical (every 6 months) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | Easy topical administration. |
| Drontal | Oral tablet | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Broad-spectrum intestinal wormer. No heartworm coverage. |
| Milbemax | Oral tablet (monthly) | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Covers intestinal worms and heartworm when given monthly. |
| NexGard | Monthly chewable | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | Flea and tick protection; pair with wormer as needed. |
| NexGard Spectra | Monthly chewable | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Adds heartworm + intestinal worm coverage vs standard NexGard. |
| Simparica | Monthly chewable | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | No heartworm coverage. |
| Simparica Trio | Monthly chewable | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | All-in-one broad spectrum for fleas, ticks, heartworm & some internal worms. |
Simparica Trio is a liver-flavoured chew that provides triple protection against fleas and ticks, intestinal worms and deadly heartworm disease. It contains sarolaner, pyrantel and moxidectin, for proven efficacy against parasites.
- Rapidly kills fleas before they lay eggs
- Treats and controls paralysis, brown dog and bush ticks
- Prevents heartworm disease
- Treats and controls hookworms and roundworms
- Treats and controls demodex, sarcoptes and otodectes mites
- Prevents flea tapeworm infestations
NexGard Spectra is a beef-flavoured chew that contains Afoxolaner and Milbemycin Oxime in a single monthly chew to protect your dog from fleas, ticks, intestinal worms and heartworm.
NexGard Spectra is a strong all-in-one option for dogs who need internal and external parasite defence without multiple products.
- Is an oral treatment, meaning there are no restrictions on bathing or swimming
- Rapidly kills fleas and prevents re-infestations for a month
- Protects against roundworms, hookworms, whipworm, and heartworm
- Treats and controls deadly paralysis ticks, brown dog ticks and bush ticks for a month
Now, let’s not forget about cats
Whether cats live inside or outside they still need preventative care for fleas, tick and intestinal parasites.
Worm treatment only
Profender is a spot-on treatment for the control of intestinal parasites and lungworm in cats including roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and lungworm. Profender does not control heartworm
Milbemax is a beef flavoured all wormer tablet for the treatment of all major internal parasites including roundworm, hookworm and tapeworm. If given monthly Milbemax also protects against heartworm.
Milpro is a liver-flavoured tablet that treats and protects against all major species of gastrointestinal worms, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm. It also prevents against heartworm when given monthly.
Flea and Worm Treatment
Advocate is a monthly spot-on treatment that protects your cat from fleas, heartworm, major intestinal worms, lungworm and ear mites.
Revolution is a monthly spot-on treatment that protects your pet from fleas, heartworm, major intestinal worms and ear mites.
Flea, Tick and Worm Treatment
Bravecto Plus Cat Spot-on is a spot-on treatment that protects your cat for up to 3 months against fleas and 10 weeks against deadly paralysis ticks. Bravecto Plus also treats ear mites, heartworm, roundworm and hookworm.
Nexgard Spectra Spot-on for Cats is a treatment to protect against fleas, ticks, ear mites and worms – including tapeworm. When administered monthly, Nexgard Spectra for Cats delivers optimal parasite control for both internal and external parasites.
Revolution Plus for Cats is a monthly spot-on treatment that protects your pet from fleas, ticks, heartworm, major intestinal worms and ear mites.
| Product | Administration | Fleas | Ticks | Heartworm | Intestinal Worms | Notes |
| Advocate | Topical (monthly) | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Does not cover ticks. |
| Bravecto Plus Spot-On | Topical (every 3 months) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Easy topical administration that is long-lasting |
| Milbemax | Oral tablet | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ (if given monthly) | ✔️ | Dedicated wormer for intestinal worms. Covers heartworm if given every month, |
| Milpro | Oral tablet | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ (if given monthly) | ✔️ | Dedicated wormer for intestinal worms. Covers heartworm if given every month, |
| Profender | Oral tablet | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | Does not cover heartworm. |
| Nexgard Spectra Spot-On | Topical (monthly) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Easy topical administration. |
| Revolution | Topical (monthly) | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Easy topical administration but no tick coverage. |
| Revolution Plus for Cats | Topical (monthly) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Easy topical administration. |
How to choose the right treatment:
Here are key factors to consider when selecting the best parasite protection plan:
🐾 Species & Age
- Never use dog-labeled products on cats — some ingredients can be toxic.
- Puppies and kittens have minimum age and weight requirements. We recommend looking at the product information on our website for weights and ages.
🏡 Lifestyle & Environment
- Outdoor pets or those in high tick areas benefit from broad-spectrum options like Nexgard Spectra for cats and dogs.
- Less active or indoor-only pets may need simpler flea and heartworm coverage like Advocate or Revolution.
📅 Dosing Convenience
- Monthly chewables (Simparica, NexGard) are easy and consistent.
- Some long-acting options like Bravecto require dosing only every 8–12 weeks (depending on formulation).
🩹 Combination vs Targeted Treatments
- Combination products simplify care but may not cover all parasites.
- Dedicated wormers like Milpro or Drontal may be added if your vet recommends them.
The most important thing to remember is that parasite control is not seasonal, it is all year round. Always follow the packaging directions and ask your vet before starting any preventative care as they will know which treatment is best for your local area.
