Bravecto For Dogs And Cats – How Good Is It Really?

If you are a dog lover or cat lover out there then you are probably as confused as I am when trying to decide which flea and tick remedy you should get for your best pet friend. Old fashioned shampoos and flea powders just don’t cut it anymore and flea sprays can be toxic because you and your pet are breathing in the fumes that they leave behind. And who wants to take your pet to the vet for a monthly injection, right?

So then, what flea treatment should you purchase for your furry friend? The two main choices we are faced with as modern-day pet owners are oral medications and spot on topical treatments. There are many products out there – some prevent and kill fleas only, others treat and prevent flea and tick infestations, and some even treat intestinal worms, heartworm, mites and lice. And of course they are all effective for different lengths of time – most products will last for a month but recently a product has become very popular that gives your pet protection for as long as 12 weeks or 3 months with a single dose (you should read our Bravecto vs Nexgard review as well).

You guessed it – the product is called Bravecto flea and tick treatment and it is available for the prevention of fleas and ticks in both dogs and cats. There is a topical spot on version for cats, and for dogs there is an oral version (chews) as well as a topical version, depending on your preference as a dog owner. I have spent many hours researching this product online to find out if it is really as good as the manufacturer claims it to be. I have read the evidence, both positive and negative, and I have seen what pet owners out there are saying, and in this article I will reveal my findings – so please continue reading and you might be surprised by what I am about to tell you!

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Flea Life Cycle – here are the facts

Did you know that the average flea life cycle is as long as 8 to 9 weeks?

TIP: The most common type of parasite found on cats and dogs are fleas and they can cause serious illnesses which can sometimes become life-threatening. The lifecycle of fleas is actually much longer than most people realize and can last up to 3 months. This means that monthly flea treatments often may leave gaps during which your pet is not protected. Re-infestation then occurs in your home and your yard which can frustrate many pet owners. Perhaps then it makes sense to invest in the use of a pet flea and tick remedy that lasts for 12 weeks or 3 months?

Only about 5% of adult fleas live on your pet and the rest live in the immediate environment that you and your pet live in. You will find adult fleas in your home and in the yard and they can lay hundreds of eggs every week. This is Stage 1 of the flea life cycle.

Stage 2 starts twelve days after the eggs have been laid. The flea eggs hatch as larvae and they soon crawl into safe areas like between your floorboards, into the fibres of your carpets, the spaces underneath your furniture and into your yard and the soil in your garden. Often these flea larvae are not effectively treated by many of the monthly flea remedies that are available in the market today.

After 23 days it’s time for the start of Stage 3 and the flea larvae turn into pupae. The flea pupae protect themselves by hibernating inside a cocoon where they can remain dormant for up to 8 weeks.

Stage 4 can start at any time between 3-8 weeks and is often initiated by a change in the temperature of the environment. The fully grown adult fleas will hatch out of their cocoons and are ready to pounce on you and your pet as soon as they feel the vibrations caused by walking or movement.

TIP: the reason why many monthly flea treatments seem to be ineffective is not because they don’t kill the fleas but probably because they fail to consistently destroy all four stages of the flea life cycle. This is especially so when you forget to give your pet the monthly dose or you skip a month or two, which allows the fleas to re-establish themselves in your home and yard.

Facts About Ticks – what you need to know

Ticks can survive for long periods of time in an outdoor environment but they can also quite happily live inside your home. Outdoors they prefer to cling onto shrubs, leaves or grass using their 3^rd or 4^th legs. They are always ready to pounce and hold out their first pair of legs and wait for an unsuspecting host to come along and brush past them.

They can detect and are aware of the body odors of animals, their breath, vibrations and moisture. Once they have attached themselves to a human or animal host they will quickly cling onto the skin, or sometimes they will wander to look for an ideal place to penetrate the skin of their victim.

Ticks can spread disease as soon as they start feeding on their hosts and this is how they do it:

• Finding a good spot to feed on the skin of it’s host can take from ten minutes to two hours, depending on the species of tick and it’s age
• The tick uses it’s barb-like mouth to cut into the skin to insert it’s tiny feeding tube
• A substance which is cement-like is found in the saliva of the tick and helps to keep it firmly attached
• It also secretes a local anesthetic-like compound into the skin of the host so the victims are unaware that the ticks are feeding off them
• Feeding takes a few days and disease spreading pathogens, parasites or bacteria can enter the tick while it sucks blood from the host
• The saliva of the tick can also contain pathogens which can enter through the skin of the host and so diseases can spread to humans and animals
• Once feeding is complete the tick may drop off and if it attaches to another host then the pathogens can be passed on and diseases can be spread further

How does Bravecto work?

Bravecto for dogs and cats kills fleas and ticks and provides good continuous protection against these parasites for up to 3 months (12 weeks). It contains the active ingredient Fluralaner which disrupts the nervous system of parasites, and is available as a tasty chew or a topical treatment for dogs, and as a topical treatment only for cats.

Whether you give your dog the chews or use the topical spot on product for your dog or cat, the treatment is absorbed systemically by your pet and will enter the body of the flea or tick when they bite and start feeding on the blood of your pet.

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Bravecto For Dogs

• fleas start dying 2 hours after Bravecto Chews have been given or Bravecto Topical Solution for dogs has been applied
• 98% of fleas and ticks are killed within 12 hours and this effect lasts for up to 12 weeks (3 months)
• kills fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), black legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis a.k.a. the deer tick), American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) and brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) for 12 weeks, and lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) for 8 weeks
• good safety profile and has been approved for use in lactating, breeding and pregnant dogs
• can be safely administered to dogs 4.4lbs (2kg) or over, and puppies that are 8 weeks of age or older
• all adult as well as all juvenile fleas and ticks are killed (larvae and nymphs)
• the treatment is unaffected by whether your pet is swimming or if weekly shampooing required
• don’t allow your dog to swim for the first 3 days after applying the spot on solution
• used for the treatment of FAD (flea allergy dermatitis) as well
• compliance with regular dosing is much easier due to the long lasting effect of treatment
• very effective against fleas that are resistant to Fipronil

How Bravecto Chews for Dogs should be administered:

• these tasty chews should be administered every 12 weeks (3 months) and given as a single dose
• the strength of the dose depends on the size (and weight) of your dog as long as it is given as 11.4 mg/lb or 25 mg/kg of body weight
• treatment should continue all year round and can start on any day of any month

Bravecto dosage for oral chews:

Miniature dogs : 4.4-9.9 lbs (2-4,5 kg) : one chew tablet of 112.5 mg

Small dogs : 9.9 – 22.0 lbs (4,5-10 kg): one chew tablet of 250 mg

Medium dogs : 22.0 – 44.0 lbs (10-20 kg): one chew tablet of 500 mg

Large dogs : 44.0 – 88.0 lbs (20-40 kg): one chew tablet of 1000 mg

Extra large dogs : 88.0 – 123.0 lbs (40-56 kg): one chew tablet of 1400 mg

Dogs over 123.0 lbs (56 kg): the appropriate combination of chews must be calculated

How to apply Bravecto Topical for dogs:

Step 1: remove the product tube from it’s pouch. Hold the tube upright and twist the cap off the tube to break the seal. The cap is designed to not be removed from the tube completely.

Step 2: let your dog stand or lie down but the back must be in a horizontal position while applying the solution. While parting your dog’s fur you place the tip of the tube against the dog’s skin, starting in-between the animal’s shoulder blades.

Step 3: gently apply pressure to the tube and squeeze the Bravecto liquid onto one spot (or multiple spots for larger dogs) along the dog’s back.

Dose strength of Bravecto spot on solution for dogs:

Miniature dogs : 4.4-9.9 lbs (2-4,5 kg): one tube of solution (112.5 mg tube)

Small dogs : 9.9-22 lbs (4,5-10 kg): one tube of solution (250 mg tube)

Medium dogs : 22-44 lbs (10-20 kg): one tube of solution (500 mg tube)

Large dogs : 44-88 (20-40 kg): one tube of solution (1000 mg tube)

X-Large dogs : 88-123 (40-56 kg): one tube of solution (1400 mg tube)

Dogs weighing over 123.0 lb (56 kg):  calculate and apply the correct tube combinations

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Bravecto for cats

• safe and easy spot on protection for your cat
• kills and protects against flea infestations (Ctenocephalides felis),
• easy to apply, long lasting and regular dosing only 4 times a year
• a single topical treatment gives 12 weeks (3 months) protection for your cat
• gives continuous protection for cats both indoors and outdoors
• kills 100% of all fleas on your cat and in your home within 8 hours of application
• kills 95% of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) after 48 hrs (for 12 weeks) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) for 8 weeks
• safe for cats with body weight over 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) and kittens older than 6 months
• breaks the three month life cycle of fleas with one single dose
• highly effective when treating fleas that are showing resistance to Fipronil

How to apply Bravecto Topical for cats:

Step 1: removing the tube from the product pouch, and holding the tube firmly upright you twist the cap of the tube off until you hear the seal breaking. 

Step 2: your cat should be in a standing position or lying down with a straight, horizontal back position is also fine. While parting the fur of your cat you place tube tip up against the skin at the base of the neck or skull.

Step 3: gently squeeze the solution from the tube onto the skin and try to prevent any run-off if possible. Sometimes any excess solution can be applied to a second spot between the shoulder blades of you kitty.

Dose strength of Bravecto spot on for cats:

Small cats : 2.6-6.2 lbs (1.2-2.8 kg):  apply one tube with 112.5 mg per tube

Medium cats : 6.2-13.8 lbs (2.8-6.25 kg): apply one tub with 250 mg per tube 

Large cats : 13.8-27.5 lbs (6.25-12.25 kg): apply one tube with 500 mg per tube

Cats Over 27.5 lbs (12.25 kg): use the correct combination of the above tubes to calculate the correct dosage

Precautions and possible Bravecto side effects

Is Bravecto safe? Our extensive research showed that this product has been widely tested and has been proven to be safe by the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

Like all oral and topical medications though, both in animals and humans, we would be naïve to think that there would not be a few select cases where some side effects might occur, so here is what we discovered:

• in a few select cases where this product was used for dogs or cats there have been reports of seizures
• for this reason the manufacturers warned that this product should not be used in dogs or cats with a previous history of neurological illnesses
• in 99% of animals treated with this product though it has proven itself to be an excellent treatment against fleas and ticks and no complications were reported
• shown to be safe to use for certain types of hypersensitive Collie breeds
• also shown to be safe to use in pregnant dogs as well as breeding  and lactating dogs

Bravecto Reviews – what do pet owners think of this product?

No product review would be complete without listening to what dog and cat owners around the globe have to say about this product. So we dug a bit deeper and this is what we found about what people thought after using this products on their pets:

–I like Bravecto, it lasts for as long as 3 months and it is more effective than any other product I tried before

– I have been regularly giving this product to my dogs for at least 4 years. Never been more happy. I own an English Bull Terrier, he white and his skin has a very negative reaction against flea bites, but this product does work great for him

– I purchased this medicine one week ago, and so far my Zoe is in peace, she has no more fleas, I think this medicine is amazing

– I got this product 1 year ago and I’m back this year only because it’s so easy and simple. It acts fast and works well. This is the quality I look for and also what I expect from a flea product

– My German Shepherd had a previous history with neurological problems, so the vet advised me that the product might not be the best choice to use for my pet, so I changed him back to use one of the monthly (and unfortunately less convenient) treatments

– This our go-to treatment and we always use it to keep our pups fully protected against fleas and ticks!

– We have been using Bravecto flea treatment for 1 year now for our 2 Irish setters. They are free of fleas and ticks. It is so much easier and convenient than to apply the gross wet spot on solutions (and also safer since we now have a human baby as well in the house)

– My Bichon is very allergic to most flea and tick meds but Bravecto seems to be perfect; she loves to chew it and does not suffer from any adverse effects

– My dog is very picky when choosing what medication chews he will eat. But he swallowed this chew without any hesitation. We will continue to purchase this product

– My Labrador puppy tolerates this medication very well but the topical application makes him itch and restless for a few hours after application

TIP:  If you are interested in reading about dog wormers click here

Our verdict on Bravecto

Well there you have it – we revealed every little detail that we discovered about this product. The good, the bad and what to expect when you use this flea and tick medication for your dogs or cats. We feel that this product has- and will continue to change the way veterinarians treat pets for flea and tick infestations in the future.

Is it possible to buy Bravecto without vet prescription? This is a question we are often asked and it all depends on which country you live in – some countries require you to have a veterinary script to buy the product but there are many countries where it is perfectly fine to purchase the product online without a vet prescription.

It is easy to use, effective and it’s a convenient 3 monthly dosage plan that completely eliminates the need for the many less convenient monthly treatments that are out there. We will continue to research and monitor this product in the market place and when we find a Bravecto rebate or any Bravecto coupons then we will let you know.

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We hope you enjoyed our detailed Bravecto review and thanks for taking the time to browse around our website as well!

For good dog grooming information go to our page about deshedding a German Shepherd.