There is a longstanding debate amongst the pet parents about which one’s a better type of flea and tick treatment– Oral or Topical. Some of them are more inclined towards topical while some are strictly advocating Oral treatments and there are some more people who say that they go with the type of treatment that suits their pets.
And because, of these varied opinions and consumer choices, big brands are also constantly re-inventing and trying to come up with both oral and topical flea and tick preventives to increase their horizon in the market. One of those giant brands is the Merck Group. Merck Group has already changed the game by successfully introducing 3 months flea pills called Bravecto in the market. Bravecto initially was launched as a chewable for dogs in 2014 but to broaden its market reach, Merck also launched Bravecto spot –on for dogs and cats in 2016.
Now, after the launch of bravecto spot-on, there are different opinions about the efficacy of bravecto chewable or spot-on because one is oral and the other is a topical form of treatment. So, just to add to the ongoing debate here is detailed information about the differences and similarities between Bravecto chewable and Bravecto spot-on.
Which side to choose you can decide yourself:
Bravecto Chewable |
Bravecto Spot-on |
|
| 1 | Bravecto chewable is available only for dogs | Bravecto spot-on is available for both dogs and cats |
| 2 | Bravecto chewable is easy to administer because of its high palatability | Easy to administer. But have to be careful of spillage and the process can become messy at times |
| 3 | Since it is an oral treatment there are no hassles of keeping your dog away from children or putting restrictions on swimming or licking. | You have to be careful and make sure that the cat or dog doesn’t lick the area applied for at least 30 minutes. Keep your beloved dog or cat away from kids, bathing and swimming pool for at least 3 days |
| 4 | Starts killing fleas in 2 hours and kills >98% fleas in 12 hours of administration and also kills 100% attached ticks in 12 hours | Bravecto spot-on for cats kills 100% of fleas present on the body in 8 hours of application. 100% of attached ticks are also eliminated in 12 hours |
| 5 | 3 monthly flea and tick treatment contains Fluralaner as a prime ingredient. | The topical solution also contains Fluralaner as an active ingredient. But for the bravecto spot–on for dogs there are some inactive ingredients as well and they are-Dimethylacetamide,glycofurol, diethyltoluamide, and acetone |
| 6 | It does not repel fleas and ticks | Effectively repels ticks and fleas |
| 7 | Fluralaner’s quantity should be 11.4mg/lbs | Similar to chewable, spot-on also has the quantity for fluralaner as 11.4 mg/lbs |
| 8 | Safe for pregnant and lactating dogs | Safety of bravecto spot-on for cats on pregnant and lactating cats has not been determined yet. |
| 9 | Doesn’t cause any harm to the skin. | The topical solution may cause moist dermatitis/rash or scabs/ulcerated lesions on the skin |
| 10 | Slightly costlier as compared to spot-ons | The price of spot-on is less than the oral treatment. |
| 11 | The 3 monthly flea treatment treats those grains of fleas which even fipronil cant kill | Bravecto spot-on also kills those grains of fleas that fipronil fails to eliminate |
| 12 | Prevents and controls flea infestation for 12 weeks and 4 types of ticks including black-legged tick (12 weeks), American dog tick(12 weeks), brown dog tick(12 weeks), and lone star tick(8 weeks) | The effectiveness is the same as oral treatments. The flea and tick topical solution controls fleas for 12 weeks and American dog tick,black-legged tick, brown dog tick for 12 weeks. Bravecto controls lone star ticks for 8 weeks only |
| 13 | Provides protection from sarcoptic mange and ear mites for a month | Protection from ear mites and sarcoptic mange for a month |
| 14 | Should be given to puppies of age 6 months or more and weighing at least 4.4 lbs | Can be given to cats of age 6 months or more and weighing atleast 2.6 lbs. For dogs, it’s the same as the chews. |
| 15 | Be very careful if your dog has a history of epilepsy or muscle tremors or seizures or ataxia | Just as in the case of oral treatment even in spot-ons the cautions are same. You should contact your vet before administering the treatment if your dog or cat has a history of neurological abnormalities. |
Well, as you can see both Bravecto spot-on and Bravecto chewable are equally competent and easy to use. You can either go with an oral or topical form of the treatment depending upon your choice. It is also advised to check whether the oral treatment is more suitable or the topical one because it can vary from one pet to another. The best part about the Merck’s bravecto is that both oral and topical types of flea and tick treatments give your pet 3-month protection and relieve you from the hassle of administering the dosage every month.
