7 Best Flea Treatments for Puppies in 2025, Recommended by Vets

Like human babies, puppies require special care to develop into healthy adult dogs. 

Part of this care includes choosing the best flea treatment made specifically for puppies to safely protect them from pesky parasites that cause itchiness and irritation, and carry harmful diseases. 

Because puppies have immature immune systems, they're particularly susceptible to the itchiness, irritation, and other complications that can be caused by these infestations. Starting a flea prevention regimen when they're young helps keep puppies safe, healthy, and pest-free. 

To help you make a more informed decision, we asked our panel of veterinarians to share their top picks for the best flea treatments for puppies. 

What To Consider When Buying a Flea Treatment for Puppies 

Age, Weight, and Health  

Not all flea treatments for puppies are alike. Some flea treatments safely cover puppies as young as 6 weeks old safely, while others start at 8 weeks old. The flea treatment’s safety guidelines give recommended weight minimums too, ranging from 2 pounds on up.  

Puppies grow quickly, so it is important to ensure that you are providing the right size prevention for their current weight. For tablets, chews, and topicals it may be helpful to purchase one month at a time to make sure your pup does not outgrow the prevention weight range.  

Existing health conditions may also impact the type of flea control your vet recommends. For example, flea treatments that use isoxazoline-based pesticides have been associated with rare neurological side effects and may not be recommended for puppies with seizures or other neurological issues.  

Choose a puppy flea treatment that is safe and effective for your puppy’s age, weight, and health condition. Get your veterinarian’s advice on the best match for your puppy. 

Lifestyle 

Topical flea treatments for puppies might lose effectiveness if exposed to water too soon after initial application. For parents of puppies who are water hounds or who love to get dirty and need to be constantly bathed, you may need to wait to apply the topical solution until their fur is dry and/or wait until after the solution is fully dry after application before allowing your puppy to get wet again.  

Otherwise, an oral flea treatment might be a better choice than a topical formula.  

Check with your veterinarian on what they believe is the best flea treatment for your puppy’s lifestyle. 

Coverage Needs 

Puppy flea products vary in how long they remain effective, everything from 24 hours to help fight an active flea infestation to several months for prevention.  

Some flea treatment or preventive products for puppies do even more, protecting against internal parasites, such as heartworms, hookworms, and roundworms, and external parasites like ticks, mange, and ear mites.  

Discuss with your veterinarian what type of coverage your puppy needs: a flea treatment, preventive, or all-in-one treatment for fleas, ticks, heartworms, and other parasites. 

Type of Administration 

Flea treatments for puppies come in three forms: oral, collar, or topical.  

Oral treatments come in tablets or tasty chews and are typically given once a month.  

If getting your puppy to take a pill is difficult, a flea collar or topical solution might be the best choice. Keep in mind that these types of prevention may lose effectiveness if your puppy gets soaking wet.  

Ask your veterinarian which options would be the best flea treatment for your puppy. 

How We Selected the Best Flea Treatments for Puppies 

This list of the best flea treatments for puppies was meticulously curated by a panel of veterinarians and veterinary technicians who are employed by Chewy, the publisher of PetMD. 

They were asked to choose the best flea treatments for puppies in their honest opinion, across multiple categories, based on the following:    

• Their knowledge and practical experience   

• Review of clinical studies and other evidence-based medicine  

• Attributes such as: 

  • Age and weight restrictions 

  • Scope of coverage 

  • Type of administration 

Opinions and product recommendations in this article belong solely to the review panel of vets and animal health experts.  

Manufacturers and vendors cannot buy placement in Vet Verified content or exert influence on our panelists as they evaluate products.   

Our sole goal with this program is to provide pet parents with the information they need to make the best decision for their pets.  

Flea Treatment for Puppies FAQs 

Q: When should puppies start flea and tick treatment? 

Flea and tick prevention for puppies can start as early as 6 to 8 weeks old, depending on the product. As safety guidelines vary in flea and tick treatments and preventives, choose one recommended for your puppy’s age, weight, and health condition.  

Q: What is the safest flea prevention for puppies? 

Choose a flea prevention product specifically made for puppies and your puppy’s age and weight. Your veterinarian can recommend the safest and most effective oral, topical, or collar product for your puppy’s age, weight, and health concerns.  

Q: At what age can you put a flea collar on a puppy?  

Some flea collars are made for puppies as young as 7 weeks old. Check the flea collar’s guidelines for its recommended minimum age and weight to ensure it matches up with your puppy. Your veterinarian can help you choose the safest flea collar preventive treatment for your puppy’s age, weight, and health concerns.