What are the Best Flea Drops for Small Dogs?
Just like death and taxes are a sure thing for us humans, ticks and fleas are a sure thing for our furry friends. Thankfully, there are plenty of choices to help us combat them both.
A topical flea treatment is an easy to use method of not only repelling fleas, but also killing any that are already on your dog and ensuring no eggs hatch. They also keep ticks, and sometimes even mosquitoes, at bay.
Following are our top 5 picks for the best flea drops for small dogs. If you have a larger dog, don’t worry, all of these options are also available for medium and large dogs, too.
In a hurry? Check out our top picks below!
| Product Name | Dog Weight | Price | Check Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PetArmor Plus | 4-22 lbs | $ | |
| TevraPet Activate II | 4-10 lbs | $ | |
| K9 Advantix II | 4-10 lbs | $$ | |
| PetArmor | 5-22 lbs | $ | |
| Advantage II | 3-10 lbs | $$ |
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these choices.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Pet Armor Plus – Best Budget Conscious Product
- 2 2. TevraPet Activate II Flea and Tick Topical – Best Overall Flea Treatment
- 3 3. K9 Advantix II – Best Big Brand Flea Drops
- 4 4. PetArmor Flea & Tick Treatment for Dogs – Best Value for Homes without a Flea Problem
- 5 5. Advantage II for Dogs from 3-10 Lbs – Best Drops for Extra Small Dogs
- 6 Finding What Works for Your Dog
1. Pet Armor Plus – Best Budget Conscious Product
PetArmor Plus Flea & Tick Treatment for Dogs, 4-22 lbs, 6 ct
Pet Armor Plus captures our top spot for flea control on a budget. It has the same ingredients you’ll find in Frontline Plus but at a much better price .
At least one customer found it to work even better than Frontline Plus.
If you’re looking for truly affordable drops that work just as well as the higher priced brands, this may be a great choice for you.
Pet Armor Plus will protect against fleas and ticks, as well as chewing lice. Not only will the product kill adult fleas, but it will stop the development of flea eggs and larvae, too.
Like all topical treatments in our list, it stays effective for up to 30 days.
This product already has a fantastic price, but if you do happen to see it on sale, you’ll want to make sure to stock up. According to the manufacturer, when kept dry, out of sunlight and at a constant temperature (below 77 degrees), you can expect a shelf life of up to 5 years!
As a final note, make sure you don’t confuse this product with the original Pet Armor. The original Pet Armor will work great if you don’t already have fleas. It only kills adult fleas, not the eggs or larvae.
Pet Armor Plus will kill not only adults, but also the eggs and larvae, providing you with better overall protection.
2. TevraPet Activate II Flea and Tick Topical – Best Overall Flea Treatment
TevraPet Activate II Flea and Tick Topical, Small Dogs 4-10 Pounds, 4 Count
Activate II has the same active ingredients as K9 Advantix II, but you’re going to LOVE the price! It is slightly more expensive than our budget conscious pick, because it only comes with 4 doses.
The higher price comes with more protection, though! Your dog will also be protected against mosquitoes, lice and biting flies in addition to fleas, flea eggs and ticks.
Customers report that they started seeing results in as little as one day after applying Activate II. Many customers previously used Advantix II and have since started using Activate II because it works just as well, but saves them quite a bit of money.
This product was chosen as the best overall pick because it has the perfect balance of broad spectrum protection and a great price. I compared ingredients, customer reviews, types of pests repelled and/or killed, and this one came out on top in all areas.
Activate II can safely be used on dogs that are at least 7 weeks old. If you have a really small dog, you’ll want to go with the version for dogs under 10 lbs. There are also doses for medium (11-20 lbs), large (21-55 lbs) and extra large (over 55 lbs).
3. K9 Advantix II – Best Big Brand Flea Drops
Bayer K9 Advantix II, Flea And Tick Control Treatment for Dogs, 4 to 10 lbs, 6-Month Supply
You can’t really have a top list of flea control without adding in at least one of the big brands. After all, there’s a reason they became so big – they work!
For years, I relied on Advantix II to protect my dog from fleas and ticks. Like Activate II, it also protects against mosquitoes, lice and biting flies.
This type of protection, with a brand attached, does come with a higher cost; but for many pet owners, that cost is worth peace of mind. Totally understandable.
The nice thing about all around flea protection like this one is that even if you have an infestation underway, these drops will help to break that nasty cycle. Besides just killing the adult fleas, it kills the existing eggs and larvae, too. No hatching eggs means no more fleas.
Because this product is more expensive than the others, I want to note that, like most bulk purchases, the price per dose goes down the more doses you buy. So it makes sense to get 6 months right off bat.
This product has a CRAZY number of reviews on the Internet as compared to the other products. A lot of that could be because it’s been around for so many years. The good news is, the vast majority of consumers recommend its use.
Like the others, Advantix II is available for small, medium, large and extra large dogs.
4. PetArmor Flea & Tick Treatment for Dogs – Best Value for Homes without a Flea Problem
PetArmor Flea & Tick Treatment for Dogs, 5-22 lbs, 3 ct
Pet Armor is the “little brother” of the above mentioned Pet Armor Plus. The key difference between the two is that this version will only kill adult fleas and ticks.
If you you already have a flea problem, you’re going to want to go with a heavier handed solution, such as one of the choices we have above.
No existing fleas? Perfect. You’ll love these drops that will cost you less than $5 a month to continue to protect your furry friend from an infestation.
Pet Armor contains the same active ingredients as the higher priced brand Frontline. Customers are overwhelmingly happy with the product and there are a lot of reviews on it, if you’d like to read for yourself.
One of the nice things about this product are that the dosage sizes cover a lot more weights than other brands. In other words, this product covers pets 5-22 lbs, where other brands have 2 dosage sizes: up to 10 lbs and then up to 20 or so pounds. Usually, the 10-20 lb dose will cost more than the one for dogs under 10 pounds, so this saves you money.
5. Advantage II for Dogs from 3-10 Lbs – Best Drops for Extra Small Dogs
Advantage II for Dogs 10 lbs and Under – 6 pack
You may have noticed in our list here, or when you shopped around yourself, that most flea topicals are recommended for dogs 4 or 5 lbs and up. Advantage II states it will work for pups as small as 3 pounds.
While this is great news for owners of tiny toy breeds, you’ll still want to wait until your pet is at least 7 weeks old. In most cases, we aren’t even picking up our new puppy until they are at least 8 weeks, so this shouldn’t be a big deal.
Advantage II is a great choice for both homes with no fleas and those that have an existing problem. It will kill not only the existing fleas and ticks, but will also the flea eggs and larvae, preventing re-infestation.
Like most drops, it kills on contact, which is great because it means your pet won’t have to suffer with bites in order for the fleas to die.
Advantage II isn’t the cheapest on the list, nor is it the most expensive. You can expect to pay a little less then $10 a month per dose. If you have a really small dog, it’s worth the extra bit of cash to ensure you’re using a product that is safe for your furry friend’s size.
If you have a larger dog, don’t despair. Advantage II also comes in sizes for medium, large and extra large dogs. Bear in mind, that the bigger the dog, the more expensive the monthly treatments tend to get.
Finding What Works for Your Dog
So, there you have it. My top 5 recommendations for monthly flea drops, especially for little dogs. I tried to cover something that will work with every budget, because I know caring for a pet can get expensive.
I am a big believer that we shouldn’t let cost get in the way of properly caring for our pets. Let’s face it though, if we can find something that is cost effective and works great, why wouldn’t we try it?
