Looking for the best tick prevention or repellent for your canine companion? Then you’re in the right place!
In this Pest Strategies product review you can expect to learn:
- Our top picks for tick repellents for dogs (including our overall #1 choice)
- What a tick repellent for dogs actually is
- How to know if a tick repellent is worth it (or not)
- Whether tick repellents for dogs are actually effective
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
- Kills ticks, fleas, and lice
- Vet-recommended
- Lasts for eight months
Soresto Flea and Tick Collar provides protection from disease-carrying pests for up to eight months. It’s completely waterproof and it’s effective in all weather conditions.
The active ingredient in Soresto works on contact to kill both fleas and ticks. That means these pests no longer have to bite your dog for your tick collar work. You just put it around your pet’s neck, and it starts to protect them immediately.
Soresto is veterinary-approved, so you don’t have to worry about harmful side effects. And it’s non-greasy and odorless. No more messy sprays and creams to apply every month.
Tick repellents are products designed to stop ticks from biting the animal on which they are used.
Special repellents are made for canines, as they are particularly susceptible to ticks and need to be careful about which products go on their skin.
Some tick prevention and repellents come as sprays while others are wipes. Each one comes with its pros and cons, so it’s important to find one that works for each dog.
Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management. He manages Pest Strategies now helping homeowners around the world!
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Soresto Flea and Tick Collar
Features
- Vet-recommended
- Kills ticks, fleas, and lice
- Lasts for eight months
TICK BAN Organic Repellent
Features
- Completely plant-based
- Effective against ticks, black flies, and gnats
- Comes in an easy-to-use bottle
Wondercide Natural Flea and Tick Repellent.
Features
- This product lasts for several days at a time, meaning you only need to retreat two or three times a week.
- Wondercide kills fleas and ticks in all stages of life.
- This product is waterproof, so you don't have to worry if it is still active constantly.
Adams Flea & Tick Spray
Features
- Kills fleas and ticks on contact
- For dogs and cats over 12 weeks
- Lasts up to two months
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Easy Spray
Features
- Kills fleas and ticks at every life stage
- Uses certified natural ingredients
- Safe to use directly on dogs 12 weeks or older
Table Of Contents
Top 4 Best Tick Repellents For Dogs
Short on time? Take a look below for the top 5 in our list. Otherwise, check out our buying guide.
- Soresto Flea and Tick Collar (Our Top Pick)
- TICK BAN Organic Repellent (Our 2nd Choice)
- Wondercide Natural Flea and Tick Repellent.
- Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Spray
What Is Tick Repellent for Dogs?
Humans love to bring their dogs traveling or hiking with them, and dogs also love to go outside regularly for exercise or to use the bathroom.
This activity puts them in contact with parasitic pests like ticks, insects which drink blood and have the ability to transfer diseases to many different animals, including dogs.
Ticks actually don’t jump, fly, or drop onto your dog—they brush into its fur from exposure through tall grasses or plants while running outdoors. This is why it’s especially important to protect your furry friend before a day outside; you never know what can be lurking around.
Tick repellent formulas perform the simple task of keeping ticks away from dogs before they can latch on, take a dog as a host, and potentially hurt the animal.
What Are The Ingredients?
We all want to know exactly what we’re coating our dog’s skin with before we slather it on.
Most tick repellents either use permethrin or the combination of plant oil extracts. Permethrin is a pesticide which works by attacking the nervous systems of ticks which try to bite a dog.
Some plant oil extracts tend to work as repellents as well, meaning the smell dissuades ticks from landing and biting in the first place.
Chemicals vs. Natural Ingredients
The key differences between these two ingredients are their effectiveness and relative risks. When selecting a tick repellent, dog owners should always pick a product that they are comfortable using on their pet.
Permethrin is reliable and kills tick quickly, whereas plant oils are somewhat less effective but also pose fewer risks. Pesticides such as permethrins can make dogs sick when ingested or if too much is sprayed on their fur and skin. They can also sicken humans who come in contact with the materials, and cats can suffer even worse reactions.
Meanwhile, the plant oils can cause skin irritation but are usually non-toxic and won’t cause illness or death. However, natural repellents which use these ingredients don’t need to be evaluated by the EPA, so the government cannot tell how safe or effective they are.
For a few more green solutions, take a look at some of the natural options recommended by Dr. Jennifer McDaniel from the Veterinary Cancer Center in Norwalk, CT.
(And be sure to check out our guide on beneficial nematodes to learn more about her final suggestion!)
What Are the Risks of Canine Tick Repellent?
The EPA identified several risks associated with tick repellents for dogs. Sprays and wipes which need to be applied to the skin can cause irritation or an allergic reaction in the dog. Some products can also cause lethargy and hair loss.
Products which use plant oils as active ingredients pose similar risks due to the fact that they can cause irritation or allergic reactions as well.
As a pet owner, you need to read the label on tick repellents carefully. Some products are only made for dogs of a certain size, while others should also be kept away from cats. NEVER use a repellent on a puppy younger than 8 weeks old.
What Makes a Dog Tick Repellent Effective (Really)?
People tend to have different standards for quality, but we can all agree on a few key factors.
Most pet owners want a product which is safe and effective, ensuring it can be used repeatedly and will stop ticks in their tracks. Here is what those standards mean.
How Safe Is It?
You don’t want to use something that will hurt your dog, so it’s important to find a repellent that you feel safe using. Remember to read ingredient labels and any warnings on the product in order to understand the risks involved.
How Effective Is It?
No repellent is good if it can’t prevent ticks from biting your dog. Find one which is effective at keeping ticks at bay without requiring a ridiculous amount of product. If something stops ticks but takes an entire bottle per use, it can’t really be considered a good repellent.
How Much Does the Repellent Cost?
We get it: you want to give your pup some quality relief from the bite of the ticks, but you don’t want to break the bank.
Tick repellents don’t have to cost you a fortune. While there certainly are some expensive options out there, most of the choices available are affordable and reasonably priced to fit the average pet-owner’s budget.
For up-to-date product prices, please see the our buying guide below.
Do Tick Repellents Actually Work For Dogs?
The majority of tick repellents, especially the ones cleared by the Environmental Protection Agency, are effective.
In short, this means that they have been proven to be able to prevent ticks from biting dogs. Some of these repellents work via scent while others require physical contact, but the majority can prevent bites.
Want to skip all this research and just hire a decent exterminator for your tick problem?
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Tick Repellents for Dogs Reviewed
In the below section we break down each of our product recommendations in a little more detail.
Soresto Flea and Tick Collar
Soresto Flea and Tick Collar provides protection from disease-carrying pests for up to eight months. It’s completely waterproof and it’s effective in all weather conditions.
The active ingredient in Soresto works on contact to kill both fleas and ticks. That means these pests no longer have to bite your dog for your tick collar work. You just put it around your pet’s neck, and it starts to protect them immediately.
Soresto is veterinary-approved, so you don’t have to worry about harmful side effects. And it’s non-greasy and odorless. No more messy sprays and creams to apply every month.
The Good And The Bad
- Vet-recommended
- Kills ticks, fleas, and lice
- Lasts for eight months
- Non-greasy, odorless
- Some rare side effects may occur, so it's best to talk to your veterinarian before using
TICK BAN Organic Repellent
Some people are worried about the potential pesticides in a product, and TICK BAN avoids them by eliminating chemicals like DEET from its formula. Instead, this organic repellent uses ingredients like peppermint, lavender, soy bean, and lemongrass oils.
This repellent has a pleasant, almost floral aroma and keeps ticks away by totally covering the scent which attracts them to animals in the first place.
Like our top pick, it works by taking away the dog’s natural pheromones which the ticks find so attractive. In contrast to our top pick, this repellent is a liquid spray instead of a wipe.
This repellent can be sprayed directly on a dog’s hair or skin and isn’t known to cause irritation. Unlike some other products, TICK BAN organic repellent also keeps away biting black flies and annoying gnats.
We recommend this product to pet owners who want to get as far away from potentially toxic ingredients as possible while still saving some money.
The Good And The Bad
- The spray uses a natural, non-toxic formula
- Does not use DEET or harmful pesticides
- The product is effective against ticks and other bugs like flies
- TICK BAN has a fresh scent
- TICK BAN can be used on canines and humans
- A single 4 oz. bottle is expensive
- Some humans and dogs find the odor overpowering
- The product should be kept away from cats
- They spray is not always effective
Wondercide Natural Flea and Tick Repellent.
One of the most annoying features of all-natural flea and tick repellents is how often you need to apply them. Some products need to be applied once an hour.
Some might get you through an entire day, but where Wondercide is better than all of the rest is, it only needs to be applied two or three times a week.
On top of that, it is waterproof, so even if you have to let the dog out in the rain, you don’t have to worry about the repellent just washing away.
Wondercide uses all-natural ingredients such as cedarwood oil to keep pests at bay, but if they manage to ignore the repellent side of this product, it also kills them without any adverse effects to you or the dog.
Wondercide not only eliminates 98 to 99% of fleas and ticks, but it also kills them in all life stages, larva, adult, and egg, which keeps them from getting out of control.
As a side note, this product can also be used on your cat, which means you won’t have to bother with having two separate products for two different animals.
This product can also be used inside on furniture or even on your dogs’ bed if you are having a flea or tick problem in the house. The last thing about this product that makes it so great is the different size options that it comes in.
There is the four-ounce bottle, the eight-ounce bottle, or the 32-ounce bottle. The four-ounce bottle is great for going camping or even just day trips because you can drop it in any bag and go while the other two are better for around the house and should last you for several months.
The largest downside to this product, and any product that uses all-natural ingredients, is that it may not be good enough to get rid of an existing pest infestation. All-natural products are great at prevention, but you may need prescription-strength medication from a vet to get rid of a bad flea problem.
The Good And The Bad
- This product lasts for several days at a time, meaning you only need to retreat two or three times a week.
- Wondercide kills fleas and ticks in all stages of life.
- This product is waterproof, so you don’t have to worry if it is still active constantly.
- Wondercide uses all-natural ingredients, so it is better for you and your pet.
- All-natural products are best used to prevent tick infestations rather than get rid of them.
- While the reviews are mostly positive some people seem to think that the new formula is less effective.
Adams Flea & Tick Spray
Vet's Best Flea and Tick Spray
Vet’s Best Flea and Tick spray uses a unique, all-natural formula primarily based on clove and peppermint oils. The repellent works against ticks and fleas and can be used by humans and dogs alike.
Unlike some other products, Vet’s Best can also be sprayed on items like dog beds and hiking equipment to provide an extra layer of protection. The spray is non-staining, and won’t ruin gear or fabrics.
There are no pesticides or toxic ingredients present in the spray, and it won’t break the bank. Its affordability along with its the 32 oz. bottle ensure that the value of the product is solid—meaning you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.
We recommend Vet’s Best to pet owners who know they (and their dog) will be outside frequently and would like a product that can be used regularly and safely to fight against ticks.
The Good And The Bad
- The repellent has a pleasant smell and uses natural ingredients
- The repellent is an environmentally friendly
- The product should not affect pets or humans
- Vet's Best is inexpensive compared to other brands
- Some dogs have an allergic reaction to the oils
- The spray is not as effective on fleas as it is on ticks
- Some dog breeds will have too sensitive of a sense of smell to use the spray