Do you know of any oral treatments that will cover fleas, heartworm, and ticks? I would really like to get away from the topical application, but we also live in an area with a heavy dear population, so I feel like tick protection is important.

Thank you,

Mandi
Lago Vista, TX

Sadly, I am not aware of any oral medications that effectively prevent ticks in dogs.

Sentinel is a medicine that prevents heartworm, certain intestinal worms, and breeding flea infestations in dogs and cats. It does not kill individual fleas, and it does not prevent ticks.

Comfortis is a new monthly oral flea preventative for dogs only. It does not offer protection against heartworm or ticks. Capstar is a daily (or every other day) oral flea preventative for dogs and cats. It also does not protect against ticks or heartworm.

If you want truly effective tick prevention, at this time you’ll be stuck using a topical treatment such as Frontline Plus, Vectra 3D, or K9 Advantix. Homeopathic oral tick preventatives are not effective in my experience.

One note: you mention that you are worried about ticks because of deer in your area. I presume that means you’re worried about Lyme disease, which is spread by deer ticks. Note that deer populations do not harbor Lyme disease, and the number of deer in your area won’t necessarily correlate with the prevalence of Lyme disease. The reservoir for Lyme disease is a type of wild mouse.