Oral treatments such as chewables or tablets are a popular and fuss-free way to treat your pet for fleas, avoiding the mess of a topical solution.

NexGard chewables (Afoxolaner) and Comfortis tablets (Spinosad) are both monthly oral treatments that kill adult fleas, breaking the breeding cycle by preventing them from laying eggs. NexGard has the additional benefit of killing ticks.

Comfortis, which is available for both dogs and cats, has a faster acting formula. It starts to kill fleas within 30 minutes of administration, reaching 98% effectiveness within 4 hours.

NexGard is suitable for slightly younger dogs and puppies, from 8 weeks of age and weighing 4 lbs (1.8kg). Comfortis may only be administered to dogs over 14 weeks, weighing 5 lbs (2.3kg) minimum, and cats over 14 weeks, weighing 4.1 lbs (1.9kg) minimum.

Top tip: Fleas and ticks can carry nasty diseases, but protecting your pet doesn’t need to be difficult. Use our comparison chart to weigh up the pros and cons of the most popular products.