This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Credelio vs NexGard: Which One is Best?

credelio vs nexgard

Credelio vs NexGard: Choosing Pest Protection for Your Pup

Particularly in the warmer months of the year, we all want to spend more time outside. When you’re a dog owner, that desire to get out and explore with your furry friend can be even stronger, since they tend to be just as adventurous as we are! 

However, whether you’re bringing your dog out for a casual stroll in the park or bringing them with you on a wilderness hike, you must be sure to protect them against nature’s unfortunate pests, especially fleas and ticks.

When caring for your beloved dog, making sure that they can be protected from pests like fleas and ticks is one of the most important things you can do. But, choosing the right pest prevention and treatment for your dog can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. 

How do you know which of the many choices on the market will be the best for your dog? How can you possibly reason through all of the information available to you? 

Two of the most recognizable brands on the market are Credelio and NexGard, both of which are effective at getting rid of both fleas and ticks. However, products by these two reputable brands have slightly different features, benefits, and effects. 

Choosing the right product, whether it’s Credelio or NexGard, depends on what you know will work best for your pet and its lifestyle.  

Breaking it down

Below, we’ll compare two flea and tick removal products, one from Credelio and one from NexGard. We’ll be sure to include the details on what it does, how it works, and we’ll also include a concise list of pros and cons. 

Also included below are notes on how effective each product is, as well as any special features that might make one a little bit more special than the other.

Also, we’ll mention any side effects that you should be aware of when using either Credelio or NexGard to protect your dog against fleas and ticks. Hopefully, our analysis can help you make a great decision for keeping your furry friend free of pests!

Credelio Chewable Tablet for Dogs 

Credelio Chewable Tablet for Dogs 

Credelio is a prescribed chewable tablet for your dog that should be given on a monthly basis. When taken as prescribed, it provides monthly protection against ticks and fleas. It can also be used as a medication for treating a flea infestation that your dog already has. 

The tablet starts working in as little as four hours and has shown to be 100% effective against fleas and 97% effective against ticks. 

This chewable tablet is also great because it is easy to disguise in your dog’s food, so there’s no hassle in trying to get your dog to ingest another form of medication. We recommend hiding the tablet in wet food so that it is less easily discernable (your dog can sometimes be much more clever than you think, especially when they’re a picky eater!). 

The chewable tablet form is also great because it means you don’t have to go through the trouble of dealing with a traditional topical treatment that could get all over your dog’s fur or possibly on any curious human child’s hands. 

Credelio comes in a variety of doses for dogs of all sizes, but it should only be used for puppies and dogs that weigh over 4.4 pounds and are at least 8 weeks of age. Your veterinarian will be able to help you out with the details when they write the prescription. 

Common side effects of Credelio include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and increased urination. In general, these side effects are usually very mild, but if you notice that your dog is experiencing severe or worsening side effects, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

PROS

  • Chewable tablet is easy to disguise in food
  • 100% efficacy for fleas and 97% efficacy for ticks
  • Can be used to protect against fleas and also to treat flea infestations
  • Starts working in just four hours
  • Only needs to be given to your dog once a month

CONS

    • A relatively new product, so it might cause more side effects
    • Cannot be used as a treatment for a tick bite

NexGard Chewables for Dogs

 

NexGard Chewables for Dogs

 

NexGard also makes a convenient chewable tablet for the treatment of ticks and fleas. This means they boast all of the same chewable-tablet benefits that we mentioned for Credelio above. Furthermore, when given to your pet monthly, NexGard chews can help protect dogs against flea infestations. 

The way NexGard does this is by killing adult fleas before they can lay eggs. It can provide fantastic protection against fleas, and it also has an unbeatable record in protecting your dog against ticks. 

NexGard is FDA-approved and recommended by veterinarians to prevent the kinds of infections that might lead to Lyme disease in your precious pup. It’s also been shown that it can kill some ticks before they’re even able to transmit the Lyme infection. 

NexGard can prevent and treat infestations from black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, Lone Star ticks, and brown dog ticks.

Safe for dogs and puppies older than 8 weeks and weighing more than 4 pounds, NexGard is a proven and popular form of protection against fleas and ticks.  

What’s more, the soft, chewable tablet is also beef-flavored, so it can be slipped into your dog’s food without them even realizing they’re taking medicine, or even given to them as a tasty treat.  

The negative side effects of NexGard are similar to Credelio but have been known to be milder and less common. This is partly because NexGard has been on the market for a while longer and veterinarians are more familiar with this medicine

PROS

  • Convenient chewable, flavored tablet
  • Given to your dog once monthly
  • FDA-approved and veterinarian-recommended
  • Treats both ticks and fleas
  • Safe for very small and young dogs alike

CONS

  • Can take up to 24 hours to kill ticks
  • Not yet evaluated for safety on breeding or nursing dogs

Winner 

We have to admit, it’s hard to choose! Both Credelio and NexGard offer flea and tick prevention medication for your dog in the form of a chewable tablet prescribed by your veterinarian. Both can be used for dogs weighing as little as four pounds, as well as for puppies that are only 8 weeks old. 

Furthermore, they’re also effective treatments of flea infestations if you weren’t quite able to prevent the pests in time.

Credelio and NexGard can kill fleas and ticks, and can also be given to your pet only once a month – which is super convenient. However, it’s also important to mention that neither Credelio nor NexGard can repel fleas or ticks, nor can they repel other potentially harmful critters like mosquitoes or other parasites. 

Despite all of their similarities, one of these competitors really stands out as the clear winner: NexGard!

Final Verdict 

While Credelio is a reputable and effective flea and tick treatment, we truly believe that NexGard takes the cake. 

Not only is NexGard FDA-approved as an effective way to prevent tick infections in your dog that might lead to Lyme disease, but it’s also avidly recommended by countless veterinarians as one of the best ways to both protect against and treat flea infestations.

One of the best things about NexGard is the fact that it comes in the form of a chewable tablet. While Credelio is also made in the same way, NexGard takes it one step further and has made their medicine beef-flavored. 

Thanks to NexGard, it’s easier than ever to give your dog flea and tick protection, even for pups that are particularly picky eaters. 

Another way that NexGard stands out as the clear winner is the fact that, unlike Credelio, it can kill flea larvae and eggs, as well as adult fleas. This makes it just a little bit more effective than its competitor and is one of the reasons why we chose NexGard or Credelio.  

Lastly, while Credelio can take up to 12 hours to totally kill all fleas, NexGard takes only 4 hours to do the same. This might not be a big deal, especially since Credelio at least starts working its magic after the first 4 hours of ingestion, but for those pet owners who want some both effective and fast, we think NexGard will be the better option. 

Overall, Credelio and NexGard offer great protection and prevention from flea and tick infestations in your dog. The efficacy of either brand is not up for debate, but we firmly believe that NexGard is the stronger competitor! 

With its FDA approval and fast-acting medicine, NexGard is the winner in our contest for the best pest protection for your four-legged friend.

Read Related Topic: Revolution vs Advantage Multi: Which One is Best?

3 thoughts on “Credelio vs NexGard: Which One is Best?”

  1. Kathleen Belanger

    Personally, Credelio for my dogs worked 100% better than Nexgard. I had my dogs on Credelio for 2 years, switched to Nexgard and regretted it as I never had so many ticks on me from my dogs.

  2. One thing that you didnt compare is price. Credelio plus is an awesome price. Also its a bit unfair to say its recommended by vets when credelio plus is so new…my own ver mentioned credelio plus to me and i had already seen it advertised.
    Also i think a big con of nextguard is 24 hours to kill ticks.
    One of my decisions was based on weight…with a dog 35 kg snd one sitting on 40…the weight range seemed to go a little higher with credelio plus and suited my growing puppy also in weight range…11 kg still s pup…22 fully grown. And only around 80 for s 6 pack.

  3. I’ve been using NexGard for a couple of years on my large (90#) dog. It seems to work relatively well; however, I’ve found fleas on my dog throughout the year. He wasn’t infested with fleas but it didn’t kill them all for some reason either. He carried them indoors, definitely not good! My dog remains in my fenced in yard that has only manicured grass, no weeds. I take him for walks in a large (10 acre) mowed sports-complex field, again, no weeds or shrubbery. So NexGard is not fully effective in my case. I’m trying Credelio this year. It states Credelio kills fleas 100%, NexGard does not claim this.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top