Fleas and ticks are scary pests to spot on our dogs. Not only because of their potential to spread to our other pets and in our homes, but also because they carry the threat of disease.
We reviewed some of the best flea shampoos for dogs on the market today.
Some shampoos have ingredients that target and kill fleas, ticks, and lice while others use fragrances that repel these parasitic creatures.
We know getting the best flea shampoo is important because ticks and fleas cause serious issues.
They’ll irritate our dog’s skin to the point of becoming chronic and painful. We don’t want that to happen to you or your furry friend!
Here’s a look at the top 6 best flea shampoos for dogs.
Read our related article, How Much Tea Tree Oil to Add to Dog Shampoo? Try this natural remedy for fleas and ticks!
Our Top Picks
| Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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Best Overall: Veterinary Formula – Clinical Care Antiparasitic & Antiseborrheic Medicated Dog Shampoo | This shampoo is pH-balanced, paraben-free, and doesn’t contain any harsh soaps. This flea shampoo treats flaky and inflamed skin and coat issues and won’t wash away topical flea and tick treatment. | Check Price |
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Best for Tick and Flea Prevention: PetArmor Plus – Flea And Tick Protection Oatmeal Shampoo For Dogs | This shampoo kills fleas within 24 hours and ticks within 72 hours. The flea-repelling scent lasts for at least 30 days after use. It’s safe for all dogs over 12 weeks of age. | Check Price |
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Best for Fast Results: Advantage – Flea And Tick Treatment Shampoo For Dogs And Puppies | Not only does this shampoo kill fleas and ticks on contact, but it can be used on puppies and adult dogs. This flea shampoo also kills lice and other common skin parasites. | Check Price |
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Best for Soothing Our Dog’s Skin: Burt’s Bees – Natural Oatmeal Shampoo For Dogs | This shampoo is a great combination of effective and soothing. We get to pamper our dogs without any unnecessary chemicals. It has a natural scent that repels fleas and ticks and nourishes your dog’s skin! | Check Price |
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Best Option for Pain Relief: TropiClean – Natural Flea & Tick Relief Dog Shampoo | Give your dog soothing relief from flea and tick irritation along with a citrus aroma that helps anxious dogs relax. This flea shampoo uses natural ingredients. | Check Price |
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Best Budget-Friendly Option: Arm & Hammer – Kiwi Blossom Scented Super Deodorizing Shampoo For Dogs | This shampoo is safe to use with topical flea and tick medications. Arm & Hammer deodorizing baking soda helps eliminate unpleasant scents and is pH-balanced for dogs of most life stages. | Check Price |
How We Chose the Best Flea Shampoos for Dogs
We narrowed our search by considering the top brands in pet and dog care.
We had a clear focus on shampoos that are effective with ingredients that are safe for our dogs.
We wanted the best shampoos that stop and prevent fleas, along with other benefits for our dogs.
To understand just how vital eliminating flea infestations are, check out this guide on How Dangerous are Fleas?
Veterinarian recommendations made the brand Veterinary Formula a clear candidate in our search for the best flea shampoo.
With veterinary-grade ingredients, we knew this was a brand worth considering.
Another well-known brand is Advantage. They offer a wide variety of flea and tick treatments for dogs.
We knew this brand would be a reliable flea shampoo for our dogs and had to put it to the test.
Two entries that were a bit of a surprise were Burt’s Bees and Arm & Hammer. It’s clear that Burt’s Bees isn’t just lip balm anymore.
Now we can give our dogs the same natural care we give ourselves.
Arm & Hammer was a surprise because they’re known for their baking soda cleaning products.
However, they gave us an affordable option in our search for the best flea shampoo.
We scoured the internet for brands and shampoos that dog owners were happy with.
This included a thorough search of popular shopping sites for dog products such as Amazon and Chewy.
We were able to find the 6 best flea shampoos by analyzing and scrutinizing this vast selection of products.
To find out if your dog is showing signs of a flea infestation, read this article on How to Spot the Signs of Fleas.
Now let’s jump into our best flea shampoos for dogs reviews!
Best Flea Shampoos for Dogs Reviewed
1. Best Overall: Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiparasitic & Antiseborrheic Medicated Dog Shampoo
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 3/5 |
| Soothing | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 4/5 |
| Quality | 5/5 |
Liquid Volume: 16 Oz | Scent: Coconut | Brand: Veterinary Formula | Special Ingredients: Vitamin E | Dogs Age Range: Small to Large Breeds Over 12 Weeks
What We Liked
- Treats a variety of skin and coat issues along with ticks and fleas
- Doesn’t trigger skin itch or other common reactions
- Works with tick and flea medications and won’t wash them away
What We Didn’t Like
- Somewhat expensive compared to other options
- Has powerful ingredients we have to be extra careful not to get it in our dog’s eyes
This antiparasitic and antiseborrheic medicated shampoo from Veterinary Formula takes our top spot for the best flea shampoos for dogs.
It treats a wide range of common skin and coat issues, including tick and flea infestations.
It contains veterinarian-grade ingredients that are both safe and effective.
This flea treatment is pH-balanced and free from harmful dyes and detergents, meaning that it treats the cause of your dog’s discomfort without drying the skin and causing further irritation.
This medicated shampoo will help destroy other harmful parasites, such as ringworms and mites, which is helpful if your dog suffers from mange and mite-related skin inflammation.
This best flea shampoo for dogs helps treat the cause of our dog’s itchiness and flaking skin while simultaneously soothing it with salicylic acid.
This acts as an effective anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredient. Oatmeal and allantoin help to hydrate our dog’s skin, which is beneficial for the healing process.
Overall, this is a fantastic product for dogs with a tick or flea infestation.
This brand is so trusted by veterinarians and professional groomers that we had to lock it in as our number one spot!
2. Best for Tick and Flea Prevention: PetArmor Plus – Flea and Tick Protection Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 3/5 |
| Soothing | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 3/5 |
| Quality | 5/5 |
Liquid Volume: 18 Oz | Scent: Tropical | Brand: PetArmor | Special Ingredients: Oatmeal | Dogs Age Range: Small to Large Breeds Over 12 Weeks
What We Liked
- Works extremely fast to target fleas and ticks
- Affordable price
- Smells great and helps clean skin and coat
What We Didn’t Like
- The bottle is a little bit smaller than what you get with other brands
- It needs to be shaken before use so be careful that the lid doesn’t open while shaking the bottle
With one wash, our dog experienced protection that lasted up to 7 full days. In many cases, the flea-repelling smell of this best flea shampoo for dogs will last a full month!
Not only does this best flea shampoo for dogs kill fleas, ticks, flea eggs, and flea larvae, but it repels mosquitoes. This was helpful since our test dog lives near water.
We were happy that it worked as an effective treatment for fleas and ticks.
We were surprised that it works great as a regular shampoo, deodorizing and conditioning our dog’s coat, as well as removing flea dirt, dander, and trapped grease.
The Hawaiian ginger fragrance smells great and lasts long. If your dog tends to carry that yeasty, wet-dog smell, a few washes with this PetArmor Flea and Tick Shampoo can help.
As an added bonus, it contains oatmeal extract. This helps to soothe and moisturize our dog’s skin.
This can counter the itchiness and skin inflammation that can occur after our dogs have experienced a flea infestation.
Overall, it’s an excellent tick and flea preventative that doubles as an effective and fresh-scented dog shampoo.
3. Best for Fast Results: Advantage – Flea and Tick Treatment Shampoo for Dogs and Puppies
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 2/5 |
| Soothing | 3/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 3/5 |
| Quality | 4/5 |
Liquid Volume: 8 Oz | Scent: Unscented | Brand: Advantage | Special Ingredients: Insecticide | Dogs Age Range: Small to Large Breeds Over 12 Weeks
What We Liked
- Kills flea eggs, larvae, and adult fleas
- Kills lice and mites
- Can be used on puppies
What We Didn’t Like
- Doesn’t smell as good as other brands
- The liquid was more watery than other brands
When you discover a flea or tick infestation on your dog, you want to treat the issue before it spreads to your home.
This Flea and Tick Treatment Shampoo from Advantage is an excellent option.
Not only does this best flea shampoo for dogs kill fleas and ticks on contact, but it eliminates their eggs and larvae.
Those pests won’t have the opportunity to spread to furniture, carpets, or clothing.
The truth is, it’s actually the eggs they lay after feeding on our dog’s blood that cause the infestation in our homes.
These incredibly small eggs drop from your dog’s fur into our homes and if they land on soft and warm surfaces, such as carpets, sofas, or beds, they’ll hatch and become flea larvae.
This is why it’s so important to choose a tick and flea shampoo that actually kills the eggs along with the adult fleas.
Luckily, this medicated shampoo kills the eggs and larvae on contact.
It also kills lice and mites on contact. This medicated shampoo is the perfect option for anyone that suspects their canine companion might be carrying a parasite in their coat.
4. Best for Soothing Our Dog’s Skin: Burt’s Bees – Natural Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 4/5 |
| Soothing | 5/5 |
| Effectiveness | 3/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 4/5 |
| Quality | 3/5 |
Liquid Volume: 16 Oz | Scent: Unscented | Brand: Burt’ Bees | Special Ingredients: Oatmeal | Dogs Age Range: All Dogs and Puppies
What We Liked
- Effectively soothes the skin and nourishes the coat
- Natural ingredients that won’t trigger an allergic reaction
- Safe for dogs of all ages
What We Didn’t Like
- Doesn’t kill fleas and ticks on contact
- It doesn’t lather up as much as other shampoos
While we might be more familiar with Burt’s Bees as the brand behind the popular beeswax lip balms, face washes, and lotions, they’ve recently branched out into the pet care industry.
This best flea shampoo for dogs isn’t designed to kill fleas and ticks, but it can act as an effective repellent.
The fresh scent tends to be off-putting to biting insects such as ticks, mites, and fleas.
Best of all, Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Dog Shampoo was designed to clean and nourish the fur. It simultaneously soothes and hydrates the skin and coat.
This is why the formula contains natural and gentle ingredients, like colloidal oatmeal, green tea extract, honey, and beeswax.
This is a great option to use on dogs after a tick or flea infestation has been taken care of.
In many cases, the dog’s skin will be itchy, inflamed, and painful after they have been bitten by fleas and ticks.
Using a dog shampoo that’s designed to soothe the itchy skin with natural ingredients is a great way to get dogs back to looking and feeling their best.
5. Best Option for Pain Relief: TropiClean – Natural Flea & Tick Relief Dog Shampoo
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 3/5 |
| Soothing | 4/5 |
| Effectiveness | 3/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 5/5 |
| Quality | 5/5 |
Liquid Volume: 20 Oz | Scent: Neem and Citrus | Brand: TropiClean | Special Ingredients: Neem Oil and Orange Extract | Dogs Age Range: All Dogs and Puppies
What We Liked
- One of the best-smelling dog shampoos we tried
- Affordable price
- Made in the United States
What We Didn’t Like
- Relieves flea and tick-related itch, rather than actually killing them
- The bottle isn’t sealed well and can leak if not handled carefully
This best flea shampoo for dogs was specifically designed to offer fast and effective relief from tick and flea bites.
If our dogs have recently suffered from a flea infestation, this shampoo can help make them feel much better.
Not only does it treat the skin and offer much-needed relief, but it also removes excess oils or debris buildup from the coat and skin.
This promotes healthy fur growth and helps damaged skin heal.
If your dog tends to have smelly fur, the natural citrus scent will make sure their coat smells better than ever.
As with all of TropiClean’s dog shampoos, this formula is made in the U.S. from only the highest-quality ingredients.
We knew we were buying a product we could trust with this one!
6. Best Budget-friendly Option: Arm & Hammer – Kiwi Blossom Scented Super Deodorizing Shampoo for Dogs
Product Ratings
| Affordability | 5/5 |
| Soothing | 3/5 |
| Effectiveness | 3/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 5/5 |
| Quality | 3/5 |
Liquid Volume: 20 Oz | Scent: Kiwi | Brand: Arm & Hammer | Special Ingredients: Baking Soda | Dogs Age Range: Dogs and Puppies 8 Weeks and Older
What We Liked
- No harmful ingredients and doesn’t dry out dogs’ skin
- Smells great
- Affordable
- Effective at repelling fleas and ticks
What We Didn’t Like
- Doesn’t kill ticks and fleas
- Scent doesn’t last as long as other brands
- Not made in the US
Most of us are familiar with the Arm & Hammer brand.
It has an outstanding reputation for offering effective, baking soda-based odor control products at affordable prices.
Luckily for us dog owners, it now offers an odor-absorbing dog shampoo that will gently clean our dogs and leave them smelling and looking their best!
This best flea shampoo for dogs combines the advanced odor-controlling properties of baking soda with the refreshing scent of kiwi blossoms.
Not only will it absorb and wash away the stinky odors that can get trapped inside our dog’s fur, but the fresh scent is designed to last.
Unlike lower-quality dog shampoos, this best flea shampoo for dogs won’t reduce the effectiveness of any topical flea or tick treatments that our dogs are currently on.
Best of all, the fresh scent of baking soda and kiwi blossoms can help repel future flea infestations and acts as a natural tick repellent.
Overall, it’s an excellent, budget-friendly option when looking for an effective dog shampoo that can help keep your dog free from fleas and ticks.
Comparison Chart
| Products | Best Overall | Best For Tick and Flea Prevention | Best For Fast Results | Best For Soothing Our Dog’s Skin | Best For Pain Relief | Best Budget-friendly Option |
| Overall Rating | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Affordability | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
| Soothing | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Effectiveness | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Volume Per Bottle | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Quality | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
The Winner
We decided that the Veterinary Formula – Clinical Care Antiparasitic Medicated Dog Shampoo was our number one pick out of the 6 best flea shampoos for dogs we tried.
It comes with a veterinary recommendation, veterinary grade ingredients, and treats common skin and coat issues along with tick and flea infestations.
Its effectiveness and healing support make it our top choice for the best flea shampoo.
For more protection from fleas check out this guide on choosing the right flea collar: The Best Flea Collars That Work to Protect Your Dog!
How to Choose the Best Flea Shampoo
Consider Your Dog’s Needs
The urgency of the situation is one of the most important things to consider.
Consider factors such as if there is a current flea infestation, whether your dog is in pain, if you need to eliminate odor, or if your goal is prevention rather than getting rid of fleas after the fact.
This will have the most effect on choosing which flea shampoo is right for our dog.
What Environment are You Living in?
The area we live can determine how much our dog is at risk for fleas, ticks, or other parasitic insects.
If we know the environment around our home is known for these issues, then prevention may be our priority when choosing the best flea shampoo.
Now if we come to find out that fleas are a serious danger in the area we live in, a flea killer for our yard may be a great addition to our dog’s care.
This is another serious choice, so be sure to stop by our guide to the Best Flea Killer for Yards: Top Picks That Really Work!
Ingredients
Knowing any allergies our dog may have can help in choosing the best flea shampoo.
Be sure to read the product labels carefully and avoid any ingredients that you know your dog is allergic to.
There are some ingredients that some dog owners prefer more than others, whether that’s because they want something more natural or something powerful enough to quickly kill fleas and ticks.
Knowing what ingredients you’re looking for is important when choosing the best flea shampoo for your dog.
Your Dog’s Age
Some flea shampoos are meant for dogs past a certain age while others are okay to use on puppies.
Considering your dog’s age can help you make the right decision for the best flea shampoo.
