Beaphar Fiprotec Spot on for Dogs

Beaphar put a number on the thing everybody gets wrong: 95% of the flea lifecycle is in the home, not on the animal. Which means the fleas you can see are the small visible fraction, and treating only the dog leaves the overwhelming majority of the problem sitting in your carpet waiting to hatch.

FIPROtec Spot-On contains fipronil, the well-known active ingredient, and Beaphar describe it as a veterinary strength medicine to control fleas and ticks. They state it kills fleas for up to five weeks and ticks for up to four. This pack is six treatments, sized for dogs from 8 weeks of age weighing 10 to 20kg. Beaphar's own advice is to keep a regular routine for both pet and home, and to use a household insecticide alongside it when actually tackling a problem.

• Six treatments per pack
• For dogs weighing 10–20kg
• Contains fipronil
• Beaphar state: fleas up to five weeks, ticks up to four
• Suitable for dogs from 8 weeks of age

Treating the dog is 5% of the job. That is Beaphar's own figure and it is the most useful sentence on the packaging — a household insecticide, hot-washed bedding and thorough hoovering are what deal with the rest. Note also that this is the plain FIPROtec rather than the COMBO: it kills adult fleas and ticks, while the COMBO version adds a growth regulator that stops eggs and larvae developing indoors. It is a licensed veterinary medicine sized by bodyweight — weigh your dog, use the leaflet, and speak to your vet or pharmacist if they are on other medication, unwell, or if there are cats in the house.

Who it's for: owners of a dog in the 10 to 20kg band keeping up a regular flea and tick routine.