Credelio for Dogs and Cats: Tick & Flea Protection

Keeping your dog and cat free of fleas and ticks is not just a kind thing to do, it can potentially save them (and you!) from infectious diseases that fleas and ticks carry. Considering that fleas and ticks are active year round in many areas of the U.S., it is important to have a good flea and tick control strategy.

Read on to learn more about Credelio for dogs and Credelio for cats, two highly effective prescription tick and flea protection products for pets.

What Is Credelio for Dogs and Cats?

The active ingredient in Credelio for dogs and cats is lotilaner. Lotilaner falls under a newer class of external parasite control products called isoxazolines. It is deadly to ticks and fleas. The FDA approved Credelio for use in dogs in 2018 and for use in cats in 2021 as the first oral flea and tick treatment for cats.

Lotilaner is not available as a generic — it is only available as a brand-name drug made by Elanco. Pet parents can buy this product from veterinarians and online pharmacies across the United States. 

What Does It Look Like?

Credelio is a small, light brown chewable tablet that comes in blister packs. This medication is only available in tablet form. 

What Is Credelio Used For in Dogs and Cats?

Credelio is an oral medication prescribed to kill fleas and ticks on dogs and cats. 

Credelio for dogs offers protection against four types of ticks: the lone star tick, American dog tick, black-legged tick, and brown dog tick. It is suitable for puppies and dogs 8 weeks of age or older who weigh 4.4 pounds or greater. It starts killing fleas and ticks (Ixodes ricinus species) on dogs within four hours (1). In a well-controlled U.S. study, Credelio killed 100 percent of fleas on dogs within 12 hours after administration and for up to 35 days after administration (2).

Credelio for cats starts killing fleas on cats (8 weeks and older weighing 2 pounds or greater) within six hours. It also protects against black-legged ticks (deer ticks) — the most prevalent tick species in cats in the U.S. — in cats 6 months and older (3). (Its effectiveness against black-legged ticks in kittens less than 6 months old has not been evaluated.)

Fleas and ticks are not just a nuisance, these parasites can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, plague, tapeworms, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Several of these diseases can also infect humans, making it doubly important to protect your pets against external parasites like fleas and ticks. In addition, some dogs and cats have flea bite allergies. The bite of just one flea can cause them to feel itchy enough to tear their hair out and create hot spots. 

In addition to external parasites like fleas and ticks, pets are at risk for internal parasites, some of which can be transmitted to humans (like hookworms and roundworms). If you have a dog, you can pair Credelio with Interceptor Plus—which protects against five major worms—to provide broad-spectrum parasite protection for your pup. Your veterinarian may recommend using both of these products together.

How Does Credelio Work?

Credelio kills fleas and ticks by inhibiting specific receptors in their neurological system. These neurological receptors are different from receptors in dogs and cats. The medication works fast because it is quickly absorbed into the blood. So exactly how fast does Credelio work? It starts to kill ticks (l. ricinus) and fleas in only four hours.

But does Credelio kill flea eggs too? Credelio kills fleas before they have a chance to lay eggs (which takes anywhere between 24-36 hours after a female flea has her first blood meal). So while Credelio does not kill flea eggs, the medication prevents fleas from laying eggs. This breaks the flea life cycle in the pet’s environment.

One of the perks of Credelio is that since it is an oral product and not topical, bathing your pet is not suspected to have any impact on its efficacy or how long it provides protection. 

How to Give Credelio to Dogs and Cats

Credelio for dogs is a tasty beef-flavored tablet given by mouth (orally). This product is gluten free. However, Credelio chewable tablets for dogs contain flavoring made with pork liver, soy, barley, wheat, and lactose. Consult your veterinarian before giving this medication to your pet if they have food allergies.

Credelio chewable tablets for cats have a vanilla and yeast scent and flavor that is designed to appeal to cats. In a U.S. field study, 99.5 percent of cat parents successfully administered this oral medication to their pet (4).

The manufacturer does not recommend splitting the tablets for dosing, as they are not scored for splitting. There are a wide range of dosages available for different pet weights.

You must give Credelio with food or within 30 minutes of feeding your pet to assure it gets absorbed completely from the intestinal tract. If your pet won’t readily eat it, you can place the tablet in their mouth. Pets can chew it or swallow it whole. You can try offering the tablet wrapped in a pill pocket, stuffed in a piece of hot dog, or covered in a small amount of peanut butter, canned food, or spray cheese.

There are no efficacy studies available for crushing the tablet or adding it to water, but many veterinary professionals have reported success with doing that with picky pets. 

Credelio Comparison

Credelio is widely used and accepted within the veterinary community as a safe, effective way to control fleas and ticks in dogs and cats. As a veterinarian, I have prescribed Credelio to my dog patients with success and client satisfaction. 

Many pet parents also ask how Credelio for dogs compares to other oral flea and tick products like Nexgard, Bravecto, and Simparica. Here is a comparison chart:

	Credelio	Nexgard	Bravecto	Simparica
Active ingredient	Lotilaner	Afoxolaner	Fluralaner	Sarolaner
Form	Beef-flavored chewable tablet	Beef-flavored chew	Flavored chew	Liver-flavored chewable tablet
Length of protection	1 month	1 month	12 weeks (lone star tick only 8 weeks)	35 days
Kills fleas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kills ticks	Yes (lone star tick, American dog tick, black-legged tick, and brown dog tick)	Yes (lone star tick, American dog tick, black-legged tick, and brown dog tick)	Yes (black-legged tick, American dog tick, brown dog tick, lone star tick)	Yes (lone star tick, American dog tick, black-legged tick, brown dog tick and Gulf Coast tick)
Effectiveness	Begins to kill ticks* and fleas within 4 hours (*Ixodes ricinus)	Kills fleas within 8 hours and ticks within 48 hours	Starts killing fleas within 2 hours and kills ticks (Ixodes ricinus) within 12 hours	Starts killing fleas within 3 hours and ticks within 8 hours

Credelio CAT is the only oral tick and flea medication for cats available on the market. There are other oral flea medicines for cats, such as Comfortis or Capstar, but they don’t offer tick coverage.

Credelio Side Effects

Credelio contains lotilaner, a member of the isoxazoline class. This drug class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions in some animals that include tremors, incoordination, and seizures. So is Credelio safe for dogs and cats? Even with the reported reactions, the FDA considers approved isoxazoline products to be safe and effective for dogs and cats. As with any drug, there is a slight chance for adverse effects.

Use this product with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or other neurological problems. In general, the most frequently reported adverse reactions of Credelio in dogs include weight loss, increased urination, elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, and diarrhea.

If you have a dog with medical conditions or have other concerns, ask your veterinarian if Credelio is right for your dog. 

Use Credelio CAT with caution in cats with a history of neurological disorders. In general, the most frequently reported adverse reactions of Credelio in cats include weight loss, rapid breathing, and vomiting.

If you have a cat with medical conditions or have other concerns, ask your veterinarian if this product is right for your pet.

This medication has not been studied for use in breeding animals. If your dog or cat is pregnant or nursing, talk to your veterinarian before administering. 

Credelio Dosage for Dogs and Cats

Give Credelio for dogs orally once a month according to your dog’s weight: 

• 4.4-6.0 lbs: 56.25 mg (1 tablet)
• 6.1-12.0 lbs: 112.5 mg (1 tablet)
• 12.1-25 lbs: 225 mg (1 tablet)
• 25.1-50 lbs: 450 mg (1 tablet)
• 50.1-100 lbs: 900 mg (1 tablet)
• Greater than 100 pounds: Administer the appropriate combination of chewable tablets

Give Credelio for cats orally once a month according to your cat’s weight: 

• 2.0-4.0 lbs: 12 mg (1 tablet)
• 4.1-17.0 lbs: 48 mg (1 tablet)
• Over 17 lbs: Administer the appropriate combination of chewable tablets

Cost

The cost of Credelio depends on your pet’s weight, your geographical location, and whether you purchase it through your local veterinary clinic. In general, Credelio costs $15-$20 per month for dogs and $8-$10 per month for cats. 

Storage Instructions

According to the label, you must store Credelio tablets at 59-77 degrees Fahrenheit. Temporary periods of time outside of this range, 41-104 degrees Fahrenheit, are permitted. Store out of reach of pets to prevent accidental overdose.

Where to Buy Credelio

Interested in purchasing Credelio for dogs or cats? Check to see if this medication is available on your veterinarian’s online pharmacy. You can’t buy Credelio without vet prescription.

References

1. Your Pet & You. https://yourpetandyou.elanco.com/us/our-products/credelio-for-dogs
2. Head-to-head study. https://assets.elanco.com/0cec44ed-3eaa-0009-2029-666567e7e4de/66c61ad5-c051-459e-91d4-0c8168529a34/PM-US-23-1752.pdf
3. MyElanco. https://my.elanco.com/us/credelio-cat
4. Chappell K, Paarlberg T, Seewald W, et al. A randomized, controlled field study to assess the efficacy and safety of lotilaner flavored chewable tablets (Credelio™ CAT) in eliminating fleas in client-owned cats in the USA. Parasite Vector. 2021;14:127.