How does Bravecto work on ticks for dogs? - briefly
Bravecto is an oral chew that delivers fluralaner systemically, maintaining effective plasma concentrations for up to 12 weeks. When a tick attaches and feeds, fluralaner blocks the parasite’s GABA‑gated chloride channels, leading to rapid paralysis and death.
How does Bravecto work on ticks for dogs? - in detail
Bravecto contains the isoxazoline compound fluralaner, a systemic ectoparasiticide that targets the nervous system of ticks. After oral administration or topical application, the drug is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and distributes into the skin and hair follicles, where it remains at therapeutic concentrations for up to 12 weeks.
When a tick attaches and begins to feed, it ingests blood that already contains fluralaner. The molecule binds selectively to γ‑aminobutyric acid (GABA)‑gated chloride channels and glutamate‑gated chloride channels in the tick’s nerve cells. By blocking these channels, the drug disrupts inhibitory neurotransmission, causing uncontrolled neuronal firing, paralysis, and death. The effect appears within 8–12 hours of tick attachment, a timeframe that precedes the typical period required for most tick‑borne pathogens to be transmitted (generally >24 hours).
Key points of the action mechanism:
- Absorption and persistence: systemic delivery ensures constant drug levels in plasma and skin; efficacy lasts for 12 weeks per dose.
- Target receptors: high affinity for arthropod GABA and glutamate receptors; negligible activity at mammalian equivalents, providing a wide safety margin.
- Speed of kill: 95–100 % of attached ticks eliminated within 12 hours, interrupting the feeding process before pathogen transmission.
- Species coverage: effective against Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and other common canine tick species.
- Metabolism and excretion: primarily hepatic metabolism; metabolites excreted in feces and urine, with no accumulation in tissues.
Laboratory studies report >99 % efficacy against adult ticks after a single dose, with comparable results for nymphs and larvae when they feed on treated dogs. The selective mode of action, prolonged residence time, and rapid tick kill together provide reliable protection against tick infestations and associated diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.