Parenting a dog comes with a world of responsibilities. From taking care of their health to providing them with nutritious food, there is a lot to be taken care of. However, one of the most crucial responsibilities as a dog parent is to protect your dog from internal and external parasites by using effective parasite preventives. If you’re new to dog parenthood and don’t know which products to go for, don’t worry, as we’re here to help. In this blog, we will shed light on two popular parasite preventives for dogs – Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus. We will also draw an in-depth comparison between the two treatments to help you choose the most appropriate one for yourself.
Let’s get started!
Simparica Trio & NexGard Plus – A Quick Glance
Let’s take a quick glance at the key features of Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus.
Simparica Trio
Simparica Trio comes in the form of a flavored chew indicated for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis. It is also indicated for the treatment and control of roundworms and hookworms. The treatment further kills adult fleas and treats and prevents flea infestations. Additionally, it treats and controls tick infestations caused by lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, American Dog ticks, black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, and Asian long-horned ticks. The treatment helps prevent Lyme disease by killing black-legged ticks. It is designed for monthly administration and caters to dogs and puppies from 8 weeks of age, weighing at least 2.8 lbs. It also prevents flea tapeworm (Dipylidiumcaninum) by killing fleas.
NexGard Plus
Available in the form of beef-flavored, soft chews, NexGard Plus is formulated for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis. It also treats and controls hookworm and roundworm infections. The treatment, further, kills adult fleas and treats and controls flea infestations. Additionally, it treats and controls tick infestations caused by black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, American dog ticks, lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, and long-horned ticks. The treatment also prevents Lyme disease by killing black-legged ticks. It offers monthly protection and is suitable for dogs and puppies from 8 weeks of age, weighing at least 4 lbs.
Simparica Trio & NexGard Plus – Similarities & Differences
Let’s take a look at the similarities and differences between Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus.
Similarities:
- Both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus come in the form of highly palatable, flavored chews.
- Both treatments are indicated to protect against heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis.
- Both products kill adult fleas and treat and control flea infestations.
- Both of them treat and control tick infestation caused by lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, American dog ticks, black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, and Asian longhorned ticks.
- Both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus protect against hookworms and roundworms.
- Both protect dogs against Lyme disease as a direct result of killing black-legged ticks.
- Both treatments offer protection for one month.
- Both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus are suitable for dogs and puppies from 8 weeks of age.
- The safe use of both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs.
Differences:
- While Simparica Trio is suitable for dogs and puppies weighing from 2.8 lbs, NexGard Plus is designed for canines weighing at least 4 lbs.
- Simparica Trio is composed of sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel as its active ingredients. NexGard Plus, on the other hand, features afoxolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel as its active ingredients.
Simparica Trio vs. NexGard Plus – A Detailed Analysis
Here’s a detailed comparison between the key features of Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I administer both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus at the same time?
Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus shouldn’t be used concurrently, asboth products contain Moxidectin and Pyrantel as active ingredients for fleas and ticks. Combining them can lead to an overdose and severe adverse reactions.
Q2. Do Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus cover tapeworms?
Neither Simparica Trio nor NexGard Plus is designed to treat tapeworm infestation.
Q3. Is it safe to switch from Simparica Trio to NexGard Plus?
While it is safe to switch from Simparica Trio to NexGard Plus, it is recommended to seek your vet’s advice to avoid gaps in coverage.
Q4. What are the ingredients of Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus?
Simparica Trio is composed of sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel as its active ingredients. NexGard Plus, on the other hand, features afoxolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel as its active ingredients.
Parting Words
Both Simparica Trio and NexGard Plus are vet-recommended parasite preventives indicated for the protection against several internal and external parasites. However, they have unique compositions, and weight criteria.
Both the treatments provide protection against heartworms, fleas, ticks (lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, American dog ticks, black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, and Asian longhorned ticks), hookworms and roundworms. However, you need to ensure that your dog meets the age and weight requirements mentioned on product labels.
