Summer is here! Let's talk flea and tick control

[Heidi9771]

We let my three cats outide occasionaly and they need some flea and tick repellent as I caught a tick on one of my dear sweetest kitties.

What do you use? Advantage Plus was recommended but my a friend's vet who owns a dog says that the Hartz version is a fraction of the cost and to use that....couldn't find one for cats.

I'd love to find something more economical that Frontline as it would be about $40 a month )3 applications in a box/3 kitties.

[mrs_pell]

I'd love to give you some advice, but right now, we've tried EVERYTHING and nothing's working for us! We are having TERRIBLE problems with ticks on our dog. She's not even an outdoor dog. She goes out to do her business and comes right back in. I bet you we pull about 20/week off of her!!! :eek: It's HORRIBLE! We've tried Advantix, Frontline and a few others that the vet has recommended. We're at our wit's end. I think we need to fog the house and yard. We never find any on our cat (or us, thank goodness!!).

so, I'm definitely subscribing to this thread. I'll be interested in any advice that you get!

[Stephanie]

I just had to add that I am not really bothered by most things. I'm not a fan of spiders, but I'll kill them and whatnot. Snakes and all those things aren't a big deal, either, but ticks absolutely disgust me!! My dog picks them up every now and then when we are on a walk and I make my husband yank them off. I can't do it! They creep me out. I guess it's the same as how some feel about spiders. LOL!

[jesvet]

The best ones are Advantage, Advantix (dogs only), Frontline, and Revolution (also a heartworm preventive so a prescription is required.)

Hartz is a topical pesticide that can also affect dogs, cats (ESPECIALLY cats), and people. The others listed are specific to insects so are not harmful to us or our pets. Also, they work a lot better- this is proven both by studies and anecdotal evidence. If you don't have a major flea problem, you may be able to get away with Hartz, but most people I know end up switching to Advantage, etc.

Hartz for cats is getting pulled from the market (google 'Hartz recall' or www.hartzvictims.org) due to a high percentage of cats developing seizures, comas, or death due to pyrethroid toxicity,

If you are using Advantage or Frontline religiously and still have a flea problem, a few things to consider:
1. Are you applying it correctly? Part the hair and apply directly to skin in 2-4 regions down the back, depending on the size of the dog. Make sure to squeeze all the product out and not let it get sucked back into the tube.
2. I recommend applying it the day after a bath. The companies claim it lasts through washings, but if your pet swims a lot or is bathed frequently (especially with medicated shampoos) application may need to be more frequent that once a month.
3. Are all pets in the house treated?
4. Are you treating the environment? The flea life cycle involves a larval stage that lives off the pet. Flea larvae can remain dormant in carpets and upholstery for months, and are triggered my motion- people walking by. Vacuum with a filter, use flea bombs or carpet powder, vacuum the upholstery, consider a professional service.
5. Where did you buy your flea products? They are only supposed to be sold by licensed veterinarians, so if you bought it from an over-the-counter petstore or online, you may be getting expired or counterfeit product. One client of mine complained repeatedly that her Advantage didn't work. When she called Bayer and gave them the serial number, she found out the product was a very clever fake.

If it still isn't working, geez, that stinks!

[Scooter]

So far we're having great success with Frontline. Advantage wasn't a good choice for us because my parents have cats (I think it was Advantix maybe :confused: ). If you pet a dog who's been treated by that and then touch a cat, it can actually kill the cat. Something to do with enzymes being created that a cat can't break down, is how someone explained it to me. Don't quote me on that, I just know it's dangerous for cats & says so on the box.

When you are looking at the different boxes, be sure to get the one that says it's ok for cats.

[boilermaker]

jesvet, I have a question in regards to your post. We have a pretty large golden retriever who swims A LOT. I have never found fleas on him and only a tick here and there after camping in the woods. We use frontline once a month. Should I be using it more often? I haven't seen a problem but I'd hate to get one!

Also, do we need to flea protect our cat if she is only indoors? The dog goes out, so if by chance he brought something in, I guess she would be exposed. But does frontlining the dog take care of it?

Thanks!!

[eli1126]

We were given the Advatage for cats for Beau and Belle because the vet said she saw flea dirt :confused: They are strictly indoor kittens because of where we live, but I think even if we did live in a country area I still would keep them inside. This may be OT, but is anyone really sensitive to fleas? My parents had a dog that at the begining of every summer used to get fleas really bad. They would bite the heck out of me, but DH wouldn't even notice them :confused: Are there people who are more sensitive then others to fleas?

Beth

[jesvet]

boilermaker- Frontline claims to be waterproof; if you aren't seeing any fleas you should be good to go. An occasional tick is OK, Frontline doesn't repel them per se so they still jump on, but they are killed before they 'attach'. Unless you had a major flea problem, which it sounds like you don't, I think you're OK skipping the cat.

eli-There definitely are dogs who are flea allergic, so one bite can send them over the edge. I imagine it is the same for people. Flea dirt= flea feces (I know, gross). If you keep them strictly inside, once they are treated you can probably just do it as needed.

[eli1126]

Orginally posted by: jesvet: Flea dirt= flea feces (I know, gross).

Yikes! Flea dirt just sounds so much better :D

Beth

[boilermaker]

Thanks jesvet!!!

[skyblu]

The rookie dog owner (me) has a ton of questions about this as well!

Jesvet (or anyone else who cares to answer), the lady who gave us Blue says she never treated him for fleas or ticks, because he never had any.

He doesn't have any right now, but since our yard is not that big, I take him out to the park to run around. I'm worried that he might pick some up there. Also, since his coat is so short and light-colored, she said that the one time when he got a tick (while vacationing in Maine) they saw it right away.

So, the question is, does one treat flea problems once they arise, or does one, as I am inclined to do, prevent it?

[pixiecat]

We live in the country & the pup plays all day in the field... so TONS of ticks here :eek: (strangely, never seen a flea!) We use Advantix and it works best when we use it consistently... I still try to catch him before he comes inside to check... don't want half dead ticks in the house!

Ticks are gross when they become engorged, otherwise they don't bother me any more than spiders...

[fuzzy]

So, the question is, does one treat flea problems once they arise, or does one, as I am inclined to do, prevent it?

May I suggest going the prevention route? :) My cats and I had a long battle with fleas many moons ago. It was easy (well, relatively easy) to get the fleas off the animal, but then I'd find 'em on my couch, in my bed, on the carpeting etc. etc. etc. So inevitably, someone would have fleas not long after they were treated (bathed, usually). Not to mention the buggers would bite me as I sat and watched TV or slept.

pixiecat -- we live in the country too and our dog spends hours out in the fields. What's the best way you've discovered to remove the ticks once you find them? We've tried oils, vasoline, nail polish, a match -- everything I can think of, but the ticks hang on like hell. I don't know if we are doing something wrong, or if we just have tenacious ticks around here.

[skyblu]

Thanks, Fuzzy! I tend to always prefer prevention, too! Will pick up some stuff at Petco tomorrow.

[Heidi9771]

The best ones are Advantage, Advantix (dogs only), Frontline, and Revolution (also a heartworm preventive so a prescription is required.)

Hartz is a topical pesticide that can also affect dogs, cats (ESPECIALLY cats), and people. The others listed are specific to insects so are not harmful to us or our pets. Also, they work a lot better- this is proven both by studies and anecdotal evidence. If you don't have a major flea problem, you may be able to get away with Hartz, but most people I know end up switching to Advantage, etc.

Hartz for cats is getting pulled from the market (google 'Hartz recall' or www.hartzvictims.org) due to a high percentage of cats developing seizures, comas, or death due to pyrethroid toxicity,

If you are using Advantage or Frontline religiously and still have a flea problem, a few things to consider:
1. Are you applying it correctly? Part the hair and apply directly to skin in 2-4 regions down the back, depending on the size of the dog. Make sure to squeeze all the product out and not let it get sucked back into the tube.
2. I recommend applying it the day after a bath. The companies claim it lasts through washings, but if your pet swims a lot or is bathed frequently (especially with medicated shampoos) application may need to be more frequent that once a month.
3. Are all pets in the house treated?
4. Are you treating the environment? The flea life cycle involves a larval stage that lives off the pet. Flea larvae can remain dormant in carpets and upholstery for months, and are triggered my motion- people walking by. Vacuum with a filter, use flea bombs or carpet powder, vacuum the upholstery, consider a professional service.
5. Where did you buy your flea products? They are only supposed to be sold by licensed veterinarians, so if you bought it from an over-the-counter petstore or online, you may be getting expired or counterfeit product. One client of mine complained repeatedly that her Advantage didn't work. When she called Bayer and gave them the serial number, she found out the product was a very clever fake.

If it still isn't working, geez, that stinks!

HOLY CRAP! (aren't I so eloquent?) I did not know that! Looks like it is Frontline Plus for us. More expensive...but seems to be the best option...and they only go out in the warmer months...

[pixiecat]

fuzzy - for the new ticks that haven't really "dug in," I just pull them straight out w/ my fingers (yuck, I know!). For ones that are stuck (or engorged) I twist counterclockwise from the base and they just come out. Although it sometimes takes a lot of twisting!

[Heidi9771]

FYI cat owners...I just got THE BEST deal on Frontline Plus for cats at https://www.drsfostersmith.com 6 appplications for $53! That is so much less than the evilier than tho Petco!

[smiles33]

I use Frontline Plus for my dog, though I tend to buy it on eBay. I do make sure it's the US version (as there are sellers selling packs intended for overseas markets) and find sellers with a long history of selling and good feedback. They are significantly cheaper, and I had just assumed these were wholesalers or people who work in vets' offices. Do they fakes look really good? Does anyone know?

The ones I've bought over the past year are all in sealed boxes, with the foilpack and they look exactly the same as the ones I buy from the vet....Now I'm worried they might be fake (though our boy hasn't had any fleas).

[Heidi9771]

I use Frontline Plus for my dog, though I tend to buy it on eBay. I do make sure it's the US version (as there are sellers selling packs intended for overseas markets) and find sellers with a long history of selling and good feedback. They are significantly cheaper, and I had just assumed these were wholesalers or people who work in vets' offices. Do they fakes look really good? Does anyone know?

The ones I've bought over the past year are all in sealed boxes, with the foilpack and they look exactly the same as the ones I buy from the vet....Now I'm worried they might be fake (though our boy hasn't had any fleas).
I checked out ebay too for the frontline plus for cats. There were some deals that seemed too good to be true, and the rest of the others weren't much less than retail. For the lower priced boxes, I was not confident enough in my ability to know the fakes from the real ones, so I just went with Drs foster and smith.

i am all up for a better deal though, so if anyone has any more info or experiences on how to spot a fake or what you need to know, I'd be interested in hearing that as well!

[jesvet]

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/petproduct.htm

Some info about counterfeit products and tips for identifying a fake. It can be challenging.

[Heidi9771]

What's the best way you've discovered to remove the ticks once you find them? We've tried oils, vasoline, nail polish, a match -- everything I can think of, but the ticks hang on like hell. I don't know if we are doing something wrong, or if we just have tenacious ticks around here.

FYI, I asked my vet this question. She said the best way to remove ticks is with a pair of tweezers. Get as close enough to the base and yank them off. It's okay if there are some pieces of the tick left- eventualy your pet's body will reject it.

She said heat/matches can sometimes make it worse, inciting the tick to dig in deeper.

[smiles33]

Thanks, jesvet as I actually already saw that site, as one of the eBay sellers links to it in his/her auctions. But they don't show examples of what the fakes look like. The boxes I've received meet all these criteria, so I think they're authentic.

Heidi9771 I don't bid on the absurdly cheap auctions (the ones that are $50 for a year's supply or something!), but other than that, I rely on helpful descriptions (like sellers who point out the link to how to tell if it's authentic) and also feedback evaluation. Althought I have to say that feedback isn't that helpful, since when I was browsing high-end purses, a lot of buyers who don't know any better left positive feedback for a seller who had ALL fake designer purses.

[j*east]

Hi all pet lovers,
I'm bumping this up for the 2006 pest season. I need help! My dog has never had a problem with ticks before, though for the last few years we lived in southern CA, which has fewer bugs in general. Now we're in the northeast and live in a rural area. In the last two weeks, I've found 4-5 ticks a week on my poor dog--three yesterday after a walk. Yuck! I thought we were using Advantage, but I just looked at the package and it's Hartz Advanced Care. I think my DH bought this recently and maybe that's the problem.

Here's the thing--we apply it correctly, but our dog is (we think) a border collie/chow/something else mix and has very thick fur on her back and neck. The medicine just doesn't seem to spread through her fur. We're reluctant to put more on. Does anyone have any suggestions for a different brand, application method, or pesticide form (like a collar)? Your help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Here's a picture of our doggie, to inspire you! :)

http://static.flickr.com/55/132115145_a2d4ce324d.jpg?v=0

ETA: No problems with fleas, thank goodness!

[jennylou]

jesvet - that really sucks that the online companies are selling expired or fakes! I usually buy online because it takes 1/2 an hour to get to my vet. Ugh - guess I'll have to see if a more local vet will sell it to me even though my pets don't go to them.

boilermaker - I usually buy one box per year of the kitty version. One application right when it's starting to warm up is usually plenty for the whole year (3 cats - basically, one application for each of them per year). If I applied on our dog earlier, I might be able to get away from the cats! And I only seem to need to use it on our dog throughout the warmer months, I can get away with not doing it during the winter.

[SingleWhiteFemale]

j*east, I have a rough-coat St Bernard (heavy, thick coat) and use Frontline Plus. I'm really weary of the Hartz brand in general because of what has gone on in the feline division. I have had much success with Frontline Plus, what I do is part his fur by his shoulder blades so that it the solution is applied on the skin moreso than the fur. At minimum, we wait 7 days after an application before giving him a bath (was told this by the local SPCA when I sprung a friend's dog from the pound).

[j*east]

Thanks, singlewhitefemale! I had no idea Hartz was so sketchy until I read this thread. I'll be keeping a close eye on my dog for the rest of this month and use Frontline next month. :)

[ManteoChik]

We use Frontline for our dog and have never had a problem. She's a lab and while she's an indoor dog, as a lab she's in and out of the water and grass all.summer.long.

[alliannie]

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Are there any other medicines out there? Our two dogs have both had the vet put flea and tick medicine on them(I think Frontline) and we seriously pick off 5-8 ticks per day!!! We are at our wits end here. We have to go back to the vet Friday but wanted to see if anyone had any other advice. We bath them weekly-biweekly(depending how busy we are). They are outside all day long and inside in the evenings and overnight.

If it matters they are half Schnauzer and half rat terrier. Ones fur is very schnauzer like and the other is a very good mix of the two kinds of fur.

[amew]

Does anyone have any suggestions re: application? We use Advantix, but our dog totally freaks out and wriths around uncontrollaly anytime we try to apply it, so I think most of it ends up in his fur instead of on the skin. He's normally a pretty easy going dog--no problems with baths, brushing, ear cleaning, nail clipping, etc.--so I have no idea why applying flea meds upsets him so. I have never seen a tick on him, but he has had fleas on several occassions. We definitely need to figure out a way to get the stuff on his skin.

[fuzzy]

Now we're in the northeast and live in a rural area. In the last two weeks, I've found 4-5 ticks a week on my poor dog--three yesterday after a walk.

I have *not* tried this on my dog yet, as I'm still waiting for the package to be delivered, but...

My husband and I have been buying up "Buzz Off" brand clothing like nuts. We, too, are in a rural area in the northeat and were sick of flies buzzing us while we were in the garden and/or finding ticks all over the place. The Buzz Off brand (which has repellent infused into the clothes) is the absolute best thing we've found to keep bugs away (the bad thing is it only survives about 25 washing before the repellent kinds dies out...).

Anyway, they started making stuff for dogs and we ordered a bandana for Daisy. I'll let you know how it goes!

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=99X2&dir_id=1633&group_id=10567&feature_id=16&cat_id=10568&subcat_id=10569

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=99EY&dir_id=1633&group_id=10567&feature_id=16&cat_id=10568&subcat_id=10569

[mb1197]

We use Frontline and I am really hoping it will do the job because I hate fleas and ticks. This will be the first season that Sasha will spend time outdoors since we have a fence now. I have been putting Frontline on her every month and am curious to see if it does work well.

[Heidi9771]

I usually buy one box per year of the kitty version. One application right when it's starting to warm up is usually plenty for the whole year (3 cats - basically, one application for each of them per year). If I applied on our dog earlier, I might be able to get away from the cats!

Do you use FrontLine? I need to do my kitties each month with it, as the medicine loses it's effectiveness after 30 days, and I need to redose.

[nikkivn]

We let my three cats outide occasionaly and they need some flea and tick repellent as I caught a tick on one of my dear sweetest kitties.

What do you use? Advantage Plus was recommended but my a friend's vet who owns a dog says that the Hartz version is a fraction of the cost and to use that....couldn't find one for cats.

I'd love to find something more economical that Frontline as it would be about $40 a month )3 applications in a box/3 kitties.


please avoid anything from the pet shop, its not strong enough!

frontline, advantix, etc is gr8!

[jesvet]

The reason there isn't a Hartz for cats is because it was pulled from the market after causing seizures/death in a large number of pets.

[alliannie]

We took our puppy to the vet to finish her shots and asked why the frontline wasn't working. Dry skin! They gave us medicine to help her dry skin and said to wait a week and put Frontline on her and then if it doesn't work to bring her back in and they will figure out how to get it to work. Wanted to post in case that could help anyone!

[lorbo]

frontline and advantage are the safest flea/tick control. if only people who could see what happens with the over the counter stuff-particularly when people apply dog topspot to a cat because it's cheaper or accidently put the dog stuff on...it's nasty to see a cat that won't stop tremoring and has neurological issues. it's nice that the hartz cat stuff is no longer available...now only if the over the counter dog stuff was pulled.

[nooblet]

I didn't see it posted but I use Sentinel, it works for fleas, ticks, and heatworm. I was using Hartz for heartworm and frontline for flea/ticks.

I like it because one once a month dose does it all. I've never had any problems with any of my dogs getting fleas or ticks ever since I went to sentinel.

[flygirl]

The package for Frontline Plus for dogs says it's good for up to 3 months. I used Revolution before, which was monthly, and everyone talks about Frontline being applied monthly, so is the 3-month thing new?

[lorbo]

no, the three month has always been around for the dog spoton. if you're in a bad flea/tick area, more than likely the application would have to be done sooner than three months. if the area is light on fleas/ticks, three month application is okay.

[WisWis]

I didn't see it posted but I use Sentinel, it works for fleas, ticks, and heatworm.
Both of our dogs are on Sentinel and we've been very happy with it. We've still had several ticks on our terrier, but DH has caught them before they had a chance to dig in. She loves to play in dead leaves and tall grass, so that's how she picks them up. I think this is supposed to be a bad year for ticks because we had so little cold weather during the winter.