preventative medications for dogs

[klmno]

OK, last year, after many successful years on Frontline Plus, my dogs got fleas. It might have been because I was late giving them a dose or because it was just a bad season when the fleas had gotten immune. Anyway, I took them to the vet and he switched them to Comfortis. That worked, along with shampooing the carpet.

Now, I saw a tick crawling from the carpet to me foot the other night and I found a tick on one of my dogs tonight. I need to check the other dog to see if she has any. The tick on the one dog was very small so hadn't been there long. I checked the Comfortis package and it only kills fleas. If I switch back to Frontline Plus, will it work now for fleas?

Also, I always wondered if Frontline Plus kills ticks after the tick has bitten them, how can it (and does it really) prevent disease spreading?

 

[flutterby]

We had to switch from Frontline last year because it wasn't working.

You could try Revolution:

Description: A spot on type product for the control of fleas, heartworm, the American dog tick and mites including ear mites and the Sarcoptic mange mite in dogs and fleas, heartworm, hookworms, roundworms and ear mites in cats. Applied monthly to the skin between the shoulder blades. A very safe and effective product. Comes in the following sizes - Cats - 2.6-7.5kg/ 5.1-15 lbs (Blue pack); Puppies & Kittens up to 2.5 kg/5 lbs (Pink pack); Very Small Dogs - 2.5-5kg/5.1-10lbs (Mauve pack); Small Dogs - 5.1-10kg/10.1-20lbs (Brown pack); Medium Dogs - 10-20kg/20.1-40lbs (Red pack); Large Dogs- 20-40 kg/40.1-85lbs (Green pack); Available in both 3 pack and 6 pack.

From my understanding, they do have to bite before they are killed.

 

[donna723]

I wouldn't go back to Frontline Plus. There was a real problem with it and it didn't work for ANYBODY last year. I had always used it with very good results and spent $58 last spring to buy the first doses for my three girls. It never completely got rid of the fleas and in two weeks they had more than they started with and I had to wait two more weeks to be able to put something else on them. And one of mine is allergic to fleas!

From what I gather, the manufacturers have to change their formulas slightly from year to year to prevent the fleas from building up an immunity to it, and somehow Frontline slipped up last year. The fleas were 'immune' to it and it didn't work. After that, I got Advantage for mine last year and within a day or two, we never saw another flea. It's a little bit cheaper too. I don't have ticks where I live now. The Advantage is just for fleas, but they also make a formula ("Advantix" I think, or something like that?) that kills ticks too.

Another thing, I would be very careful where you buy the flea and tick medications. I only buy them from the vets office. But if you buy them online, be sure to buy only from the older, well established, very reputable mail order companies like doctors. Foster & Smith or PetMeds. I've seen some advertised very cheaply on eBay and other places and the packaging looks "not quite right". They may be out of date or even fakes. There's lots and lots of counterfeits out there. And NEVER buy the OTC flea and tick medications from the WalMart pet dept. or places like that. For one thing, they don't work. And the ingredients in them are completely different from what's in the prescription flea medications. Some dogs have had horrible life threatening reactions to them, some have even died from them, so it's just not worth the risk to try to save a few dollars.

 

[klmno]

Ok- thanks! I'll ask the vet about it this week. I do always get their medications from the vet, so I guess Frontline did mess up. I'm glad you told me that- I was planning on just using what I had left over from last year.

 

[flutterby]

There's one that you don't want to use on your dogs if you have cats. I'm not sure, but I think it's Advantix.

 

[witzend]

Fontline has always worked well for us, but we don't have to worry about ticks in our area.

 

[Kjs]

After finding a tick on Chloe last year, vet told me Frontline Plus will prevent the tick from becoming embedded. Due to her size - vet said Frontline Plus is the one to use. We do take the dogs to the dog park, tree's, swamp, weeds other dogs. I have used it religiously. However, now that she has the torn ACL she doesn't get to go anywhere. I feel so guilty. I do take Kenzie and get the "eyes" from Chloe.

If you find any alternative for larger dogs, please post.