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Post by abatra on Apr 15, 2013 22:41:37 GMT -5
I have been researching flea prevention programs and have come across 3 popular options that vets often recommend:
1. Sentinel - tablet taken once a month 2. Advantage - spot treatment 3. Revolution - spot treatment
Which of these have you used, if any?
Have you found natural alternatives: Garlic, Tea Tree Oil etc to be less, equally or more effective?
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Post by dobermoms on Apr 16, 2013 5:24:58 GMT -5
I know we use the spot treatment......also, find out which one ( spot treatment ) works with a separate tick collar, should you be near woods, etc this summer.
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Post by susanw on Apr 16, 2013 8:24:03 GMT -5
I also use the spot treatment method and my vet recommends Advantage.
I also put some garlic in the "stew" recipe that Monica provides in the Puppy Manual but I try to use a mild garlic as Quin will refuse it if it's too strong.
We spend a lot of time on country trails, etc and he has never had a flea or tick on him (or in the house thankfully..lol)
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Apr 16, 2013 9:54:58 GMT -5
My Dobe was already on K9 Advantix, so I will continue to use that product. It's effective against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.
We also used Interceptor for parasites, though it may be hard to find. I'm not sure it's still being manufactured. So many people in my area don't pick up after their dogs, and a dog only has to step on infected soil to contract nematodes. I've had to use Interceptor year 'round.
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Post by hooligan on Apr 16, 2013 10:25:20 GMT -5
Until last year, I had always refused flea and tick preventives and opted for heartworm only — because I really hate the idea of treating my dog with that many chemicals and because I had never had a dog with fleas or ticks.
Then Jack picked up a tick. We were so unfamiliar with ticks that we thought at first that it was a skin tag. After that, we spent several nervous months watching him like a hawk for symptoms of Lyme disease.
It seems that ticks have become more common in southern Ontario, and Jack spends a fair amount of time crashing around in the bush, so last summer, we reluctantly put him on Revolution, which is a spot treatment that protects against heartworm, fleas, ticks and some other parasites.
Unless our vet recommends something else, we'll do the same thing this year. But I still hate the idea of doing this — and I can only hope that it's the lesser of two evils.
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Post by abatra on Apr 16, 2013 10:30:37 GMT -5
Thanks for this. I plan to do a lot of hiking in trails with my dobe this summer.
I went to my vet yesterday and had a chat with them. They suggested that spot treatment options don't offer 100% protection and that my best option was Sentinal (a pill they ingest once a month to protect from heart worm and fleas). Apparently, it kills adult fleas and larval fleas within 20 minutes of contact, but doesn't work to repel them. It also looks like more of a heart worm medication, which I wasn't looking for.
It was also suggested that I do a thorough inspection and brush down after each visit to the woods and check for ticks / fleas etc (ticks have to be manually removed!).
I think the puppy booklet has something about tea tree oil that I will look into more for extra protection.
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Apr 16, 2013 11:08:22 GMT -5
I had the same experience with a tick and my previous Dobe. I thought it was a skin tag because it was a tiny grass tick that matched the colour of my Dobe's skin. A friend with better eyesight could see the legs, which were tucked under the tick, and asked for my tweezers. I'd purchased special tweezers with tiny points just in case.
There was a terrible plague of fleas in Britain last year, and I'm convinced the meds are the lesser of evils. A single flea can drive you out of your mind, keep you awake all night . . . if they breed in your carpet it can be much worse than preventives.
Interceptor kills hookworm, whipworm, roundworm, and heartworm larvae.
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Post by susanw on Apr 16, 2013 18:56:08 GMT -5
www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=67728&cat=2,51555 For anyone interested in checking out this little item, Lee Valley tools carries a "Tick Key" in their gardening section, for removing ticks. I have no idea how well it works but is apparently more reliable than just trying tweezers. Has anyone tried it? They do carry unique gadgets. Above is the link to the page in their catalogue - hope I copied it correctly.
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Post by Lisa on Apr 16, 2013 21:50:21 GMT -5
We are lucky...it's too cold here for fleas LOL
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Post by dobermoms on Apr 17, 2013 5:44:07 GMT -5
Too true Lisa...you are lucky. Susan, we have the tick key from Lee Valley, and it works wonders. We use the revolution treatment from our vet, BUT we still put a tick collar on them 12 hours before we head out to the woods. Then it comes off when we get home to London. We purchase our tick collar from our vet as they are better than the ones sold in pet stores. It just gives extra protection for the dogs, over and above what the flea treatment offers. When at the Bend, our dogs are the only ones who have not had fleas on them when they are wearing the collars...which I think speaks volumes! For $25, it's peace of mind for us as our home is sided by woods.
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Post by dobermoms on Apr 17, 2013 5:45:51 GMT -5
Oh, I should explain. As our dogs haven't had fleas, the other dogs in the area have, and that's why we know the tick key works well. It's a must if you're travelling in and around bushes a lot.
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Apr 17, 2013 14:13:00 GMT -5
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Post by abatra on Apr 18, 2013 14:27:57 GMT -5
I want one of those tick collars for extra protection, as none of the meds work against ticks. My vet doesn't sell them. Would you be able to recommend the brand of the collar? I will look into ordering one online. Thanks!
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Post by dobermoms on Apr 18, 2013 20:15:40 GMT -5
When we have our next appointment at the vet, which will be shortly, I will check it out and post it here.
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Post by Andreina on Apr 18, 2013 21:24:47 GMT -5
we're also wondering what to do for a flea treatment. I think we prefer a spot treatment as well, advantage seems to be the most popular?
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