# What Flea/Tick Treatment do you Use?



## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

What flea and Tick treatments do you find work the best for you? Especially tick meds. With us looking at possibly moving to the woods I really worry about ticks and want to find something that will help to keep those creepy crawly things off them. The poll is multiple answer so will you please tell what you use and how well it works for you in the thread.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I notched off both Sentinel and "Other". <- I have a flea and tick shampoo that I use on Jacks when we've been out hiking in the woods and he was marking a lot of bushes. 

I talked with my vet though and probably next year we will be putting him on something in addition to Sentinel to cover the ticks. I found way too many (dog) ticks on him this summer.

- I did ask the people at my vet about Revolution, and I could have sworn they told me it doesn't cover ticks?!


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

We use Advantage multi because I find it most comprehensive (though I'm not 100% sure on that), BUT I HATE applying it (or any of the liquid ones for that matter). It just sits on Cosmo's coat and eventually ends up all over him. Ugh! It's such a pain and I'm always worried about one of the animals ingesting it or not enough of it getting absorbed. I wish they made an oral that was as comprehensive. Those are so easy to just pop in with food.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

According to Dr Fosters & Smith website it says Revolution covers fleas, ticks, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and mites when used as directed.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Hmmm...may have to look into that next time around...


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Our rescue has started giving the Sentinel instead of giving the heartguard and flea med seperately. It is cheaper for us and less meds to give. Plus the Sentinel covers worms that some of the pups come to us with. Helps us to save money in this economy.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

I voted Frontline Plus for the Ticks, not for the Fleas, we have not had any Ticks but Fleas are starting to be a pest.

I found a jar of BOG and put the crew on it today, would of never stopped, it worked great last year, but Chewie and Chloe decided they didn't like the taste of it. 

Will have to find a very good treat to put it in, tonight they ate it with their food...they where not to thrilled but ate it...lol

I know it's a matter of days before they won't eat it anymore:doh:

btw found a flea on Chloe, she just had a treatment of Frontline a few days ago.


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

Enzo's Frontline treatments haven't been effective...we're switching to Comfortis as soon as I find a vet in my area that covers it. My vet wrote me a prescription that I'll be picking up after work on Monday. I know I can get it at 1800petmeds, but I want to buy the first months worth to try out and see if it works before I drop over $100 on 6 months worth.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I didn't know you needed a prescription for Comfortis-aren't all the flea meds prescription free now (except ones like Revolution that are flea and worms). Frankly I think the requirement for a Rx for the worm meds (Heart Guard, Interceptor, etc) don't make any sense as there isn't any vetting needed----you just give the pill every month! 

I would like to use a monthly pill that covers "everything" like Revolution or Sentinel but they don't cover whipworms (and Brooks got whipworms as a pup while on HeartGuard which doesn't prevent whipworms so now I just use Interceptor) so I keep using a flea med AND a worm med.

Right now I change flea med from month to month: Last month Frontline Plus, this month Comfortis, the next month I'll use K-9 Advantix. During the winter months I might go longer than a month between administrations, but not in summer, not in SC! Last summer I even added a Preventic collar on top of everything else because picking off ticks is a daily routine when we walk in the woods in summer.


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Our vet used Revolution on Joey the day after we got him, it works for him so thats what we have been using!


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## Solas Goldens (Nov 10, 2007)

We moved to Fl in February, and I have had a terrible time with the fleas, and ticks. Frontline plus or K9 advantix are the best for us. Anything less is a waste of my money. I tried and ended spending more in the long run.Also I asked my vet about revolution. They told me it wasn't water proof, and they were getting complaints that it wasn't as effective. I don't know if that is their opinion or fact.


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Other: I use natural products. Seem to work very well. Only found one tick on her this year. I don't like to use chemicals on the dogs.


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## Riley's Mom (Jul 6, 2008)

I have used k9 Advantix for years and never had a flea or tick issue. I have 5 cats too and they have never been bothered by the Advantix being on Riley.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

The reason that places like Pet Meds need a prescription is because it is not a topical flea medication. There are certain requirements for it. Some dogs get sick easier on comfortis than frontline/advantage. You have to give it to your dog 30 minutes after a full meal. If you feed it on an empty stomach...they will vomit it back up (most cases). Dogs under 5 pounds can not take it. Personally, I would never buy any kind of Heart Worm prevention from Pet Meds...personal preference. Merial, the company of heartgard) does not back up the distribution of heartgard through pet meds. So, if your dog were to get HW and you have been ordering it from Pet Meds, the company will not reinburse $ for the treatment. If you buy it from a vet they will. Not sure about Advantage Multi or others. I inherited a dog from a lady that was giving heartgard the 1st of every month and ordered it from Pet meds and the dog was extremely HW positive (Microfilaria+++) with the test also. He was only 13 months old. I live in Mississippi and he was from Louisana and we are having some outbreaks on HW disease with being on heartgard or interceptor. We have not had to issue as much further south, but more in the delta. As far as fleas...I use Comfortis in the summer (fleas are extremely bad down here) and I switch from advantage to Frontline Plus in the winter time! Comfortis works great; I just hate giving oral medication...so I just give it when the fleas are the worst


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## firedancer722 (Apr 12, 2010)

I voted Advantage Multi because that's been what we've used for the past 2 months. We were using Frontline Plus and Interceptor (for HW) but the frontline plus was NOT effective against fleas biting Charlie. And I think he is allergic to the bites. So, the vet gave me some samples of Advantage Multi and told me to use Frontline Plus too (for the ticks). I hate using 2 products on him like that. Just a lot of chemicals and stuff.  I think we're about to switch and use K9 Advantix and go back to Interceptor for HW (since I still have 3 months worth of it). 

Why can't there just be ONE pill that covers everything!!? My dreams would come true!


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## Abby (Aug 17, 2010)

we use advantage multi, but only because frontline plus isn't available in canada, apparently


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

K9 Advantix.
We hike through the woods everyday and knock on wood (I hate to even say it) I haven't found a flea or a tick on Riley since we started using it.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

I used revolution on Misty when she was young and she ended up with roundworms..the vet refunded my money and said that she would get it back from Revolution..now I use Sentinal...and occasionally Frontline plus.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

lgnutah said:


> I would like to use a monthly pill that covers "everything" like Revolution or Sentinel but they don't cover whipworms (and Brooks got whipworms as a pup while on HeartGuard which doesn't prevent whipworms so now I just use Interceptor) so I keep using a flea med AND a worm med.


Sentinel DOES cover whips just as much as Interceptor. In essence, Sentinel is Interceptor plus Program.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

BeauShel said:


> According to Dr Fosters & Smith website it says Revolution covers fleas, ticks, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and mites when used as directed.


It's labeled for ONE type of tick and does a poor job at that. Revolution is so poor at ticks, that at one point, they were giving away free Preventic collars with every package of Revolution.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I use Interceptor...but nothing for fleas. We don't have fleas up here!!

I _should _have been using something on Ranger when were hiking earlier this year but my stupid vet said it wasn't necessary. I switched vets and she said for sure we should be using something on the trails, but at that point I had hurt myself so hiking was done for the year.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

We use Frontline for the ticks. Fleas have never been an issue.

One thing on Frontline: it takes hours to kill the bugs. Fleas take half a day or so (I can't recall), and they get more active before they die, so they'll be easy to find. Ticks take 24-48 hours, though they generally start to act oddly faster than that (walking to the top of the dog and engaging in questing behavior, for example).

Frontline is very effective in killing, but it does not prevent fleas from jumping on the dog and biting, and it does not prevent ticks from getting on the dog. Ticks usually take their time attaching, but if you get enough of them on a dog, chances are that a few will get attached before they die.

Frontline regular kills ticks and adult fleas, but you need Frontline Plus if you have a serious flea issue, since that contains an additional ingredients to kill more stages in the flea life cycle. Even then, it won't prevent environmental fleas from jumping up on the dog and biting.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

We use Zodiac tick preventative. It worked great. Only found 1 tick on Reno but that was just prior to treating them.

No fleas here either!!


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

I have been using Comfortis for the last year and a half. I have tried EVERY flea prevention product on the market and NOTHING has worked. I don't like giving the Comfortis to my guys, switched to it as a last resort when everything else had failed. I order it through Fosters and Smith-they contact my Vet directly for the prescription authorization. I have found F & S to have better prices than 1-800 Petmeds, they also have FREE shipping on all prescriptions.

*To those of you living in Canada, how lucky are you not to have to deal with Fleas......*

I live a block off the Intercoastal Waterway on the NC Coast, fleas are a problem almost year round-usually in Jan., Feb. sometimes even March I don't have to give my guys the Comfortis. I have been lucky that I haven't had too many problems with Ticks, this year my guys did get a few on them, first time in years.


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

I've never had a problem up here in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada with flea's or tick's but when I go down to Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area get out the get out the Frontline. Ticks are a real problem there...

Pete


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## GRTigger (Jan 16, 2010)

I use k9 advantix and advantage.


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## FurLove (May 25, 2011)

Around the first of the month, I give Trifexis to cover heartworm, fleas, and intestinal parasites. 

Then, around the middle of the month, I apply Frontline Plus for additional flea protection (fleas are horrible here), as well as give the tick protection that Trifexis lacks.

My vet actually recommended doing this, as she does the same. I have never really had a problem with fleas.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

The dogs are on Advantage for fleas right now but in the spring I plan on putting them back on Revolution.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

My boys are on Frontline Plus during the spring/summer months and I switch to Comfortis for fall/winter. I use the Frontline Plus because we have a big tick problem here. It will certainly kill the ticks, but it will not repel them and you will find some attached ticks. 
About whoever posted, they don't understand why you need a prescription for Heartworm meds: Well, if you have a heartworm positive dog and you give it the meds without knowing, it can have detrimental consequences. That is were the yearly bloodtest for heartworms comes in, once that is all clear, your vet will prescribe the monthly pill. 
And actually, if you want to buy the heartworm meds online, 1-800 petmeds will give your vet a call and get the prescription faxed to them from your vet, you don't really have to do anything but give the online company your vet's address. But of course, you will have to have had a heartworm test done within a year and it has to be negative. 
I personally have never ordered heartworm meds online, I prefer to buy them from my vet.


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

I use Comfortis for fleas. I don't typically have a tick issue, but fleas in Florida can be a problem. I only use when needed so they get maybe 3 or 4 doses a year and not every month.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

No fleas or ticks here in Alaska. My dogs have no idea what a tick or a flea feels like. I've often wondered if I ever brought a dog to the States for some reason what I would do.


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## mpewe (Jul 19, 2012)

I have used Frontline for a long time, and it seems to work great seeing as I have 80 acres of trees at my house and tons of ticks. I find that it works very good for my dog and also it's a plus that it is waterproof if you let it absorb for a few days first. This is a plus since Elvis loves swimming in the lake too. We don't really have a problem with fleas but I do wish they made something like Frontline for people since walking in the woods and fields I get tons of ticks too!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

mpewe said:


> A thing to keep in mind with the Frontline is that the ticks actually have to BITE first and then the chemical will kill them, so you may still see some on your dog.


Ticks often have _time_ to bite because Frontline can take up to 48 hours to kill ticks, but they don't _have_ to bite to be killed. The pesticide is carried in the oils of the sebaceous system, so it gets on the ticks as they walk through the fur.


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