What Do You Use?

Winnie and I have a question.  The vet told us that they do not prescribe Frontline anymore for dogs because they found that it doesn't really work.  I have to admit that Teddy still had flea problems when she was on Frontline.  They now prescribe flea collars. I hate the idea of Winnie wearing a collar let alone a chemical collar.  What do all of you dog owners use and does anyone use anything natural?

Comments

Susan said…
We use NexGard chewable, although there’s a new clllar out that gets great reviews - Seresto, I believe.
January 20, 2018 at 5:47 AM
Jeannine520 said…
We like Revolution. Frontline hasn't worked for us for many years then we had good luck with Advantage and now we've had to move on to Revolution, expensive but works very well. Must be prescribed by a vet.
January 20, 2018 at 6:05 AM
Marie said…
I live in tick central and I've tried everything to try and prevent my little dog from being bitten. She could never tolerate Frontline, so we now use Bravecto. Here you have to get a prescription from the vet, I'm not sure if that is the case in the US. It's a chewable tablet and she takes one every 12 weeks while the ticks are active.
January 20, 2018 at 6:50 AM
Leanna said…
I use Bravecto for my dogs. David orders it online from Canada which is soooo much cheaper than the vet price and we get it through the mail. It's a chewable but I cut it up and give it to them in their dinner. It lasts 3 months even though we push the limits and have noticed that it lasts almost 3 extra weeks. We don't have to worry about fleas or ticks at all considering the heavy infestation from the feral cats in the neighborhood. I would talk to the vet about getting Winnie on Bravecto because it's dosage adaptable to the lbs of a dog. There may be an issue with her age so let the vet consider the dosage. If you want the online site, email me:
falconstar926@gmail.com
January 20, 2018 at 7:52 AM
OutStandingInMyField said…
It depends a lot on her living situation. Is Winnie an isolated dog that does not come in contact with other dogs (no shared fence line with neighbor's dog, doesn't go to dog parks, doesn't go to grooming parlors...etc.)? For those dogs I recommend Sential (combination of heartworm preventative and flea birth control). If Winnie has limited exposure to other dogs, then you could consider CapStar. Used a lot in situations that you want to prevent animals bring fleas into a housing situation (shelters, foster care, or home) If she is a social butterfly then you need to consider a combination flea control product (kills, repels, birth control). I am sure your vet will be happy to direct you to the right problem for your situation.
January 20, 2018 at 8:05 AM
Heritage Hall said…
This past Summer our little one set up a flea community on his bod and
because of his size (5 lbs) I wanted to be cautious about chemicals...
An environmentalist friend of mine told me a solution she has used on
he shaggy moppet for years...Dawn...yep...Dawn...it is used to remove industrial oils covering birds, so is considered "safe".. we took the plunge, results were immediate and nary a flea since Summer. I use a conditioner to ward off dryness and the stomach is not compromised.
Worth a try.
January 20, 2018 at 9:11 AM
Connie said…
This is an interesting question. I'm looking forward to reading all the comments that come in. We do not have a flea problem in our area, the weather is so dry that it is a rare thing, but when we travel to the coast or go camping in the forest we have always used Frontline. I hope you find some safer solutions:)
I'll be back to read more comments.
Connie :)
January 20, 2018 at 10:15 AM
FreeDragon said…
Lemon oil works, just rub some on the dog collar. When I bathe my dogs I put lemon juice in the water. I know that works because I see dead fleas. That is as natural as I know of, though neither lasts very long.
January 20, 2018 at 1:11 PM
Rain said…
Hi Joyce, I would LOVE to use a natural repellent, but in my 22 years of dog experience, nothing works except the chemicals. I know from experience and exterminators are $$$$$!!! We can't afford vet meds, so I buy Advantix 2 for dogs. It takes care of fleas and ticks (our dogs are always in the woods)...but the downside is that it's lethal for cats, so when we give them the meds (liquid dabbed on their neck/back area)...we have to keep the dogs and cats separated for 12 hours...it's quite a task!!
January 20, 2018 at 2:18 PM
TARYTERRE said…
i have no solution for your problem. good luck.
January 21, 2018 at 2:04 AM
WendyFromNY said…
Natural doesn’t always mean safe. Some essential oils can be toxic to pets. Please do your research! Don’t just use something because your neighbor said it works for them.
January 21, 2018 at 3:43 AM
Nancy said…
Try to avoid Seresto, Bravecto and the like. My friend's dog had severe neurologic symptoms on it but thankfully, they resolved within days of it being stopped. I forget what I used for my rescues but I am pretty sure it was Frontline and it worked very well. Revolution never worked as well. I actually went to the supermarket to buy a Hartz product until the vet ordered Frontline. As far as "natural" goes, I bave heard of people putting pennyroyal in a bandana and making a collar of sorts out of it, but I would check if pennyroyal is toxic before I would try it. I know it worked well in my pantry after an infested bag of rabbit food filled the closet with Indian meal moths which can get through just about anything except glass. Have you ever had to wash your cookbooks, spines and pages? Not fun. All those new treatments that end in "o" seem to carry the same risk of neurologic issues. I have also heard tell that washing the dog in lemon Joy keeps fleas at bay but I woild fear for what it would do for Winnie's beautiful coat.

Supermarket Hrtz brand flea products served us well until the vet made the switch from Revolution to Frontline. Should it not be your choice? I treated three rescue Beagles or Beagle/Basset mixes with Frontline and not one ever had a flea or tick in southeastern PA or mid-coast Maine, despite hikes through the woods. Maybe you can still get Frontline from Chewy.com? Thanks for being so generous in "sharing" Winnie with us.
January 21, 2018 at 3:34 PM
Cascade Quilts said…
I used to use Frontline - until my girl became INFESTED with fleas. It broke my heart! I also HATE flea collars, I pet my girl a lot and I don't want to touch that, yuck! After I found the Frontline had quit working, I gave her a flea bath, then used Advantage II. It works amazing! Within a short time, no more fleas anywhere and it has been 3 years since I have seen a flea! And, I live in a very poor town with a LOT of feral cats. I would NOT use anything else than Advantage II! I get it online for a lot less than buying it at the farm/feed store.
January 22, 2018 at 10:53 AM
Megs said…
This is odd, but we’ve never had a problem with fleas or ticks. We have a small, fenced yard that has mulch and stones- I walk the dogs all over our small town, in a park, etc. We check them every day in the spring through fall for ticks.
A few years ago, we saw them scratches big and caught it immediately. We used frontline that summer, and it worked. Don’t know what we’d use now.
January 22, 2018 at 2:32 PM
Post a Comment