Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

I'm looking for a decent flea & Tick preventative that won't break the bank... seems like the frontline and advantax stuff are 4 times as much as the bio spot and hartz stuff that apparently is the same type of thing?

Anyways, what is a good brand to buy?

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

Ajax

I don't think paying $15.00 per treatment for protecting your dog from Flea's & Ticks, & Mosquitoes is that expensive at all.

It also Repels And Kills Ticks Including Those That May Transmit Lyme Disease.

Also it Kills 98-100% Of Fleas Within 12 Hours. And Kills Mosquitoes as well.

I use Frontline Plus it protects my Lab from the above mentioned as well as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever...

Think of this way Ajax, It amounts to a whopping $0.50 cents a day :)

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

Your right, it's not that expensive but... why is the hartz plus 9.95 and the frontline plus 33.95? What makes it that much better? When comparing the packages they seem to do the exact same thing with identical ingredients, but the hartz plus 1/3 of the price?

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

If the Frontline Plus is $33.00 it's for atleast 3 treatments and i can bet hartz does not have the same ingrediants or chemicals used and the time it protects is not as long.

Also hartz does not include a med that stops the fleas from reproducing and frontline plus and some others has this in their formulas but it's your pet and your money so you have every right to chose whats in your budget but for me when it comes time to protect my lab/investment i make sure she has the protection she needs so she does not get sick or get infested with fleas or die of any tic diseases..

-=CK=-

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

Ajax,
take a hard look at the ingredients on the package. I might be wrong, but i am pretty sure that the bio-spot and harts stuff use pyrethrins as the active ingredient. pyrethrins just dont cut it anymore. the flea and tick populations have built up resistance over the years. Frontline will do the trick 98% of the time.
Another alternative (cheaper) would be to use Ivomec once a month. I have alot of clients that use oral ivomec once a month for heartworms that say it does the trick for fleas and ticks too. I dont have anything but their word to go on, but that is what they say. I know that Ivomec will kill fleas and ticks, I am just unsure about how long it lasts in their system after dosing it. Just make sure your dog is heartworm negative before you use it!!!

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

I have been using Double Impact Ivermectin for the last three years on a Chessie and a Lab with very good luck. Both dogs are about 100 lbs. I inject it in the scruff of the neck every month. When I first moved into the house I am in, both dogs were covered with fleas and ticks. Since using Ivermectin have seen no fleas and only three ticks which were dead when I pulled them off. I keep an eye on their stool and have seen no signs of parasites.

I bought the Ivermectin at a feed store for $27 for 50ml. I inject just under 1 ml per 100 lbs. This equates to about $0.54 a month. I used Revolution and Interceptor before this and even if price was the same I still feel that the Ivermectin is more effective.

Be aware that this is labeled for use on cattle and swine only. Don't ask for it for your canine or you might not get it. Several local trainers and breeders had recommended it to me. I like it and will continue to use it. Just my two cents.

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

I am not sure which one it is but one of the types of treatments will lose its effectiveness if the dog goes swiming. Has anyone used revolution. It is also supposed to help control ticks after using it a couple of months. It can also be used on puppies. Was wondering if anyone has had any experience with it.
scott

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

dogdr says, "pyrethrins just dont cut it anymore. the flea and tick populations have built up resistance over the years. Frontline will do the trick 98% of the time. "

Now I'm sure you know a lot more than I do in terms of what is "supposed" to work and what doesn't. But, I can tell you, coming from someone who upland bird hunts 60 plus days a year in the thick Wisconsin tick infested coverts, that Frontline wasn't very successful with me. I used it for 2 years and it didn't cut the mustard in terms of ticks here.

Last here I switched to Bio-spot. 2 dogs, 60 some odd outings chasing grouse, not 1 tick to pick off. I've heard some grumblings about bio-spot, but, in my book, the stuff works...better than frontline plus....which I know many vets get a cut from.;)

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

Lking,
hey, if it works for you, then by all means, use it! it is cheaper. I just know I have sen alot of cats and dogs covered in fleas and ticks that the owner said they used a prethrin or permethrin on. As for getting a cut of the Frontline, its no different than Walmart getting a cut of what they sell you. Both of us buy from the manufacturer, mark it up, then sell to you. Me, Im just an associate vet, so no matter how much stuff i sell i get paid the same. Why are people always ready to accuse vets of trying to screw somebody?? Im not saying thats what you meant, i have just read alot of things along thise lines lately on various forums.

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

We have used Bio-Spot for 2 yrs now with no problems with fleas or ticks. I just ordered another batch for this summer. Last summer we 23 dogs plus 1 inside, and the only ticks that we saw was on us. No fleas whatsoever.

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

to me the cost isnt as important as the results my dogs are part of the family they put food on the table wich is more than i can say for the teen agers my kids have health coverage so should my dogs

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

My personal preference is the Ivomectin. Just shoot it right in the nape of the neck once a month and it works wonders. Also a little more cost effective since a bottle generally lasts up to a year for me. I usually have anywhere from 4 to 8 dogs at any given time and it works for all of them.

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

Doghunter, Amen brother! I use Ivermectin too and it works great. During the warm months I also use Bio-Spot or Hartz to help ward off flies and mosquitos before they bite. I figure prevention + cure = results. If only they would make snake repellent..........

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

I use Frontline now. Yes it cost more but according to my Vet, it works. I also asked him why some of the other brands were so much cheaper and he said because they really do not work all that well. Some of the other brands will wash off or wear off real easy. Frontline on the other hand hangs in there according to him.

Last year my dog came down with Lymes Disease. He had been vaccinated with his Lymes shot, and had Harts Flea and Tick juice on him like directed.. I thought he was safe. Well I was wrong. Due to the old fellow's age he has not been able to shake the lymes, so now he is becoming arthritic, his back hips are going out, he seems very uncomfortable at times, and is on a Rimadyl twice a day for the arthritis. One of these days the Rimadyl will not be enough to keep him comfortable and there is a risk of liver damage from the Rimadyl. Then I will be faced with that terrible decision.....

Check with your vet and make sure your pet is protected.

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

cayugad,
has your vet tried treating your dog with doxycycline???

RE: Flea & Tick preventatives???
 

We've been buying the stuff from Drs Foster and Smith for several years now. Works the same as 'Frontline' but at a fraction of the cost.