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We have adopted a dog (Beti) and wondered what flea / worm treatments to use. She's 3 years old and 10kg.
She's currently on a monthly £12.50 plan with local vet, but they seem really disorganised (gave me wrong tablets, then right ones weren't in stock and never call back when they say they will etc).
We do a lot of trail running so something for ticks would be good (as her current plan does).
Thanks.
Ours is £12:50 per month which covers flea and worm (EDIT and Tick)prevention, and vaccinations. Not sure about ticks, I'd have to check the agreement. Pets at home? suspiciously the same price! Can't say I've had an issue, maybe see if any independent vets local do a simmilar plan.
It's with our local vet.
OK, well ours with vets4pets (pets at home) is basically the same thing for the same price, maybe look into that? Think he gets a free consultation once a year, and free nail clipping too, I'd have to check with the boss.
We were on this vet plan and I did some research and now buy Fiprotec Spot on treatment £12 for 6 months supply online for the Fleas & tics and Bob Martin 3-1 Clear Worm Tablets, £7.50 for 4 tablets but as our dog is small she only needs half a tablet.
I give my spaniel a single does of Bravecto as soon as the first tick appears, usually mid march. Its only meant to last 12 weeks but in my experience it lasts for the whole season, never see a tick again. Its great stuff and much better than the spot treatment.
Caveat: I don't know how much cat-wisdom transfers directly to dog-wisdom.
I've had cats for half my life. I've used every flea treatment on the planet. Pills, potions, powders, shake'n'vac, room foggers... the only thing I ever found that worked was Frontline's spot-on treatment.
In recent times, (anecdotally) Frontline has started to be less efficacious so I switched to Advantage's spot-on. I recently got two new kittens* and started them at the vets for their various vaccinations, spoke to the vet about this and unprompted she said "yeah, Frontline doesn't work anymore, we prescribe Advantage".
So if dogs are like cats, I recommend Advantage spot-on flea treatment.
(* as opposed to, y'know, all those old kittens you get)
An alternative point of view...
Flea treatment - I don't bother with it and would only treat if fleas were present (which they never have been). I don't see the point in giving chemical insecticide/pesticides (which have been shown to be harmful to dogs), on a monthly basis on the off chance the pick something up.
https://dogsfirst.ie/hate-chemical-flea-worm-control-dogs/
Worming - Regular garlic in their diet, along with golden (turmeric) paste, pumpkin seeds and dried rabbits ears.
https://dogsfirst.ie/health-issues/cure-worms-in-dogs-naturally/
Don't get me started on the sham of annual vaccination boosters! 😉
We used to use Advantix but she started losing fur as a reaction to it so switch to Brevecto.
Flea treatment – I don’t bother with it and would only treat if fleas were present (which they never have been)
When they are its a nightmare to get rid
Our two spanners are on NexGuard, covers worming, fleas and ticks. Sorted via our friend who is their vet on a plan.
Bravecto for our pooch. Works very well (i.e. no ticks so far). Nice and easy to do, just dab on their skin at the back of their neck.
I've never really thought about fleas, I am only interested in tick prevention. It just so happens that most treatments do both.
Drontal plus tablets for worms. I buy in bulk at £1 each.
Flea and tick best I've used if Frontline pump spray but vets refuse to sell you it, they want to inspect the animals and charge extra,
I still have some that I bought from the US but dunno a decent supplier in the UK nowadays.
Spot on, and all the little squeezey packet things have been rubbish IMO.
@Futureboy77 - isn't garlic highly toxic to dogs? My understanding is that it can make them very ill indeed...
@dannybgoode - it's only harmful if ingested in large quantities and really beneficial to dogs in small quantities.
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/
https://dogsfirst.ie/raw-garlic-for-dogs/
I give my spaniel a single does of Bravecto as soon as the first tick appears, usually mid march. Its only meant to last 12 weeks but in my experience it lasts for the whole season, never see a tick again. Its great stuff and much better than the spot treatment.
This does fleas, ticks and some other bitey scumbags.
Our dogs have had bravecto all their lives (4 and 2) and never seen a flea or a tick.
We spend ages every day picking thorns out of their short hair as they are always in a thicket, never find a tick.
Bravecto for our pooch. Works very well (i.e. no ticks so far). Nice and easy to do, just dab on their skin at the back of their neck.
Ours is a chewable tablet...the spot on stuff makes her hair fall out
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/53897
What else is it killing because its easier to put some poison on regularly rather than when it's actually needed.
Better take regulator antibiotics so you don't get ill while your at it...
Started off with Advantix - damaged Berts fur, spoke with vet who then recommended Bravecto. Trusted his word and all the promotions gumpf dangling from the ceiling in the vets. Came home googled Bravecto and promptly threw it in the bin.
WTF would you give a dog something so potent that kills ticks&fleas when they bite the dog.
Changed vets after that.
Have used Cooper and Gracie natural flea and tick spray since and had no trouble. I only use it in spring & summer months and regularly brush Bert.
I buy Drontal worming tablets online and do every 3months.
I do pretty much the same as Futureboy77 for worming.
For fleas, I use Billy No Mates and add a little garlic to her food. I give her a spray of Biospotix spray if we are going somewhere 'ticky' and she wears a Biospotix collar for the worst months.
I used to use stuff from the vet but stopped when I thought about all the chemicals I was putting into her.
An alternative point of view…
What are you doing to protect them against the harmful effects of 5G?
What are you doing to protect them against the harmful effects of 5G?
Nowt, because I'm not a tinfoil hat wearing loon ball. Apologies for merely offering an alternative - I don't say it was better, but it works for my dogs and I'd rather my method than pumping them full of IMO unecessary chemicals. Others think differently and that's up to them.
So you wouldn't want to fill your dog full of, say, C18H32OS7? Or C21H20O6? They sound really scary.
We are currently using NexGard. Just wondered about cheaper options. Don't really want to go down the 'natural' route (but fair play to those who do).
So you wouldn’t want to fill your dog full of, say, C18H32OS7? Or C21H20O6? They sound really scary.
Garlic and Turmeric provide health benefits.
FWIW and I didn't expand further in my initial post, but I regularly worm check the dogs and they have always come back negative. I also don't give my dogs annual boosters, as I get an annual titre test done and both dogs continually display an acceptable level of antibodies which remain from their initial round of puppy vaccinations six years later. This is accepted by kennels, the insurance company and my Vet.
I also raw feed, which is again, supported by my Vet.
Not sure why you are having a go with this. It's subjects that I've researched with my dogs interests at heart and I believe they are detrimentally pumped full of unnecessary chemicals. I also ensure that checks and balances are in place by titre/worm testing them, so am doing so responsibly.
It seems as you think I'm doing something negative by actually researching things rather than blindly following. For example, the vets push annual boosters, but their own guidelines and the manufacturers state every three years.
Also, to add (and maybe I've been lucky), other than the tests above, the initial puppy jags and getting spayed, my dogs have never required a vet due to illness or poor health.
I get my method (which I'm not alone in following) maybe required a bit more effort, and I don't judge anyone who goes down the "normal" route, but I don't see why you are criticising me, for something which works for me and the dogs.
@Cougar - you are the reason I'm not bothering with this forum anymore. Insults for doing something different with just cause has become reason for a smarmy reply and I'm sure you were once a mod.
I've been on here since just after the go-far days but can't be bothered anymore.
I liked this place and I hope the good regulars keep it up.
No flounce, I'm just binning it and going back to riding my bike.
Milprazon broad spectrum wormer, (drontal and non-prescription ones don't kill all worms), Bravecto tick and flea treatment (kills virtually every parasite so no worries about any infestation)
costs roughly £20 every 3 months
Not sure why you are having a go with this.
I'm not 'having a go' but rather trying to point out that "yes but chemicals" is bad science. The entire universe is made up of chemicals, show me something that isn't and you can have my bike.
you are the reason I’m not bothering with this forum anymore.
Well, wow. I'm genuinely surprised and sorry to hear that given that as far as I'm aware this is our first interaction.
Also,
"insults"? Where?
@Futureboy77 Riding your bike sounds like a good idea. Hell, I might even dust mine off!
Just in case you are still around, thanks for saying about the titre test. I don't want to get my dog vaccinated every year - after blindly following the vet's advice with my little terrier and massively over treating her - but obviously worried about diseases with this one.
Anyhow, a titre test sounds ideal. So thanks and happy trails.
Billy no mates and garlic with fennel (I think) for fleas and ticks. Nothing stops ticks biting, just how long they stay so you need to remain vigilant regardless.
Regular worm counts which actually covers more parasitic infections than preventative poisoning.
Titre testing for antibodies and only consider boosting if natural cover is not available.
Don’t get me started on the sham of annual vaccination boosters!
Good luck with using a kennels for a holiday away. All of our local ones require documentary proof of boosters.
Any ideas on how to get fleas out of carpets? Mate came to stay with us about 4 years with his mutt and since then we get some fleas every few months in the spare bedroom carpet. What's the best way to stop them coming back?
@shinton there's loads of nasty flea killing sprays. Obviously have their downsides but they do work. You've got to hoover like crazy. Especially around the edges. And then empty the hoover immediately and away from the house. Do it everyday, even a few times a day for a while at least.
Talcum powder is supposed to suffocate them too although I've never tried this.
I have had them but always managed to get rid. Good luck.