I've got a loaded question... Lol

[tjohnson722]

I've got a loaded question.... But I'm honestly curious. I've been wondering, I know we give ourselves and our pets vaccinations. I'm not questioning that, what I'm questioning is flea and tick medication. I don't know if its just laziness of people, like hey give him a pill and you can sit on your behind and not do anything or if its honestly necessary. I will 100% give heartworm, but what's your take on those things? Do you give them, or not? Discussions?

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[Iymala]

I think it completely depends on the area you live in. I didn't give flea or tick medications for years because there were no ticks or fleas where my dog had access to. Now I live outside the city in an area that is wooded...ticks and fleas are a real issue and I give prevention to keep both my dog and myself comfortable.

 

[ruthcatrin]

We just had a discusson on it here: Heartworm, flea, and tick preventative?

Keep in mind that all major flea/tick/heartworm preventives are essentially poisons. I hate using them....but ticks are nasty horrible evil things....I use Revolution for heartworm, I give it every other month. It also does fleas, though I've never had a flea problem anyway. Ticks I've been using a Preventic collar, but Apollo's about to outgrow his.....

 

[tjohnson722]

Thank you, ill check that thread out.

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[Rugers-Kris]

I have never given them as Ruger has never had a single flea or tick and I think "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but, if I lived in an area that the fleas and ticks were bad and nothing else I tried worked, I would give them.

 

[Lori]

I give my pup Revolution, for Heartworm, Fleas and Ticks. Ticks are HUGE in my area this year...others in my neighbourhood have found ticks on their dogs and themselves everytime they go out pretty much. *knock on wood* but I have yet to find one on Abel so I will be giving him the meds every month from May-November.

 

[thelady_v2010]

Ticks are really bad here, so I treat for ticks. And heartworm. And fleas by default. I would not have a problem dealig with fleas in another manner, but I do not want a houseful of ticks, nor do I want them on my cats who never go outside.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I give my pup Revolution, for Heartworm, Fleas and Ticks. Ticks are HUGE in my area this year...others in my neighbourhood have found ticks on their dogs and themselves everytime they go out pretty much. *knock on wood* but I have yet to find one on Abel so I will be giving him the meds every month from May-November.

Depending on where you are keep in mind that Revolution only covers one kind of ticks. I know in my area there's more than one kind common, so we need extra coverage.

 

[tjohnson722]

I work at a Sheriffs Office, one of the local police departments suggested I use apple cider vinegar as a spray. He said its what he does. I've been researching the long term effects of these pesticides, and frankly it scares me. I want nothing for the best to the animals who will be protecting my kids. I've just started to research the hollistic medicine. My new vet is a hollistic vet/behavioralist but also practices regular vetrinary medicine. So I have a lot of options, just need to pick one.

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[Lori]

Oh really? I didn't know that. I get the medication from my Vet but I will be asking him about other Ticks next time I see him. They are the WORST! A lot of dogs have actually tested positive for Lyme Disease in my area this year as well.

 

[tjohnson722]

That's scary. Where I live they're only around tall grass areas and woods. Which I don't live by either as long as my lowlife neighbors mow thier grass.

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[ruthcatrin]

Revolution (selamectin) stops fleas and prevents heartworms.

It only works on the American Dog Tick, which to be fair is one of the most common types.

 

[ruthcatrin]

That's scary. Where I live they're only around tall grass areas and woods. Which I don't live by either as long as my lowlife neighbors mow thier grass.

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To be completely fair, ALOT of dogs (even those vaccinated for lyme!) test positive for lyme, but very few actually get sick (its something like 5% of those who test positive actually get sick), and of those who do get sick rarely need more than an antibiotic, unlike humans where lyme is horrible nasty needs lots of meds.....the real issue is the other things ticks carry which can be fatel *sigh*

 

[tjohnson722]

I think I'm going to ask her about hollistic approach to both dogs. Ill start Dozer now and Dixie in October when its time for her vaccines. She's on expensive trifexis now.

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[thelady_v2010]

I think I'm going to ask her about hollistic approach to both dogs. Ill start Dozer now and Dixie in October when its time for her vaccines. She's on expensive trifexis now.

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I chose not to go with Trifexis because I have cats. I went with Frontline, which only kills ticks, but at least they are dead and not on any of us.

 

[Iymala]

My vet here suggested Sentinel and gave us a free dosage for puppies. I waited till he was due last weekend to try it out and Claymore took to it well. It is heartworm and flea prevention (does not kill adult fleas only stops them from being able to reproduce). She suggested pairing it with Frontline or a topical prevention. Unfortunately, while I appreciate the idea, I do not like having to dose two different medications and all the additional additives that entails. I personally have used in the past and will continue to use .08% Ivermectin Solution for heartworm and then a topical for fleas and ticks.

 

[Lori]

They normally are in tall grass areas I believe but I live in the country so I am surrounded by tall grass. I walk my dog every evening with my sister in law and her 'rat dog' (a chiuaua) haha and her dog runs at the end of her leash where Abel walks right beside me so doesn't run through the tall grass....and they found 4 on her after one of our walks!!!

 

[ruthcatrin]

I believe it. We're fairly rural here too, and though we put alot of effort into keeping the yard short we're surrounded by brush and forest.....

 

[Smart_Family]

I just use DE in their food and occasionally dusted on them. I bought an all natural spray last year but never ended up using it.

 

[tjohnson722]

My vet here suggested Sentinel and gave us a free dosage for puppies. I waited till he was due last weekend to try it out and Claymore took to it well. It is heartworm and flea prevention (does not kill adult fleas only stops them from being able to reproduce). She suggested pairing it with Frontline or a topical prevention. Unfortunately, while I appreciate the idea, I do not like having to dose two different medications and all the additional additives that entails. I personally have used in the past and will continue to use .08% Ivermectin Solution for heartworm and then a topical for fleas and ticks.

If you don't mind me asking, the ivermectin, where do you get it and what form is it in? We give ivermectin for my foster snakes for mites, thier equivalent of fleas. Its an injection form.

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