# Tick/Flea protection



## wolfheartak (Sep 2, 2014)

This is probably a dumb question for most of you, but do you all use flea/tick protection for your dogs here? What do you recommend? Do I have to use something all year? My dog is a Duck Toller, so medium sized with medium length hair.

I'm brand new to GA (Augusta) and there weren't fleas/ticks back home.


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## Crickett (Sep 2, 2014)

We have always used Frontline Plus on our lab but the cost was getting outrageous so now we've been using some stuff from Walmart. I can't remember the name of it though but it's basically the same as Frontline only cheaper. 



Welcome to GA!


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## waterdogs (Sep 3, 2014)

I use bio spot. Have been for years


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## krazybronco2 (Sep 3, 2014)

K9 advantics II and i quit using it after oct. and start back at the first of march.


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## buddylee (Sep 3, 2014)

Dominion Tree and Shrub.


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## Clazarus (Sep 3, 2014)

Advantix & Heartguard. That's been the best combo for us so far. You need to use it year-round. -Wife is a veterinarian.


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## wolfheartak (Sep 3, 2014)

Thank you!


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## Amoo (Sep 3, 2014)

Trifexis year round- Wife is also a Vet

We don't have ticks, but if we did, the only tick prevention I have seen work really well are the new Serresto Collars.  I hate tick collars because they all suck and never work.  Our rep gave us some freebies to try to change my mind so we sent them home with some of the girls.  All dogs that previously had tick issues no longer had ticks.

Buy one off Amazon if you don't want to go to the vet, you can find them there.  Read the reviews and you will see similar experiences.  Good luck.


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## JustUs4All (Sep 3, 2014)

A regular heart worm preventative is a must here in GA, HeartGuard or some other.  Many here use a tiny amount of Ivermectin.


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## chocolate dog (Sep 3, 2014)

Seresto collar and say bye bye to ticks and fleas for 8 months.    It just works.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Seresto-Flea-Collar-Large/dp/B00B8CG602


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## chocolate dog (Sep 3, 2014)

Crickett said:


> I can't remember the name of it though but it's basically the same as Frontline only cheaper.
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to GA!



Pet Armor.    Im done with the topicals though after being introduced to the Seresto collar.


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## krazybronco2 (Sep 3, 2014)

Amoo said:


> Trifexis year round- Wife is also a Vet
> 
> We don't have ticks, but if we did, the only tick prevention I have seen work really well are the new Serresto Collars.  I hate tick collars because they all suck and never work.  Our rep gave us some freebies to try to change my mind so we sent them home with some of the girls.  All dogs that previously had tick issues no longer had ticks.
> 
> Buy one off Amazon if you don't want to go to the vet, you can find them there.  Read the reviews and you will see similar experiences.  Good luck.





chocolate dog said:


> Seresto collar and say bye bye to ticks and fleas for 8 months.    It just works.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Seresto-Flea-Collar-Large/dp/B00B8CG602




how well do they work with being in water at least 2 days a week if not more?


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## Joe Overby (Sep 4, 2014)

You're supposed to take the seresto collar off before the dog swims...and then put it back on...and then take it off....and then...
Frontline and every 30 days since 1994. I like advantage as well.


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## chocolate dog (Sep 4, 2014)

krazybronco2 said:


> how well do they work with being in water at least 2 days a week if not more?



Straight from the manufactures website. 



> Seresto is water-resistant and remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight. Under normal conditions, effectiveness lasts for 8 months. In order to maintain an eight-month duration, dogs must not be bathed more than once per month. For dogs that swim once a month or more, the control duration is reduced to 5 months.


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## grouper throat (Sep 4, 2014)

a cow tag under a dog's collar is about $30 less expensive.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 4, 2014)

I read some terrible reviews for that 8 month collar. Kinda skeered me. I just use frontline plus and ivomec on mine.


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## chocolate dog (Sep 4, 2014)

GA DAWG said:


> I read some terrible reviews for that 8 month collar. .



I can find terrible reviews on ANYTHING without looking very hard.   Ive been using one for about 6 months now.  Nothing bad whatsoever from doing so.    I will never not use one from here on out as I hate the topicals and absolutely refuse to pay for Trifexis which has been known to kill dogs.  

The Seresto collar came recommended from a retriever trainer up here in North Ga and I believe he uses them on all his dogs.    Nothing reported besides zero ticks and zero fleas.  I do believe he removes them before they get in the water but its absolutely not necessary according to the manufacture.   You just wont get the full 8 months protection.

Im not gonna argue though or turn this into a whizzing match like happens around here with EVERY dog food thread.  Everyone should use what they want to use and that which they find is most effective.   For me, thats the Bayer Seresto collar.  No more topicals, ever.


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## Crickett (Sep 4, 2014)

chocolate dog said:


> Seresto collar and say bye bye to ticks and fleas for 8 months.    It just works.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Seresto-Flea-Collar-Large/dp/B00B8CG602





chocolate dog said:


> Pet Armor.    Im done with the topicals though after being introduced to the Seresto collar.



I'll check that collar out. I hate using the topicals too especially on our Boston Terrier.


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## The Flying Duckman (Sep 5, 2014)

K9 Advantix II and Iverheart Max, year round.


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## Amoo (Sep 5, 2014)

chocolate dog said:


> I can find terrible reviews on ANYTHING without looking very hard.
> 
> I will never not use one from here on out as I hate the topicals and absolutely refuse to pay for Trifexis which has been known to kill dogs.
> 
> Im not gonna argue though or turn this into a whizzing match like happens around here with EVERY dog food thread.



I chopped your post up, not to argue but simply to point out you threw Trifexis (which you don't use) and then backed Sorresto (which you do use) all the while saying you can find bad reviews on everything.

Trifexis isn't for everybody, nor is Sorresto or Ivermec.  Heck we've had dogs have a reaction to their annual shots (every now and then you get a dog with a Lepto intolerance).

Bottom line is every dog, just like a person is different, has different allergies and different reactions.  The important thing to note is all of the products mentioned here are working for people.  Which one you choose to use is personal preference, just please use heartworm prevention year round around here.


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## chocolate dog (Sep 5, 2014)

Amoo said:


> Which one you choose to use is personal preference.



Did I not say that? Pretty sure I did. 



chocolate dog said:


> Everyone should use what they want to use and that which they find is most effective.   For me, thats the Bayer Seresto collar.  No more topicals, ever.




I didn't throw Trifexis anywhere. I just said that to ME I think it's overpriced and it was tied in with some deaths of some dogs.   I won't use a product like that just as I won't feed my dog anything by Diamond. 

I have not read where the collar was killing dogs. If you have some articles on that I would greatly appreciate you sharing them.  the last thing I want to do is ANYTHING that might hurt my girl


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## Amoo (Sep 5, 2014)

chocolate dog said:


> Did I not say that? Pretty sure I did.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



My point was dogs have died due to allergic reaction to every flea and tick medicine on the market today.  Not just Trifexis like you apparently got your hands on an article about.  Trifexis isn't any more or less likely to kill your dog then Frontline/Advantage/Sorresto or any of the others.  It's all about your dog's allergies to the active ingredient.  Nothing more nothing less.  Just read the Amazon reviews to see the percentage of dogs that have reacted to Sorresto.

Example:
We have 4 adult dogs.  3 dogs get Trifexis.  One gets sick from Trifexis and has to get a topical with a different active ingredient.  He actually gets sick on any chewable full or empty stomach.  It isn't because Trifexis is any more dangerous to him then any of the others.  It's because his body doesn't like the active ingredient.  

EDIT: Meant to add my neighbor's dog is sensitive to Frontline Plus

We have had dogs get sick from every single type of flea and tick prevention we sell, no exceptions.  Keep in mind also, I'm not trying to sell you anything here so anything I'm telling you isn't to try to get you to buy or not buy any product or support any company...etc.  All I'm doing is trying to put out correct information.  The information that Trifexis kills dogs and other preventatives don't is not accurate.  Ultimately the only thing I care about is that people get Fido the protection he needs and I don't care how people choose to go about doing it, but folks deserve to have the correct info as well.

Here's a few charts to help people see what I'm talking about with active ingredients:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=325

Actives in Trifexis are spinosad + milbemycin oxime
Active in comfortis is spinosad
Actives in Sentinal are Lufenuron + milbemycin oxime

I can't readily think of any others off the top of my head, but as you can see there is a lot of crossover in ingredients in all of them.

Edit:  Snopes article about Trifexis killing dogs http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/trifexis.asp.

Here's a website about dogs that "have died because of Hartz: http://www.hartzvictims.org/

My point is type XXX Product killed my dog and you will get sites and posts about every single medicine.  70 Million doses of Trifexis have been dispenses according to the article.  1000 people think their dog died because of the medicine.  Regardless of any links I promise more dogs die a year due to Heartworms, Lyme and other diseases caused by fleas and ticks then the allergic reactions to the medicines.


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## Scrapy (Sep 8, 2014)

buddylee said:


> Dominion Tree and Shrub.



I use it or Bayer Tree and shrub. Both are off label but they are both 1.47% Imidichloriprid.  Sometimes it comes as 0.72 % which means you use twice as much.  If I am not mistaken, The brand name dog flea control from the vet is active ingredient Imidichloriprid, just 10 times stronger than we use as the rate for 1.47 %. A bottle will treat for five years what a single pill costs. Just saying I am not promoting going off label, just saying.


Ivermectin is totally for heartworm prevention, not fleas , ticks, worms, earmites etc.


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## Joe Overby (Sep 8, 2014)

Scrapy said:


> I use it or Bayer Tree and shrub. Both are off label but they are both 1.47% Imidichloriprid.  Sometimes it comes as 0.72 % which means you use twice as much.  If I am not mistaken, The brand name dog flea control from the vet is active ingredient Imidichloriprid, just 10 times stronger than we use as the rate for 1.47 %. A bottle will treat for five years what a single pill costs. Just saying I am not promoting going off label, just saying.
> 
> 
> Ivermectin is totally for heartworm prevention, not fleas , ticks, worms, earmites etc.


Active ingredients in brand name topicals are either fipronil or premethyrin.


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## Scrapy (Sep 9, 2014)

Joe Overby said:


> Active ingredients in brand name topicals are either fipronil or premethyrin.



I don't have time but if you look at the most popular flea control products labeled and sold only by vets, I am sure you will find Imidichloriprid. It is a topical. At least that's the way I use it.


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## Scrapy (Sep 9, 2014)

A friend of mine used Spot-on years ago. He kept it in a bottle on the shelf. Over the year the cap rusted out some.  The potient evaporated and got stronger. When he used it he killed two of his dogs. He did not sue. He knew it was expired anyway.  Who ever is saying that stuff happens is right. Stuff happens.


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## Joe Overby (Sep 9, 2014)

Scrapy said:


> I don't have time but if you look at the most popular flea control products labeled and sold only by vets, I am sure you will find Imidichloriprid. It is a topical. At least that's the way I use it.


I was wrong...advantage multi uses imidacloprid. Frontline uses fipronil. The others are permethryn based. Sorry.


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## Jeremiah Glaze (Sep 9, 2014)

Bayer tree an shrub for fleas... Been using it for 4-5 years now , works flawlessly...1cc per 10 lbs ...in between the shoulders once a month...ivermectin down the throat once a month as well...1/10th of cc per 10 lbs... Bayer complete insect has another insecticide additive that will kill ticks/ prevent ticks as well ...tree an shrub will not do anything for ticks , however the complete insect is a weaker dose of imidichlorapid...i have not increased the dosage bc of less imidi... An I still do not have any fleas...save yourself a lot of money ....an try it ... It's 12-16$ a bottle at walmart it will last a LoNG time!! And it works as good or better than what you are buying from the vet...


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## Scrapy (Sep 10, 2014)

Joe Overby said:


> I was wrong...advantage multi uses imidacloprid. Frontline uses fipronil. The others are permethryn based. Sorry.


Thanks , I was scared I could be wrong. I have not used a product with fipronil. So I don't know anything about it.  I do know that permethryn is a fine product for many garden insects and I think I used it on dogs till I stopped getting good results. Probably the reason I started getting poor results is because I used it and had no more problems so I did not use it as a preventative every month. I am guessing that somehow fleas got immune to it?  I don't know.  I might have the same problem with imidachlorapril some day. I don't use it as a preventative. I used it for two months about 2 years ago and I have not had fleas since. Seems like every three or for years I have a flea outbreak. So I don't see treating dogs for something they don't have. Other than heartworms and I am kind of slack about that too. 

While I am talking about an off-label use I might as well go off-topic and talk about another off-label use of Imidachlorprid.  That is on okra. I get the stinkbug looking things that stick the base of the pod and cause them to curl and get hard. They are called Leaf Footed Bugs and are in the stinkbug family. They are brown and fly right at your eyes when disturbed. I get outbreaks of them. not just a few. I have tried everything. If I would have had some left over (but I don't) DDT I would probably have tried that. But I saw that Imidachlorprid was labeled in South America on okra. So I applied it as recommended as a soil drench because of its systemic properties. I did it about two weeks before the okra bloomed. It worked like a charm. I did not apply it to cowpeas but I did not need to. The okra took care of all of it.  I ate the okra but I did not share it with family or friends. I am an old man and I figure if something is going to get me 20 years from now it has waited too long.


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