Flea Prevention

[Snuggles]

Hi,
What is the best over the counter flea prevention medicine?
My dachshund, Snuggles goes outside a lot and stays indoors some but stays outside more when it is pretty outside. So he has fleas on him. Right now we are using Hartz Flea Powder but he still has lots of fleas. We weren't really wanting to use a flea collar because we scratch his neck a lot (favorite place to be scratched) and didn't want it on our hands and didn't want him laying on the furniture getting the flea medicine on the collar on the furniture. But we will try anything so all suggestions are welcome. Thanks everyone!!

 

[southerngirl]

I just used comfortis chew-able flea tablet this month and it worked great. I had been using pet armor but it was not working for Missy. I take Missy on walking trails and hikes and she still doesn't have any fleas thanks to the Comfortis tablet.

 

[Snuggles]

I just used comfortis chew-able flea tablet this month and it worked great. I had been using pet armor but it was not working for Missy. I take Missy on walking trails and hikes and she still doesn't have any fleas thanks to the Comfortis tablet.

Ok I might try that. I might give the flea powder a little longer but if it doesn't work I might try that. thanks

 

[tigerlily46514]

This year is first year ever i am using anything to prevent ticks, and fleas, i was mostly worried about ticks, they are supposed to be pretty bad this year where i live. We are out in the woods a lot, and Buddy does come home with a few ticks now and then, and sometimes, the ticks got on us, too.
super gross.

and i just have a flea collar on my dog, his fur mostly covers it, but i so understand on a shorthaired dog, how that would be less appealing, a flea collar which you'd have to keep washing your hands everytime you bumped it.

I never ever thought i'd find myself using a poisonous collar on my dog, but, here i am, using it. My dog hasn't displayed any side effects from it.

Also, a pal of mine's dog came down with fleas, and buddy is over there a lot, and i did not want to even think about trying to get fleas out of my home, my yard, my carpet, my ankles, my furniture, and my dog. A whole viscous cycle can get going there, fighting fleas...i guess i figured it was less poisonous to prevent fleas, than to treat them.

Buddy's flea collar cost $5, worked great, not one tick or flea since i put it on him. I have, however, come home from the woods with ticks crawling on ME, but not on the dog.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[tigerlily46514]

i wonder, if you were very crafty, if you could design a cover for one side of the flea collar, so the outer side was covered in some nice fabric, like a fancy custom collar,
and the side towards dog, would had only a few itty bitty straps holding that cover on?? Or maybe even glue the fabric to the outer side of the flea collar....

still, the dogs neck would most likely have the ingredients in the collar all over his neck area when you petted him, though...you'd still have to wash your hands i think.

Option B. Maybe for summertime, maybe, you could just pet your dog's back or chest or head or behind his ears, or base of his tail, <---sends my dog into nirvana,
or somewhere else til he is no longer wearing a flea collar...........(my dog won't be wearing his in the winter, but, some ppl do have to use tick or flea prevention year round.)

 

[Ripleygirl]

I personally use advocate which is prescription only but it is one of the only flea, tick and worm protectors that cover lungworm as well, most wormers do not cover lungworm. So I use Advocate once a month but also use Drontal once every three months that covers for the majority of other worms.

 

[Snuggles]

This year is first year ever i am using anything to prevent ticks, and fleas, i was mostly worried about ticks, they are supposed to be pretty bad this year where i live. We are out in the woods a lot, and Buddy does come home with a few ticks now and then, and sometimes, the ticks got on us, too.
super gross.

and i just have a flea collar on my dog, his fur mostly covers it, but i so understand on a shorthaired dog, how that would be less appealing, a flea collar which you'd have to keep washing your hands everytime you bumped it.

I never ever thought i'd find myself using a poisonous collar on my dog, but, here i am, using it. My dog hasn't displayed any side effects from it.

Also, a pal of mine's dog came down with fleas, and buddy is over there a lot, and i did not want to even think about trying to get fleas out of my home, my yard, my carpet, my ankles, my furniture, and my dog. A whole viscous cycle can get going there, fighting fleas...i guess i figured it was less poisonous to prevent fleas, than to treat them.

Buddy's flea collar cost $5, worked great, not one tick or flea since i put it on him. I have, however, come home from the woods with ticks crawling on ME, but not on the dog.

GOOD LUCK!

Yeah thats the reason we didn't use a flea collar. We even tried Hartz topical but it didn't work very good.

 

[Snuggles]

I personally use advocate which is prescription only but it is one of the only flea, tick and worm protectors that cover lungworm as well, most wormers do not cover lungworm. So I use Advocate once a month but also use Drontal once every three months that covers for the majority of other worms.

Ok thanks for the suggestion. You are all so helpful.

 

[tigerlily46514]

oh, the flea/tick collar worked fine, no ticks, no fleas.
We used "Hartz Ultra Guard" flea/tick collar.


but yeah, i can see how a flea collar could be less appealing on a short-haired dog. I'd probably glue fabric on outer side of collar, lol.

 

[southerngirl]

oh, the flea/tick collar worked fine, no ticks, no fleas.
We used "Hartz Ultra Guard" flea/tick collar.


but yeah, i can see how a flea collar could be less appealing on a short-haired dog. I'd probably glue fabric on outer side of collar, lol.

If the dog has a lot of fleas and if they're in the house and yard it doesn't work. I've tried them with Missy and Chase they didn't work at all but when they were at my sisters house who doesn't have a problem with fleas the collar worked so it depends. If you don't have a major problem with fleas Snuggles than the collar might work but if you do have a major problem you would probably be better off using over the counter flea preventive. Though it did work on my cat Tag.

 

[LeviTheOutlaw]

For my 2 dogs I use a product called Trifexis. It's Comfortis (flea protection) and heartworm (plus a bunch of other types of worms) protection all in one. When Levi was still a pup, the vet would only give me a topical flea treatment that was supposed to last a month but within 2 weeks he would be covered in fleas. As soon as I started using the Trifexis, I never saw another flea on either of the dogs. The fleas are really bad down here in Texas, so it's really easy for them to get on the dogs and in the house. That stuff really works great!!!
It's not over the counter but well worth the trip to the animal clinic to get the prescription. I don't know what I would do with out it.

 

[Snuggles]

For my 2 dogs I use a product called Trifexis. It's Comfortis (flea protection) and heartworm (plus a bunch of other types of worms) protection all in one. When Levi was still a pup, the vet would only give me a topical flea treatment that was supposed to last a month but within 2 weeks he would be covered in fleas. As soon as I started using the Trifexis, I never saw another flea on either of the dogs. The fleas are really bad down here in Texas, so it's really easy for them to get on the dogs and in the house. That stuff really works great!!!
It's not over the counter but well worth the trip to the animal clinic to get the prescription. I don't know what I would do with out it.

I might try it if nothing else works. Thanks for the suggestion!!

 

[dogcrazy]

Carmel gets Revolution for ticks and it works well.

 

[sara]

Here's what you do....

Pack up everything you own...
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.
.
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.
.
.
.
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and move here! We have no fleas in Central Alberta I've never seen a flea

We also dont have heartworm

Or Lungworm

 

[Snuggles]

Here's what you do....

Pack up everything you own...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
and move here! We have no fleas in Central Alberta I've never seen a flea

We also dont have heartworm

Or Lungworm

cool but I guess i will stay here. Thanks anyway.

 

[sara]

cool but I guess i will stay here. Thanks anyway.

 

[JazzyandVeronica]

We have had good luck with Frontline, which is sold in pet stores; no prescription needed.

I read somewhere it is gentler than Advantix/Advantage which our vet had us try; but made Veronica yack.

 

[Snuggles]

We have had good luck with Frontline, which is sold in pet stores; no prescription needed.

I read somewhere it is gentler than Advantix/Advantage which our vet had us try; but made Veronica yack.

ok We might try that. thanks

 

[Adrianna & Calvin]

I wouldn't give OTC meds for fleas, they actually tend to be more toxic than rx meds. Many of the OTC dog products contain an ingredient which is highly poisonous to cats (permethrin), and not the best for dogs either. Fleas love hanging out around the tail and in the groin area, and flea collars don't treat this area well. Besides the fact that I don't want that dust getting all over everything

For the rx meds, beware of canine Advantix (not Advantage) if you have cats, as there are toxicity issues there too.
A&C

 

[sam131]

We use this Advocate dog flea treatment for large dogs (10 to 25kg) and we've been satisfied so far It is applied monthly and at the same time it prevents deadly heartworm, woohoo!