Flea prevention methods?

jschwind22

What flea prevention method do you use?  Does anyone have ideas for a non-topical method?  One of my dogs had a reaction to Advantix last year, so topical products freak me out.  Ideas?

aggiebug

The only non topical I would recommend would be Trifexis.  It does Heartworms, several intestinal parasites as well as fleas.  It does not to ticks! So if you live in a tick infested area its not the best.

 

As far as topicals go, what kind of reaction did your pup have? Most of the time the reactions to the topical meds are because of the high concentration at the application.  

The Seresto collar is a new flea and tick collar that has some promising results so far.  It lasts for 8 months, and because of the way it works most dogs that have reactions to the topical meds won't have a reaction to the collar.  And bonus? It does ticks too! 

jschwind22

Thank you for the ideas.

Spencer developed a nervous system reaction.  He had back muscle contractions/spasms. He also had an open sore under his tail and lost hair behind his legs and along his back at the spots where the product was applied.  The reaction lasted 1-2 weeks after application.  It happened twice so I'm pretty confident it was the Advantix.   The second time it was worse and I took him to the vet.

aggiebug

Poor puppy that sounds absolutely miserable.  Most of the reactions seen last for about 24hrs and aren't anything like you describe. 

 

I would ask your vet about Trifexis. It's an excellent product. If I didn't live in tick country my dog would be on it.  

The seresto collar is made by the same people who make advantix so there is a possibility the collar could cause irritation. However I imagine you wouldn't notice any reaction since the concentration that would be on your skin would be about what it was at 2 weeks. If that makes sense? 

mgugs17

My dog actually had an allergic reaction to Frontline and most topical repellents so we immediately stopped using them.  She is a search and rescue dog so she is constantly in and out of the woods, tall grasses, brush, swamps and more during training (2x a month).  The unit she is on purchased "Only Natural Pet Easy Defense" flea and tick tag for all of the dogs last year.  It creates a magnetic field around your dog to protect them and believe it or not it actually works!!! We were skeptical at first but why not try something that she wouldn't have a reaction to.  Normally every time she would come home from training there would be at least one tick on her - we haven't found anything on her since we started using the tag and she's had it on for over 7 months (lets keep our fingers crossed!!)  Below is the link  - check it out...can't hurt!!

Good luck to you and your pup!!  

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-EasyDefense-Flea-Tick-Tag/999024.aspx 

 

LuckyAngel07

I also recommend Trifexis. We use it for our Boxer, and she's done great on it. 

We always give her monthly pill to her after she's had a full meal. Taking the pill on an empty stomach can result in some adverse effects (most notably, tummy upset and vomiting). In 8 months of taking Trifexis, Zoey has never had a problem, and I credit it to giving her the meds on a full tummy (just like you'd want to take a lot of human meds anyway!).

If you want to use it and need tick protection, too, I'd check out temporary/topical sprays or something similar. I like to apply something to Zoey when I know she'll be in a wooded area, but she doesn't need it on a daily basis. 

livelaughloveforever

We add about a tbsp of apple cider vinegar to our dog's food, but we were told we could also add it to her water as well. I also apply lavender essential oil (using a cotton pad) to our dog between her shoulders and at the base of her tail, the same locations that many of the squeeze-on products go. I am actually working on a post for my new blog about this because a year ago our dog had a reaction to a product, and ever since I've been really particular. Some people may roll their eyes when they hear about the method we use, but it has been discussed with our vet, and a friend who is a vet, as well as with our groomer. Our dog spends time outdoors and with other dogs, and has never had fleas. We're quite happy with it.