Dog Owners a Question

CincyBride08 · October 2009

Do you continue to give your pets Flea and Tick medicine through the winter or do you just give it through the summer/ spring months?

TIA!

Mrs.Matt · October 2009

The only months we don't give the flea and tick medicine to our dogs are December, January and February. Our vet told us that we only need to give it during the warmer months but since our dogs are outside a ton, we go a little bit longer to be safe. The three months we don't give them the medicine it's too cold for them to be out long because they both have short coats.

However, since it's been getting colder quicker this year, we might not give them a dose in November if it stays on the cold side. Our dogs are already starting to stay indoors more often.

daves_sweetpea · October 2009

Our vet's offical rec is that we give them flea & heartworm meds year round. We don't though, and the vet admitted that they switch things around through the winter too. Mine do the combined flea & heartworm tablet (Sentinel maybe?). It's cheaper than Heartguard and a topical but it only makes adult fleas sterile, it can't kill the eggs. you might remember that Lil got fleas last month. I thought flea season was through the summer (same as mosquitos) but it's actually the fall. Right now we're using Vectra (a new topical) and the vet said to do it through December or so. I think next year we'll start it in September and go through Dec and just rely on the Sentinel for the rest of the year. I think you'll be fine if you want to skip the flea treatment during the winter.

stillwaiting12 · October 2009

I am really bad about giving my dog flea medicine. She only goes outside to do her business and she's RIGHT back inside. I typically only give it to her because when we go to my parents she's around the other dogs and can get fleas that way too. I give my dog a dose in the spring and every month through September (when I think about it). So... don't follow my method!

katieranck2202 · October 2009

I do because she is out just as much as she is during the summer and we continue it with our cat as well since the dog could bring them inside.

h20goalie · October 2009

I agree with Mrs. Matt. We will probably not give our dogs a treatment till march or april...depending on the weather. I know that our vet said that this was the worst year he remembers in a looooong time, and he is in his late 60's or early 70's!!!

daves_sweetpea · October 2009

PS-my vet and DH (an exterminator) both say that it's VERY hard to get an infestation in your home. You'd either need to neglect your pets or just have a nasty home to get that bad. Unfortunatly fleas can give your pets nasty stuff like tape worms and that's probably a bigger worry than an infestation (my parents dog had fleas when they adopeted her and ended up with tape worms-nastiest stuff ever!!)

Mrs_D_in_KY · October 2009

Once the weather is consistently colder - we don't give flea or tick meds. I always make sure to give them in the warmer months, only because I can't imagine the headache with 3 dogs having fleas/ticks in the house.

Since it has been a little warmer lately, the furry trio may get one last dose before the colder months are here to stay.

lisa5804 · October 2009

We give them to our dogs all year. One of my dogs ended up getting fleas in November. (Granted he got them while boarded for Thanksgiving, but another dog had them in winter and NEVER want to deal with that again) So to be safe, we do it all year.

Eleise96 · October 2009

We give our dog (a Boxer) an all-in-one flea/ear mite/heartworm medicine from about April-November. For the winter months, we switch to just a heartworm pill.

wheelber · October 2009

We give them both Frontline & Heartguard all year round. We dont want to get out of the habit. My aunt runs a vet clinic, she said that the only time they don't need it is when the ground is frozen... so usually Dec-March... just really depends on the weather.... but its actually a much shorter period than most ppl think.

MsEmilyAnn · October 2009

We give it year round. Out vet has seen fleas and ticks in the winter. You also don't know what kind of dogs your dog will encounter with, and where they have been. Also, we give our dog Advantage Multi, which includes prevention for heartworm and intestinal worms, etc.

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