Flea/Tick Meds for Dogs...help!

[mickeysgal]

We've used Frontline Plus for years. Not sure if it's working as well as it used to...my one dog does continue to scratch, although not as much. Vet has in stock Promeris and Vectra - don't know anything about these products.

What products do you use on your dogs? Is it competely effective? Are you happy with it?

I think my collie/shep has allergies which is adding to the scratching, he does not have mange, although he's has itched/bitten hair off in a few spots. Not sure whether to give another dose of Frontline Plus or switch to something different. I know Revolution has a flea/tick/heartworm product, but we already have Sentinal for heartworm and need to use this as we've already sunk the money into this product.

 

[SandrA9810]

The itching may be coming from dry skin and not the frontline. My dog loved to chew at the base of her tail, and never saw any fleas or ticks on her. Although when we got her, she was covered in them and took a long time to get rid of them all, so I figured it was a bad habit she picked up. And she would stop if I told her to.
What really helped was changing her diet to a premium brand. We were poor and thought I could only afford purina. Then I discovered Merricks, and got a 5$ coupon off at Pet supermarket every month. Since it was better quality I could feed her less, so it wound up costing the same amount every month.
I also would bathe her with Coal Tar shampoo about once a month. I think it's pearl something (comes in a shiny pearl like bottle), is the name of the brand. But coal tar is good for their skin and coat. And every couple of weeks she got a bath with regular shampoo for doggies and oatmeal conditioner. I used veterinary care or something like that, very simple plain clear bottle, that they sell at pet supermarket. And it's got a hand pump on top which is wonderful and makes it easier when you've got a half lathered up dog.

Between these changes it really helped her out a lot. Part of the diet change came from too many UTIs, which made me broke and her miserable. So try looking at other factors than just the frontline.

 

[kristilew]

We use the Sentinel, which sterilizes any fleas that do bite. This results in no fleas in our yard or house. BUT, the dogs do pick up fleas when they board or go on walks, so in the summer I supplement with the Hartz brand oil that Target sells in the pet dept. It's cheap, but it works. Goes on their shoulder blades and down their backs like the Rx stuff, and works for about a month.

 

[Luvchefmic]

agree with SandrA my instinct was dry skin not the Frontline plus I don't know anything about the food or the shampoo she recommended but when I start to see the "dry skin itch" here I just shampoo them using "Mane & Tail" which is advertised for shampooing horses but safe for the dogs & I use it for myself too (makes hair shiny ) about $6.00 in Wal-Mart aisle with the regular shampoos not in the pet aisle and way over priced in a pet store

 

[Jockaroo]

Frontline does not work for my dog. She is a breed that is prone to flea-bite dermatitis and she does react to flea bites. A good preventative is critical for her. One flea bite and she tears her skin up and has ended up with a staph infection.

We are using K-9 Advantix. This is the one my vet uses on his dog. If you asked me to grade it, I would rate it around a B-. I'm not incredibly pleased, but most of the time it works well. Advantix does work for fleas and ticks and repels mosquitoes. Last year I did need to retreat her (at vet's OK) at the 3 week point following a visit to family who had fleas in the yard (apartment complex).

In some areas of the country Frontline is becoming less effective. Comfortis is an oral flea control pill, but like any of these medications has some side effects.

Don't retreat unless your vet tells you to. Dogs can itch from many things including dry skin, allergies to foods and environmental problems. With fleas, you typically find "flea dirt," the bloody excrement from the flea. But with a flea allergy, they can itch all over from just one bite. You don't want to overbathe a dog as this causes dry skin and itchiness. I use a gentle, soap-free oatmeal shampoo. I also have an oatmeal conditioner that I keep diluted with water in a spray bottle. I can use this at any time on her. It conditions the coat and skin between baths. With dry skin, you will frequently see what looks like doggie dandruff--flakes at the base of the hair shaft. Adding a fish oil capsule to the diet can also help with the skin (but, of course, discuss any supplement use with your vet first.) Good luck.

Added: treatments like Sentinel that sterilize the flea once it bites aren't good options IF the dog has a flea bite allergy. The bite contains the irritant and causes the histamine release in the body. IF the poster is dealing with a flea allergy a treatment like this may not be her best option. For the majority of dogs, Sentinel is a good option. I'm just one of those who can't use this. It is frustrating having your options limited.

 

[Pakey]

I have hairless dogs so definitely no fleas but they did have allergies. Once I took them off of dog food and make their own food (boiled chicken and rice), the scratching went away.

 

[JessicaR]

I am also thinking the itching is not related to the front-line.

My dog has terrible allergies, food and skin issues. After a couple of years of back and forth with the vet. I did some reading and found a product that helped her tremendously. I bought the shampoo and spray. We have been using it for almost 3 months now nd she looks and feels great! Might be worthwhile to look into it.

Micro-Tek Pet Shampoo

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0G27KG15DFR9KNYQQBGW

 

[pixiewings71]

We use Revolution. But we also have a dog with skin issues, he has to eat a certain food or he scratches constantly and bites the pads of his feet until they bleed. Luckily both dogs can eat the same food or that would be really hard. LOL

 

[parrothead365]

We have had really good luck with the promeris. Works well on both our inside and outside dogs.

 

[mickeysgal]

I am also thinking the itching is not related to the front-line.

No, I don't think the Frontline is causing any itching. What I think has happened is that he may have had fleas but the Frontline isn't as effective as it used to be on my dogs. I think he's itching due to flea dermatitis. Bottom line, I believe I need to try a stronger medicine since it seems like the Frontline Plus just isn't doing the trick anymore.

 

[Jockaroo]

Talk to your vet about the K-9 Advantix. It tends to be working better in some areas than Frontline (I'm the one with the dog that can't use Frontline--doesn't work). Advantix has benefits in that it works against ticks and repels mosquitoes. If you don't have a tick or mosquito problem Comfortis is an oral pill that you may want to consider.

One thing I'm hearing is many people are switching off and alternating flea preventatives every other month. Helps prevent the resistance. And if it is flea bite dermatitis, it only takes ONE flea to cause the reaction. Even on preventatives, one flea can jump on, bite, then die. You might want to even ask the vet what dose of Benedryl is appropriate for you dog if the itching gets too bad. I've had to give my dog this for a few days after a bite.

If you are using a topical, make sure it is getting on the skin. You have a hairy dog, so there is a chance of application error (I've done that when we had a natural-coat Scottie). And you don't want to bathe 3 days before application or 3 days after. The oils in the skin help the topical distribute. Good luck. I know this problem too well.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

My dog got fleas in our yard last month for the first time ever. Our vet recommended Revolution, and said although it repels mosquitoes, that I should continue giving him his monthly heartworm medication. We used one dose of Revolution, and within a few days all the fleas were dead (we had initially bathed him six times, leaving the soap on him for ten minutes each time, trying to kill the fleas without using insecticides). DH sprayed the yard for fleas and also spread tick granules, and we haven't had another flea since. I was very pleased with the Revolution.

 

[lizbaby007]

I have always used frontline plus on my dog BUT this past May I noticed that he was itching. By June he was covered in fleas and scratching himself raw. I promptly threw out the frontline plus (that killed me as it was brand new and cost $$) and called my vet. He recommended Revolution so that is what I got. The fleas died off within 3 days and he has not itched at all!!! It is so wonderful not to see him gnawing on himself anymore. I guess like others said he had built up a resistance to the Frontline Plus product. I am happy with the Revolution as it does cover heartworms as well and I will probably stick with this product.

 

[kirbydog48]

The itching could be some type of allergy (to pollen, dust mites, etc). Allergies in dogs are manifested through the skin, not the respiratory system. I would not use more Frontline. If it really gets bad, your vet can prescribe a special shampoo and leave-on lotion to help with the itching/inflammation. You may want to look at the dogs diet and find a food that doesn't contain common allergens...eggs, dairy, wheat, gluten, oats. A pet store that carries natural pet products can give you suggestions. There are veterinary dermatologists who can do allergy testing, if you want to get more specific about what your dog is allergic to.

 

[golfgal]

I agree that it is most likely allergies and not fleas. Our dog has bad allergies and takes benadryl/fish oil and we bathe her in a medicated shampoo and leave in conditioner and during the worst times we use a steroid spray for her hot spots.

 

[wilderness01]

I have always used frontline plus on my dog BUT this past May I noticed that he was itching. By June he was covered in fleas and scratching himself raw. I promptly threw out the frontline plus (that killed me as it was brand new and cost $$) and called my vet. He recommended Revolution so that is what I got. The fleas died off within 3 days and he has not itched at all!!! It is so wonderful not to see him gnawing on himself anymore. I guess like others said he had built up a resistance to the Frontline Plus product. I am happy with the Revolution as it does cover heartworms as well and I will probably stick with this product.

I thought Frontline had a guarantee against flees? Did they stand behind their product?