[lovsthosebigdogs]

We are currently using Frontline Plus but I was wondering about Comfortis or Trifexis which is for heartworm and fleas. If you use Trifexis what about tick control? I know that when we were in New Orleans for the summer the flea issue was worse than up north and was just wondering about Florida and what you do to manage the issue. With so many dog owners I'm hoping to get lots of input. Thanks.

[kittygilchrist]

trifexis, intestinal and heart worms, fleas, not ticks.

[CFrance]

LTBD, a few months ago our vet switched us from Avantix and separate heartworm pill (has been discontinued) to Trifexis, which is a combo of both in one pill. I hated the topical aspect of Avantix because it left grease marks on the dog forever. there was another topical new one that we tried up in MI, but it was worse. I returned the rest of the six-month supply after the first month. The grease mark never went away till you bathed the dog.

Advantix was a must up north because we lived in dune grass, and there were lots of ticks. Down here in TV (and at the dog park), the ticks are not a problem. Some people do not like to give heartworm and flea protection on the same day, and I have to say... Crosby threw up the day he got the first trifexis dose, but it was 8 hours later, so I don't really know what made him throw up. He usually has a cast-iron stomach. He has never had a reaction to it since. I kind of follow Kitty's plan, which is to feed more soothing stuff on that day to kind of buffer the pill.

Many people are against any kind of flea protection, calling it poison, and rely on washing their dogs off frequently after they've been outside playing. I wish I could do that, but with a 90-lb long-haired dog, that is not so convenient.

[rdhdleo]

Research each product thoroughly. Advantix is an excellent product but like many I do no like the liquid form for this type of medication. Comfortis is strictly for fleas. Trifexis has been known to make some dogs sick. I prefer and have had excellent luck with Sentinal however Sentinal does not kill adult fleas it has a flea birth control in it that prevents the fleas from populating. Should you find an adult flea on your pet you can also use a Capstar a pill which will kill adult fleas on your pet for 24 hours. There is a collar called Seresto that has flea and tick prevention in it that lasts up to 8 month. Also remember nothing repels fleas and ticks from hopping on your et for a ride, they have to bite your pet to ingest the medication. You can also consider Heartguard for heart worm and intestinal parasite prevention and Comfortis for fleas. There are numerous products out there find what works best for your pet. And lastly contrary to what others may say there are Ticks big time in The Villages and YES they mostly come in the pine straw mulch The Villages lays in the common areas. Ticks do travel and will do so to find a warm body to latch onto. Once you have an infestation in your house it can literally takes months to resolve. I have been lucky my 2 dogs have never had fleas or ticks but then I keep them in my own yard. Hope the helps and yes I have 14 years Vet. Clinic experience 10 of them here in The Villages.

[dewilson58]

Frontline Plus

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by rdhdleo

Research each product thoroughly. Advantix is an excellent product but like many I do no like the liquid form for this type of medication. Comfortis is strictly for fleas. Trifexis has been known to make some dogs sick. I prefer and have had excellent luck with Sentinal however Sentinal does not kill adult fleas it has a flea birth control in it that prevents the fleas from populating. Should you find an adult flea on your pet you can also use a Capstar a pill which will kill adult fleas on your pet for 24 hours. There is a collar called Seresto that has flea and tick prevention in it that lasts up to 8 month. Also remember nothing repels fleas and ticks from hopping on your et for a ride, they have to bite your pet to ingest the medication. You can also consider Heartguard for heart worm and intestinal parasite prevention and Comfortis for fleas. There are numerous products out there find what works best for your pet. And lastly contrary to what others may say there are Ticks big time in The Villages and YES they mostly come in the pine straw mulch The Villages lays in the common areas. Ticks do travel and will do so to find a warm body to latch onto. Once you have an infestation in your house it can literally takes months to resolve. I have been lucky my 2 dogs have never had fleas or ticks but then I keep them in my own yard. Hope the helps and yes I have 14 years Vet. Clinic experience 10 of them here in The Villages.

That's good to know. We haven't seen a tick in two and a half years, but we got rid of our pine mulch early on and only take our dog to DDRR, which is all grass.

[kittygilchrist]

ticks?
after a lifetime in Fl, my experience is that a walk in the woods where you brush against plants in certain seasons is highly likely to result in ticks on you and dog, which have to be removed and destroyed. Have never encountered a home infestation.
I have pine mulch and after one year and one replacement of mulch have not seen any ticks. I'd be interested to hear about it if anyone has had ticks in their mulch, as it is certainly not impossible.

[wendyquat]

Trifexis but I recently read a very negative article where some are sure it killed their dog. We've never had a problem that I know of. He was diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago but I don't think the meds had anything to do with it. It doesn't work for ticks but we've only found one on him and got it off early. Never had a flea! So far, so good!

[Barefoot]

We use monthly Revolution topical ..... it prevents heartworm, fleas, ticks, and round worms.
Our human buys it through an online company that sells pet meds.
The online company faxes our Vet, and his office faxes the script to the online company.

Biggins 11 lbs
Lollipop 70 lbs

[Bonanza]

We do not treat our dogs on an ongoing basis with any kind of flea preventive, because we do not believe there is anything good you can say about a pesticide rolling around within your pet's insides.

I will admit if it happens, it is a pain in the butt, but most preventatives are not necessarily a cure-all or a 100% guarantee. Having been in Florida mostly, for about 30 years, I have only had one incident with fleas. I think they're pretty good odds for not doing any ongoing treatment.

I cannot believe how so many Villagers are obsessed with unnecessary pest control within their home and with their pet.
Unless you have a problem, none of us should be doing it.

And no, I am not some kind of nut-job. I simply believe in treating a bug problem when necessary and if it occurs.
There is not one good thing you can say about the constant use of pesticides, Period!

[echo11]

We have tried many products. Our dog is very sensitive. When Interceptor was discontinued we did try Trifexis. Our dog did not do well and threw up about every other month, on the day it was given. He was extremely sensitive to Advantix, trying to bite the spot where it was applied. We had used Frontline in the past but it had been found not to be doing a good job with fleas.
Now we used Sentinel which handles heartworm, parasites and fleas. We do not want to use a tick collar (Seresto) our dog has longer hair and went back to Frontline Plus. Since both address the fleas we give each product 2 weeks apart. These 2 products work well for our sensitive dog.
These products are poisons. That being said, we feel the alternative of not using these products are a bigger risk. We are from the Northeast and Lyme disease is a real issue from ticks. We do always make our divisions based on what we feel is best for our dog. Getting all the facts and making an imformed decision is an owner's responsibility!

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by echo11

We have tried many products. Our dog is very sensitive. When Interceptor was discontinued we did try Trifexis. Our dog did not do well and threw up about every other month, on the day it was given. He was extremely sensitive to Advantix, trying to bite the spot where it was applied. We had used Frontline in the past but it had been found not to be doing a good job with fleas.
Now we used Sentinel which handles heartworm, parasites and fleas. We do not want to use a tick collar (Seresto) our dog has longer hair and went back to Frontline Plus. Since both address the fleas we give each product 2 weeks apart. These 2 products work well for our sensitive dog.
These products are poisons. That being said, we feel the alternative of not using these products are a bigger risk. We are from the Northeast and Lyme disease is a real issue from ticks. We do always make our divisions based on what we feel is best for our dog. Getting all the facts and making an imformed decision is an owner's responsibility!

I prep my dog's tummy before monthly trifexis with extra food, egg, milk. No vomiting since I began doing that.

[CFrance]

We had a big flea problem back in the '80s with a springer spaniel. Then we had a flea problem with our first golden one time. He spent the weekend with our cleaning person and her boxer, and it cost over $100 (ten years ago) to get rid of the fleas and have him treated for all the holes he bit in himself. Never again. I hear what you're saying, Bonanza, and I admire your environmental conscientiousness, but it's not worth the risk for us, nor the misery for the dog.

I'm not worried about ticks in TV. We don't walk in the woods. We walk in the middle of the street! DDRR has no bushes or pine trees, and Crosby spends the bulk of his time there in the wading pool, surrounded by cement pavers. If they still had Interceptor, I would use that and a topical, but they don't, so we will keep with trifexis unless we find a tick on him.

[redwitch]

Can't discuss the medication issue since I don't have a dog but the tick issue I can. There are most definitely ticks in TV, mainly in the pinestraw. Had a collie that got infested. It took almost daily baths and a tick collar for three months to get rid of them. No fun for Amber or her owners.

[CFrance]

You gotta consider your dog's environment and work from there.