Flea/tick medication

[Kim Starbuck]

Hi all!

I'm wondering what type of flea/tick medication you all would recommend. I normally use Frontline, but my vet told me that it no longer is recommended (because it doesn't work?). Is this true? He gave me a script for Bravecto. Is that medication safe?

Thank you! Kim

[Marni and Hanna]

Does anyone use the collars?   If so, which one?  Are they as effective?  Does anyone use Soresto, or have any comments about it?  

If I think Hanna has a sensitivity to the Ivermectin in Heartgard, do I have to worry about any blood/brain barrier issues with tick medicine, or is that completely unrelated?

Help, please !  (and Thanks !!)

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ivermectin is completely unrelated to flea & tick preventatives. However, Heartguard Plus contains other ingredients besides ivermectin, so if she has had a reaction to it, it might be one of the other ingredients causing the problem. 

[Marni and Hanna]

ok, good point that it could be one of the other ingredients...  AUGGH so frustrating trying to figure out the best/right thing to do for  ticks/fleas and heartworm....especially when not very common at all in my area, which after talking to my vet, she just confirmed we don't see much of it either.....but it is good to be try to prevent because of potential seriousness from tick diseases and heartworm.

[Leslie J]

I have been very happy with Seresta. Frontline stopped working for us and Cocoa refuses to eat any chewable pills. Seresta is also good for us because it kills ticks, which are common in the canyon near our home.
It is also easy because it lasts for several months (supposedly nine) so there's nothing to forget. I change it every six months because I live in LA where there are fleas year round.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

We give Yeti nexgard for flea and tick medication! So far it as worked well for us :).

[Amy and Annabelle]

I use Nexgard. Annabelle plays with my young grand kids several times a week, so I didn't feel comfortable with anything other than chewable. I live out in the country with fleas and ticks all year round. So she never gets a break from it.

[Stacy]

I started using Bravecto last year and have been very happy with it. You can read terrible things about it, but I feel like that is true about most medications. My concern is more ticks than fleas. I give Sentinel that is supposed to be "birth control for fleas" and I've never seen one. *knock on wood* but ticks freak me out. I tried the seresto collar last year and found a tick on Katie. My vet wasn't a fan of the collar. 

I've also had good luck with Frontline in the past, but as long as it's safe I find a pill once every 3 months to be so much easier. 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Hey Kim! Frontline is somewhat ineffective in our area of the Northeast--the fleas and ticks have become somewhat immune to it--I recommend Advantix, but people have had good luck with the Seresto collar as well as Nexguard. I do know some people are using Bravecto--have not heard anything negative.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I have been using Nexgard for my 2, and am very happy with it. Ticks are rampant in the lakes area surrounding my city, and fleas are brought into the city by rabbits. I also take them to doggy daycare 1-2 days/week, and can't be certain that flea preventatives are used by all patrons.

The thing I like about Nexgard is that there is no mess on the coat, and I don't have to think about getting the product on myself or others that pet them. One could also argue that there is more potential harm to the dog since it is taken internally. But, we have not had any side effects from it.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Silly question! We give Yeti his flea and tick (nexgaurd) on the 15th of each month. We are going up north in a couple of days on a fishing trip and of course I'm worried about ticks. In WI everyone has been talking about how this is going to be the worst year for ticks on record. I was thinking of getting a flea/tick collar for added protection. Is that dangerous for Yeti? Does anyone give a pill or a topical on top of a collar?