Is there an effective flea and heartworm combo pill out there?

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Right now Bailey is on Advantage Multi.  It is working for her but I hate the way it makes her fur smell until it dries.

 

Is there a once a month flea/heartworm combo pill out there that works?

 

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think there is an effective oral flea medication for dogs. Here is what one internet person said about the oral medicine available and it made sense to me.

"ORAL MEDICINES

Oral Medications are pills or liquids that you give your pet, by mouth, that are slowly secreted onto the pets skin to kill fleas.

PROGRAM® is unique in that it works differently than other flea control products. Think of Program as birth control for the flea kingdom. As the fleas ingest the secretions, they become sterile. Logic dictates that sterile fleas cannot make flea babes, no matter how hard they try. In an average of twenty-eight days, the present band of fleas infesting your pet and home die a natural death from old age. The supposition is that after one month, your home is flea free. Sounds great and might actually be a perfectly humane method to rid the old homestead and Fluffy or Fido of dreaded parasites. Unfortunately, someone was smoking catnip when he or she came up with this winner.

Happy Birthday – you are dead – wow, sure sounds like something we could live with and over which we would lose no sleep. Somehow, the concept fails when the realization hits that pets bring in new fleas when returning from trips outdoors for walks, while playing on the screened in porch or just sneaking out for a bathroom break. There is no way Program® can keep up.

There is a place and a purpose for this particular oral medication. For those whose pets rarely see the sun shining except through a window, this product is considered effective. Your indoor dog or cat can benefit from Program® since it does work well within certain parameters. An added bonus for those who bathe their indoor pets frequently, it does not wash off since it is continuously secreted onto the skin.

According to the package insert: “Program® is available as a pill for dogs and a liquid for cats. The medication is also available in a pill with heartworm prevention, called Sentinel®."

CAPSTAR® is a pill (oral medication) that kills fleas quickly but only lasts a day or two. According to my D.V.M., veterinarians will sometimes use it in the hospital for severe cases of fleas, but it is not very useful at home.

HARTZ® FLEA PILLS This is a product offered for sale at grocery stores, drug emporiums and discount superstores, among other retail establishments. These have a fairly decent flea sterilizer in them, which was once a product used to spray on the pet’s skin in the old days. However, according to my sources, it does not seem that it makes the transfer from the stomach to the skin very well. These pills are not as successful as others mentioned above. "

http://www.epinions.com/content_1995153540

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Is there a reason you're only considering oral medication?

I know topical treatments have gotten some bad press lately, but (as far as I know) Revolution seems to be fine.  Luna used it all last summer without any issues.  It protects from fleas and a number of internal parasites including heartworm.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I thought heartworm prevention depended on oral medication. It is true that some topicals deter mosquitoes, which transmit heartworm but I don't think you can depend solely on that.

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Revolution claims that it is absorbed through the skin and gets to a high enough concentration in the blood to kill internal parasites too.

Also - I misread the original post - the pup is already on a topical medication. 

I guess you'll just have to put up with a topical and a pill - maybe try a different topical med that doesn't smell as funny?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks for the info.

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin is one Revolution too and we have been happy with it.

[Tracy L Boring]

Elizabeth, I know Trifexis (www.trifexis.com) is a heartworm and flea pill combination that also treats three kinds intestinal parasites (roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm). It contains Spinosad (trade name Comfortis) and Mibemycin oxime (trade name Interceptor). I can not comment on how it works.

[Laurie Young]

I use Trifexis and realy like it.

I know a lot of people don't like it because of the possible side effects.

However There are possible side effects to any medications, oral and topical. i think you just need to find what works best for you and your dog.

I'm not sure where you live, but in the South Veterinarians typically do not recommend topical Heartworm prevention, only because mosquittos are horrible here and do not die off in the winter. 

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Actually I live in Florida.  My vet just started carrying Trifexis.  I am planning on talking to them since Bailey is due for her treatment next week.

 

Has your pup had any side effects from Trifexis?

 

[Laurie Young]

I have 3 dogs on and have not had any issues. I will say 2 of the 3 don't like the taste of it, so I poke it down their throats, but they let me do it and don't seem to care as long as they get their treat afterwards.

[John Burkett]

My dog was originally on Comfortis and HeartGard, but like you said, my vet began to carry Trifexis, which is a combination of both. She did fine until she crossed over into he bigger dosage (above 60 lbs). For about the next 24 hours after receiving the medication, she would become disoriented, lethargic, and lost her sens of balance. Extremely frightening! The vet said it may have been a fluke, so we tried it one more time with the same reaction. Never again. Now we are back to Comfortis and HeartGard and all is well!  :)

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

OOOH, John...You have me slightly freaking out (don't feel bad...it doesn't take much).  I JUST gave Bexter & Maggie their dose of Trifexis.  But, this time, they've both moved up (BARELY) to the next dosage because of their weights.  I haven't had any problems with Trifexis so far, but now I'll be watching carefully because of the higher dose.  I'm praying that what happened with your dog will not happen today!  Glad for the warning, though.