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Flea Control - what really works in Texas or


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We got a "bad batch" of Frontline a few years ago. It just didn't work. Bio-Spot is cheaper, but that only seems to work for a week or two, so overall, that's not really "cheaper."

 

Lately, Frontline wasn't working for my bigger dog. After I found out he was bigger than I thought -- we actually weighed him -- I got the stuff for the next size up and it's working fine now.

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cottage cheese, brewers yeast and garlic....mix up thoroughly. dogs love. fleas hate :)

 

(BTW, at the petstore, you can buy the yeast/garlic pills...they usually say start using them in March or April)

 

12 years ago I swore we'd never have another pet if my KID got fleas again. Happy to say we still have kid and dogs :)

 

Pamela

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I have found that dusting the yard with Seven dust eliminates most of the fleas, so our dogs don't keep picking 'em up when they go outside. Our vet suggested it especially since it's safe for the dogs. I use it once a month during the warmer months here in TX. I too have found Bio-Spot less effective than Frontline or K-9 Advantix. We've used Frontline successfully for years but have recently tried others. My female cocker spaniel seems to have a reaction to both Bio-Spot and Advantix, so it's back to Frontline we go...

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We use a combination of Frontline and Sentinel (heartworm AND fleas). Make sure the Frontline is for the correct weight--it is best if your dog's weight is on the LOW end of the dosage--even if it costs a bit more. When the fleas are bad we use Frontline every 3 weeks.

 

A few years ago when we had a BAD flea problem we sprayed the dog beds with a flea spray.

 

Brewer's yeast and garlic help a lot too.

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Since I have 2 dogs, I have found that using Frontline on one and Advantage on the other has stopped any fleas. I was just using only Advantage but got fleas, then only Frontlline, and not sure if it was a bad batch but it didn't work. I got a new batch of Frontline and put that on the Boxer and use Advantge on the small dog and have seen not one flea in a year. :)

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but if you do not have to worry about ticks, go with Advantage. We only use Frontline on our dog because of the issues with ticks (and he isn't an outside dog but he obviously goes outside to do his business). We use Advantage on our indoor cat because we do not have tick worries and my mother finds it is better than Frontline.

 

A tip for WAY cheaper Advantage:

 

Buy the DOG Advantage (55+ lbs) even if you have a smaller dog or you need it for a cat. Then take insulin syringes and measure out the appropriate amount for your dog (easily found in the descriptions of the right size/animal that you need). The dog and the cat Advantage are the same! The price difference is amazing tho. You can do this for Frontline too but since I use it for a dog, I can't "for sure" say it is the same for cats (I forgot to ask my mom, who does this since she has TONS of dogs and cats and is a vet tech). This can get a little messy and takes a bit to get a good strategy worked up. I plan on finding a small little vial bottle to pour the Advantage into and close. Will make it easier for me.

 

As my example to give you a better idea:

 

I buy the 55lb+ dog Advantage that has 4.0 ml for vial, 4 vials per package. The cost: $46 from 1800Pet-Meds. I *need* .4 ml for my cat. To buy it separately for a cat it would cost $45 (4 dose, 10+lb cat). Buying the dog Advantage gives m3e 40 doses for $46. Buying the cat, I get 4 doses for $45. Major cost saver.

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In many areas, the fleas are building up a tolerance to either Frontline or Advantage. In my area, it's Frontline. Plus, Frontline has been around for a looong time. I recently switched to Advantix and have seen better results. I still use Advantage on the cats and it seems to work OK. It doesn't help that my backyard neighbor has quite a few cats and I don't know if she treats at all. I use Borax in the house, but can't spray the yard because I have reptiles that bask out there and can't risk their health with pesticides.

 

I think switching brands for a time coupled with house and yard treatments to break the life cycle is the best bet.

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We used Advantage and Frontline when we lived in Washington State, and they seemed to do well. When we moved to Nebraska (hotter and more humid) neither worked to my satisfaction. We've switched to Revolution, and I've been impressed.

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We have been using Frontline on all our cats, but we found a tick on our bed yesterday after brushing the cats. One of the cats goes in and out, so I am pretty sure it was him. I know the Frontline doesn't stop him from getting ticks.... it's supposed to kill them once the get on and drink some "tainted blood".... (wow, that sounds like a song!! LOL!) I haven't noticed any fleas though, thank goodness.

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but if you do not have to worry about ticks, go with Advantage. We only use Frontline on our dog because of the issues with ticks (and he isn't an outside dog but he obviously goes outside to do his business). We use Advantage on our indoor cat because we do not have tick worries and my mother finds it is better than Frontline.

 

A tip for WAY cheaper Advantage:

 

Buy the DOG Advantage (55+ lbs) even if you have a smaller dog or you need it for a cat. Then take insulin syringes and measure out the appropriate amount for your dog (easily found in the descriptions of the right size/animal that you need). The dog and the cat Advantage are the same! The price difference is amazing tho. You can do this for Frontline too but since I use it for a dog, I can't "for sure" say it is the same for cats (I forgot to ask my mom, who does this since she has TONS of dogs and cats and is a vet tech). This can get a little messy and takes a bit to get a good strategy worked up. I plan on finding a small little vial bottle to pour the Advantage into and close. Will make it easier for me.

 

As my example to give you a better idea:

 

I buy the 55lb+ dog Advantage that has 4.0 ml for vial, 4 vials per package. The cost: $46 from 1800Pet-Meds. I *need* .4 ml for my cat. To buy it separately for a cat it would cost $45 (4 dose, 10+lb cat). Buying the dog Advantage gives m3e 40 doses for $46. Buying the cat, I get 4 doses for $45. Major cost saver.

 

Yup, what she said. It is much, much cheaper. I live in Texas and Advantage is all we ever used when we had a flea problem.

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