Ticks!!!!

corgisforme · 05-20-2009, 01:32 PM

Hi I'm new here.

Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing a problem with ticks thus far this year?

My two corgis are getting them despite using Frontline Plus (yes they have the right dosage size, yes we keep our yard maintenance up/neat and NO our dogs do not run free through the woods, etc. Heck, we even treat the lawn with stuff to kill ticks/fleas/ants and so forth!)

I'm just REALLY frustrated because this stuff is NOT cheap (the FL+) as I'm sure you know. I know the theory is that if a tick bit the dog it will die and fall off a dog that is treated w/FL+. Guess what...NOT happening!

So I called my vet to 'complain' &/or get some advice. What I was told was "they are having that problem with everyone this year and that I can come in and get a Preventic collar for the dogs" (for ANOTHER $18!).

Say what?! *snort*

Okay, have any of you used a Preventic collar on your dogs? Does it work/is it worth it? Now I'm worried that I'll overwhelm the dogs with too much of a 'good' thing and make them sick or something (chemicals). But really, why do I have to use two products when the FP+ is supposed to take care of things??

Anyway...I guess I'm sort of just venting but also wondered if I'm alone in this circumstance.

Laurie

P.S. I asked about Advantix when we got the FL+ but the vet recommended not using it because it was too strong??

Xie · 05-21-2009, 06:52 AM

I know the vet I work for as well as many others are moving away from Frontline for dogs and are starting to use Advantix and a newer product, Vectra 3D. They seem to work much better and both repel ticks as well as kill them.

They are both safe for dogs from 8 weeks of age so I don't understand what your vet is referring to. Maybe if you had a chihuahua under 2.5lbs it could be an issue, but for a full grown corgi? Nah, shouldn't be a problem. In fact Advantix and Vectra 3D seem to cause less reactions in dogs then FP does.

I'd ask again about the Advantix or Vectra 3D and be more insistent.

joyfulsoul50 · 05-27-2009, 09:23 PM

Have heard of people and dogs having ticks on them this year. I've started to do a daily check on mine--she doesn't mind and it's better than trusting the advantage to do the job. Good luck!

CrzyBritNAmerica · 05-27-2009, 09:38 PM

We're looking into getting Advantix at my vet clinic as well. As far as I know ticks can still bite when a dog is on Frontline, they just die...eventually. But it doesn't take that long for the dog to contract something from the tick. We've heard Advantix is a better way to protect against them.

We actually just had the first case of Tick Fever I've encountered. Poor dog's owner is a lovely lady, but didn't realize ticks were that dangerous. Her dog had a fever of 104.7 when it came in!! Luckily we caught on right away by doing a tick panel of bloodwork...but still scary.

Marsh Muppet · 06-01-2009, 09:14 PM

Last year was one of the worst tick seasons in memory, and this year is shaping up to be just as bad. We are also very close to Lyme Disease Ground Zero. I use Frontline and occasionally pull dead ticks out of my dog's coat, and none of them appear to have fed enough to grow substantially. I think any that jump on him get floated off when he goes in the water, and ticks seem less attracted to wet dogs. All of the real lively ticks I've found have been on me.

GottaLuvMutts · 06-02-2009, 01:59 AM

Tried Frontline and hated it. It simply didn't work at all. I would find fleas after just a few days.

My best guess on this is the same reason why farmers have to keep changing the insecticide that they're spraying on their crops: the pests develop resistance! I live in a very dog-friendly city and it seems like everyone and their brother owns a dog and uses Frontline. The fleas/ticks that are susceptible to it die, leaving only the resistant ones to reproduce - survival of the fittest! If every dog owner in your area is using Frontline, try something less popular that has a different active ingredient- it might just do the trick.

I've had great success with Advantage, which I have to mail order, because the vet doesn't sell it. But if it works, it's worth it! If that one stops working, I'll switch to something even less popular.

I've even had a vet friend of mine tell me she mixes it up and gives her dog a different brand each month. This cuts the exposure of the dog to any one toxic chemical and also decreases the chances that the fleas/ticks might evolve resistance.

Bikhi Akhbar · 06-02-2009, 11:04 AM

Does anyone have an opinion on Revolution(tm)? I've used it once and haven't noticed any fleas or ticks on little Bikhi.

LuvMyPup · 06-02-2009, 11:34 PM

Oh I am so glad I am not alone here! Ticks have been awful this year and at first I was assuming it was just me moving to a new area where ticks are worse, but I can see that isn't the case. I use Advantix, and I pull at least 2 off her everyday...alive. I'm thinking of trying a collar next month. If you find something that works let me know! I hate the little stinkers.

LuLuBelle · 06-04-2009, 09:42 PM

I've started using Revolution, and seems to be working great. I haven't found any on her so far. Hope your dog get's better ;(
Good luck

spookydee · 06-11-2009, 11:48 PM

Ticks have been pretty badly here in the south this year, found some on me when I went walking with the dogs....
have to go get some more tick drops for the babies myself as we had to skip a month because of me starting college online...
found more on them this year as well...argh....

pugmom · 06-12-2009, 08:07 AM

You don't happen to live in NOVA do you?

....I just noticed a new couple in our neighborhood walking two corgis

Ticks are horrible right now.....we are not having too much of a problem around our home...we find maybe one or two every few weeks...but if you go off the trail or into the woods....we get infested