[Rescued]

We currently have four dogs, one of which is a foster and his frontline plus is supplied by the organization.

We live in a coastal, humid, sandy, southern area. We've been using Vectra-3D for the past few months, but since we've run out I'm hoping to switch to something else, as I really haven't been impressed with its scent or extreme greasyness and seeming inability to "soak in."

In the past we've used frontline plus and have always been satisfied, but any lower cost or less chemically ideas are welcome- tick prevention is a MUST for our area, so if there is a natural essential oil thing that does more than fleas I'd be happy to hear about it. Also open to experiences with Costco's Kirkland brand, though I think I've completely decided against it due to all the bad reviews of Biospot.

What do you use/ have you used?

 

[Leah00]

I've used, in order, just within the past 6 months:

Frontline Plus (the last batch I bought did not work very well though...I don't know why).
Comfortis (AWESOME for fleas, but I don't think it repels ticks. Expensive).
Currently we are using Advantage Multi which seems to be doing ok and prevents Heartworms too. Again, I'm not sure about ticks though.

 

[Spirit_of_Cotons]

I wish Promaris was back on the market as Luke was fine with that, but then it stopped. Our vet said they just weren't selling and that's why it was stopped. Then we went to Advantix 2 and he had a reaction from it and from Frontline as well. So our vet said not to use anything unless we go to an area that's wooded (use a tick collar and something else).

I also was recommended, by another owner, that Comfortis is good. So I would go with that one or Frontline. I hear both are good. Good luck.

 

[Hambonez]

We use Frontline+ because we have cats and I'd rather not risk them getting poisoned by the Advantix unless the Frontline isn't working... but it seems to be working fine. I ordered it off Amazon -- was about $10/dose.

 

[mcdavis]

We've always used Frontline Plus, except for one time when the vets decided they were only going to sell Advantage (which they claimed did everything that Frontline did plus deter ticks) and Hamish got a tick!
We found the cheapest place to buy the Frontline Plus from was Amazon.

 

[Rescued]

We use Frontline+ because we have cats and I'd rather not risk them getting poisoned by the Advantix unless the Frontline isn't working... but it seems to be working fine. I ordered it off Amazon -- was about $10/dose.

What seller? I was going to do that but was worried about the counterfeit/not USA frontline.

 

[Hambonez]

What seller? I was going to do that but was worried about the counterfeit/not USA frontline.

Amazon. It came from Amazon because I got Amazon Prime shipping on it. It's actual USA Frontline.

 

[oldhounddog]

Bio spot and Vectra contain a heavy dose of Permethrin and may dogs have had toxic reactions. The Kirkland product uses different chemicals and many dogs have serious skin irritation problems. The Vectra product has been discontinued , I think... The low cost of Bio Spot does sell the product , but the heavy dose of Permethrin is a health risk issue for dogs...IMO

I Buy the largest dose of Frontline Plus on Ebay from trusted seller and empty all contents in small screw top bottle and apply dose per dog weight with dosing syringe. This has worked well for fleas and ticks and no problem with dogs.

oldhounddog

 

[Shell]

Chester is on Tri-Hart (generic Heartguard) and Advantix 2 topical for fleas and ticks. I find the occasional DEAD tick on him, but we are having a very bad tick season and I have never found one that wasn't quickly dead if it bit him.

Edit to add: I give the topical every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. It seems to last the whole time. I figure it means less chemicals on him over time while still protecting well. HW of course is every month. That's why I don't use an all-in-one for him.

Current foster is on Trifexis (so all-in-one oral) and I have yet to find a tick on him. However, its been so hot the past 2 weeks that we haven't been hiking a huge amount like usual.

 

[Rescued]

Amazon. It came from Amazon because I got Amazon Prime shipping on it. It's actual USA Frontline.

Perfect! We have prime as well and I didn't even think of that. Though I just looked at my fosters frontline plus packaging, and it turns out that the "USA" frontline is "Manufactured in France."

I get that there's (hopefully) still regulations, but it made me want to put my head through the drywall...

Bio spot and Vectra contain a heavy dose of Permethrin and may dogs have had toxic reactions. The Kirkland product uses different chemicals and many dogs have serious skin irritation problems. The Vectra product has been discontinued , I think... The low cost of Bio Spot does sell the product , but the heavy dose of Permethrin is a health risk issue for dogs...IMO


oldhounddog

I knew I wasn't crazy....the vectra stinks to high heavens and reminds me of the nineties "flea collar" era haha. We definitely wont be using it again.

 

[RedGermanPinscher]

Seeing as alot of my animals over the years either have or had issues with topical chemicals and we are already using 1% Ivermectin to treat/prevent worms, I have taken to using a combination of essential oils mixed into a spray with Witch Hazel and Apple Cider Vinegar added to their water daily.

 

[Miss Bugs]

I use a spot on called Zodiak Powerspot, I love it, covers fleas, ticks, mosquitos and lice, comes in packs of 4 instead of 3(helpful when there are 2 "sizes" and I have 4 dogs that require the smaller and 2 dogs the require the larger) and it works really really well. I know lots of dogs that use the stuff like frontline etc.. and they take their dog out to a tick area and the dog comes homes covered in hundreds of ticks anyway..I can take my dogs to the same areas with this stuff and end up with only 2-3 ticks if any, its great lol

 

[NozOnyCalAur]

Advantage on the cats and guinea pigs. Not so much for fleas on the guinea pigs as for the lice they get from their hay. Auriel is currently on Sentinel that is supposed to stop fleas as well as heartworms.

 

[ben00x]

I give Gunther trifexis for flea and heartworm (and it's also supposed to prevent other worms). I don't give him anything for ticks, though, because I rarely have a problem with ticks. I've only ever had to pull one tick off of him.
The only other tick I saw on him fell off within 30 minutes. I think the trifexis killed it, because I had given him his dose just a week prior. I read online that it can kill ticks, but it's only effective for a couple of weeks after giving the dose, so they can't claim that it kills ticks.

Good luck finding something that works for your pups.

 

[ChesnutMutt]

I used Comfortis and it worked amazingly. I have read that it has had some issues with some dogs but thankfully there wasn't any side effects. Now I am using Trifexis to save money cause it also is a heartworm preventative. It also has had some issues and I am guessing its the main ingredient spinosad cause that's also in Comfortis. I didn't have much luck with Trifexis on the first month as I was seeing fleas in the middle of the month, but I gave it a second shot since I knew spinosad worked before and it did come through. The dogs are on their third month now and I am very pleased

 

[kadylady]

Our dogs get Frontline Plus monthly as well as Heartguard. They also usually get a bath with flea and tick shampoo about once a month or so in the summer and its usually when we have spent a couple days out at the lake. They just get shampooed up in the lake the day we leave. Cats get a generic flea/tick spot on from about april/may - october or so (they are indoor only cats, I usually go every 6 weeks for them).