Flea Med's

[Rita Jean]

Can someone please tell me is ADVANTAGE all right for the B anyone had any problems or what do you use? Thank you

Rita Jean

[Basenjimamma]

Hi RitaJean,

I have read on here somewhere that Frontline is not a very good product for b's in particular, apperantly they can have adverse reactions to frontline. I do believe that Advantage is an OK flea med. We have major issues here in Texas with fleas year around, so I am trying different things myself. I actually got Comfortis from my vet and it works amazingly well, BUT I am having second thoughts about it since it is pill and it stays in the dogs system for a month. I don't know what the longterm effects would be from that. It feels as if you are darned if you do and you are darned if you don't. My other dog, Westie(he is no longer with us), had severe allergies, on a range from 1-3000 he was in the 2800 area, so like I said severly allergic. I tried everything with him, and a few months out of the year he was on several different ones at the same time, and he still got fleas…poor thing. I am even looking into the natural homemade type flea preventatives, but don't know how effective they will be. Hopefully more members will answer your question so you can base your final outcome on several levels.

Good Luck, and let me know what you ended up with..

[MacPack]

We also live in an area that nurtures fleas, our recent dry season really was bad and we fought a battle for about 3 weeks to prevent infestation. We use Advantage, and sprayed periodically with Adams as well, and used a flea comb a couple of times a day with a bowl of soapy water to kill the fleas. We stopped going to the dog park (where we finally discovered we were picking them up) and they had to settle for walks.
We have finally had rain and have not been getting fleas, rarely find one on them.
A lot of people (non basenji folks) use the comfortis and swear by it. Ideally we would use some organic stuff, but most of it doesn't work as well as we need it to in high flea season.

I don't use it year round, just when we start to see itching and find a flea. I am against poisons on principle, but I am also against fleas and ticks, and will do whatever it takes to be rid of them!

[tanza]

I have used both Frontline and Advantage on my kids and have never had a problem. However, that said it is maybe only about 2 times a year that I need to use it….

[Rita Jean]

Thank's everyone I use Advantage on my Shiba but was not to sure about Jaycee. I am going to go ahead and put it on her but I think I will wait until Monday so if she has any problems I will be awake and can get her to the vet.
I do not have to use it year around on Spice but today Jaycee had a flea on her and she went crazy so we got it but she did not like it one little bit. Let you know Monday how it works out and thanks again.

Rita Jean

[youngandtired]

Frontline did not work on my Sahara, she would have fleas all over her, but the Comfortis is great. My vet was hesistant to carry it until she investigated and has found it to be safe. You can go to Comfortis.com and check for yourself. I like it alot and it does the job, I live where it is hot and humid in the summer so I have to use it monthly, even in the winter.

[Shaye's Mom]

We use Advantage on my pup - she has not had any flea problem. We used it for years on our cats, so we knew it would work. Here in Florida there is a major flea problem, but Advantage seems to take care of it for us.

[dmcarty]

Here is a link to some natural remedies that you might want to consider as well:

http://www.all-pets-info.com/fleacontrol/Home-Remedies-For-Killing-Fleas-on-Dogs.html

[Basenjimamma]

DmCarty,

Thank you for that website. I have been searching and trying to find something natural, homemade and this fits that category. We'll see if it works. I am leary in trying all this toxins, expecially since I just lost my Westie in March, at just 12 years of age, I sometimes wonder and ponder if we cut his life shorter because of all the flea meds he was on…I will never know, but it makes me wonder and then I get sad. I realize that dogs don't live as long as we do, but darn it, I do not want to be part of making their lives shorter by all the junk we are "supposed" to give them. Does that make sense?
Again, thanks for the site.

[dmcarty]

as another note - my parents fed all their animals garlic in New York where there were a lot of fleas just on the ground all the time - and they would not get bit. As an added FYI here - there is some research on flea and insect spray toxins connected to parkinsons and other neurological things in humans (Rhetts, Tourettes, ADHD, Autism PDDNOS are ALL neurological FYI )

That coupled with a very preggers Podengo bitch who has a propensity for catching bunnies (typically flea ridden) sent me on a search for some alternatives. If nothing else my dogs smell better.

[Basenjimamma]

So does that mean you have used these more natural remedies and the have worked for you? I am so making a batch of that spray tomorrow.

[Lovelace]

Sergeant? It's a cheaper brand? i didn't see anyone mention it? My furkid is almost old enough for the flea dip? Is Sergeant okay? I use other sergeant flea & tic products for outside & around the house? Any opinions

[jonny b.]

Does the comfortis protect against tics, also? I skimmed through the web site and did not catch that it mentioned tics.

[renaultf1]

@Lovelace:

Sergeant? It's a cheaper brand? i didn't see anyone mention it? My furkid is almost old enough for the flea dip? Is Sergeant okay? I use other sergeant flea & tic products for outside & around the house? Any opinions

There have been reports in our local news about neurological problems from their products as well as chemical burns. Do an internet search and I'm sure you'll find some info about it.

[Basenjimamma]

Jonny B
I don't know but I also was wondering about that and after searching the net it (comfortis) doesn't seem to protect against ticks.

[tanza]

While the show is not on yet, there was a snippet for World News Tonight about flea and tick meds making dogs sick… should be on out here on the west coast in about 10 minutes.

[tanza]

Here is the link
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=7702101&page=1

[Basenjimamma]

Thanks for the snippet Tanza

[dmcarty]

The ONLY Seargent product that I use is an all natural ingredient flea and tick spray - and I don't appear to be able to find it anymore either. The nautral ones that I linked too - work on ticks as well . If you have a dog that is outdoors all day - I might look at it differently but my couch potatos are fine.

[JazzysMom]

When we have to deal with fleas, which is extremely seldom, I always use Adam's flea shampoo on the animals and their carpet spray on the carpets. I guess it's every 4 - 5 yrs we'll see a few fleas. The shampoo doesn't smell like insecticide, it leaves their coats soft, and is really effective. I know it's available coast to coast b/c my sister who used to work in an Army vet clinic in North Carolina is who got me using it here in Washington. It's the only product their clinic used – and I've noticed it the background in some of the clinics on the Animal Planet Animal Precinct shows, LOL