German Shepherds Forum banner

Please share what you use for HW/Flea prevention - NON-Holistic methods please.

5K views 50 replies 29 participants last post by  Liesje 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,
Zeus is going for his second set of shots this Saturday and we would like to start him on HW and flea control soon as we are in Florida and it can get out of control fast.

Our breeder used Sentinel and we all know that this is not available for a while as well as Interceptor.

What are some other options that people use and have success with? Our vet recommends Trifexis ad he said its the same as Sentinel+Comfortis. (but told us we can do our own research as well to see what we want to do and he will have his take on it) I know that Trifexis is new and some people are reporting issues. I think we might want to wait and see if anything comes of it first and rather try something that has been on the market for a while.

Any ideas or combos please?

Thanks so much!
 
#4 ·
Advantix plus Interceptor for my GSD (although we've been using Heartguard while Interceptor has been off the market).

Advantix has been completely useless on my mutt puppy and we battled fleas for the better part of last year. For him we just landed on a winning combo of Revolution and Comfortis (we switch off every 2 weeks). Both provide flea control but Revolution has the heartworm preventative as well. Revolution is topical and Comfortis is oral. I think his case is a little extreme, I haven't heard too much about many dogs having resistance to Advantix, I guess we just got lucky. Ha!

Drs. Foster and Smith has a really great checklist of which meds work together or could cause problems.
 
#6 ·
Had to switch to Heartguard last year, no complaints so far and I will be trying the new Seresto tick/flea collar this year.
 
#34 ·
I have been reading more and more, I think this will be our first attempt, if flea is a huge problem we will go to trifexis as a last resort.
 
#8 ·
we have always used Trifexis for Jade and have had no problems. Just make sure you give it with a full meal to prevent an upset tummy.
 
#10 ·
This one we are just curious about because of all the dry skin reports. But since Zeus is growing I think we can get it 1 pill at a time from the vet based on weight and see how he reacts to it, we can switch if needed. Also it does not prevent ticks? hmm
 
#12 ·
I will be honest, I don't feel comfortable experimenting =/ I rather use what thousands use and if something went wrong, the vet can diagnose and help. With holistic it can be great, but if something did go wrong, it is harder to diagnose and find an issue. I just don't want to fight over it =/ it's a personal choice and I don't do anything holistic for myself ether, I take and eat what I can afford and know there is much better out there, but have to do what I have to do. I don't think that I am an awful pet owner for using available/tested and researched products. But I do read all the literature out of curiosity and do appreciate everyone's take on things, just don't want to be scolded for doing something that is not really that abnormal. :)

I appreciate everyone posting here, thank you!
 
#11 ·
Right now I am using revolution for HW and Parastar for fleas and ticks. Give them 2 weeks apart. I am using Revolution because I get it free from work. With my new pup, he will be on heartgard for HW and Parastar.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#14 ·
If/when we can ever get Interceptor again I'll switch everyone back to it ... in the meantime I get:

Heartgard Plus for large dogs for Slider. I purchase it from Pets Megastore $77.73 for 12 "tablets".
Heartgard Plus : Pets Megastore discount medical supplies for pets

For the other guys I use Panoramis which is the Australian version of Trifexis (made by the same company using the same formula) ... I get it from Pets Megastore ...Panoramis for Extra Large Dogs (brown) is $81.78 for six tablets. You can usually find coupons for free shipping or wait for their special once a month free shipping offers.
Panoramis ( Trifexis ) : Pets Megastore discount medical supplies for pets
 
#18 ·
We have to use something year round so this is great. no skin problems or anything from Comfortis?

Everyone I know seams to like Sentinel and Interceptor and the vet is telling us that Trifexis is the same as Sentinel and Comfortis together. Yet so many are posting about skin issues. Hmm, I will have my husband research the chemicals in each to see if they are really the same or just "close".
 
#19 ·
This is the only thing we have tried for fleas so far. The only problem we have is the pill is nasty and she hates it. It is difficult for us to get down and the fact that the company quit making the large dog for a while and it is prescription, you can't get it at a store that i know of.
Our girl has bad allergies and if one gets on her, she will chew herself bald. But so far it keeps the fleas off. We have been using it for about 2 years.
I might try and switch to something that includes ticks because they have been wicked during the last few fall seasons.
I'm just skeptical to switch.
 
#20 ·
I saw it for all sizes here:
1800-PetMeds® - Huge Savings and The Best Guarantee

I have purchased prescription here before, just have to ask your vet to write it and give it to you or some websites will fax your vet themselves.

I see how many people are using heartgard plus, and it has been around on the market for years. Maybe that will be our med until interceptor or sentinel is back. Now need to figure out the flea/tick thing =)
 
#22 ·
For heartworm preventative I use liquid ivermectin that I dose myself and give orally.

I have not been using a flea/tick preventative consistently. When I used it, my dog still got ticks so I have to check him anyway. I haven't seen a flea in 5 years.
 
#24 ·
How old were the dogs when you started? Zeus will be 11 weeks, but he is already biting his hind hip, I would not be surprised if he already got fleas (vet told us that there us a good chance he might get him before the next appointment), but hard to see... It can also just be his hair thickening and he is picking at it. He is not doing it too much.
 
#25 ·
Great question. I was just at the vet today asking the same thing.

We decided on heartgard and frontline but I have problems with both.

Heartgard is a possible problem for my Aussie since he has tested positive for the MDR1 gene mutation. I can't wait for interceptor to come back into production but I don't think it will happen.

I was using Advantix on my Aussie and the Seeing Eye required frontline my GSD. When the GSD started scratching I tried Advantix on him. He hated it! And when I tried to put it on my Aussie he tried to stop me. Kept nipping at my hand. So I looked it up and there have been some really serious side effects - seizures. The vet confirmed that seizures were a real problem with Advantix and she rexcommended against using it.

Interestingly, i saw an older (like in his 60's or 70's) vet in the practice last fall. We discussed the same thing at that time and he actually recommended forgoing all medications especially the topicals like frontline and advantix that can easily be transmitted to us. He claimed that he doesn't see much heartworm in our area, Trenton, NJ area, and he thinks I could skip it altogether. I don't really have the guts to forgo HW preventative, but his logic on fleas made some sense. He argued that topical flea/tick preventative is dangerous for us so we shouldn't use it. I actually had a dog that I did not use frontline on and she lived to be 15.5 yo without a flea problem.
 
#26 ·
I would never suggest anyone forgo HW preventative...it just takes one mosquito and you're stuck with $2000 worth of vet bills. All because you decided to skimp out on a $10 a month pill. I don't give it in the winter months...stop as soon as we get the first freeze, and I'm about to start up again in April as its been a very very cold March.

Flea/tick...kind of the same thing but it also depends on where you live and what you do with your dog. I hike all the time in the woods, so its stupid not to have it on him. I've seen plenty of dead ticks drop off his body after a hike and a good brush. Fleas aren't big in my area either and if he was at home all day and never saw a single tree in his life I might think about not doing Frontline. But since there are trees in this world that need to be marked, I put that on monthly in the warm months.
 
#27 ·
Everyone with MDR1 dogs or MDR1 fears - the active ingredient in Interceptor is also on the MDR1 list - as is the active ingredient in Heartgard. But...

The most commonly prescribed drug on the list is ivermectin, a wormer used in many canine heartworm preventative treatments including Heartguard, Iverhart, Tri-Heart and Advantage DUO.

Recent research has shown that - when used in properly prescribed doses - ivermectin, along with milbemycin oxide (Interceptor) is safe for dogs with the mutation. Note that .iIvermectin can also be found in many livestock wormers (dogs should be kept away during and for several days after livestock worming), and in home and yard insecticides (under the names avermectin or abamectin).
Other frequently used drugs on the list include loperamide for diarrhea (most commonly sold as Imodium); butorphanol for pain and cough suppression; and acepromazine (prescribed as Ace, ACP, or Atravet) for tranquilizing, calming, and anesthesia use.​
busteralert.org

My dogs right now are on Sentinel....I buy at the vet office so that IF something were to go wrong, they would take care of the HW treatment for me. That is a good guarantee to look for (most I believe require year round administration but not sure) when buying from an online pharmacy if not getting from your own vet.

Dog Heartworm Preventive Products Comparison Chart
Heartworm Preventive Comparison comparison charts

I don't use flea/tick stuff right now - I will sometimes give it mid-summer. I saw the first ticks I've ever seen last year - but I am hoping the true winter has done its job this year. I have cats, so whatever I choose, if I use it, has to be cat safe.

Pet Flea Control: Pet Flea & Tick Control Comparison Chart chart
 
#28 ·
Thank you for the wonderful info. I really want to use Sentinel =/ but everyone is out, at the vet or online and probably will be 6 mo to a year. So trying to figure out what to do in the mean time. We will be outdoors allot after all of the shots are done. i guess I want to try heartgard plus and frontline and see how that works for us until sentinel is back.
 
#30 ·
I guess the over 50,000 dogs tested positive didn't read that particular article then: Parasite Prevalence Maps | CAPC Vet (1 out of 88). This is reported only, tested only - many places do not test (even in the North) when we get dogs from the south they are almost never tested prior. However, it's not just a southern problem anymore. Regardless, the side effects of having 12 inch long worms in the heart and lungs are pretty bad.

In other words, all conditions are right far more than most people are comfortable with.

Since it's fun to share scary things enjoy the video:
Big Dogs, Big Heartworm: Caval Syndrome Surgical Treatment
 
#32 · (Edited)
The advice to give 4 times a year ONLY notwithstanding:

My reality was that we moved from the mountains of NC to the piedmont of SC in 1993 we did not dose winters for heartworm. Sure enough, my dog became infected due to a couple of missed doses after the move. Treatment was harsh and expesnive. Of the varoius chemicals to which my dogs were exposed - this one got daily caricide HW preventive from 1985 to 1987 (GA), Spring, Summer, Fall monthly heartguard I think it was.... from 1987 to 1993, then monthly heartguard from 1993 to 2000 when he died at the age of 15 having never been sick.

I do hold back on chemicals as much as I can but I have seen way too many HW+ dogs in my area to take that particular risk. MY ESS did not test positive when the GSD did and died at age 14 from congestive heart failure due to undiagnosed HW [not sure why it was not picked up until her heart failure diagnsosis and they picked up the worms on x-ray - it was not a large infestation but apparently enough to do the job over years]

Neither dog had liver issues or developed cancer unlike my three most recent who developed hemangiosarcoma.

So I treat the first day of every month (don't even stretch out to 45 days because that gives me some flex room)

Fleas and ticks - well I will use preventic collars in the woods and do inspect frequently due to tick borne diseases I think are worse than the preventives but manage fleas as needed only which has been not a big problem.
 
#33 ·
It's also important to do a heartworm TEST annually. Nikon is getting one tomorrow and Coke is getting one in April (it's still blizzarding outside here).
 
#35 ·
The big deal with frontline is there are resistant populations out there. My mention of nematodes before? THAT is what fixed my friend's problem when she got a resistant strain of them on her farm. If the fleas are not resistant all is good but if they are brace yourself! IOW inspect inspect inspect. Flip that dog over every day and look for one flea running across its belly! That is where they are easy to see.
 
#37 ·
I will for sure, and already heard from someone that frontline failed here. I will try, won't get a long supply and if it fails, i guess i have to do what i have to do =/
 
#36 ·
My neighboorhood is really bad for fleas but I choose not to treat preventatively. For 3 years now, as soon as the gets them (usually in august) I treat everyone for 3 months with regular advantage and it clears up the fleas every time. I also do a good clean of the house and spray the carpets. I have seen many dogs treated monthly for fleas with advantage and they have fleas so I think the fleas develop a resisitance. I figure if it kills all the fleas within 72 hours, I will treat sympomatically.
As far as heartworm - I used to use heartguard. We stopped using hw preventative many years ago and have not had an issue. My vet agrees that they are fine without it. I do test them annually (some years bi-annually) for heartworm and I've never had any of my dogs get it. But it does freeze here in the winter, although the mosquitos are bad in the summertime. If we are going to be out in heavy mosquito territory I spray them with tea tree oil and never seem to have a problem.
My area is horrendous for ticks. I know people that pull off 20 per day, and their dogs are on advantix. I have never used anything for ticks and, knock on wood, I've pulled 1 off of my 4 dogs in the last 3 years. I do check them over when we get home but they are in heavily wooded tick territory regularily and I don't have an issue. I do test them annually for lyme and other **** diseases though, just to be safe.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top