Pet owners - which flea medication?

dss62467

dss62467

Cathlete
My dog never had fleas up until he was 8 years old. We put him and the cats on Advantix (or Advantage - I dunno - whatever the vet gave us) and it was fine. Now we've got the three cats and two dogs...and I think fleas already! I've got several bites and Teri told me yesterday she was itching. I haven't noticed any real itching on the critters yet, but I'm not taking chances.

Soooo, I'm looking to order some flea stuff online. I found Frontline Plus at vetshoponline for $26 per 3 pack. Advantage is almost twice as expensive.

If I look on 1800petmeds.com, their price is $44 for a 3 pack of Frontline Plus, but Advantage is about the same as the other site.

Does anyone have a preference between Frontline Plus and Advantage? And what could be the cause of that price difference between the two sites? Where is a good place to order it. The stuff is SO expensive, I want to make sure I'm getting it from a reliable place.

Where does Betty White get hers? :) Is she so cute? I just love her. She reminds me of my paternal grandmother. OK, subject change...sorry.

ETA: I Googled - she's with 1800petmeds. That's also Upromise contributor (8%) and has free shipping. So I guess I'll use them. I just need to know which meds to get.
 
I have always used Frontline with great results but doing some research I read that Advantix also kills mosquitos which Frontline does not. I guess that's why Advantix is more expensive and if mosquitos are a problem in your area it would be something to think about. I live in Texas where mosquitos are a big problem but saying that Frontline has still worked great for my dogs in spite of that. I don't know how true this is but my neighbor told me that the heartworm prevention medicine Heartgard also helps with fleas in an indirect way. Apparently the Heartgard once in the dog's system prevents flea infestation as it renders the fleas infertile and incapable of laying eggs. As I said don't know how much this is true but she told me that was. Wouldn't hurt to research I suppose. Anyway good luck I hate fleas had to "bomb" my house once because of them and it was not fun!!! Teresa
 
I had a really bad experience with Advantix (by the way if you have cats in the house DO NOT give Advantix, it can be deadly for them, if they groom the dogs or rub against them).

I try to stay away from any flea /tick medication or treament, unless I absolutely have to. Frontline seems to be better, and has been around for quite a while without too many problems. Advantage and Advantix had some problems with severe reactions, I didn't know that either until my puppy blew up like a balloon within 1 hour of application, the other two dogs had reactions too, but not as severe.

I don't know which online store to use, I have only bought Frontline once or twice and I got it through my vet. Other than that I am more along the homeopathic/naturopathic line :)

Just one word of caution, NEVER use Bio-Spot by Farnam, it is usually marketed as a cheaper alternative to Advantix and there have been numerous death resulting from the usage of that product. I am not sure if they pulled it of the market yet.

Since you already seem to have a "flea infestation", you'll need to get your house treated. I think Fleabusters" do a pretty good job with non-chemical treatment. Unlike chemical treatment where the fleas can get resistant, Fleabusters products kill the fleas 'mechanically'.

I think you can buy the products online at www.fleabuster.com, or they offer complete service as well.

Hope this helps.

Carola
 
Hi Donna,

I cannot offer a comparison between the two, but I can tell you that I have used Frontline Plus for several years and have never had a problem with fleas. I can't say that I would've had a problem otherwise--just that's what I use and Buddy, Miss Dolly and Miss Kitty are flea free. And, yes, I do think Betty White is just too cute! :)
 
First make sure you have fleas. Rub the coat in the opposite direction all over the body of the animal to try and see them. They are very small black hard/flat jumpy things They are usually around the eyes of the animal or on their behind. Also, search for tiny black specks. These are around the behind area. If the animal sleeps with you, then check the sheets as well. These black specs are the terds of fleas. If you don't see these tall tail signs, then you don't have fleas.

When this happened to Molly (my dog) and two cats, I freaked out. Saw the vet, and he recommended advantage (my animals live inside with me). It's powerful stuff, and also kills the eggs of the fleas. It does its job within hours of the application. Grant you, it is a chemical, so make sure you put it on the base of their necks.

After this treatment, you don't have to do anything else to your house. While the animals resume their lives, the chemical kills the other fleas and eggs in the carpet and on the furniture.

Wish there was a better product out there, because I feel it is so very strong. But what else can you do? You don't want speck doo-doo, do you?:7

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
Thanks Janie - yeah, I've had pets all my life, so I know fleas! It's just that they never showed up on THESE pets until 2 years ago.

I wound up getting Frontline Plus from Drugstore.com. Why? Well, because Advantix can't be used around cats and I didn't like what the others said about Advantage. And Drugstore.com is a trusted site to me, AND a Upromise contributor.

But still...$170!!!! Ouch, that hurts. 3 cats, 2 dogs...3 months. Stupid ugly little bugs! I can't wait to KILL THEM ALL!!!!!!!! Hey, isn't that a Metallica cd?
 
Actually, not to be argumentative, but if your animal has fleas and has had them for some time (i.e., to the point where you are scratching, too), you MAY need to have your house treated. Otherwise, you still have eggs in the carpet and they will hatch. Once you've treated the animals, at the very least you should wash your bedding in very hot water and vacuum all surfaces, then throw away the vacuum bag. This I know from unfortunate experience - ugh. I thought you could just treat the animals but NO! Anyway, last year I had the exterminator in TWICE (because they have to come back two weeks after the initial hatching) AND I also ended up buying diatomaceous earth, which I used to treat the carpets and furniture couple of times afterwards. (http://dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html)

I have to say, that stuff absolutely works great! It also might be more appealing to those of you who try to avoid chemical solutions. Supposedly you can also rub it on your pets directly...

ETA - I also use Advantage and have no problems with the cats or my dog. That's what my vet originally recommended. I do buy it online, though, as it costs a bloody fortune!

Marie
 
Frontline Plus vote here. It's just the best. Our dogs have been using it for years, and we never have a problem.

We found both of our dogs, one on the highway and one near a river, and they were full of fleas and ticks when we got them home. We put Frontline on them after we bathed them, and by the time we got them to the vet less than three days later, they didn't have one flea or tick on them.

Good luck!
 
I agree w/ getting your house treated in addition to putting your pets on meds. You'll need to do more than 1 house treatment as the fleas have odd lifecycles and aren't killable in the carpet all at once.

Also, for flair-ups (even while on topical treatment), I give my pets Capstar. They are small little pills and are today's equivalent of the "flea bath". They kill all the fleas on them starting in 30 minutes (but it only lasts for 1 day, so it is for use after trips to the dog park,etc so that fleas won't jump off the pet onto the carpet.) The topical products do a great job, but after coming in from outside, your pet may have a flea or 2 on him. Both advantage and frontline take about 5-6 hours to kill that flea (it has to bite the pet and then slowly dies). So, theoretically the flea could lay eggs on the carpet before it bites your pet and ingests the medication. So, if your pet gets LOTS of fleas on him, pop a capstar too.
 
Another vote for Frontline! It is expensive, but works well.

Monica
 
I usually use Frontline, but last year it only lasted a week before my cat and dog had fleas again! I have since read that you should alternate your products. So, now I switch between Frontline and Advantage.

Do all your pets go outside? If not, after you are sure you are rid of all your current fleas, you might can get away with treating only the pets that go out. I have a cat that goes in and out and had an old (OLD!!) dog that just went out and quickly did his stuff and came back in. I was able to get away with treating only the cat. He passed, however, and my new, young dog likes to run around the backyard and needs to be treated. I wish I didn't have to use it though! I'm sure its not healthy for the pets, but living in the south means fleas!

I bought some from Petshed.com. The prices were very good but I discovered after I received my order that the products come from Australia. Not sure if that matters at all - if they have the same regulations as the US (of course since the pet food recall, I realize we really don't have any regulations!) Marnie
 
The cats are indoor/outdoor. Mostly outdoor in the summer - that's their preference. The dogs go out as much as possible. But are in when we're gone and at night.
 
Hi there:

I have tried all the flea medications you listed for my 2 dogs, but they both had allergic reactions (skin rashes) to the topical medications (Frontline, Advantix, etc) so now I use Sentinel, which is a tablet given 1x per month. It works really well. I started them on it when we were living in Texas (worst flea problems ever!) and have seen only a couple of fleas since then. Sentinel kills fleas, prevents flea eggs from hatching, basically breaks the flea life cycle.

You might consider talking to your veterinarian before you use any online pet pharmacy, however, especially for the Heartworm medication. A lot of vets will not provide prescriptions for 1800PetMeds because if the medication fails (i.e., your dog gets Heartworms), PetMeds will not be legally liable, and you'll have to pay for the surgery and care to have the condition treated. This can be dangerous (possibly fatal) to your pet, and expensive for you. If you obtain the meds from your vet, either the manufacturer of the medication or the vet clinic would be legally required to pay for any treatment required as a result of medication failure. At least, this is what my last three veterinarians have told me. Something for all y'all pet owners to consider...

D.Parker
 
One more suggestion:

I agree with the other posters that treating your home is a good idea. If you have carpets, Borax might work for you. Sprinkle it on your carpets and then vacuum! Somehow the Borax causes the fleas to dehydrate and die. Vacuuming regularly, using Borax, washing the dogs' blankets and pillows a lot...it's a lot of extra work but it's worth it to keep the fleas away.
 
Borax is safe for the pets? I just got brand new carpet and I'm not keen on the idea of putting stuff all over it.
 
I totally understand! Borax is used in a lot of commercial carpet cleaning solutions, and I've used it for years with no discoloration or damage to carpets. It's also used as a "laundry booster" and as an alternative bathroom cleaner.

Borax can be harmful to pets if it is ingested, and can irritate skin (if you apply it to the skin...so don't do that!), but since you vacuum it up right away it shouldn't be a problem for the pets. My hyper-sensitive little doggies have never shown any reaction to the carpet after I "Boraxed" it. The EPA considers Borax a safe and eco-friendly substitute for harsh compound chemicals (see http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html).
 
I've had great success with Revolution (flea & tick). My dogs have never had fleas and we were just hiking in the woods. My dogs had 2 ticks on them but they never "attached". My vet actually sells it cheaper than the 1-800 website.
 
Well, personally, I'd use the D. Earth before I'd use Borax. D. Earth is an organic compound and is safe to use on or near pets. It also does not damage carpeting, which I can attest to as I used a significant amount of it last year. You just sprinkle on, wait a while, then vacuum up. Like I said, you do have to change your vacuum bags as well because fleas can live in them. (Hearty buggers!)

Good luck.
Marie
 
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