Vet recommends Frontline Plus PLUS Advantage Multi?

[tstone28]

Hi everyone,

Funki's vet has recommended that in addition to Frontline Plus (for flea and tick prevention), we give him Advantage Multi (to prevent against heartworm). She says that there is a lot of heartworm this year in our area.

It seems that this will be redundant in the flea/tick area. Will this be too much for our little guy? What does everyone think of Advantage Multi? And is this another prescription only item?

Thanks for any advice.

[special]

Yes, advantage multi also should be purchased only at the vet.

Can't answer the other part about the overkill and safety. (no pun intended) what does your vet say about it?

[MandyPug]

Why wouldn't he recommend the flea and tick and then a separate heartworm tab like heartguard or something instead of another flea product too? Is there something wrong with that product? Just my opinion here since i use do not flea, tick, or heartworm preventions and honestly i never have used them; prescribing 2 flea and tick meds just sounds weird to me and would likely do some damage to the dog.

[Miss Vicky]

That definitely sounds like you're overdoing it. If all you need is heartworm prevention, go with Heartgard Plus or a comparable generic. Advantage multi is a good product, but you're already treating for fleas with the Frontline and the worms that Advantage Multi protects against would be covered by the Heartgard. It would also be much more cost effective for you, since Advantage Multi is a rather expensive product.

[Jen648]

I'm not a huge fan of the store brand flea and tick products. But I do understand the need for them in places where there is an abundance of these pests. I like to search for herbal remedies for most things I can help prevent. I found a little article I bookmarked that lists a few natural alternatives to preventing fleas and ticks. http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Natural-Fle... I've been following it for a while and it's been working great. Even if it isn't 100% effective, the general health of my dog has improved. I hope you find a solution that works for you.

[FredsMom]

I'm not a huge fan of the store brand flea and tick products. But I do understand the need for them in places where there is an abundance of these pests. I like to search for herbal remedies for most things I can help prevent. I found a little article I bookmarked that lists a few natural alternatives to preventing fleas and ticks. http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Natural-Fle... I've been following it for a while and it's been working great. Even if it isn't 100% effective, the general health of my dog has improved. I hope you find a solution that works for you.


Jen, I was really interested in what you said so I checked out the article. My guy and I are always looking for hollistic and natural options for our pets. Since it IS flea season I wanted to see what it suggested. NOW, I want to preface this with the fact that you said your dogs are doing fine, so Im not saying IT DOESN'T work. I just have concerns and am more throwing this out for questioning because I'd like to understand more about everything.

That being said:

It mentioned to add small amounts of garlic to a dogs diet. All the research i've done has led me to believe garlic is not only bad for the dog but in high doeses can be poisonous, affecting the blood stream?

Also, I dont know if this is correct or not, and havent looked it up to check yet, but I also heard Citrus was bad for the dogs (again dont remember though if what I "read" just meant the rinds or the whole fruit). The site recommends spraying them with a lemon/water mix. Also, wouldn't that affect their skin negatively? Im just asking as I remember a cruise where my friend and I had chemical burns from lime running down our mouths after an unforeclosed number of rounds of tequila and corona?

Remember, im not shooting these home remedies down. They say avacado is EXTREMELY dangerous for dogs and yet I know plenty that would steal them from a friends back yard. AND I think I've even seen it included in some dog foods (although I have my own reservations about kibble). I just want to know a remedy is SAFE and EFFECTIVE before I try it out on my lovies.

Thanks!

[tiffers]

Garlic is kin to the onion. The onion has properties which destroy red blood cells. Thus, garlic has the same properties. A single onion can kill a cat, but it takes higher doses to kill a dog...something that a daily dose has potential of doing.

Avocado seeds are bad for pets. For instance, AvoDerm is made from avocados but not the seeds. (I think that's the way it goes...?) Chica ate AvoDerm for a long, long time. Recently switched to Wellness.

I will also say that Chica used to take Brewer's Yeast and Garlic Tabs for fleas...she did fine, but was COVERED in fleas. Garlic does not work for fleas, in my opinion. We have people coming in all the time saying they give their dogs garlic for fleas and their dog is either sick, smells like death, and covered in fleas.

[FredsMom]

Thanks tiff! Yea, I was sitting there wondering about it.

We found ONE single flea on fred a week or two ago and since then? Nada. I dont know why they just DONT care about him lol. We check him regularly and he still gets hot spots but to be honest, I thikn the recent hot spot (Minor spot) is more due to the dry air out here and his sensitive skin. And he hasn't had a grooming session (beside me furminating him) in 2 months and Im sure his little doggy body is saying I WANT DARLA! hahaha. She has this amazing moisturizing conditioner that she uses that leaves the dogs smelling fantastic for up to a month (seriously, its insane) and whenever he sees her his itching descreases to almost NIL.

But yea, thanks for the info Tiff. I love home remedies for both me and my dogs, but I like speaking to someone who knows background on it and doing a little research before delving in.

[MandyPug]

Thanks tiff! Yea, I was sitting there wondering about it.

We found ONE single flea on fred a week or two ago and since then? Nada. I dont know why they just DONT care about him lol.

It's anecdotal i know, but we've found through our store that raw dogs don't get bad cases of fleas. The only clients we have that use preventions of any kind are the ones that travel to Ontario and the states and have problems with ticks. My dogs have never had a single flea, ever!

[tiffers]

You're welcome, FredsMom (I don't think I know your name...?). Here in Texas, if you don't do something...you've got an infestation in a matter of minutes. What really creeps people out is that the adult fleas that they see on their dog or cat is only 5% of the population. The 95% are in your carpets, yards, beds, couches, etc. :p

[FredsMom]

Nice! Im Michele ps.

Yea, Hes never really ha da flea problem. There WAS a problem with, it wasn't mange so I dont want to say scabies but thats the only term I can thing of. It was mild though since I would love on him constantly and his light colored fur makes everything easy to find. Then after that he just had hot spots cause of food allergies but hes never really had fleas.

Im out in LA. I dont know if the problems are worse here or not. I know not as bad as in TX. We will HOPEFULLY, if TIHS place turns out to be what I am dreaming it to be, move to a more shaded area so I may have to watch out a bit more. But we've been lucky.

And I smell what you are stepping in Tiff! My poor friend moved into an apartment that had fleas in it. Poor thing was covered. We forced the apartment complex to pay for her dry cleaning and bomb the place a few times. She stayed with me while it went down. Horrible.