Ticks in Dogs

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

Lately our dog has been getting ticks a lot. Ive pulled a few off him in the last few days. He is a Walker Hound puppy, so he wanders off in the woods a lot, so I dont know what hes getting into out there. We regularly use Frontline on him, which the vet said should keep ticks off, but it obviously isnt keeping them away. Are there any other ways of keeping the ticks away?

 

[3MR]

Im anxious to hear the answer to this one myself. I use frontline, but am still regularily pulling ticks of my dogs. I did notice when I used Atwoods Ranch hound dog food the ticks would die and fall out, or vice versa, for some reason. Dont know why.

 

[Alice]

Im anxious to hear the answer to this one myself. I use frontline, but am still regularily pulling ticks of my dogs. I did notice when I used Atwoods Ranch hound dog food the ticks would die and fall out, or vice versa, for some reason. Dont know why.

Oh cripes! You don't suppose fleas and ticks are becoming resistant to frontline...

Alice

 

[KNERSIE]

I have a Jack Russel called Knersie that is allergic to frontline. I use Advantix on him, not sure if you get it in the USA. Its quite a bit more expensive than the Frontline, but is more effective over here.

Diatomacious Earth is supposed to be the "green" alternative, have never tried it, don't even know where to start looking for it. Its in powder form as far as I've read.

 

[3MR]

I sure hope not. Got my fingers crossed. It might be that they spend so much time in the woods and fields around here and the warm wet weather we have been having. Its not like they are infested with them at anytime, but I have pulled maybe three or four from one dog in a week. (And a couple off myself )

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

I use "BioSpot" with very good success. MUCH cheaper and broader spectrum than the overpriced "Vet" brands. I also rotate with Adams Flea & Tick Spray. If I see some big ones on my dog, I comb him out with fine-toothed canine comb and put ticks in can with bleach in it to kill them.

I also spray the dog's premises with Permectin II (also use this to spray our cattle with). 2 or 3 applications a year usually needed.

Bill

 

[HOSS]

I used to raise bluetick and walker hounds and finally came to the conclusion that no matter what you use as a deterent that if there is one single tick in a thousand acre woods those dogs will find it. They have a tendency to have to investigate every bush, tree and weed patch in the woods. Their short hair also allows easy access to latching onto the skin. I have a lab that rarely has a tick on him and I use very little poisons. I think his hair is so thick that water has a very hard time reaching the skin and ticks do not have much better chances.

 

[dun]

Frontline isn;t a detereeent as much as a killer. We get a few ticks crawling on the pooch but we've never seen a live on attached

dun

 

[MillIronQH]

My wife used to get garlic tablets at Petsmart and feed a couple of them everyday to the dogs. Very seldom saw a tick on one of them so I guess it works.Z

 

[VtMapleGal]

Ok. This is my specialty. I am a small animal vet tech and awnser this quesiton all the time. Frontline does NOT repell ticks. It kills them before they should transmit lymes disease. I have redbone coonhounds, whom are always roaming the yard. Your options for ticks are frontline, preventic collars, and advantix. Then there is the cheeper makes like bio spot and hartz crap. PLEASE dont use the hartz stuff. I have seen several dogs die from reactions to it, and it just plain dont work. Your best bet is probably advantix. It repels, and kills. It also does fleas and mesquitos, but i wouldnt trust it for a heartworm preventative. Preventic collars also work well, but they look similar to a flea collar, and once they get wet they arent much good. In any case, if your dog is outside much you should get a lyme vaccine shot if lymes is in your area. And remember ticks can carry many other diseases besides lyme. Bio spot is cheeper, but just doesnt have the quality behind it that advantix does. Advantix is 100% guranteed. It should run ya about 14-15 bucks a month for a large dog.

 

[Alice]

I considered advantix last year, but decided since my dogs are not really outside dogs, and when they are outside it is behind the privacy fence, I could probably just go with the frontline.

I do have to ask you this, however. Why do dogs have to be tested yearly for heartworms when they are on preventative year round?

Alice

 

[msscamp]

I considered advantix last year, but decided since my dogs are not really outside dogs, and when they are outside it is behind the privacy fence, I could probably just go with the frontline.

I do have to ask you this, however. Why do dogs have to be tested yearly for heartworms when they are on preventative year round?

Alice

Because the owners sometimes forget, some dogs hide rather than eat the preventive, and some owners only use the preventative in the summer when mosquitos are bad. Putting a dog that is infected with heartworms on a heartworm preventative can kill the dog - hence the yearly test.

 

[Alice]

I considered advantix last year, but decided since my dogs are not really outside dogs, and when they are outside it is behind the privacy fence, I could probably just go with the frontline.

I do have to ask you this, however. Why do dogs have to be tested yearly for heartworms when they are on preventative year round?

Alice

Because the owners sometimes forget, some dogs hide rather than eat the preventive, and some owners only use the preventative in the summer when mosquitos are bad. Putting a dog that is infected with heartworms on a heartworm preventative can kill the dog - hence the yearly test.

Guess it wouldn't do any good to tell the vet that I'd watched the pill go down, even when I had to force their little tooth filled mouths open and shove it on the back of their tongues 'cause they figured out the pill was in the cheese... and did it every, single, solitary month...which I do..that it would make any difference, huh...

Nope didn't think so. Crud...it's a real undertaking to take mine in. They are rather spoiled and riding the great, long 1 mile in the car is a real undertaking. Oh, well...I love my babies...

Alice

 

[msscamp]

I considered advantix last year, but decided since my dogs are not really outside dogs, and when they are outside it is behind the privacy fence, I could probably just go with the frontline.

I do have to ask you this, however. Why do dogs have to be tested yearly for heartworms when they are on preventative year round?

Alice

Because the owners sometimes forget, some dogs hide rather than eat the preventive, and some owners only use the preventative in the summer when mosquitos are bad. Putting a dog that is infected with heartworms on a heartworm preventative can kill the dog - hence the yearly test.

Guess it wouldn't do any good to tell the vet that I'd watched the pill go down, even when I had to force their little tooth filled mouths open and shove it on the back of their tongues 'cause they figured out the pill was in the cheese... and did it every, single, solitary month...which I do..that it would make any difference, huh...

Nope didn't think so. Crud...it's a real undertaking to take mine in. They are rather spoiled and riding the great, long 1 mile in the car is a real undertaking. Oh, well...I love my babies...

Alice

I've never had a problem with my vet forcing a heartworm test on me if I was comfortable in the knowledge that my guys had been on an uninterrupted heartworm preventative for the entire year. I don't currently have them on a heartworm preventative, because heartworms aren't a problem here in Wyoming. When I lived in Georgia, they were on it year-round and my vet knew it. If your guys are on year-round heartworm preventative, you're comfortable that they have ate it, and your vet is still giving you a hard time about the yearly test, I believe I would be asking myself why and possibly finding a new vet.

 

[KNERSIE]

Alice,

Its amazing how these little guys can work a tablet out of a piece of cheese, isn't it? Mine even give me that disgusted look probably thinking, "You didn't really think I wouldn't notice, did you?"

 

[Limomike]

If you want to have your dog swallow that pill (whatever kind it is) place it in his mouth bout as far back as you can get... then immediately close his mouth and rub his nose with the palm of your hand.. it makes them swallow and lick their nose. Or do what I do alot of times.. put it in a piece of weiner.
As far as Frontline, have had quite a bit of success with it on my healer, and lab. I think I just may try some of that Advantix though...

 

[dun]

Alice,

Its amazing how these little guys can work a tablet out of a piece of cheese, isn't it? Mine even give me that disgusted look probably thinking, "You didn't really think I wouldn't notice, did you?"

Had an old Basset hound that didn;t like lettuce. You could give her a piece of sandwish with lettuce, she'ld chew everything up, swallow, then spit the lettuce out and there wouldn;t be a mark on it. We used to do that as a parlor trick. Should have had her on pet stars.

dun

 

[Limomike]

dun.. yes, that dog woulda got a 10 if I was a judge...
animals never cease to amaze me.

 

[Alice]

Alice,

Its amazing how these little guys can work a tablet out of a piece of cheese, isn't it? Mine even give me that disgusted look probably thinking, "You didn't really think I wouldn't notice, did you?"

Yup, I think that look must be universal amongst pill spitting dogs. :lol:

Alice

 

[3MR]

My dogs will eat anything they think I am eating. If they dont want to eat something all I have to do is pretend im eating it and they will stare at me with longing eyes until they get some.

The only exception is they have learned to taste taste the picante and salsa, the first time they wolfed that down was pretty funny.