[andra]

Hi everybody

I am looking for help and/or suggestions about the monthly flea/tick preventative that I put on Dionna's back--between the shoulder area. I am using a product that I purchase from the vet and it is supposed to be a bit gentler than some of the more commercial products. The issue is, when I put it on (and I only use about half), Dionna goes NUTS. She is so unhappy, becomes almost manic in her attempts to rub it off. It is heartbreaking to witness. Yesterday was the worst yet. I actually put her under water to help ease her discomfort (according to the box, the water should not impact the effectiveness; only soap and water will do that).

Does anybody have any experience with this? Since this is technically my first dog (please see my intro for more details), I am new to this whole world of monthly preventatives. Are there alternatives that are commonly used by the more experienced members of this board? I live on the east coast and it is hot and humid here; bugs are an issue.

Thank you all for your sage counsel on this. I am just beside myself with having to witness this. BTW, she does just fine with the monthly heart worm pill.

andra

 

[shimpli]

Poor baby. Do a search on apple cider vinegar. There is a lot of info on that and many people use it as a preventative trying to avoid those reactions to the chemicals of the meds. Good luck.

 

[Thumper]

You should call your vet and talk to them about this, it could be a skin reaction that is painful to her OR it could be that she hates the smell or it itches, but my guess is the vet will probably try something else.

I have seen Gucci run around and try to rub smells off of herself but its more like she's annoyed and not in a panic-state, so maybe there is a skin reaction involved.

Call the vet before you put another application on, better to be safe.

Kara

 

[Flynn Gentry-Taylor]

My cats do the same thing, and actually I have found irritated places where the medicine was put on their skin...I am going to try and nematodes and hope I don't have to use that stuff...(the information about the nematodes is on another thread)

 

[andra]

I have a vet appointment scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday for the follow up regarding the baby teeth removal and I plan on asking about this. I only use about half of the product and maybe I can use even less and still have coverage.

This time her reaction was the worst.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

andra

 

[Kathie]

I hated the mess the topical flea treatments caused in Abby's hair and have been so happy with Comfortis which is a pill that I give her with a meal once a month. We haven't seen a flea since! But, it does not cover ticks so if you have a big problem with ticks you may want to ask your vet about this. We have ticks here but haven't had any on Abby.

 

[Thumper]

Let us know what your vet says, I'm really quite curious about this because a few months back i *thought* that Gucci had a reaction to the topical (a toxic reaction) she got very sick afterwards and I've been paranoid about using it ever since and I"ve only been putting 1/2 on her.

I hope the vet visit gives you some answers and solutions :kiss:

Kara

 

[iluvhavs]

Our cat hates this stuff. She tries to run away from herself. I just don't know if the fleas bother her more than the prevention or vice-versa. The dogs don't mind it at all though.

We had two cats years ago that hated this stuff. One of them would get a bald spot where the dose was put on. I changed from Advantage to FrontLine and they seemed to tolerate that much better. I only use Frontline Plus now.

 

[galaxie]

You could look into getting an oral tablet. My Fluffs are on Comfortis and it works like a charm!

 

[The Laughing Magpie]

I use Frontline Plus. I act like it is great fun to have it on and they all get a treat. After you put it on and you have done a distraction if your dog comes back to it there is most likely a problem. Hope your vet can help. Cats are a whole different story...LOL!