Flea and tick repellants for dogs???

Question

I have been using Frontline and K9 Advantix for the past couple years. It hasn't gotten cold enough to kill the fleas here this season and the cost of buying this stuff for 2 dogs is getting expensive. Does anyone know of any cheaper brands that actually work? I've heard Heartz brand doesn't work at all and I've also heard that Zodiac works, but I am reluctant to try it because of the price. Do the cheap ones you get at pet stores actually work?

We have tried the garlic and it makes them stink, so we don't really like it....thanks anyways

I love how everyone assumes stuff....I simply wanted to know what flea stuff works best and I got a lot of repsonses about how I need to use heartworm stuff and I should've thought about the price before I got 2 dogs etc etc....I just wanted to know any alternatives to the main name brands....thanks to all of you who actually answered my question and didn't go on rambling about stuff I didn't care to know about!

My vet charges $49.99 for a 3 month supply of Frontline.....with 2 dogs, shelling out $100 for flea protection is kind of a lot, especially when you have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 3 horses.....thanks for everyone who gave some economical solutions!

Answer 1

We have had problems with fleas , and he have used the advantix and it works . But if you don't get them outside also then it don't help. We use seven dust also and you can put it on your dogs and we put it under the deck outside and also in the yard it wont kill your grass or anything and we have had good luck with that ... good luck getting rid of yours

Answer 2

Frontline is actually the best, 2nd is Advantage. Nothing else will work. But if the fleas are THAT bad, you need to treat your house itself. Mycodex makes a good spay and possibly flea bombs could help but you may want to call in a professional to rid your house of fleas. Also, if you want to start with a "clean slate" give your dog a Capstar pill. it will kill ALL fleas on them within 45 minutes but it only lasts for 24 hrs. you can get it from your vets or petstores. fleas have been a BIG problem this past year in particular. they are sometimes becoming resistant to anything. Frontline and Advantage HAVE to be used once a month. Frontline is water resistant.

Answer 3

Hartz has been known to make products, especially insecticides, that have made dogs and cats sick, even die. I'm not sure about Zodiac.
I have three dogs. They are not on any flea or tick product, until I see evidence of fleas. When I do I apply it then.
My dogs only need one treatment per year on an average.
Try it. Fleas are normally only a problem a couple of months out of the year if you control it in his way and the chemical side effects will be reduced dramatically for your pets and the cost for you. I use Frontline.

Answer 4

None of the Heartz products for killing fleas and ticks really work, when I worked at the Vet. I even heard it killed a dog. Its usually better to just pay the extra money for Frontline and K9 Advantix, because they really work.

Answer 5

Look around on line for Frontline and Advantix or other recognized brands of flea prevention meds. I like petshed.com. It's the cheapest I've found and ships quickly. Remember to also use a heartworm prevention pill every month, along with your spot-on flea prevention. Also be sure to use a detergent-free, soap-free shampoo so you won't reduce the effectiveness of the flea treatment. (They're waterproof but not soap/detergent proof.) PetNutritionProducts.com has shampoo I really like. (Use discount code PAW710 everytime you order. I'll donate my entire commission to Gainesville Pet Rescue! : ) ) Good luck and please keep preventing the flea and heartworm problems!

Answer 6

I use Revolution. This combines heartworm prevention and flea/tick prevention into a single monthly process. 2 birds with one stone is a good deal. It works out to $15/month for one dog.

While you may not be "asking" about heartworm prevention, responsible experienced dog owners may assume that you are already paying for this as well, and weren't already aware that Revolution was available. If you aren't trying to prevent heartworms in your pets, I'm not going to bother lecturing you, if you'll take the chip off your shoulder. If you are, you could save money by trying a combined solution.

Answer 7

I wouldn't use any chemical product made by Hartz. But, have you ever tried Avon Skin So Soft bath oil? I mix it with water, about 1 part SSS to 4 or 5 parts water and put it all over my dog after every bath rubbing it in real well. Keeps his skin moisturized, smells good and really does work for deterring fleas, ticks and those gnats that always fly around dogs.

Answer 8

Any spot on treatment like Frontline is a actual pesticide your putting on your dog. Some do have a reaction to it. Sometimes what I recommend is it you might want to try the puppy spot on treatments instead. DON'T and NEVER reapply until the30 days to is up. This is because its in the dogs system you don't want to cause a reaction which will happen. Try giving your dog a bath to wash it off. Do call your vet since sometimes it can get worse. Always wait two days before a bath to apply a spot on treatment because it will wash off. Also if you already put it on wait 2 days after before putting it on to allow the dogs oils in the skin to build back up. Also if the spot on treatments don't seem to be working out on your dog they do have a monthly pill the vets can give that do the same thing as spot on treatments. I do highly recommend maybe talking to your vet about choosing a good spot on treatment or maybe a puppy one.

Answer 9

I use revoluton on my dog because it fights against heart worm as well All this for around 13 dollars a month !! Also i tried every thing you could think of none of the cheaper brands work !!! My vet said they still use ingredents that the percribtion kind stopped using 15 yrs ago !! Maybe you should of thought about the price before you go 2 dogs !!

Answer 10

yes, heartz isn't bad if you get the kind that you put on there neck and back but i prefer k9 advantix myself it is a litle higher but the results are worth it.

oh ya, to get rid of the fleas outside, go to the store and buy a pouch of rolling tobacco bring it home put all tobacco in a 5 gal. bucket fill it 3/4 way full of water and stir it up let it set in there for at least 24 hours. PUT UP SOMEWHERE SAFE TOXIC TO EVERYTHING. stir again, use a strainer and put the liquid in a sprayer and spray around yard and the outside of your home. if you have any left over put in the sprayer for next time, repeat in about a weak. will kill fleas, ants and all kinds of other bugs and parasites. good luck