I have not treated Hallie for fleas ever and had not had to treat Jessie for years so I have not treated for fleas in like...15 years because nobody had them. So I'm not up on the new stuff, I found 4-5 fleas on Hallie in the last few days (SCREAM!!!) so I am going to go in and get some stuff. My vet sells Frontline. Does anyone have any input on this, is this as good (SAFE) as another or should I go with something else?
Also I am facing the vaccination thing, Hallie has not had them since I got her 4 years ago (except rabies and bordetella) because the vet kept suggesting not to (Hallie is now 5). I am uncomfortable with it though, all the places she goes and things she is probably exposed to, so I want to do them now and then we'll wait three years again. Any input on this as well? This is one I have read up enough on to realize there is no known perfect answer for this, but I want to be sure I do the right things, benedryl before, should we separate rabies from the others, etc?
I hate this stuff espeically when no one knows enough to tell you the right thing to do. Sort of like poor Eileen and Kleine and the MRI! It's hard to make those kinds of decisions when we don't have enough information to make them. Since Hallie is an allergy dog and gets shots, that is an added concern. She is extra itchy right now so our plan is to wait til that settles down before doing the vacc's although now I'm wondering if it isn't becuase of the FLEAS ack ack ack!!
Hiya Toots! I can't give you any input on the vaccines--mine don't get bordetella because A) they never get borded and B) mommy is broke.
We use Frontline and with excellent results. You do need to use it at least 3 months for best results. We did not treat over the winter and sure enough they brought home some hoppers in MARCH! my little hairy girl is especially bothered by fleas bites. So every month on the 1st of the month the kidz get their Heartguard cookie, their Frontline, and then daddy changes the furnace filter, too. :grin:
"Eat drink and be hairy." LOVE IT.
I use K-9 Advantix on Sgt & Libby. A lot of the flea treatments don't work for Libby, within 2 weeks she is full of fleas again, but I can usually get about a month out of the Advantix. Here in Florida, you have to use the flea stuff all the time since it does not get cold enough in the winter to kill them. I just get the rabies shot every year for them. Are there other yearly shots they should be getting?
I have heard of people using eucalyptas or lemon juice mixed with water as a natural flea deterent. Poor Miz Hallie BB. As far as the shots go, here in Texas it is a state requirement for them to have rabies shots every three years (used to be every year). My vet does not give the lepto portion of the normal shot package to Lily because she is allergic.
Hey Les
LOL I know about the broke mommy syndrome :crazyeyes: Hallie never gets boarded either but she is exposed to so many doglets and doglets poops on our walks and dog shows and classes and all that I do the bordetella every summer. She gets rabies every 3 years. Thanks for the advice on the Frontline, that is what my vet sells so that's what we'll try then. I am freaked because we have had NO fleas and never had to worry about it I feel like I'm poisoning her ACK!! Nasty little boogers. We don't give heartguard here, we don't have heartworms in this area although I did give it to Fred and Jessie way back when because we travelled further to dog shows than Hallie and I do. But dang now I won't have a way to remember to change my furnace filter! :grin:
Julie, thanks for your input too. I have heard that Advantix is really good too, my vet only carries Frontline, if there were a big difference between them though I would go looking for Advantix elsewhere. I just hate putting this stuff on them but you have to get rid of those fleas! UGH. I never thought of that, I guess you would have to deal with them all year around in a warm climate like that! As for yearly shots, the new thinking is they don't need their shots every year but every three. At least the core vaccinations. Hallie gets bordetella every year (if it's a big problem you need it twice a year since it is only thought to be good for about 6 months but if they aren't around a lot of strange dogs it isn't as big of a risk). Hallie will be getting DHPP, I am having them leave out lepto since they are so prone to react. I will redo this set of shots in three years, unless they come out with an updated protocol before then. DHPP...that would be distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza...different parts of the country may have different non core vaccines recommendations though, for diseases that might be common in your area.
Hi Nikki
We posted at the same time. :)
I have used penny royal and eucalyptis way back when but the problem was it is smelly and messy and you have to keep it on them all the time. I imagine it does work though! Who invented fleas anyway YUCK! That's good they can leave out the lepto for Lily. We're leaving it out too. The rabies vaccine...my vet was just telling me that the three years rabies vaccine is the exact same thing as the yearly one. They didn't change it all at, they just discovered that dogs were covered for at "least" three years so they took the same stuff and started to advertise it as a three year vaccine. That is kind of scary to think of how we may have been overvaccinating on everything else all this time too...who knows if that may have contributed to Fred's automimmune problems and he and Jessie dying so young...
I have seen collars that are made of cloth and treated with eucalyptas and they didn't smell bad at all. I noticed that we posted at the same time and said the same thing about the lepto. Poor Lily, when she got her first adult shot package, we didn't know about her reaction to the lepto and she blew up like a little blowfish. I had to take her to the emergency vet and spend lots of money (but she is worth every penny) for shots for her reaction. Since then, NO lepto! You can't go second guessing yourself about Fred and Jessie. You were only doing what you thought was right at the time and may have had nothing to do with their deaths. Give Miz Hallie BB a big smoochie and belly rub from her Auntie Nikki. Oh, by the way, Ben and Jerry say hi and they are waiting for you. :hello:
Oooh a collar sounds like a great idea. I will see if I can find one if this flea thing continues. Thanks Nikki.
Poor LILY! That had to be awful and scary for you too. I swear when we do Hallie's vac's I'm going in first thing and sitting in that waiting room the rest of the day. I already warned the vet of this. :) I'll be glad when this is all over and I don't have to worry again for a while.
I'm dying to meet those guys...Jerry and Ben! One of these days!! :thumb:
HI Dee Dee & HBB,
Sam is due for his vaccinations in Sept and Dr Cindy also leaves out the lepto portion because he had a reaction to it. We always get the 3 year rabies although one vet in Warren wants dogs to get them every year and split the DHP shots every six months(he wants to split the dose in half.)
A for fleas we haven't had probems with them for a couple of years - knock wood. I like Frontline, but Dr Cindy only carries Advantage so I use that. But I did find a website that has natural remedies for all types of stuff and they have natural flea preventitives.
Eddie hates it when he has to have the flea stuff put on so he hides, but now he is bribed with cookies to sit still.
.http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/pets/1554
Hi Dee Dee,
For a few fleas i have found good old fashion Joy (the yellow kind) dishsoap works very well for killing them. Just wash her down with it and let it stay on her coat for a good 5mins or so ... then rinse and repeat making sure to avoid getting it in her eyes. I rarely have fleas i can count on one hand how many i have had in the past 5yrs and i live in a very flea prone area and attend many dog shows during the year. Personally if i were going to use a medication i would use the Advantage i have had good luck with that killing massive amounts of fleas on dogs when i did rescue they all seemed to do fine with it.
Now as for shots... my dogs get puppy shots at 6,9, & 12wks then again at a year and every 3yrs after that until age 7. I give rabies according to VA state law. I do not give Corona, Lepto or Bordatella although after going through kennel cough twice in the last 6 months shortly after returing home from dog shows i am starting to rethink my decision not to give the vaccine. I know there are many strains of the virus (just like the human cold) out there and i am also aware the vaccine does not cover all of them so i guess that would be a personal decision. If you live in a area where Lyme is a problem and you go hiking or run your dog in the field then i would recommend the Lyme Vaccines.
Hope this helps :)
Jen & the Crew
We use Frontline and I like it. I also give them Heartworm pills (Sentinal) that has additional treatment for fleas. Knock wood - we don't have fleas in our yard and have not found any on the kids...but ya never know in Texas !
WE're sort of the same ours have never had fleas, but when the go to nanna's we use frontline that includes ticks, and when they get home from nanna all get washes plus them. so far so good.
They all get annuals but we don't need the rabies or the Bordatella. Emma this year did not get her annuals as we decided at her age it was not really an issue as she is never out the front door and she is bombarded with a lot of other meds and at 15.5 yrs. Well.
Miss Haillie tell mamma not to worry your passengers will be all gone.
Roberta
Cajsa uses Frontline for fleas and we've never had a problem. It doesn't seem to bother her even with everything else she gets into! We only gave her the rabies vacc this year as it's required by law. I really don't think they need to get all the other shots every year. I would think the immune system would "remember" longer than that. We did get all her puppy shots and then all but Lepto for her 1 year shots but haven't since then.
and I've posted about the shot-thing before. I only give the rabies shots every three years because it is required by law. I think if your dog travels a lot and is exposed to other dogs, you should do the bordatella. Otherwise, nix it. As well as all the other shots. I've read many articles about the immune system and over-vaccinating and I don't believe in giving all those shots every year. My dogs always got sick and had reactions to them because, I believe, they already have built up immunities to them. Even though we live in the mountains at 9,000 feet, I do give heartworm treatment from May through October, because if we take them to a lower elevation there is a "chance" they could encounter a skeeter with the larve. We do not have fleas up here, so don't have to worry about that. Good luck with Ms. Hallie. PS I may be able to bring Ms. Kleine home on Friday......she is still slightly improving....don't want to get my hopes up.....such a roller coaster.....
I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed that she gets to come home soon!