What Is The Risk?

[Fudo]

Hi

I have read some posts lately (there is a particularly good one in general: "FAQs") about parasite prevention.

Fudo is currently on Advocate and Virbac tabs. I went with Advocate because our risk of tick exposure is low and it covers all sorts of things that the other top spots don't; so for spectrum of coverage and ease of application I went with Advocate (NB> use of Advocate requires a tape wormer, hence the virbac).

Shortly though, we will be moving and our tick exposure will rise significantly and Fudo's current regime will need to change as a result. I have used killtix / preventic collars before when we have gone bushwalking, but they really stink and I just don't like them in the house. So a reasonable change for us, without using collars, might be to use Sentinel Spectrum and Advantix. Neither of these things though treat / prevent mites, demodectic (sp?) mange and some other things (I think) that Advocate treats.

So my questions are, just what is the risk of contracting these "extra things" that Advocate treats wrt a dog that doesn't meet many other dogs or got to dog parks; and if he should contract them, are they painful / difficult to treat / expensive to treat?

Thanks

ETA: The extras that Advocate covers are ear mites, sarcoptic mange and demodex.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Fudo

[Kavik]

I think your dog is far less likely to contract ear mites, sarcoptic or demodectic mange than a tick, and ticks are potentially deadly and more difficult to treat. I would opt for a spot on that covers ticks if you are going into a high tick area. Most spot ons only say they cover for ticks if you apply fortnightly (rather than monthly for fleas). I use Advantix and do only use monthly. Cross fingers have not had a tick yet.

For prevention try to stay out of bushy areas. Ticks are carried in bushy areas and on native animals. Whether or not they meet other dogs makes no difference.

[Fudo]

I think your dog is far less likely to contract ear mites, sarcoptic or demodectic mange than a tick, and ticks are potentially deadly and more difficult to treat. I would opt for a spot on that covers ticks if you are going into a high tick area. Most spot ons only say they cover for ticks if you apply fortnightly (rather than monthly for fleas). I use Advantix and do only use monthly. Cross fingers have not had a tick yet.

For prevention try to stay out of bushy areas. Ticks are carried in bushy areas and on native animals. Whether or not they meet other dogs makes no difference.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I am going to change meds and protect for ticks; that is not the issue or the question. I suppose that in a nutshell my question is, how exposed is Fudo to those other things if I don't protect for them? Further, if he does get them, are they easy to treat? Are they painful or expensive to treat and is prevention better than cure?

[persephone]

We have numerous dogs. None have ever had ear mites or demodectic mange needing treatment (all dogs have a population of demodex mites- it is only when the immune system suffers that they multiply and cause trouble).

In the past years ,there have been two lots of sarcoptic mange from chasing/catching mangy foxes.

Ear mites are not that hard to treat, from my experience - demodectic mange can be tricky- but usually only affects dogs in poor condition. Sarcoptic mange responds very well to treatment

Ticks are nasty.

Luckily we don't have paralysis ticks here - so don't have to use stuff to protect the dogs.

Our dogs only ever get a spray on treatment IF they have fleas.

Don't worry overmuch about the mite side of things The less chemicals on/in your dog the better, IMO.