Cost Effective Tick Prevention

[dammit]

I have 3 little (toy) doggies. I am looking at putting them all on tick prevention because our garden has a lot of plants and also we will be boarding them soon when on holidays.

Previously they all had tick collars, they seemed to irritate all of them and one of the dogs got a bit of a rash so we can't use them (I think it was a Virbac Preventic Collar that lasts 2 months). We did a flea treatment once which was the liquid on their back/behind their head and they didn't like that either - all 3 licked it off each other (team work huh?) which was not good! and then they all ended up with big dirty stain mark on their backs until they had a bath.

They never have fleas but going to dog parks a bit and boarding kennels it probably wouldn't hurt if we can find a decent flea+tick treatment? Because we have 3 dogs what do everyone recommend that's cost effective? I was looking at Advantix but it's quite expensive and also Frontline Plus. Some of them seem to work out to be $60 for 6 pipettes, that's $5-10 a week per dog?! Is it an option to get the thing for large dogs e.g. (our 3 dogs total weight combined would be under 25kg) and just share a pipette between them or does the dosage/amount you put on need to be exact? Just trying to think of ideas.

Also what do you all think about Heartworm prevention? Is it necessary? I live in Brisbane, i haven't seen any mozzies around and our dogs pretty much stay indoors all day (and night) except for a few toilet breaks. They are never left outside at night.

[Clyde]

IMO the only two products which really work for ticks are Advantix and Permoxin.

I am in a very heavy tick area... Advantix and Permoxin have the same main ingredient. One is a top spot so you will get that greasy mark, other dogs licking etc and the Permoxin can be made in to a spray, however if using for ticks best to use as a rinse. The Permoxin is very cost effective if bought online. You really need to make sure you get it all over the dogs though - where you miss, a tick can attach. I used to use this a lot, but lost a dog to a tick which attached just under his lower eyelid.

Both products should be used with caution around cats.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Clyde

[aussielover]

I have 3 little (toy) doggies. I am looking at putting them all on tick prevention because our garden has a lot of plants and also we will be boarding them soon when on holidays.

Previously they all had tick collars, they seemed to irritate all of them and one of the dogs got a bit of a rash so we can't use them (I think it was a Virbac Preventic Collar that lasts 2 months). We did a flea treatment once which was the liquid on their back/behind their head and they didn't like that either - all 3 licked it off each other (team work huh?) which was not good! and then they all ended up with big dirty stain mark on their backs until they had a bath.

They never have fleas but going to dog parks a bit and boarding kennels it probably wouldn't hurt if we can find a decent flea+tick treatment? Because we have 3 dogs what do everyone recommend that's cost effective? I was looking at Advantix but it's quite expensive and also Frontline Plus. Some of them seem to work out to be $60 for 6 pipettes, that's $5-10 a week per dog?! Is it an option to get the thing for large dogs e.g. (our 3 dogs total weight combined would be under 25kg) and just share a pipette between them or does the dosage/amount you put on need to be exact? Just trying to think of ideas.

Also what do you all think about Heartworm prevention? Is it necessary? I live in Brisbane, i haven't seen any mozzies around and our dogs pretty much stay indoors all day (and night) except for a few toilet breaks. They are never left outside at night.

You can get a large breed pack of advantix/frontline and work out the dosage, but that is dodgy in my opinion. Most vets won't calculate it for you either- risk of litigation etc.

Yes heartworm prevention is necessary, the further north you are, the more importnant. Better safe than sorry. Mosquitoes are the carriers for heartworm, and they are bound to be in your house as well as outside.

You can also get permoxin sprays (make sure they are ok for dog use) or tablets called proban whicih you give 3 times per week which work out to be about a dollar a tablet.

Tick collars alone are ineffective in my experience.

ETA: permoxin is toxic to cats. Don't ever use advantix or permoxin based products on cats. If you also have cats that the dogs play with etc, i wouldn't use these products

Edited July 14, 2010 by aussielover

[Tilly]

I have used Advantix and tick collars ... thought they were doing ok until we nearly lost our older GSD to a tick.

We now use Permoxin. I mix it in a spray bottle and spray the dogs once a week - more when they are heading into an area known to have ticks. So far no problems.

[Scarlet]

I use advantix - 6 weekly from about May to September and 3 weekly the rest of the year.

I still do a physical check daily in summer.

They have a tick collar on most of the year.

Yes advantix is expensive but it's part of having dogs.

This is the cheapest supplier that I know of.

http://www.pricelesspets.com.au/

I think heartworm precautions all year round are vital anywhere in Brisbane regardless of them being inside or outside dogs.

Dogs over 3 months need to be tested before they go on prevention because if they have heartworm the prevention treatments can kill the dog.

Heartworm testing and treatment is not that expensive.