Flea & tick treatment for dogs & cats

kig

We have been using Bayer Advocate treatment for our dog and cat. But it's very expensive, I have checked online and have found spot-on flea treatments for about 1/3 of the Advocate cost. Is there any danger of changing to these? I notice that advocate does protect them from all sorts of other parasites and other things, but am wondering whether that's of any benefit to us, we live in a terraced house on an estate in dublin, and not out in the country where they would be exposed to more things? Can anyone advise us, or relate any dangers or benefits which we cannot see at the moment?

SillyMangoX

What was the brand you found online? Just be very careful that you buy from a reputable source like petmeds.co.uk rather than just some seller on ebay or something like that!

Pumpkinseeds

I don't think there'd be any danger with changing brands so long as you get them from a reputable source. We buy advocate from Vetuk. I know the Advocate is more expensive and it depends on how much extra cost and stress would be involved in seperate treatments for worms and mites. One of our cats is a nightmare to get the advocate on, so having 1 product that does the lot is ideal for him.

We live in a terraced house in Clare but there are a lot of dogs that wander about so you never know what's lurking about on them. Vio vet is another good source for products. It mostly seems cheaper to buy online for a lot of these products.

kig

There was Beaphar Spot-On, Effipro Spot On, Bob Martin, Advantage, Armitage, all of these are quite a bit cheaper than Advocate, but I'm not sure why.

SillyMangoX

Bob martin is a no go, you may as well be using water, the others I haven't heard of except for advantage which would be a good enough one! It's no hard to switch around brands every once in a while just to prevent resistance building up.

shauna8494

That's the brand I use and I find it very good, just out of curiosity how much are you paying for it in Dublin?

kig

Thanks, just been onto Vetuk and the same advocate that we use is approx 1/2 the price to the one we've been getting from the vet.

kig

We have just bought on a 'special' for €26 for a 3 pack, they would normally be €39.

shauna8494

Oh ok I pay €8 for one in my vets so its still cheaper.

kig

I found it on Vetuk for £15.64 for a 3 pack, which converts to about €18.30. there would probably be postage ontop of that, but I'm sure it wouldn't be as much as €8 - €22.

anniehoo

The benefits of Advocate are it covers a huge range of parasites, the most important ones really (lungworm,hookworm,ear mites,mange mites,& whipworm) except for tapeworm but as you're eliminating fleas this isnt that relevant. Plus tapeworm is "generally" the least harmful of all. The main benefit of it though is it prevents Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) if given regularly enough,which has been increasing in prevalence in recent years. Ive heard of 3 cases in Dublin in the last month alone, where 1 of these dogs died.

kig wrote: »

am wondering whether that's of any benefit to us, we live in a terraced house on an estate in dublin, and not out in the country where they would be exposed to more things?

Your back garden is the ideal habitat for the intermediate host (middle person if you like) for Lungworm, the common or garden snail. Your dog doesnt need to be running through country fields to be in danger of being affected. Dogs that eat snails and aren't dewormed regularly with a suitable anthelminthic are at risk from getting a Lungworm infection. Cats faeces can harbour Toxascaris leonina, a roundworm common to both cats and dogs (same host). Are there cats in your neighbourhood? Does your dog meet other dogs in the local park? Again licking other dogs, eating poo (coprophagia) is also another easy infection route. So, to answer your question, your dog has plenty of ways to be infected with various parasites even living in a housing estate

I use flea collars. You can buy them in Tesco for around €5 and they're good for 3 - 4 months! Can't be beaten!

boomerang

Actually flea collars are pretty useless Maryanne, sorry to have to say it.

boomerang

boomerang wrote: »

Actually flea collars are pretty useless Maryanne, sorry to have to say it.

I don't agree with you. I've been using them for years and have no problem wit h fleas or ticks. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

boomerang

Well I never use flea products on my two, and neither of them have ever had fleas. The older one is going on eleven.

DBB

boomerang wrote: »

Actually flea collars are pretty useless Maryanne, sorry to have to say it.

They're surely also bordering on risky, no? You're not meant to handle the things, but you're going to touch it every time you pet your dog unless you're careful... and who wants to be that careful when you're petting your pooch?! I would need to be convinced that they're safe at all.

Edited to add: I don't use any flea products on my dogs with any regularity either... I don't need to as they so rarely pick up fleas or ticks, despite being rugged country dogs!

anniehoo

I've never used flea/tick products or collars on my cat EVER and only twice on my dog of 14 years when she did get a tick on 2 occasions. Deworming is the priority for me, but each to their own.

paultf

kig wrote: »

We have just bought on a 'special' for €26 for a 3 pack, they would normally be €39.

Just to say I came across this place recently. They have been around a while.

www.animeddirect.co.uk

They worked out cheaper for me the last time I used them for flea/worm stuff. Plus the cost of postage (£5) is the same as other sites but they deliver by courier if that suited anyone better.

anniehoo wrote: »

The main benefit of it though is it prevents Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) if given regularly enough,which has been increasing in prevalence in recent years. Ive heard of 3 cases in Dublin in the last month alone, where 1 of these dogs died.

For worming my dogs I use Drontal and Panacur. I alternate between them. Drontal covers alot but not lungworm.

Panacur was mentioned by another board member (can't remember who) before for lungworm - very cheap. It comes in a packet of small granules which you mix in the dog's food.

ABajaninCork

Deleted User wrote: »

I use flea collars. You can buy them in Tesco for around €5 and they're good for 3 - 4 months! Can't be beaten!

Flea collars as well as being worse than useless, are also dangerous. You need to have the collar on loose enough for the cat to slip it, if it gets caught it a branch.

ABajaninCork

Also meant to mention that I only flea my dog in the summer. Same when I had the cats. I never give flea treatment in the winter, as I like to give the animal's skin a break from the chemicals.

jjdub1

It cost €6.40 at my vet - and I use it for the reasons anniehoo mentioned - I don't think he has ever had fleas but those nematode things drive him crazy and he is also fond of licking slugs so Advocate works very well for him.