# Flea & Tick Medicine



## KendraLovey

What is the best flea and tick medicine out there? I have found a couple ticks on my new GSD. Need to get him on something ASAP!


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## Stosh

I like Vectra but Frontline seems to be more widely available. I also keep Adams flea and tick spray and if there is a tick I soak a cotton ball with the Adams spray and hold it on the tick for about 20 sec--it kills the tick and it falls off. Don't pull the ticks out, let the Frontline or whatever you decide to use, kill it.


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## Emoore

I'm told Frontline plus and Vectra are the only ones that get rid of the brown dog tick. I was using Advantix because I thought it got rid of all ticks, but evidently not that one.

Edited to add:

I see you're in Mississippi. My vet tells me that Advantix works well for the type of ticks folks have up north, but down South we're overrun with brown dog ticks so we need Frontline Plus or Vectra.


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## lisgje

I use K9 Advantix, kills fleas and ticks. Has always worked great for me. No problems with ticks after camping.


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## Denali Girl

I use k9 advantix and I am always in the woods and it works well, but as Emoore said not too sure about the brown dog tics up here? We do have a LOT of deer tics though.


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## Emoore

Denali Girl said:


> I use k9 advantix and I am always in the woods and it works well, but as Emoore said not too sure about the brown dog tics up here? We do have a LOT of deer tics though.


Yeah, that's what my vet said. I couldn't remember the name of the tick. The Deer Tick is the one that carries Lyme Disease, correct? We have them here but not many; down south it's mostly the dog ticks, which doesn't carry lyme but does carry Erlichia. (I know I spelled that wrong).


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## Denali Girl

Emoore said:


> Yeah, that's what my vet said. I couldn't remember the name of the tick. The Deer Tick is the one that carries Lyme Disease, correct? We have them here but not many; down south it's mostly the dog ticks, which doesn't carry lyme but does carry Erlichia. (I know I spelled that wrong).


 
Yeah the deer tic is the nasty one not only to our dogs but to us as well, a good friend of mine now has Lymes from when we were spring turkey hunting.


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## Marytess

use *Advantix *(tics and fleas) 
or
*Advocate*- heartworm prevention
- flea and lice treatment and prevention of flea infestations. The product can be also used as part of a treatment strategy for FAD (Flea Allergy Dermatitis)
- gastrointestinal worm control including several larval stages
- treatment of lungworms in dogs (Angiostrongylus vasorum)
- control of ear mites in cats and dogs
- control of sarcoptic mange in dogs
- control of Demodex mites in dogs


Frontline it's not the same anymore, my vet don't recommended it for dogs though it's ok for cats. 


you can also buy him/her the scalibor collar it's really good and prevents from the sand flea (*Leishmaniasis)*


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## Emoore

Not so sure they have sand fleas in Mississippi. Swamp fleas maybe.


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## KendraLovey

Thank You everyone for all of the great advice! I am going to call my vet tomorrow and see what they have available and also look online for vectra reviews in Mississippi. The brown dog ticks are what we have the most of.


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## arycrest

I honestly don't know the species of ticks around here, but I've had excellent results with Frontline when the Hooligans have had them. I use Comfortis for fleas on three of them (Slider can't take it).


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## KendraLovey

Comfortis is the stuff that they cant take if they've had a history of seizures right? Can you combine Comfortis and Frontline together?


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## arycrest

KendraLovey said:


> Comfortis is the stuff that they cant take if they've had a history of seizures right? Can you combine Comfortis and Frontline together?


I can't answer the first question, it's something you'd have to talk over with your vet. If it were me I wouldn't give it to a dog with a history of seizures. I've talked to the reps at Lily several times and they say it's safe to give Comfortis and Frontline together, but I hesitate to do it unless absolutely necessary.


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## KendraLovey

Gotcha. Thanks!


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## 1sttimeforgsd

Frontline Plus!


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## allexblake

We have a male pup the breeder used Advantix on. He had a reaction to it and upon further research we didn't like the history we read on that particular product. I would be careful about putting that on my family member.


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## Rott-n-GSDs

There was a news study on the potential danger of some flea/tick products, particularly those that contine permethrin:





 
We had a Pom that almost died after a reaction to Hartz Flea and Tick. I'm extremely careful about what I use with my dogs. Personally, I use only natural products: diatomaceous earth and a spray with natural oils, etc.


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## jmopaso

Here in NC Frontline no longer works well for fleas, although still does a pretty good job with ticks. Vectra 3D is performing quite well for fleas and ticks. Comfortis is the quickest kill for fleas out there.

Elanco is coming out with a new product this spring, Trifexis. It combines Comfortis and Interceptor. It is going to be reasonaly priced and should be very effective. 
They are also coming out with a topical for cats, Assurity.

Advantix does not work for either pest here, we have not carried it in years.


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## Andy-jr.

We use Frontline Plus and have had no problems with it.


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## yralph59

From many years I used Comfortis for my dogs... Really it works great.. None of them have ever had worms or fleas... Its really a brilliant product.


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## Jeffrey07

Fleas and ticks are not good for the skin of our dog, so need the most effective products for this.


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## Magwart

We have many threads about this that are more recent -- this one is from 2011.


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## Magwart

Jeffrey07, since you already have your own thread about this topic, it would likely be more productive for people to respond to you there. I'm going to link it so that people who want to chime to help you in can do so on your own new thread:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/stories/690209-fleas-ticks-dog.html


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## Dracovich

Figure out what ticks you have in the area and search for medications that kill those specific ticks.

I like Advantix, it has worked great when my dogs have fleas. I do not apply flea or tick medication unless my dogs are having issues. It is a poison and I don't feel the need to keep it on my dogs when they rarely get ticks and they only get fleas once every 2 years, of not less.


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