I've resisted using anything of the sort for many, many years. Marcie's
SNAP test came back extremely low + for Lymes, so I can say that I don't
need this anymore. With she and Rudy spending more and more time in the
field, the time has come to use on of these products.

Winter is tricky here, because nothing actually dies. OTOH, the dogs
don't swim in the winter (or rarely) so I don't need the waterproof
aspect of the Frontline. Someone told me she switches between the 2
products for the most effectiveness.

I'd appreciate informed opinions particularly from folks who have dogs
who swim a lot (both of these criteria leave out Chard, so please don't
bother).

I truly hate this crap, but hate death even more, so we make a choice.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

On Jan 8, 2:33*pm, Janet Boss
wrote:

Winter is tricky here, because nothing actually dies. *OTOH, the dogs
don't swim in the winter (or rarely) so I don't need the waterproof
aspect of the Frontline. *Someone told me she switches between the 2
products for the most effectiveness. *

I'd appreciate informed opinions particularly from folks who have dogs
who swim a lot (both of these criteria leave out Chard, so please don't
bother). *

I truly hate this crap, but hate death even more, so we make a choice.

Disclaimers: my dogs don't swim, and I have not used Advantix. I'm
offering my probably useless opinion only to let you know how I made
my decision as to which product to use. Advantix is specifically
contraindicated in cats, and because greyhounds/sighthounds can be
very sensitive to chemicals, the old rule of thumb for used to be not
to put any type of insecticide on them that cannot be used in cats.
I'm old, so I still use that rule of thumb. Also, my cats interact
with my dogs, so from an abundance of caution, I don't use anything on
the dogs that shouldn't be used on the cats. I do use Frontline Plus
on my dogs because we see an alarming number of ticks alarmingly close
to home. (Like, last spring Mukluk came inside with one crawling on
his face, and he'd just been in the backyard.) It's effective, maybe
moreso on ticks than fleas. I use Frontline as the first spring
treatment because of the ticks (and last year I used a yard treatment,
I think it was Adams), then spray nematodes for fleas (but couldn't
last year due to the yard treatment). I use Advantage next some time
in the summer and then Frontline again in the fall, since at least one
dog usually goes to Delaware in October. The reason I switch during
the flea/tick season is that we had a huge flea problem a few years
back and neither Advantage nor Frontline was effective, so I'm hoping
to avoid immunity by alternating products.

Mustang Sally

"Janet Boss" wrote in message:

I'd appreciate informed opinions particularly from folks who have dogs
who swim a lot (both of these criteria leave out Chard, so please don't
bother).

FWIW, I use Frontline on the dogs, year round. Frontline Plus confers
additional flea protection, which we have never really needed, and it isn't
any more effective against ticks than regular Frontline. My vet advocates
caution in using Advantix. My memory of the conversation is vague, but she
did say that she wants the product on the market for longer before using on
her own dogs or asking her clients to use it.

I meant to bring this up elsewhere, as elegy had brought it up, but both my
dogs have been Lyme + on Frontline. It isn't operator error, I don't think,
but a shortcoming of the mode of action of the active ingredient in
Frontline. Ticks, being hard bodied, aren't as easily susceptible. Which
means that we still use Frontline, but the dogs get checked over routinely
anyway, although the chances of finding an un-engorged deer tick on a very
hairy Khan is probably less than optimal.

Suja

In article
,
wrote:


Disclaimers: my dogs don't swim, and I have not used Advantix. I'm
offering my probably useless opinion only to let you know how I made
my decision as to which product to use.

Thank you (and Suja) for very clear reasoning. Although the cat who
sucked on dogs has passed on, Skipjack is interactive with the dogs even
though not quite as likely to snuggle with them. Still, why risk it?

I think I'll go with the Frontline Top Spot. We have never had flea
problems in 14 years I've lived in this house, so I really don't need to
go overboard on flea protection. Ticks are quite another issue
altogether and while we may have one per dog per season, they are out
there, particularly in the field. I will not use any of this stuff on
Lucy. She's not only 12 but isn't working in the field.

Thanks , both of you.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

I've resisted using anything of the sort for many, many years. Marcie's
SNAP test came back extremely low + for Lymes, so I can say that I don't
need this anymore. With she and Rudy spending more and more time in the
field, the time has come to use on of these products.

The 4DX SNAP tests only for Lyme exposure. Faint or strong, a positive is a
positive. The next step is to test to see if there is an active infection
with a C6. The protocol at our practice with a 4 DX lyme SNAP+ is:

1. Draw blood for C6 & send out;
2. One week course of Doxycycline;
3. If C6 returns under 30, no more meds but vaccinate for Lyme and retest in
6 months;

-OR-

If C6 is over 30 then you have to treat for 3 more weeks of Doxy,
vaccinate and retest as above.

And yes, tick preventive is helpful. We have very good luck with Frontline
Plus and Advantix, but with the *very few* complaints about Frontline
resistence, we tend to recommend Advantix.

We do NOT like Revolution.

We use Profender mainly as mange treatment.

My 2 cents.

-sharon

Thank you (and Suja) for very clear reasoning. Although the cat who
sucked on dogs has passed on, Skipjack is interactive with the dogs even
though not quite as likely to snuggle with them. Still, why risk it?

Advantix should absorb completely in 2 hours. We've never seen problems
associated with cats in the same household. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist,
just that we've never seen it in our practice, nor have I heard of any
problems at parisitology seminars.

Almost all of our flea/tick reaction issues come with people using OTC
products on cats. It's a nasty sight.

I'd appreciate informed opinions particularly from folks who have dogs
who swim a lot (both of these criteria leave out Chard, so please don't
bother). *

I have two dogs, one of which wades chest deep in warm weather (not
really swimming), and the other is water phobic, mostly (has willingly
gone into a couple of streams, but can't be coaxed into a wading pool--
just as well, since she's a pain to brush out).

Both were on Frontline Plus, without issues, when our vet at the time
recommended we switch to Advantix (I forget the reason, or even if one
was given).

Neither dog has had any adverse reaction on either product. They
react to both products the same way, a slight aversion to the
application which I assume is due to the feel of the liquid on their
skin. They get their heartworm preventative as a reward for enduring
the application.

Functionally, the only difference we have noticed is that on
Frontline, we would occasionally find dead ticks on the dogs. On
Advantix, we have not found any. We have not yet had a flea problem
with either dog (knock on wood) but also usually experience single-
digit temps several times a winter.

Due to allergies rather than preference, we are a cat free household.

Hope that's usefull,
--Glenn Lyford