Gun Dog Forum

Hello:

Now that spring has begun in the Midwest, every time I take my dog to a field, I end up finding ten or more ticks buried in my dog's coat. I use a monthly topical product called Vectra 3D which includes a tick and flea repellent, but I have been finding a significant amount of ticks during the past few weeks. There seems to be an endless amount of natural and chemical products on the market that claim to repel ticks, but it is difficult to know which ones work compared to the ones that are ineffective. So I am wondering if anyone has recommendations, suggestions, or remedies for tick prevention that have successfully worked for you and your dogs???

Thanks!!

tick twister www.atozvetsupply.com

bio spot and
addams flea and tick spray

When we are in Texas that was the best line of defense

Real light mist every day of the addams
the tick twister for those we found that would be dug in
the bip spot for the ones that got missed

Quentin wrote:Hello:

Now that spring has begun in the Midwest, every time I take my dog to a field, I end up finding ten or more ticks buried in my dog's coat. I use a monthly topical product called Vectra 3D which includes a tick and flea repellent, but I have been finding a significant amount of ticks during the past few weeks. There seems to be an endless amount of natural and chemical products on the market that claim to repel ticks, but it is difficult to know which ones work compared to the ones that are ineffective. So I am wondering if anyone has recommendations, suggestions, or remedies for tick prevention that have successfully worked for you and your dogs???

Thanks!!

K9 ADVANTIX - have used it forever and have never had a tick problem. Of course I don't have a kennel full of dogs - only 3.

Runs about $10.00 a month per dog.

Could be wrong...but I think Advantix has gone generic at a lot lee cost.

Are they appearing throughout the month, or just near the end of the effective range? You could talk to your vet about applying every 3 weeks if its only a problem at the end of the month. I used Advantix, however I still pull one out every so often.

I swear by Frontline Plus. One dose is suppose to last 1 month, however it seems to last about 2 1/2 months. I tried Bio Spot one time and it wasn't near as effective as Frontline Plus.

Preventic collar. Frontline alone didnt cut it for my dogs.

dog dr wrote:Preventic collar. Frontline alone didnt cut it for my dogs.

I have some concerns about the oily topical repellants (killers) on the market that are absorbed through the skin. They repel ticks and kill them after they bite. When I questioned what benefit it would be to kill the tick AFTER the bite, my vet informed me thatthey have to remain attached for 24 hours to transmit disease. I have had dogs catch lymes disease and rocky mountain spotted fever, all cured with antibiotics. I tried repellants only to find that the ticks on the dog sleeping next to me would leave the dog and come to me. (You lie down with dogs, you wake up with ticks). It's very bad in my area with lots of Lyme's disease.
The only absolute tick repellant was a dip made years ago that smelled horrible like a petroleum product (I think it was pyrethrin) that I would soak the dog in before hunting and NEVER found a tick on the dog. Guaranteed tick free and the smell would disipate in 2-3 days. I wish I knew the name and whether it is still available. I can still picture the amber botttle with blue lettering. You would mix about 1 oz to one gallon of water and VOILA...tickless!

JKP wrote:Could be wrong...but I think Advantix has gone generic at a lot lee cost.

Do you know the name of it?

Same name.

I read a few links and it appears it is not available for use everywhere and sells out fast.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Generic-K9-Advantix

JKP wrote:Could be wrong...but I think Advantix has gone generic at a lot lee cost.

I'd be interested in this as well because we've found that K9 Advantix is the only things that works for us here in FL.

We try to do a thorough exam of our GSP after he's run in fields, because there have been times when they've secreted themselves in some hard to see places, like inside the tips of his ears. However, once in a while they do wind up unnoticed. However, a day or so later when we do find them, they're usually dead.

dog dr wrote:Preventic collar. Frontline alone didnt cut it for my dogs.

Exactly. Take it off when he goes in full body depth water. It's the only thing that works for all ticks.

V-John wrote:

JKP wrote:Could be wrong...but I think Advantix has gone generic at a lot lee cost.

Do you know the name of it?

No. No. No. Advantix is no longer made. Advantage II and Advantix II, both with Nylar (I think) IGR will be replacing the original formulas. THERE IS NOTHING WITH IMIDICLOPRID ON THE DISCOUNT MARKET. The other ingredient in Advantix, permethrin, has been around for years as a spot-on or spray treatment. 45% is the level in spot ons, .5% in sprays. It kills cats.

I have always had good results with Frontline Plus. I think this year is going to be especially bad for ticks with all the spring precip we've had.

I live in a heavy tick area. I use frontline and I also cut the dogs coat real close so I can find ticks easy and pick them off. The other thing I do is spray the dog with a 50/50 mix of apple cider viniger and water before I let her run. The ticks dont like this I spray , I also spray it on my pants . It prevents some from getting on the dog and if they are on there they dont burrow in the stay on top and are easy to get off. I have used adams and a number of other sprays and this is just as good IMO. With all of this I still find one latched on every once and a while.
mm

I use bio spot, works great on all my dogs.

I also get a flea and tick dip, mix it and spray the tres and grassy areas around my kennels and their play areas. Bug free backyard on a hose for the rest of my lawn, keeps skeeters away etc. Country living dont mean with the bugs

Cajun Casey wrote:

V-John wrote:

JKP wrote:Could be wrong...but I think Advantix has gone generic at a lot lee cost.

Do you know the name of it?

No. No. No. Advantix is no longer made. Advantage II and Advantix II, both with Nylar (I think) IGR will be replacing the original formulas. THERE IS NOTHING WITH IMIDICLOPRID ON THE DISCOUNT MARKET. The other ingredient in Advantix, permethrin, has been around for years as a spot-on or spray treatment. 45% is the level in spot ons, .5% in sprays. It kills cats.

Not to disagree but i just bought my K9 Advantix for 5 months for 3 dogs and 1 cat (different mix yes).

Sharon wrote:

Cajun Casey wrote:

No. No. No. Advantix is no longer made. Advantage II and Advantix II, both with Nylar (I think) IGR will be replacing the original formulas. THERE IS NOTHING WITH IMIDICLOPRID ON THE DISCOUNT MARKET. The other ingredient in Advantix, permethrin, has been around for years as a spot-on or spray treatment. 45% is the level in spot ons, .5% in sprays. It kills cats.

Not to disagree but i just bought my K9 Advantix for 5 months for 3 dogs and 1 cat (different mix yes).

[/quote]
Well, Advantix has never been made for cats and the new products came out in April. Bayer just did a two free on sixpack mailing on the kitty product and it is Advantage II.

mm wrote:I live in a heavy tick area. I use frontline and I also cut the dogs coat real close so I can find ticks easy and pick them off. The other thing I do is spray the dog with a 50/50 mix of apple cider viniger and water before I let her run. The ticks dont like this I spray , I also spray it on my pants . It prevents some from getting on the dog and if they are on there they dont burrow in the stay on top and are easy to get off. I have used adams and a number of other sprays and this is just as good IMO. With all of this I still find one latched on every once and a while.
mm

Today, I tried your idea of using a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and I was surprised on how well it worked! Without wanting to use a chemical spray before speaking to a vet about interactions with the monthly topical application, I figured why not try apple cider vinegar. Over the weekend when I took my dog out, I found over 20 ticks in his coat. After taking my dog out today and using the vinegar mix, I only found 3 or 4 ticks. The areas on my dog where I spotted ticks today were in places where I most likely did not apply enough of the vinegar spray, so I am going to keep experimenting to see what kind of results I receive. Best of all, the apple cider vinegar does not have the terrible scent that many of the chemical sprays have, and the vinegar order seems to dissipate quickly.

So Thank You for the recommendation!!

Brandon

nitecapt wrote:

dog dr wrote:Preventic collar. Frontline alone didnt cut it for my dogs.

I have some concerns about the oily topical repellants (killers) on the market that are absorbed through the skin. They repel ticks and kill them after they bite. When I questioned what benefit it would be to kill the tick AFTER the bite, my vet informed me thatthey have to remain attached for 24 hours to transmit disease. I have had dogs catch lymes disease and rocky mountain spotted fever, all cured with antibiotics. I tried repellants only to find that the ticks on the dog sleeping next to me would leave the dog and come to me. (You lie down with dogs, you wake up with ticks). It's very bad in my area with lots of Lyme's disease.
The only absolute tick repellant was a dip made years ago that smelled horrible like a petroleum product (I think it was pyrethrin) that I would soak the dog in before hunting and NEVER found a tick on the dog. Guaranteed tick free and the smell would disipate in 2-3 days. I wish I knew the name and whether it is still available. I can still picture the amber botttle with blue lettering. You would mix about 1 oz to one gallon of water and VOILA...tickless!

I had the exact same concerns as you with topical repellants killing ticks after they bite. My vet recommended switching from Advantix to Vectra 3D because the product claims, "Kills on contact; parasites do not have to bite or feed to die" (http://www.vectrapet.com). Vectra 3D has the same Permethrin repellant ingredient as Advantix, but it supposedly kills ticks and fleas much quicker. Last year, I would have said that Vectra is the greatest product on the market because I only found maybe 5 ticks all season. But this season and while using the same product, every time I take my dog out, I find a minimum of 10 - 15 ticks….and that’s on good day.

Maybe the problem that I am having with ticks is possibly indications of having an extremely bad year of ticks in my region. I greatly appreciate your advice on using a dip and I'll be searching for an amber bottle with blue lettering! It would be great to take the dog out and return home with a tick free dog!

Thanks!!

Brandon

Brandon,

Keep in mind that household items are also chemicals. Would you have had a different response if someone recommended you coat your dog with a diluted acetic acid?

Cajun Casey wrote:

Sharon wrote:

Cajun Casey wrote:

No. No. No. Advantix is no longer made. Advantage II and Advantix II, both with Nylar (I think) IGR will be replacing the original formulas. THERE IS NOTHING WITH IMIDICLOPRID ON THE DISCOUNT MARKET. The other ingredient in Advantix, permethrin, has been around for years as a spot-on or spray treatment. 45% is the level in spot ons, .5% in sprays. It kills cats.

Not to disagree but i just bought my K9 Advantix for 5 months for 3 dogs and 1 cat (different mix yes).

Well, Advantix has never been made for cats and the new products came out in April. Bayer just did a two free on sixpack mailing on the kitty product and it is Advantage II.[/quote]

Maybe what's available in the States and what's available in Canada is two different scenarios.

GSPdude wrote:I have always had good results with Frontline Plus. I think this year is going to be especially bad for ticks with all the spring precip we've had.

Glad someone is getting rain.. Here in SC Kansas we can't buy a drop of precip. Yesterday was the earliest triple digit day on record in our area. Suppoed to be 100 degrees today as well. BLAH!

dog dr wrote:Preventic collar. Frontline alone didnt cut it for my dogs.

I'll have to agree with the doc here. While I don't live in a particularly tick infested area, I found that with Frontline the ticks were much more apt to attach. With the Preventic collars that didn't seem to happen and one collar lasts 3 months. From my understanding if you live in a bad tick area you can use the two in conjunction with each other for added protection.

ONly downside to using Preventic by itself is that it doesn't work against fleas.

Ticks are horrible around here. Used Frontline only for years but was finding dead but attached ticks. Was using it year round, unless temps stayed below freezing for a period of time. Had one dog come down with Lyme and another with Ehrlichia. Just started also spraying the dogs and myself with Eqyss Marigold spray before a run as I was finding way too many crawling on me.