Hi,

I'll be needing to worm and flea my 16 week old Doberman in the next week and during research online have read some awful stories about flea treatments particularly the spot-on treatments and the side effects of the pesticides used.

So just out of interest what flea/worm treatment do you use and what is your experience with it? (She was advocated last time at the vet he said it was a flea and worm combination treatment)

At 16 weeks, mine would only ever get done if they actually have fleas.

And, having said that, my Collies haven't been done for years.  Why use chemicals "just in case" when the dog has no problem?

I agree that worming regimes certainly do need to be carried out on youngsters, but mine only get done up to 6 months of age, and very infrequently after that.  (Unless I have cause for concern.)

Having had dogs for 20 years we have only used spot on's when necessary e.g. dogs have traveled and the treatment is needed in order to cross borders or we have had "a scare" =dog in training club found with fleas.
We have never had a problem with fleas in the 20 years and our dogs go to training, shows etc where they meet other dogs and could pick up fleas.
Neither have we had a problem when they have had the treatment (apart minor skin irritation).

With a youngster we follow the normal worming routine but after that, our dogs get done every 6 months or so.
Unless there is a reason for us to believe they might have worms(eaten things, raw fish etc) and I will then just worm them just in case.

I drontal our two when the vet reminds me during their check ups (annual) havent ever seen any but I prefer to be safe rather than sorry. Its a personal thing having a 1 year old son with them once.

I used to reguarly use frontline,but why treat when there are no fleas?I now give my woos a capsule of garlic once a day with their food and have had no fleas for years :)

I have only used garlic for quite a few years and have never had a problem with fleas before - until a couple of weeks ago :( The dogs must have picked them up from the garden, we have lots of hedges and wild areas and also wild rabbits, pheasants, foxes etc So I have had to resort to Frontlining them, although we were still picking the odd flea of them until the wet weather started a few days ago. However, I don't intend to use the Frontline on a regular basis, only if we get a flea problem again.

Daisy

I did use frontline combo as prescribed for the first three years and then started to have concerns and the only time one had fleas was six weeks into treatment. It covers for ticks only for four weeks and I check them daily when brushed and if I have any concerns about them scratching go over gently with a flea comb. Worm them, when I think they need it.