Well just back from vets and a nice bill as usual plus come back Saturday so we can check him (another £24 please)

My hubby took him as I was cooking and we had found a sore spot on his peins and a lump by his testicle plus red marks whilst checking usual after woods walK thru his coat.She advised lump normal as his entire still and sore could be from mites or an allergy?
I'd changed his food/snacks 2 weeks ago due to hotpots and scratching. He had had his usual treatment for fleas/ticks end of July...

Well after saying you need use stronghold on him as other treatments got weaker/works less than stronghold. They noticed blood on the table and searching found a cut on his pad! I'd walked him 90 mins before appointmentiont, no yelp,no visible sign of blood or limp total mystery.

So injection steroid given, course of antibiotics and stronghold brought from vet too. I could have thumped the other half as cheaper buy elsewhere and for double the amount of pipettes even if I pay a fee for prescription. ...men!

They asked to see his paw again Saturday I queried why? To other half as I had thought if needed stitching would have said so but they didn't.  It's just to check up on it... I'm all for this but it used to be free a follow up appointment ... £24 just to look and say fine isn't great.
Now has Elizabethan collar on looking fed up

So I'm now confused to which treatment to use for ticks/fleas and mites? Is it mites anyway even after other treatments used?

From what my vet has said fleas have built up immunity to frontline spot treatment. Frontline spray is still effective for harvest mites though.

My boy has been very itchy and nibbling his feet this summer no food change that's caused it, not really sure what has caused it. Antihistamine didn't work. I ordered optipet skin and coat formula grain free supplement off amazon. (Sorry can never do links on iPad). It's worked a treat he wouldn't eat his food with powder on so I've had to make ice cubes of liquidised liver and mix powder in which he loves.

I also ordered the yumega lintbells supplement for itchy dogs but he'd stopped itching with the powder by the time it came. He's having both now definately no nibbling, itching anymore. Cheaper than vet visit so I'm happy too.

They didn't see any mites. Vet said could have been mites or fleas. When did we use Frontline last? I used to use Advantage but then advised Frontline as stronghold didn't do ticks!
She agreed re using antihistamines for the heat and itching, she agreed as a water dog he might not tolerate heat too well.I'd advised hubby not to buy piraton from there too...
No idea how he cut his pad at all.

I have 2 cats both been treated with frontline so should I retreat with stronghold? No signs of itching etc....

Why is it cheaper to buy online but you need prescription from vets. It feels as if it's a conspiracy  by the vets to keep charges up.

Itching seems to have been really bad during this long hot and humid weather. Thornit powder is good for ear and paw mites.   Frontline hasn't been effective for a long time now - most vets agree.  Piriton is good for allergies.  I don't know anything about stronghold

Hi Debbo

No scratching nibbling paws it had been his belly last few months. We treated with antihistamines in case allergy and he hated the hot weather. Before kennels we did treatment for ticks and fleas. Vet previously had said try piraton and could be itch scratch cycle.  After kennels he had a lot more red tinge to his belly and on hind legs bottom. I recalled here re food etc. So I changed snacks to natural cereal free etc. I changed dog food too. Itching got less and red started to get better. The last few days back to itching and yesterday whilst doing post walk check we saw these two red crust spots on shaft of pens, tum and a lump by testicle.  Why I rang vet luckily had appointment in 2 hrs....

I'm now looking thru cats and thinking should I use stronghold on them too? This hot weather he hasn't enjoyed. No idea how he cut his pad either

Ordered thornit powder mainly for my cat..... I'm still unsure re treatment for fleas best? Is the best flea 9ne the best tick treatment too. Not seen one flea on cat or dog or bedding etc. So ill wait see how stronghold works on dogs tummy if had been mites,

Going to use a salt water wash on pad. Have a protective sheath from vet to put on for walks

I have been using Stronghold on both cat and dog for several months.  Seems very good with no adverse effects.

My boy was on advantage but we switched to stronghold due to his possible mange situation (that turned out not to be).

It was the same price from my vet as the Advantage, about £8.50. He's 20kg.

I think the weather is the problem as fleas are managing to live in lawns etc. a lot more this year. I have nematoded my lawn which stopped the kids getting the odd flea bite. No matter what treatment you use it won't help if they're in the lawn as they just jump on, bite, jump off (and presumably die, but more are out there waiting to jump on next time).

Our vets only sold it in packets of 3 or 6 not one off pipettes.  A prescription  £8:50 charge so if order stronghold on line 6 for £20:00 + £2:99 p&p = £28:49 plus wait 3 days for delivery... vets 24.00 for 3 or  42.00 for 6 ...  Hubby brought 3 home with him. .

Fleas not seen in grass not seen fleas at all! The plastic sock cover so far came off three times on his road walk!

Back to vets check paw out tomorrow. I've decided to go gun ho style and do cats with stronghold. We have newer cats on the roads and might as well avert flea city.

I've been looking at getting nematodes - have they got rid of slugs and snails?

Not that I've noticed (i wouldn't necessarily have noticed, it's a pretty scruffy garden) but then I bought ones for fleas. I think they use different types depending on the pest. But they did get rid of the fleas.

Ah, I didn't know that.  Thanks for replying.