Hi, I did Harvey with Advocate last night in between the shoulder blades as instructed but no sooner had I applied it, he started scratching the area and was left with a big wet patch of fur. He didn't lick his paw or anything - I made sure of that and I distracted him everytime he started to have an itch, but I'm wondering if it will still be effective as most of it seemed to end up in his fur Does anyone else have this problem?

Hayley

it probably wont be as effective :(
its best to put it higher up if he can reach inbetween his shoulders. i take my dogs collar off and put the spoton there, the wait a few hours before putting collar on.

Oh damn!! He had Drontal+ aswell yesterday so at least the worming bit is ok.........what about flea prevention? Is there anything else I can do? It doesn't matter where I apply spot on treatments, he always manages to scratch the area

Hayley

I wouldn't worry - I think it probably will be almost as effective. 

If he was my dog, I wouldn't want to treat again so soon after this treatment even if I was worried about its effectiveness.  He doens't actually have fleas, does he?  It's just preventative?

No, he doesn't have fleas, just prevenative measures.......I assume that it would have taken some effect as they treat up to 10kg and Harvey's only 6.1kg. Is there no flea treatment on the market in oral form, like program for cats?

Hi Luvhandles,

Yes, there is a Program for dogs.  It's a prescription only and is a preventative.  If you see a flea on your dog, there's also Capstar tablets, available "over the counter" which kill them off.

Hope this helps,

Lesley

I think I'll ask my vet about program next time he's due for treating, I can't be doing with the spot on. Thanks.

Hayley

i dont recommend that you drontal and advocate- drontal treats round and tape worm, but advocate also kills round worm!
i dont think its advisable to treat for worms twice on one day??

Too late now! Vet nurse didn't tell me this:rolleyes: He had them on Friday and we haven't had any ill effects so hopefully we got away with it.......Don't think I'll be using advocate again, I'm going to have a word with the vet and see about the program tablets for fleas and stick with drontal+ for worms.

dont worry too much- i think if youre using drontal then all else you need to use is a flea treatment- frontline/advantage..

i'd use advocate alone on my cats as they dont hunt so dont need tape worm treatment.
mention it again to that nurse- she may have gotten confused with advantage!! she shouldnt have tho-
take care x

She did say that I would only have to use drontal every 6 months when also using advocate but told me to do him with both this time I would prefer to use an oral flea treatment rather than the spot on - everytime we use a spot on, Harvey always manages to scratch the area and drag half of the product through his coat and then I have to be on constant vigal so the he doesn't lick his paw and worry if he's protected ect....

yes- enquire about program then, i dont get her recommendations- you are meant to routinely worm monthly until the pups 6 months old, then 3monthly after wards.

goodluck x

Thanks! I don't get it either to be honest Sould be pretty straight forward though if we give program once a month and a drontal every 3 months

Hayley

IS there a big risk of him getting fleas? Only personally I don't use flea treatments at all unless my dogs (or cats) do catch them, and it has been years since I last saw a flea. That's despite going to shows and training classes on a regular basis. I think it's better to not give them all the extra chemicals unless absolutely necessary. Just my opinion. :)

Harvey mixes with quite a few other dogs every day at the park and I would die if he got fleas I'm itching at the very thought

I get you, that makes sense. :)

I put a squirt of Garlic Paste in the Big girls dinner, seemd to work at keeping fleas and ticks off! I have never ever had fleas or ticks on the dogs, even though I have cats that go out and hunt. They are kept as flea free as possible! But as Garlic is in the onion family, and dogs can have a reaction to onions, I would just give a tiny ickle bit to start and work up to half to a teaspoon full every day. All the best, Dawn X

I must say that I've used garlic since 1996 and haven't seen a flea on any of my girls, even when I've had dogs running with them in the parlour and they've been looking in the window!! :)

Chemicals to me are a last resort, and not the first thing that I do.

Just yesterday I was reading an article in the latest issue (April) of Dogs Today about flea,worm spot-on treatments and the long term effect they have on the dog's immune system. Apparently they have found evidence that in the long run it weakens the immune system and an investigation is under way.
By the recommendaton of the vet, our puppy was on advocate from about 10wks to 6months of age when he fell very ill with an auto immune anaemia and nearly died. Although he is a lot better now he's been on medication now for 5 months and is likely to stay on them for further 2 months.
I am not in any way implying that advocate caused it but we have been told by his clinitian that he must never again be treated with advocate.

and yet drug companys are pushing these spot-ons like theres no tomorrow! if they could theyd recommend worming/fleaing every day!

I wonder if it might be because I use homoeopathic nosodes and natural garlic instead of chemical flea control that my dogs have good immune systems and don't go to the Vet from one year's end to the next? :D

It might ... but I use real vaccines and Frontline and my lot also have good immune systems  - insofar as anyone can tell in an apparently heatlthy dog - and they (touch wood) rarely see the vet except for routine things, injuries and in very old age. And dogs reaching great ages for their breed is the proof to me that I must be doing something right. :) :)