Flea and Tick Prevention

I grew up in South Carolina on 68 acres with anywhere from 1-6 dogs at all times. For those of you who have never been to South Carolina there are many amazing things about the state, but one drawback are the fleas and ticks. For some reason, fleas in South Carolina have become resistant to Frontline, and pet owners and vets are having to figure out a variety of new solutions to this problem. From speaking with my vet fleas becoming resistant to Frontline is a trending problem, and one my vet’s parents have experienced as far north as Southern Virginia. As you are well aware, fleas and ticks can spread a variety of illnesses, diseases, and parasites - and flea and tick prevention - whether natural or through traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals - is an integral part of promoting good health in your pets.

For me, living in DC, and before that Roanoke, VA, Frontline once a month had always done the trick. I even stop using it for a few months in the winter to avoid putting unnecessary toxic chemicals on my furry friends. The only time Milly were after trips to South Carolina, and Hush had never had them.

That is until recently. Despite my religious applications, always perfectly on schedule, Hush seems to have gotten fleas. Not exactly surprising – she is running in the woods off leash almost every day. Hush has a much thicker and longer coat than Milly – she is very much bred to standard with the thick double coat, which is water repellent. I love her beautiful coat, but it does make it more difficult to notice skin problems. I first noticed some scratching, a telltale sign of fleas. I used a flea comb and found no signs of flea dander, which left me confused. However, when I bathed her and dried her with the high power professional dryer I immediately saw bite marks and flea dander. Having spoken with other people within the Golden Retriever breed, I learned many people up their flea/tick prevention before doing any field training in the woods.

So now the question lies in what to do next. There is a new(er) once-a-month topical skin flea/tick/mosquito product on the market called Vectra 3D, which I have used with good results in the past. Vectra is only available by prescription (I think), and from what I’ve found is more expensive than Frontline. However, I have an inside connection through a friend who works in veterinary pharmaceutical sales, and was recently given a three month supply. Having used it in the past, I did notice the smell is much stronger than other topical flea meds. Finally, some dogs have bad reactions to it. If you are going to try Vectra, make sure to follow the instructions. Unlike Frontline, which is applied in one spot between the shoulder blades, Vectra needs to be dispersed in three spots going down the back – between the shoulder blades, mid-back, and above the tail. If not applied this way, your dog’s skin can get burned from the medication. This product is a brand new technology created with a new molecule called Dinotefuron which is proven to kill fleas and ticks for a full 30 days, and does not have the resistance that other flea/tick products may have. It also is proven to kill all fleas and ticks on the animal within six hours of application. Additionally, the animal does not have to be bitten for the medicine to begin killing Vectra 3D also features a patented applicator for ease of use and is safer for the environment.

When I use any topical flea medication I always apply them at night, just before I go to bed. This minimizes the contact I have with the toxic chemicals, and women who are pregnant should never apply topical flea medications.

I also placed an order for Capstar. Unfortunately, this somehow was shipped to my old address… so I am not sure when I will receive it. For those of you unfamiliar with Capstar, it is a pill given orally that kills all living fleas on the dog’s body. This is not a preventative, and only kills any fleas that may exist, working in a similar manner to a traditional flea-dip. I personally have used Capstar with excellent results in the past – although, I have heard certain dogs do not respond well to it. Capstar has always been especially handy with trips to South Carolina – I know the fleas are in that environment and 2 doses spaced 2 weeks apart combined with Frontline usually does the trick for Milly. This said, before trying any new product; always speak with your veterinarian, especially if your dog has any special health concerns, such as seizures.

Another good product is Comfortis, a once monthly pill that works as a preventative. Comfortis has been shown to have very good results, and the ease of administering a monthly pill makes it appealing to many pet owners. However, it is only available by prescription. In the past, I’ve used Comfortis with great results with Milly, but again the product has mixed reviews. The only reason I stopped using it was because my current vet does not stock it within their office pharmacy, and having had no flea problems, I did not feel I needed her to send in prescriptions to 1-800-PetMeds or a similar pet pharmacy. I think I will be switching to this soon, though.

There are also a variety of natural supplements, like Bug Off Garlic, on the market that you simply mix in each day with your dog’s food. I have heard these, especially combined with traditional medicine, work beautifully. However, I have not tried any myself.

In the meantime, I’ve bathed the dogs multiple times with a flea shampoo (twice weekly), but fear this could dry or damage their coats. I have also started spraying each dog with Adams Flea/Tick spray before going into the woods, and have noticed all of the scratching has stopped. I was also able to secure one dose of Capstar for each dog. They are both scheduled to have their topical preventives applied again on Thursday, and this time I will be using my free samples of Vectra.

When it comes to flea preventatives there will always be mixed reviews of each product on the market, and all dogs respond differently. As far as traditional medicine goes, most flea products are toxic chemicals – that is how they kill and/or prevent the fleas – with this in mind, it is always a good idea to work with your veterinarian before making a change. Also, as of December 2009, Frontline is available without a prescription. As a result, there are numerous internet vendors selling counterfeit Frontline and/or damaged products. These can be extremely dangerous to your dog, so when using an OTC product, always buy from a reputable source, and not simply the cheapest available.

Journey to South Carolina and More...

I arrived in Arlington yesterday afternoon following a wonderful long weekend in Camden, South Carolina. Milly and I had a great time down there. Milly stalked my parents’ cats, but when she got close to them she didn’t know what to do, and got scared… so she ran and hid behind me, while peering out at the Munchkin Cats (a breed with regular cat bodies and short legs) from behind my legs. It was very funny to watch, and quite cute!

We spent two nights in Columbia, where Milly was able to enjoy a nice fenced in yard (1/2 an acre = land size that I can’t even fathom living in North Arlington!), and I attended a USC football game – those Gamecock fans sure do know how to party! They started tailgating at 2pm, and the game didn’t even start until 7pm!

After two nights in Columbia, we headed down I-20 for some time in Camden. My parents are moving soon, and I had the difficult task of packing my childhood bedroom and locating all of my belongings in the attic. In packing, I realized just how obsessed with animals I am – almost all of my books are animal related, almost all of the art or photography I own is of animals (mostly of horses), I have three huge boxes full of riding tack and equipment, and my horse and dog grooming products rival a salon’s supply!

While I packed, Milly and Lucy (my dad’s dog that we adopted last Thanksgiving) enjoyed frolicking on 68 acres, most of which is wooded. They would romp through the fields and trees for hours! I will really miss being able to take Milly somewhere with so much space and land for her to roam and simply be a dog. She clearly is much happier in that environment than she is living in the suburbs, but, like most Golden Retrievers she is very adaptable.

Two of the problems with having so much land with wildlife roaming on the property are fleas and ticks. South Carolina’s tick season can be out of control, and in past years, I’ve pulled more than 20 ticks off of Milly in one evening! This tick season isn’t so bad, but the fleas are simply out-of-control! Milly is on Frontline, as is Lucy, and both dogs get Capstar when the fleas get really bad, but even with all of the preventatives and treatments, they both were scratching at fleas by Tuesday morning.

I am thinking about switching from Frontline to Comfortis (a once monthly pill with mixed reviews), but I’m hesitant, because the only time Milly has any flea problems is when she is in South Carolina. I actually don’t use the Frontline after the first frost and until the weather warms up in the spring, because I hate putting the unnecessary chemicals on her body. This method, combined with regular bathing, has worked for her, and I’ve never seen a tick or flea on her since moving to Arlington – maybe the fleas don’t like urban living either!

Before I left on my trip, I wrote about purchasing probiotics from Nature’s Farmacy, and I am thrilled with the results (after only 2 feedings)!!! First, the product was waiting for me when I returned from South Carolina yesterday, and I love fast shipping. Second, a two pound container was only $34.95, and I feed just over ½ teaspoon once daily, so it will last a long time. Third, the container is very sturdy, which I like for travel. Lastly, Milly loves the stuff! It is a powder that comes with a little scoop and you simply sprinkle the enzymes over your dog’s food. I mixed it in with her Fromm Surf & Turf kibble, Wysong Rabbit canned food, and water, and she licked her bowl for 10 minutes after the feeding! Normally, Milly just walks away from her bowl when she has finished a meal, but she seems to really like her new supplement.

On one final note, I recently joined the Junior League of Washington, DC. Before you think this is an organization full of "ladies who lunch" or ladies that play bridge all afternoon, know that the community service requirements for me as a first year member are insane! But, I'm very excited to really become involved in my community! Tonight, I will be heading into the District for volunteer training for the National Book Festival, and on Saturday I will be volunteering at the festival. As many of you know, I absolutely love reading, and was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I learned the Junior League of Washington’s main project is literacy! For a long time I have been very interested in two programs called Paws to Read and R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs), and I am hoping that in time I can encourage the League to become a part of this wonderful organization.

I also found this amazing photo of a Golden Retriever/Labrador cross dressed as Mother Goose. If only I could sew, I’d make this costume for Milly! How amazing would it be if I could work with children and inspire them to read with the help of Milly in a Mother Goose costume? I keep telling myself this really isn't out of reach, as the last time we went in public to work on our CGC test practice she was PERFECT (I even asked a stranger at the pet supply store to hold her while I walked outside for a few minutes!), and therapy work doesn't seem that far off!

I’m a dreamer… if you can’t already tell…

Preventative Medicine

There are a lot of preventatives out there that many pet owners chose to use to best take care of their pets – regular vaccines, heartworm and parasite preventatives, and flea and tick preventatives are some of the most popular. There is debate as to whether or not these do more harm than good, but the general consensus is use them if you are in an area with a high prevalence of heart worm (caused by mosquitoes), fleas or ticks (ticks can cause Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses) then you should use them.

Personally, I use heartworm preventative monthly, but only use flea/tick preventative in the fall, spring and summer. I do feel that doing a limited flea/tick preventative means I have to be that much more diligent about checking for fleas and ticks, and testing annually for Lyme and other tick borne illnesses, but I also worry about putting toxins on my dog.

There is even an entire movement to stop vaccinating dogs, or vaccinate on a limited schedule – I support limited vaccination, or simply not over vaccinating. In many states the rabies vaccine must be administered annually, even though this vaccine is good for three years of protection. Some states have caught onto the risks associated with over vaccination, and are now recognizing the three-year rabies vaccine. Last year I chose to use the new Lyme vaccine, and now looking back on it I’m not sure if I would make that same choice today having learned more about the risks associated with this particular vaccine, and over vaccinating in general. It’s hard, because I live in an area where Lyme disease is extremely prevalent (I myself have had Lyme twice, and both times were from Virginia ticks), but at the same time having learned the risks of the vaccine I question this decision.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many wonderful things to using preventative medicine, and the good tends to far out way the bad, but do do your research, and don’t over-do-it with the preventatives.

When it comes to acquiring your flea/tick or heartworm preventatives the safest place to guarantee an authentic product is from your veterinarian’s office. I believe all heartworm preventatives require a prescription and/or annual heartworm blood test, and some brands of flea/tick preventatives are only available through veterinarians, but do not require an RX.

However, getting these products from your vet can be expensive. Often the vet has already marked up the prices to cover shipping charges, etc. You must be careful before ordering online, as there are many imitators out there selling counterfeit products, but here are some reputable sites to buy these products at a lower cost to you, the consumer.

EntirelyPets.com has great prices on a variety of medications and supplements, and they give even greater discounts when you buy in bulk. 1-800 Pet Meds is also a legitimate resource for these products. You can also find these products at SmartPak.com for less than some veterinarians sell them. I would avoid turning to eBay, Amazon.com or small unknown companies to buy these products, as there is a risk of buying any medication online.