Puppy!

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

I definitely do NOT want any fleas! I've been using spray for my carpets and an occasional treatment for my cat (have to find one for the dog), but how do you treat a yard?

I don't know how you could treat the yard. I'm sure there are some pesticides for outside. Hopefully you won't get any fleas in your house though. If you do, be on the look out for what looks like flecks of pepper at the base of the dogs hair and also can be found on the back just in front of his tail. Those pepper things are flea excrement. If you're not sure whether what you're seeing is flea feces or dirt from outside, comb some of it out of the fur with a fine tooth flea comb, press the dirt on a wet paper towel, and wait a minute. If the paper towel turns red around the specks, you've got fleas. Flea feces contain blood, so when it gets wet it bleeds red. I know that's gross, but if you don't see the fleas 1st, you'll see the feces.

[AOII4ME]

You may already know about monthly treatment for fleas and ticks, (frontline, plus). And HeartGuard, monthly preventative for heart worms. I would imagine the puppy is already on these products, since he is a rescue. Frontline is great and even works after the dog is wet.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AOII4ME

You may already know about monthly treatment for fleas and ticks, (frontline, plus). And HeartGuard, monthly preventative for heart worms. I would imagine the puppy is already on these products, since he is a rescue. Frontline is great and even works after the dog is wet.

Heartgard is ivermectin which has been used for a once a month heartworm prevention for decades. Heartgard Plus is ivermectin plus pyrantel. The pyrantel protects dogs from picking up new infestations of roundworms and hookworms, but some dogs are more sensitive to ivermectin than other dogs, which is why I wouldn't recommend Heartgard. Probably the best one to use would be Revolution. It's the most expensive of the heartworm/flea/tick combo meds, but it's less expensive than buying separate products to protect against heartworms, fleas and ticks. Another good thing about it is, it's applied to the dogs skin rather than given by mouth. It still has to be used once a month like the pills in order to prevent heartworm infestation though. Unfortunately Revolution does not kill deer ticks. Another good one to use is Sentinel, which is a flea growth regulator. It's like a flea birth control. It doesn't stop the biting or adult fleas, but it does prevent the eggs from developing into adult fleas.

[aggieAXO]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Heartgard is ivermectin which has been used for a once a month heartworm prevention for decades. Heartgard Plus is ivermectin plus pyrantel. The pyrantel protects dogs from picking up new infestations of roundworms and hookworms, but some dogs are more sensitive to ivermectin than other dogs, which is why I wouldn't recommend Heartgard. Probably the best one to use would be Revolution. It's the most expensive of the heartworm/flea/tick combo meds, but it's less expensive than buying separate products to protect against heartworms, fleas and ticks. Another good thing about it is, it's applied to the dogs skin rather than given by mouth. It still has to be used once a month like the pills in order to prevent heartworm infestation though. Unfortunately Revolution does not kill deer ticks. Another good one to use is Sentinel, which is a flea growth regulator. It's like a flea birth control. It doesn't stop the biting or adult fleas, but it does prevent the eggs from developing into adult fleas.

reading the veterinary boards, it seems that some vets have noted failure of revolution to prevent heartworms in dogs (according to one vet it may be an absorption problem with dogs skin, seems to work ok in cats). I would use something else especially if you are in an area with lots of mosquitoes like Texas or Louisiana. The puppy in the picture does not look like a collie type so heartgard should be ok but again check with your veterinarian. If your dog is on revolution and gets heartworms, Pfizer should cover the treatment. If your vet wants to know my source of info tell he or she to look on VIN.