Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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No Chloe does not have any of the above. But we did go to the vet today for her yearly check up. Blood work, stool tests etc… The vet recommended she be on a heart worm and parasite preventative regimen. He said that even though heartworms and other parasites like hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms are rare in this area, there have been some positive cases.
NEW PRODUCT! He said that there is a new product from the company that created Comfortis (spinosad, oral, chewable flea medication; what Chloe is currently on) called Trifexis. It is a 3-in-one medication and would be cheaper for me in the long run; rather than buying Comfortis + heartworm/parasite meds, it all comes in one pill. Since it is from the makers of Comfortis, and Chloe has never had any problems with that medication, I am currently going to have her try it out.
There weren't too many topics on the discussion of different heartworm + flea meds, so I figured I would add my 2 cents. Maybe it is something that a few of you might consider for your dogs depending on the area you live in. It is through vet Rx only and it is best to talk to your vet to see if this would be an appropriate choice for your dog.
Pricing: Cuz we all need to know how much this would potentially be costing us…
Vetco/Petco: dogs like Chloe (60-120lbs) runs ~$94 for 6 month supply or ~180 for 1 year supply (free shipping if online). Cheaper if you have smaller dog and buying a 1 year supply is cheaper than 2 6 month packages for all size dogs. HOWEVER, if you buy through vetco you HAVE to go through the Vetco clinic and have a heartworm blood test THROUGH THEM and come out negative. I dont have a Vetco clinic near me, you can't bring a test h from your own vet (I called them and asked), so therefore you can't buy it from them (not online or in the store when the Vetco Vets are there). I tried this first since its where I got Comfortis, but it is a restricted drug meaning the Vet needs to just see your dog and then you can buy it rather than Trifexis which is Rx only and you have to go through them.
1-800-Pet-Meds: For dogs (60-120lbs) ~$115 for 6 month supply or ~$230 for 1 year supply (free shipping). Also cheaper if you have smaller dog. This one doesn't offer the "buy 2 boxes and they become cheaper" deal like Petco. BUT THEY OFFER PRICE MATCHING! And they contact your vet for you, no special additional blood test like Petco. So I called Pet Meds, told them about Petco pricing, and I got a 1 year supply for the price that Petco would have sold it to me. And since I went through Pet meds they will deliver it to my house with free shipping (since you are paying so much anyway).
You can always buy through your own vet I'm sure, but I guarantee it would be more expensive than either option above.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TICKS?!?!?
We do get ticks seasonally (for us it is tick season NOW) and the vet recommended a flea/tick collar. Lyme disease is also rare here, but there are other diseases that ticks can transmit as well like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (obviously if you are near the Rockies) and Basesiosis. The tick collar smells funny, but I haven't found a tick eating her or even on her since she has been wearing it. I also have never had one embedded in her regardless, but I hope I never have to dig one out.
PROTECT YOUR POOCH!
-Chloe's mom
P.S. Feel free to write down your own dog's flea, tick, heartwrom and parasite regimen. This way we have a consolidated forum dedicated to what products people use, why etc… right now its scattered since usually it is only a question about one or the other.
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
I'm so, so happy we never have to worry about that living in Vegas. No ticks, no fleas and rarely a mosquito.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Hi Nicole,
Well, the furry kids are on advantage. It is expensive and you get it from the vets office. Titan is 2X the dose of the 90lbs, but there are no fleas or ticks on them, so I know it works. I will have to buy more soon because the weather is changing so it is becoming the season. I usually only dose them 3 or so times a year, during the summer months. We don't have heartworm cases around here, or it is really rare.
I will get back with the pricing!
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
I have always liked Comfortis for its safety record (spinosad is a plant-based medication so technically it is "natural"). Comfortis is also the fastest at killing fleas (30 minutes) so it is a great choice for flea allergic dogs. There are only a few issues to worry about; if a dog is taking high-dose ivermectin for Demodectic mange then you should not use Comfortis because together these two drugs can cause shaking or neurologic problems. If your dog is on low-dose ivermectin (Heartgard) then this does not occur. Also a small number of dogs (esp puppies) seem to vomit it even when given with food.
I will try the Trifexis on my dogs this year. It is true that we don't have heartworm disease here but Julian is always drinking lake water and he loves the dog park so I do worry about internal parasites. Luckily we don't have much of a tick problem on this side of the mountains so I don't have to use the smelly collars or greasy spot-ons.
Because of our climate I usually only use flea preventatives in the summer but I do use dewormers year-round. Depending on where you live other products (Frontline for fleas and ticks) may be a better choice. I would ask your vet for advice.
Pam
Oh man, what a good time to bring THIS up! These nasty ticks are everywhere at my crib in Colorado and they are BIG! Dad found three on me last week but they were too slow to suck my blood. Yah!
I've never taken anything for fleas and ticks but I am on HeartGuard. The vet says heartworm used to only be a regional thing but now with dogs traveling so much it's pretty much everywhere. Because I'm a road dawg and go to place like Texas, I have to be on it.
Mom's considering a tick collar for me, just when we go outside. What kind are you using Chloe?
Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!
Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog
Pam, are there any options for just treating ticks on a seasonal basis, other than a collar?
For everyone's reference here is a rundown of the blog topics & discussions we've had about fleas, ticks and heartworm. Whether we're talking about dogs with cancer or dogs without, it's good to have this info handy. This is definitely a good place to consolidate them. Thanks Nicole!
Tripawds Nutrition Blog
The Flea Dilemma for Cancer Dogs
Fight Fleas Naturally with Cedar Oil
Tripawds Discussion Forums
Heartworm Medicine – which one do you give ??
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wyatt Ray Dawg said:
Mom's considering a tick collar for me, just when we go outside. What kind are you using Chloe?
Hy Wyatt!
Chloe is using a Sentry Dual Act Flea & Tick Collar Large Dog. I picked one up the other day at PetSmart. There are usually 1-2 others to choose from and I ended up just getting this one. Ticks are crawling all over the place here in Central Cal… luckily they too have been slow to bite Chloe, but I want to make sure she is covered. This collar has a powdery smell to mask the poison, but it was a bit overwhelming when I first put it on her. Now it goes on and stays on when we go outside. Then I comb her tediously when we get back inside to make sure no pesky ticks are on her. The furminator works well for grooming/fine tooth combing. Not only do I get her extra hair off, but any extra ticks that decide to crawl along. I HAD ONE IN MY HAIR THE OTHER DAY and I decided I need to be more meticulous about the whole tick deal. In LA area where she and I grew up, ticks were non existent.
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
Good timing with this topic! Check out the all natural Neem based flea/tick prevention products (and other herbal remedies) in today's Tripawds Nutrition blog post:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
That is scary Nicole, a tick in your hair! My mother in law had contracted tick fever from a tick in Colorado and she now has no use of her right leg and only partial use of her left leg. I always thought that tick fever was a myth but then I met my husband and his wonderful mom. She was an outdoor enthusiast before she got sick and then wasn't diagnosed properly.
I wonder if the same thing effects dogs....
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
here in Iowa we have plenty of ticks fleas AND mosquitoes - so Cooper is on heartguard for skeeters and frontline advantage for ticks and fleas. I used to treat him for both 6 months out of the year, but I have been seeing mosquitoes into late November and even at times when we have a january thaw have seen them buzzing around while I am out ice fishing! so we will likely be extending the heartguard . And I agree with Elizabeth - the frontline advantange really does work well.
Coopsdad
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Tate does HeartGuard 9 months of the year, and Frontline. I was considering changing because he's still on chemo but didn't have time to research options and the vet said it was okay for him. I saw the natural product for fleas but it only mentioned ticks in passing and ticks are the big problem up at our cabin. So I'm interested to see what everyone else is using.
Frontline works pretty well but I've still found ticks on him after we visit the cabin – everyone's dogs gets ticks no matter what up there but I never heard of anyone's dog having a serious disease from it. Instead, they get blasto and we also have to watch for blue-green algae in the lake if the weather gets hot for a few days. Those things are deadly and word spreads quickly if there's a problem area.
Around here (Chicago), I'm the only one that ever gotten a tick.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
Today somepawdy told my Mom about a tick collar that's imported from Germany that's supposed to be SUPER great and not harmful at all. The person who told her couldn't think of the name. Has anyone heard of this?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ticks are really hard to kill and I am not aware of any holistic products that work well. I have always liked Frontline and that product(fipronil) just went generic so there will be many cheaper alternatives this year. Advantage Multi works well also but this product contains permethrin which is a harsher chemical so I don't like it! Permethrin is pretty safe at the proper doses for dogs but can kill cats so our practice stopped carrying Avantage Multi.
The best collars are Preventic (works for 3 months) and a newer one called Scalibor (6 months). These do contain stronger chemicals and must be kept away from smaller children and cats. They can make dogs sick if they chew or eat them but the collars are the most effective.
Ticks can carry some nasty diseases such as Lyme disease or Erlichia. Many vets in endemic areas will run a "Snap 4" blood test once or twice a year which checks for 3 tick diseases plus heartworm. A positive test just means the dog was exposed to ticks but if the dog has symptoms then your vet may give a course of doxycycline just to be sure.
Pam
Doc, thank you for this great info. I didn't know Frontline went generic. As much as I don't like those products I may just try it during summer while we're here on CO. The Scalibor collar sounds interesting too. Do you think one is more toxic than the other?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey Wyatt
We use a combo of keeping the undergrowth cut back and garlic oil spray around the dog yard and haven't had any tick issues in the 18 years we have lived in the CO foothills. Our trouble is with the black flies that like to eat ears. We use a horse product based of cedar oil to spray right on their ears.
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