Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Living in "the country" in hot and humid Virginia, ticks and fleas pawty all summer long.
I feel fairly confident about removing ticks within 24 hrs, but the fleas are out of control!
Ideally, I would love a NATURAL product that repels AND you don't have to sleep in another country because the smell is so.strong. I've tried so many with not very good results. I always end up going back to the chemicals.
Your input on the least toxic with no side effects (if in existence) AND, to add t o the wish list, one that REPELS so a bite doesn't have to take place first.
As ALWAYS, thank you for the contributions you continue to make in Tazzie's honor.
Gratefully,
Sally and Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
I can't stand topicals. Just my opinion lol. They're greasy, they're messy, if you bathe your pet you decrease the efficacy. I just don't like them. We have the same problem here in South Carolina, the fleas and ticks are out of control!! I used Trifexis for a little over a year because it does fleas/heart worms/intestinal parasites all in one go. After I discovered a tick on Dom I knew I was switching, I hate ticks with a fiery passion. Luckily we had just had a lunch and learn at work about the Nexgard and I was pretty impressed with it. It was tested at 5 times the recommended dose with no side effects, and since it's a completely new drug (Afoxolaner) the fleas and ticks have never been exposed to it before. Since putting everyone on that for fleas and ticks and Heartgard for heart worms I haven't seen a single bug and everyone is doing fine on them. Nexgard is a little pricey, but it's the only chewable that does fleas AND ticks. Hopefully this helps and doesn't sound too much like a commercial lol. Trifexis is also a top notch product so long as you're not having a tick problem. It does a very good job with fleas, heart worms and intestinal parasites. Frontline is one of the biggest names we get complaints about it not working. Most of our Frontline customers have switched to either Trifexis/Comfortis or Nexgard.
Cassie and Domino
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
Domino had his left front leg amputate on May 13th 2014 after being hit by a car. He's now living a happy healthy life on three legs :)
Sally,
I posted on another thread that Shelby (and now Jasper) are on comfortis. It is the only thing that worked for us and it's in pill form so no smell. We have a cat-lady as a neighbor and the fleas are out of control. I don't have ticks here but fleas. .. OY!!! Comfortis is really pricey but it works!
Good luck!
XOXO
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Cassie you don't sound like a commercial at all, we need that kind of knowledge here, thanks for sharing it.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We don't have many ticks on this side of the mountains but there is a new chewable tablet called Bravecto that controls fleas and ticks for 3 months. It is safe enough for pregnant and nursing dogs but it is brand new so I have not tried it yet. I like Trifexis for fleas and heartworms and the drug (spinosad) is safe enough that organic farmers are allowed to use it to control pests because it is derived from a plant so if you eat organic produce you have probably ingested spinosad.
Any oral tablets will not repel ticks or prevent them from biting. The only topicals that work have pesticides added so then you have chemicals. Unfortunately ticks are hard to kill so I do not know of a natural product that works all that well. The safest topical is Revolution and it works well for fleas but is not that great for ticks.
Pam
Cassie,Alison and Dr. PAM!
Thank all of you so much! Great input. Think I'm gonna check out Trifexis...I like the "plant derived and organic" slant. I may end up switching to some of the others mentioned if this doesn't work.
THANK YOU EACH AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT.
With appreciation!
Sally and Happy Hannah and My Pal Merry Myrtle
CASSIE, your passion for using the best product does not translate as a "commercial@ at all! You should hear me sing the praises for the Big Barker Dog Bed!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Silly Sallly.....
Just talked to the oncologist tonight and she said Frontline for ticks and Comfortis for fleas. She said she seems to think Frontline gives them the best protection that she has researched?
We don't have fleas... knock on wood but I want to take Bailey out into our back yard (all woods with paths to a tree house and zipline and tire swing) where she becomes Dora the Explora she always spent a lot of time out there prior to amp but we have those darn seed ticks and they drive me crazy or crazier...
Hope all is well.
HUGS,
Tracy and Bailey
P.S. My right eye broke tonight it keeps leaking.....
oh my! With all this talk about flea , tick and heartworm prevention, my guilt is working overtime. We have not had a flea problem at all. I have found 3 ticks on Chandler and one on Lucy this summer. I have not used any protection at all this summer. I have to put it on them to go to doggy hotel. Where my guilt is coming in is heartworm protection. They were all NEG last Aug. I always test because we have cold freezing winters and I take them off for the winter. Less exposure to chemicals. The problem lies in that I did not put them back on this year. I was adamant that I was NOT putting chemicals into my dogs. I felt so bad because Ty ,for some reason, hated having Frontline applied. I used to pick on him and say Oh come on, it is not painful. Then I blamed myself for putting that crap on and in him. Now I am petrified they have heartworms. Chan is being tested next week. They want to do his vaccines then also, but it is the day before I go away, and I am afraid he will have reactions from them. He is not due till the end of next month anyhow. I am scared that something will happen to him while I am away from him. I think I am just having a big pile up of emotion from what happened with Ty. I don't think I could do it again with another one. He is turning 11 and in good health, as far as I know. I always hate leaving them anyway and thus year seems so much harder.I am afraid that in being overzealous in protecting them from chemical exposure, I may have exposed them to something far worse. Oh the guilt and confusion. The one good thing is tat they are pretty much "couch critters" they go outside if I am out and to go to the bathroom and they cry at the door to come right back in. They were out for hours the other night because we had a picnic, but pretty much laid at my feet on the patio all night. Velcro pups
So anyway, that is my NOT doggy Mom of the year confession. Lori and Ty...Chan & Lucy too!
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Tracy, thanks for the Input...al l th i s is such good info. Now, we need to fix your leaking right eye!
LORI! YOU BETTER STOP PICKING ON OUR FRIEND LORI!!!!! It's soooooo undeserved!! The whole tripawd community just may have to come to your house and send you to a corner until you are ready to apologize to yourself!
You're just having a case of the well known disease....PRE VACATION JITTERS! Very common disease among tripawd members. To my knowledge researchers are still trying to come up with a cure. Holistic studies have shown that chocolate and waffles smothered in syrup may help alleviate the symptoms.
ALL of your reasons for using and/or not using this stuff is perfectly logical!!! Chandler does NOT have HW...I can almost guaran-darn-tee it!!!
And yeah, my Bodie used to run if he saw me getting ready to put the drops on him....craaaaaazy! Guess it's the smell with some dogs. Ty stil enjoyed the attention from you even if he was fussing!
Okay...not a vet.... but I would loudly decline their offer to vaccinate!!! Velcro Chandler is eleven years old and doesn't need anymore vaccines! Just my own personal opinion!
If al l doggy pawents were as loving and committed to their dogs well-being, the world w o uld be a better place!
Much love!
Sally and Happy Hannah and My Pal Myrtle
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
I posted on that other thread about flea and tick preventatives, too, but I'll throw my two cents in here as well.
I suppose it's due to my time in animal hospitals and at a humane society that I swear by vaccines and parasite preventatives. I can understand being trigger shy due to cancer in a pet, but I've seen pets treated for all of the diseases caused by not vaccinating and not using parasite preventatives.
I've first hand taken care of puppies with parvo who are on death's door, dogs with heartworm going through the painful treatment, cats and dogs with roundworms and other intestinal parasites who have it coming out both ends in liquid form, dogs with Lyme disease who can't walk because all of their joints hurt (not to mention both my fiance and my dad have Lyme disease), cats and dogs with tapeworms literally crawling out of their rears because they have fleas, and a kitten with rabies who went from sweet and cuddly to vicious and insane in 10 days.
Sorry to be graphic, but this is the reality of trying to have chemical free pets. I will always put Frontline (safest flea treatment out there as far as I'm concerned, and I've sat it on a lot of vet pharm rep talks) on my dogs and cats because dead fleas and ticks and slightly greasy pets for a couple of days are better than any of the alternatives. I will always give my dogs a heartworm preventative because the chance I take with the chemical is far less than the alternative. I will always vaccinate by recommended standards (every 3 years for rabies, every 3 years for canine distemper/parvo, every 3 years for feline distemper, every year for Lyme) until the day my pets die.
I recognize the risk I take as far as vaccine related sarcomas, but I also recognize the greater risk I would take by not vaccinating. I've seen what rabies looks like. I've seen what distemper looks like. I've seen what parvo looks like. No thank you.
Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)
Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/
And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty
Sally, I realized that in my rant, I never addressed your original concern which was a tick preventative that repels instead of kills. If I may, I have a very strong opinion on that, too.
You do not want a tick preventative that repels. You want one that kills, like Frontline. I've used Frontline on Yorrick since the day I adopted him. I've pulled 3 dead ticks off of him in 5 years, and he has never had Lyme disease.
The reason I choose Frontline for killing as opposed to Advantix for repelling is because if Yorrick and I are out for a walk and a tick climbs on him, when that tick reaches the point it needs to in order to be killed by the Frontline, it will get killed. So I will have a dog, in my house or outdoors, with a dead tick on him. If I were using Advantix and on that same walk with that same tick, there is a chance that by the time we got back inside, that tick would still be alive before being repelled by the Advantix. Now I have a live tick wandering around my house looking for a meal. I'm not wearing any Frontline or Advantix, so guess who becomes the meal?
The amount of time that a tick is attached to a dog with Frontline is not long enough for Lyme to transmit. Studies say that a tick needs to be attached for 48-56 hours. A tick that bites a Frontline dog is going to die within an hour or so.
Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)
Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/
And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty
You aren't ranting at all silly! You make some great points and I appreciate you sharing your knowlege and time!
And yeah, I've had Lyme as have some of my dogs over the years. Doxycycline is off the charts expensive now, so I'd just as soon not have to deal with it,!
Thank you again for your great insight! And yeah, I'd just as soon not have to wear Frontlne either!
Hugs t o you and Steve !
Sally and Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Not ranting at all, thank you for sharing your experience. Poor animals, that's awful.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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