Tick Problems

**bigbyrd** · 12-06-2011, 06:11 PM

About 3 months ago, a young female Lab found our house and a place in our heart. Although she is beautiful and healthy, according to the vet, we are having a terrible time with ticks. We use Frontline and a Tick and Flea collar, but it seems to have little effect. We are of the opinion that since she swims frequently in the pond in our backyard, the strength of the Frontline, and the Flea collar are being neutralized.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

bigbyrd

**Garth** · 12-06-2011, 06:47 PM

PLEASE FGS talk to your vet. I lost my beloved Pug only last week to a paralysis tick. I don't know if you have them where you are but don't risk it. I don't ever want to go through that again nor do I want anyone else or their dogs to go through it. It's been one of the most heart breaking times of my life.

My understanding is you only use one treatment at a time. I've also heard that you can't get the flea collar wet for the very reason you state. I've got an appointment with my vet tomorrow to learn more from him & see if there's anything I can do to prevent this happening again. I don't ever want to lose another dog this way.

In the meantime, I've got my Lab on Advantix until my vet says otherwise. I should be more educated tomorrow after that visit.

**Sophiesmama** · 12-06-2011, 06:51 PM

K-9 Advantix is supposed to keep the ticks off....

**georgie** · 12-06-2011, 07:40 PM

I would talk to your vet. We have had a terrible tick problem in PA this year. We use Frontline Plus & have never had a problem until this year. Our friends use Advantix & have had ticks on their labs as well. Once the product dries, after 24-48 hours, swimming is not a problem. Not sure about that collar, we don't use them. Even with using the preventative, our younger lab got Lyme this summer. We caught it early because we do the Lyme test evey six months. She was on a month of doxycycline & has been fine. She is going in Friday for a urine test to check her kidneys. The last test was fine, but our vet checks at six months after the medication too.

**labby** · 12-06-2011, 07:45 PM

Just a FYI about Frontline. A friend's dog with no history of seizures in its line starting having them out of the blue. The dog is 6 and out of the "normal range" for first seizures. She kept a log and the dog had 3 or 4 of them about a month apart. The vet put the dog on pheno, per usual protocal for seizures after a complete blood panel.

The owner looked closer at the log and saw the seizures were within 48 hours of her applying Frontline. She did some digging online and found link after link of some dogs having seizures in the same time frame after having Frontline applied. In fact, the FDA had put out a warning, apparently, of a possible issue.

The dog was weaned off the pheno once it was determined the Frontline from the last application had probably left its system. The dog hasn't had another seizure.

**javasmom** · 12-07-2011, 06:46 AM

Frontline sucks.
Java was on Frontline and I found ticks on her all the time...attached.
She ended up with Lyme at 5 months old.
Switched her to Advantix and started Moka on Advantix as soon as she came home and we have not a found a tick on either girl all year.
We live in a tick heavy area (New England), so that's saying something to me.
I won't use or recommend Frontline.

**bigbyrd** · 12-07-2011, 07:33 PM

Thanks so much for those very imformative replies. I am thinking that my shepard-chow mix (another one who found our house, and our heart) is having the Frontline-siezure issue at this time. I am discontinuing the Frontline on all 4 of my dogs.

Again, Many Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take Care.
Robert

**Sophiesmama** · 12-07-2011, 07:41 PM

Give your shepard-chow a good bath and get as much off the skin as you can. My sister's cat had a seizure from the cat version of the drug. The vet said to bathe the cat and scrub her really well. Well.... that cat did NOT take kindly to a bath! It took three people to get that cat scrubbed down, but the seizures stopped. She now uses Advantix for cats with no side effects.

**Spike's Mom** · 12-09-2011, 01:51 PM

We went through this too and I think Spike got Rocky Mountain spotted Fever from a tick in the yard. We got the yard sprayed in addition to his topical. Don't know if you can do that so near to a pond but it's definitely worth looking into

**Jan** · 12-09-2011, 02:25 PM

I use Advantix too - but it is normal to have the ticks attach, then fall of within a day without doing damage. There are a lot of ticks in eastern Ontario.

Is it possible to still see ticks on a dog after a treatment with K9 advantix®?

Yes, but it doesn’t mean K9 advantix® isn’t working. There are two possible explanations:
1.Ticks are often found in discreet but highly concentrated pockets. If the product demonstrates 99 % efficiency and a dog comes in contact with 1,000 ticks after treatment, there could be as many as 10 ticks attached to the dog.
2. A tick uses a cement-like substance to attach to the dog’s skin. After a treatment with K9 advantix®, attached ticks will die, however these dead ticks may stay attached until their feeding parts disintegrate and they fall off the dog.