Are the treatments available at my local pet store just as effective as medication I buy at the vets?
No, I wouldn't advise using pet shop version. You can buy many products sold at the vet more cheaply on the Internet although you wil need a prescription signed by your vet as some products are POL, prescription only licensed, Chloe
Depends on the country you are in... In the UK the really effective treatments (things like Advantix, Milbemax) must have a vet prescription but in Australia you can buy them at any pet shop or online without a prescription. Not sure about the US/Canada. Basically, Advantix or Bravecto are the go for ticks. For worms, Milbemax is an excellent wormer, given three monthly, and covers everything except heartworm (heartworm is not a problem everywhere so it may or may not be something you need to care about. I do need to care about it in Oz and we get a yearly injection for that from the vet...otherwise it's monthly tablets).
Why put unnecessary chemicals into your dog routinely unless the dog actually has fleas. Though if you live in a tick area then it is advisable to use them. The ones you buy from the vet or the SAME ones which you can buy from pet shops are the ones to use.
I am with you Stacia, why put chemicals in or on a dog that it might not need. I do, however, worm regularly. I work on the principle that fleas are relatively easy to find (especially if you have a yellow lab), but worms are more difficult to find and she is a scavenger.
I don't like my dog getting unnecessary treatments, but I do think that this has to be part of a risk based assessment, not just withholding treatments "because chemicals are bad". I would much rather my dog received preventative treatments for fleas than suffered an infestation which I would then have to treat - I do not want fleas in my house. I feel the same about worms - I don't want my dog carrying a high worm count which then has to be brought under control. Protection against ear mites is very important to me (given Charlie's history) and lung worm risk is very high where I live so that's a factor too in determining Charlie's treatments. I do think that the time between applications on the packets can be adjusted to suit your dog's circumstances and environment though - my vet is excellent at advising me on this, including testing poo for worms to check and so on and he seems very well informed about the risks from ticks in different parts of the country (and the spread of more dangerous European types of ticks compare to those native to the UK). This year, because Charlie is on lead and in London with no free running in the deer parks or on the Common he has not had a tick treatment and hasn't had any ticks. He still has a flea treatment (as it is applied along with his worming treatment in advocate) but at six not four week intervals - his poo has been tested and he has always been clear of internal parasites at six weekly applications. His tape worm treatment has been extended to six monthly as his risk is judged low right now. In normal times he gets tape worm treatment at 3 monthly intervals. Charlie is due for some booster vaccinations this year. Before he gets them, he will have a titer test to see whether these are necessary (I do have to consider the possible stress from taking blood though). So, yes, reduce routine treatments but as part of a careful consideration of your pet's lifestyle, and tests to check what is necessary (which can more than double the cost, so it's a lot more expensive not to treat as a matter of routine).
Sorry - I meant to add, I think the advice I get from my vet alongside buying all the treatments from him, makes it "value add" for me, and I'm happy to pay the premium on the products.
