Hello I have a 28 month labrador and from the moment I got her she has been difficult to flea using spot on -the vet recommended Bravecto an oral flea treatment. The first time she took it was a little off colour the second time was very lethargic lost weight and generally not herself. The 3rd time she bcame quite poorly and lost a lot of weight quickly. While this may have been a coincidence I did not want to risk it again. Now my problem is do I try spot on again(because she won't stay still I am not sure the liquid actually touches her skin. She knows the minute the capsule appears and run off and that's before I open it! )I have tried using different things and pretending to do it so she gets used to me fiddling with her coat in that area but she's too clever and knows the difference! Sorry this is so long - does everyone agree that fleaing is essential?
Flea treating a dog is absolutely not essential. In the last 15 years, I've treated for fleas 3x - ever. If you see a flea, then treat. But you don't need to treat preventatively at all. Ticks, though, are another issue. Bravecto is effective against ticks as are most spot on products. Are you sure that ticks are not the reason you are using this product? If you want to treat for ticks only, you could try a tick collar like the seresto or scalibor.
My vet prescribes NexGard Chewables for fleas and ticks. Works great and no ill reactions with my lab.
I'm with Jo. We never treat for fleas, and we never have them. I would only treat if we found them. We did have fleas with a Kitty one time, but that was years ago. Our part of Oregon seems mostly tick free also. I've seen plenty of them in Tennessee where I grew up, and lots in the Midwest as well, but not here.
We give Riley a flea and tick treatment that is added to her food every day called Billy no mates. I’m never sure if she needs it but use it “just in case”
Billy No Mates is what I use in low risk/low tick areas. I'm using it at the moment, as that describes where we currently live. I kinda think of it as a tick deterrent rather than actual preventative though. If you live somewhere that ticks are endemic, it's not going to be enough...
I switched to Nexgard for a dose or 2 a couple of years ago when one of my dogs tested positive for ehrlichiosis and then read something about the potential for neuro side effects from the main ingredient. I switched back to Frontline Plus.
