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new flea and tick med


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Bravecto made my Merck

Wondering if anyone has tried this? Still battling tick here. Although the seresto collar I put on the LGD seems to be doing the trick I was wondering about this for the inside dogs.

 

 

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I found the Seresto collars that I used last year to be very effective on ticks but the flea control seemed to end significantly sooner than I expected. I'll be interested to hear the feedback you get on this new product.

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I've been using Vectra and Seresto collars. Like them both. Vectra seems to help with fly strike and mosquitos too. Used it on a horse, expensive but no more ticks. No experience with Bravecto but am interested in an oral versus a topical like vectra.

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As with any new product, my concern would be what reactions occur when it moves out into a wider population of users. For that reason, I wouldn't use a new product (unless really desperate) until it's been on the market for a while and any unforeseen adverse reactions have been discovered/addressed. As much as I would like to find a flea/tick med that really works and isn't dangerous to me, the cats (and the dogs), and every beneficial creature out there, I'm leery of making my dogs into guinea pigs....

 

J.

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Has anyone tried the natural treatments below and do they work?

 

One lady says she has been going on 8 months doing this living in woods in Pennsylvania and has been tick free her and her dog?? I put a drop of Rose Geranium Oil in between my dogs shoulder blades and a drop at the base of his tail each day before we go outside. That’s it.

I also put a drop on the insides of my wrist and a drop behind my ears.

This is another recipe I have heard of people trying but don't know if it really works

Repellent for Pets:
Add 1 cup of water to a spray bottle, followed by 2 cups of distilled white vinegar. Ticks hate the smell and taste of vinegar, and will be repelled by this ingredient alone. Then, add two spoonfuls of vegetable or almond oil, which both contain sulfur (another natural tick repellent). To make a repellent that will also deter fleas, mix in a few spoonfuls of lemon juice, citrus oil, or peppermint oil, which will all repel ticks and fleas while also creating a scented repellent. Spray onto the pet's dry coat, don't get it in their eyes (or other sensitive areas). Spray down your pet once per day if they are only going outside to go to the bathroom, spray them several times a day if they spend the entire day outside.

For you:
In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water. To make a scented solution so you do not smell like bitter vinegar all day, add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil or bath oil. Eucalyptus oil is a calm, soothing scent that also works as a tick repellent, while peppermint and citrus oils give off a strong crisp scent that also repel ticks. After mixing the solution, spray onto clothing, skin, and hair before going outdoors. Reapply every four hours to keep ticks at bay.

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I think if those remedies worked well, the word would be out and we'd all be using it instead of paying a small fortune for flea/tick meds. That said, if you're not overrun with the pests, it's probably worth a try. What do you have to lose? Just be aware that essential oils can be toxic to cats, so if you also have cats you should take care to avoid exposing them.

 

If you try it, please report back to us with your results.

 

J.

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I am a veterinarian and I won't use or recommend a new product until it's been on the market for awhile. I want to see what sort of adverse reactions happen once widely used. No drug is perfect, but if there are confirmed, life threatening reactions, I won't sell it to clients.

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I put a drop of Rose Geranium Oil in between my dogs shoulder blades and a drop at the base of his tail each day before we go outside. That’s it.

I also put a drop on the insides of my wrist and a drop behind my ears.

Essential oils should not be applied neat (that is, undiluted) on the skin. The only exceptions are, arguably, lavender and tea tree, but many people in the know caution against using even them directly on skin.

A few drops of EOs can be disolved in a carrier oil such as almond oil or jojoba (or even olive oil, but that's much heavier).

As already noted, it's unwise to use EOs on or around cats.

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Im going to stick with my program for now or until it doesnt work. But thought id ask if anyone has tried this.new product.

I am of the same camp where I wont try brand new stuff till I see some reactions or reviews on it. If EO's worked I'd be using them. And im not a fan of vinegar smell so probably not going to try that one.

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There are several essential oils that are just fine to use on bare skin, but even those should be tested carefully because some individuals are more sensitive than others. Geranium is pretty safe and know to be able to be applied neat. I haven't found information on Rose Geramium though.

 

Many oils need to be diluted quite a bit, as in a couple drop per tablespoon of carrier oil.

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Okay thanks everyone. My daughter's dog has gotten quite a few ticks down where she lives, she has an acre of ground that is pretty much all large trees. It is beautiful but it also brings with it the pests. Thought if I and Mya went down it might be an idea. Mya's medicine I use for her is only good for fleas and heart worms I believe, not for ticks but we have a groomed yard and she is not out in woods so the tick problem is not a big one here where we live but I would need something for her if we went out to the state parks to walk or down to my daughters.

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When you treat your dog with frontline and others you expect to see no fleas. Unfortunately every time you go outside your dog is a flea magnet. Just because they have been treated it is no indication that they will not have fleas. Just prevents a infestation. The fleas will not live long on the dog but they will have fleas. Does not mean its not working, just means fleas are part of a dogs life if they go outside. I take the time to check my dogs and do a lot of flea picking its just part of caring for your dog. They all have been treated.

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In my area all the vets, shelter workers, and every dog owner around knows that Frontline no longer works, and therefore does not prevent infestation. You are lucky if it still works for you.

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Yep, frontline no longer works for us. Wish I understood why it still works in some area's and not others. And the area's can be close together. We had fleas so bad 2 years ago I thought they were going to drive me crazier that they were driving the dogs! COmfortis has done wonders for us.

That and this year is not a flea year. But ticks....Lordy do we have ticks. Treating LGD for TBD's now. Hoping the seresto collar stays effective.

I am so with you Diane, I have a sort of bugaphobia. Spiders take the cake. But the war on ticks has me able to pick a tick without even looking at it. Gross but better off than on....

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