I currently have my dog on Heartgard for heartworm prevention and Frontline for fleas. The last couple doses of Heartgard have cause my dog to drool excessively and act lethargic. The Frontline just flat out doesn’t seem to be cutting it for flea prevention. I asked my vet and she didn’t seem too concerned about the drooling and lethargy, but said that she would approve any prescription request if I wanted to try another heartworm preventative. I am looking for a good alternative that has minimal side effects (specifically GI irritation). I am not exclusively looking for a heartworm/flea combo, but I like the simplicity of it. Another concern I have is that maybe the topical Frontline is not working because my dog swims every day (and also jumps in the horse water troughs…ugh).
Does anyone have a recommendation for my specific situation? I am truly overwhelmed by the many different choices and my vet does not seem to be keen to recommend any particular drug.
I have my farm dogs on NexGard. http://www.nexgardfordogs.com/Pages/default.aspx
It is the only thing that will work with them always being in water or needing a bath. They are also on the Heartgard Plus.
Proheart6 is an option for some dogs… and is a 6 month injection. You can certainly switch to something like Interceptor or try Heartgard(not plus) in the tablet form to see if just straight ivomec without the beef favoring and pyrantel makes a difference.
For fleas and ticks- Frontline GOLD (it has a new IGR AND inactive ingredient to make it work faster) is more effective than frontline plus, but most people prefer the feed-throughs like Nexgard(once a month) or Bravecto(you give every three months). Seresto collars are also a nice option for people that don’t like feed through and they work well!!! And are less expensive- collars lasts 8 months in most circumstances.
Frontline really let me down so I’m afraid to spend the money on Frontline Gold.
i had fantastic success with the Seresto collar on the 122 lb Weimaraner that was always roaming the woods and fields.
my two smaller dogs (70 & 85 pounds each) seemed to get a bit ill wearing the collar so I have them on Advantix II which seems to be doing its job.
i have always used Heartgard, so I’m following heart worm replies with interest 
The frontline gold IS an improvement. Fleas and tick kill is MUCH improved… however human compliance can be harder with topical… and feedthroughs and seresto are EASIER and basically dummy proof… as long as you give it!!!
I have been super happy with the bravecto/Nexgard with clients at the clinic I work at and use it on some of my dogs. Seresto on others of my dogs. I hike in high tick areas and am very pleased with all the products.
Heartgard plus is fantastic, but some dogs have allergies to the inactive ingredients … particularly the beef. Sometimes going to the plain Heartgard makes a difference… sometimes a medication change is required.
Generics are an an option too for the ivomec/Pyrantel combo.
We’ve had a whole lotta threads on fleas and ticks in the pet forum this year. Lots of options.
I like Interceptor for heartworms, and it’s finally back on the market.
Interceptor Plus or Sentinel Spectrum for heart worms. Bravecto for fleas and ticks.
I had a discussion with my vet about Frontline Plus and Advantix not being as effective as they used to be, and his recommendation at this point was the Seresto collar.
I use Advantage Plus for heartworms and it is suppose to provide flea protection. NOPE…it is terrible!!! Not sure what to use along with it that would be safe. My dogs are big…so no worry of overdosing them.
someone at Petco told me that Frontline “got sold” and the formula changed. that coincides with it suddenly not working. i think maybe the brand name was sold and not the formula? who knows.
i use interceptor for HW and flea prevention. For ticks, i have used the Seresto collar and advantix which seems to be working ok. there are new oral tick preventatives too, but I just didn’t want to pump more chemicals into my dog’s stomach. but i think they do well on them.
Merial merged with Boehringer Ingelheim. Supposedly none of the formulas changed, but we all know how that goes…
NexGuard is an oral flea and tick which is fantastic, and when used in conjunction with the Seresto collars you shouldn’t have any problems. Especially for barn dogs, you really can’t have too much flea and tick protection! I have my dogs on Sentinel and have had no issues, my vet moved us off Heartguard a few years ago when a few of her other clients were having reactions to it. They were isolated cases but she likes Sentinel better.
My dog is also a daily swimmer and gets baths a few times a week due to skin allergies so topicals don’t work for us either. NexGuard has been great for us, I’ve only found a few ticks crawling on her this year when we were out trail riding in tall grass, and none were biting her yet.
Seresto collars are the way to go for outside dogs. They can get wet and it doesn’t affect the effectiveness of the collar. You can get them on Amazon or from your vet. Right now with the $15 rebate it’s usually less expensive to purchase it from your vet.
This is NOT true. From the Seresto website:
*Seresto[SUP]®[/SUP] is water resistant and remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight. Under normal conditions, effectiveness lasts for 8 months. In order to maintain an 8-month duration, dogs must not be bathed more than once per month. For dogs that swim once a month or more, the control duration is reduced to five months for flea control, and reduced to seven months for tick control.
Thank you all for the suggestions. I decided to order Sentinel and Capstar for now since their side effects appear to be infrequently reported. If that doesn’t take care of the fleas, I will add the NexGard.
Thank you for the correction. Even if it gets wet and only works 5 months it’s a better buy than Frontline products.
We used the Seresto collar twice for our Pyrenees and for our Maltese. The first time these worked great. The second time, we might as well have used nothing. Both dogs hate water, so swimming was not an issue.
This appears to have been bumped, but regardless, I’m having success with Revolution and Seresto collars on my 2 that are always in and out of the woods.
Sentinel is a good choice. Capstar will kill all the fleas on your dog for 24 hours. You will need something longer acting as well. Capstar is good if you have a real infestation going on and need to do something quickly, but not good for long term flea control.
When it comes to [flea treatments], Some people prefer effective topical solutions, while others prefer natural ones. With that been said, please keep in mind that both ways can be equally effective if applied correctly.
If your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, chances are you home and yard are also infested, so make sure to treat your house and yard also to prevent flea re-infestation.
Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas:
DRYNESS
Fleas hate very dry areas (so install a dehumidifier and a fan).
CARPET
Keep carpeted areas to a minimum. Most flea larvae coil themselves around carpet fibers and are not easily removed. Carpet is the perfect flea environment! If you do have carpeting, vacuum frequently.
CLEANING
Wash wood or stone floors frequently. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are attracted to cracks and joints in floors and will die when they are hit by simple soap and water or steam.
BAKING SODA AND SALT
Sprinkle baking soda and/or salt all over your floor and furniture. Work it into the fabric with a stiff brush or broom. Leave it for several hours. Keep your pets out of the room(s) while treating for fleas.
BATHING
Bathe your pet in salt water or plain old soap and water. Fleas can’t live in salt water, so periodic dips in the ocean (or a salt water rinse) can also help keep fleas under control.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a light dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, under the baseboard heater, refrigerator and stove, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas.
Vacuum
Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week.
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