Less harmful flea & tick preventative?

[ThreePs]

I'm looking for less toxic flea and tick prevention options than Advantix. I'm happy with the heartworm prevention I'm using (heartguard). I live in the Mid-Atlantic with tons of ticks and the constant worry of Lyme. I rent so do not feel sprinkling DE and spraying the property are options. In my area, I think something applied to the dog (not necessarily a spot-on) is required. I just don't know what.

I've read threads, googled, and researched product websites. The claims, opinions, and proclamations make your head spin. It seems the newer trend in thinking is topicals and feed-thrus are bad because, in order to work, they "poison" the dog's circulatory system. I would love something that repels ticks before they bite.

Contenders:

• Seresto collar [Two concerns: my dog doesn't normally wear a collar and it's July: I don't need 8 continuous months of coverage.]
• Sentry Natural Defense topical
• Vectra 3D topical
• Activyl topical

Less Contenders:

• Preventic collar because it only treats ticks. Do people use one product for ticks and another for fleas?
• Trifexis chewable because it's a systemic and also treats heartworm
• Comfortis chewable because it's a systemic and only treats fleas
• Revolution topical because it's a topical and also treats heartworm

What should I do?!

 

[teacuptiger]

What about something like this?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/205775908/dogs-flea-and-tick-spritz-organic?ref=shop_home_active_1

I've been using it, and my area is VERY tick heavy (yay humidity and long grass). I am extremely happy with the results- going from picking off upwards of ten ticks on a single walk or hike (thank the GODS for tick keys!), to absolutely nothing. Plus, it smells nice- sorta like green tea to me.

You do have to spray it on every day, but it's not poison, and it repels fleas and ticks. I've stopped using chemical flea and tick preventatives since I found this.

 

[Elrohwen]

I'm a huge fan of Vectra3D. I've used it for a couple years and I rarely find ticks even crawling on my dogs (and Watson has a lot of hair that is perfect for sweeping up every tick in the general area) and have found maybe 3 that have bitten.

Previously I used Revolution plus the Preventic collar and it was horrible. He picked up a million ticks, some bit him, and many died and fell off all over our bedroom floor. I also didn't like having the collar on him and always worried about it when I petted him or had to grab his collar.

 

[Applebear]

I'm a huge fan of Vectra3D. I've used it for a couple years and I rarely find ticks even crawling on my dogs (and Watson has a lot of hair that is perfect for sweeping up every tick in the general area) and have found maybe 3 that have bitten.

Previously I used Revolution plus the Preventic collar and it was horrible. He picked up a million ticks, some bit him, and many died and fell off all over our bedroom floor. I also didn't like having the collar on him and always worried about it when I petted him or had to grab his collar.

I see this on amazon.com [the vectra3d]...is this something you need a vet prescription for? And do you know of the cheapest sites that may carry it?

I am looking to take off to the cabin for awhile and ticks are guaranteed. They are my worse fear, so the less I have to touch, the better.

 

[Psyfalcon]

A poison that is only a poison to non mammals isn't really a poison to dogs.

Meanwhile arsenic isn't a poison for those bacteria that eat it, but it is to you and me.

 

[BostonBanker]

I looked into a lot of the options this spring, although I finally went with "stop hiking at the one place you've found ticks on the dogs" choice.

While I wasn't happy with the idea of the Soresto collar, because I take collars off for training/trialling and they are really meant to be on all the time, I have to say that after checking them out on other dogs, they are really non-offensive. All I could think of were the nasty old flea collars we used on my cat when we were kids. I'm really sensitive to smell, and the Soresto collars just feel and smell like regular plastic. I have friends who swear by them.

Nexgard was the choice I was going to go with if ticks continued to be an issue for us.

The other suggestion I've had from a lot of local friends is this product:
http://siriusinvermont.com/home/17-sirius-aint-no-flies-on-me-for-dogs.html

I've heard it works wonderfully, but the previously mentioned issue of being sensitive to odors makes it a bad choice for me. While it doesn't smell particularly bad, it definitely smells, and it is nearly impossible to get out of a dog's coat (probably part of why it works so well). I have a friend who uses it religiously, and after Gusto wrestled with her dog, it took two baths (the second one with Dawn) to get the smell off him.

 

[Kat09Tails]

I am always leery of getting products with a ton of cedar oil in them. It's pretty toxic stuff.

Is there a particular reason you're looking for something else? Reason I ask is because many of these "natural" products are far more toxic than the off the shelf counterpart.

I'm currently using the off label frontline plus stuff. So far - flea free year which is amazing with this heat.

 

[Elrohwen]

I see this on amazon.com [the vectra3d]...is this something you need a vet prescription for? And do you know of the cheapest sites that may carry it?

I am looking to take off to the cabin for awhile and ticks are guaranteed. They are my worse fear, so the less I have to touch, the better.

I'm not sure. I assume you need a prescription. I just get it from my vet which is probably stupid expensive. I just haven't bothered to look up where else to buy it though I know I should.

 

[*blackrose]

I'm looking for less toxic flea and tick prevention options than Advantix. I'm happy with the heartworm prevention I'm using (heartguard). I live in the Mid-Atlantic with tons of ticks and the constant worry of Lyme. I rent so do not feel sprinkling DE and spraying the property are options. In my area, I think something applied to the dog (not necessarily a spot-on) is required. I just don't know what.

I've read threads, googled, and researched product websites. The claims, opinions, and proclamations make your head spin. It seems the newer trend in thinking is topicals and feed-thrus are bad because, in order to work, they "poison" the dog's circulatory system. I would love something that repels ticks before they bite.

Contenders:

• Seresto collar [Two concerns: my dog doesn't normally wear a collar and it's July: I don't need 8 continuous months of coverage.]
• Sentry Natural Defense topical
• Vectra 3D topical
• Activyl topical

Less Contenders:

• Preventic collar because it only treats ticks. Do people use one product for ticks and another for fleas?
• Trifexis chewable because it's a systemic and also treats heartworm
• Comfortis chewable because it's a systemic and only treats fleas
• Revolution topical because it's a topical and also treats heartworm

What should I do?!

I don't really care for Activyl, because there is SO much solution you have to apply to their skin. But I'm also weird and don't like topicals anyway, so I may be a bit biased. The same goes with Vectra3D. I have used both before and never had any issues with them working, but....I just don't like topicals. haha

I also personally wouldn't use the Sentry "natural" stuff....I'm sorry, but I have never, ever seen it work. People say it works because they apply it to their dogs and their dogs "don't have fleas"....but I (normally) don't put anything on my dogs and they don't have fleas, either, so clearly doing nothing works to prevent fleas, too. /endrant

The Seresto collars I have had good experience with, but like you, I don't like collars on my animals unless we're going out and about. But, the collars don't have an odor, don't leave a residue, can get wet, and they have safety "break away" tabs so the animal can't get hung up on it.

Trifexis, Revolution and Comfortis do NOT kill ticks. Only fleas. You will get no tick prevention with those products. Which answers your other question: many people who have dogs that are on Trifexis also use a Preventic collar to prevent ticks.

I am currently using Nexgard on my crew (thanks to a certain kitten having fleas -_-) and I have been extremely happy with it. The dogs love it, I don't have to worry about any of it washing off since it is systemic, no side effects that I have noticed with my dogs, and it is keeping them flea free.

I'd be interested in trying Bravecto (one chewable that lasts for 3 months), but I don't have access to it and am happy with Nexgard, so I've never sought it out.

 

[milos_mommy]

Seresto collars are really highly regarded by everyone I speak to about it.

I've also had surprising success with homemade collars soaked in essential oils. If you don't want to use a collar, you can brush it into the fur or spritz it on, but you have to do that basically every day so Id rather use a collar.

If you'd be interested I can find the recipe. I think it's like peppermint, lemongrass, and something ticks hate...thyme maybe? I have to check. I think it works better than the "naturalL brand preventatives, and quiet possibly as well as synthetic flea killers, at least for prevention.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I'm happy with Nexgard so far. Only coming up on 3 months of using it but it's kept the fleas and ticks away!

 

[ThreePs]

Thanks to you all: narrowed to 3 options

Thanks for the replies here, I've narrowed it down to three options:

Seresto collar
Nexgard chewable
Vectra3D topical

I have the same prejudiced history of another poster whose childhood experience of flea collars was the powdery, smelly, Hartz collar.

To answer why I'm looking to switch, I previously used K9Advantix II because Joey was highly allergic to fleas. The dogs disliked the application: running away from the vial in my hand and rolling around on their backs after applying it. I thought this indicated it bothered them. I'd like to find something that does not cause this reaction. I feel guilty and lazy using a "poison" for convenience -though I feel tick prevention in Lyme country is more than convenience.

 

[*blackrose]

Thanks for the replies here, I've narrowed it down to three options:

Seresto collar
Nexgard chewable
Vectra3D topical

I have the same prejudiced history of another poster whose childhood experience of flea collars was the powdery, smelly, Hartz collar.

To answer why I'm looking to switch, I previously used K9Advantix II because Joey was highly allergic to fleas. The dogs disliked the application: running away from the vial in my hand and rolling around on their backs after applying it. I thought this indicated it bothered them. I'd like to find something that does not cause this reaction. I feel guilty and lazy using a "poison" for convenience -though I feel tick prevention in Lyme country is more than convenience.

Honestly, I'd avoid a topical, then. My dogs (and cats) have reacted the same way regardless of what brand of topical I use. Which is one of the reasons I just don't like topicals. Lol

My vote is for Nexgard.

 

[teacuptiger]

Nexguard doesn't actually repel though, btw. It kills fleas and ticks after they bite.

Also, for that spray I listed, you can ask them to leave the cedar wood oil out.

 

[Elrohwen]

Nexguard doesn't actually repel though, btw. It kills fleas and ticks after they bite.

I used the Preventic collar which also kills but does not repel. I live in Lyme central and Watson was bringing in at least 20 ticks per day. The ones we couldn't find ended up dead or dying on our bedroom floor. It was really gross.

 

[teacuptiger]

I used the Preventic collar which also kills but does not repel. I live in Lyme central and Watson was bringing in at least 20 ticks per day. The ones we couldn't find ended up dead or dying on our bedroom floor. It was really gross.

Yeah... I have gone through different preventatives since moving out to the country (long grass and humidity plus lots of pets, lots of wild animals equals LOTS of ticks) but nothing was working for us. Thank the gods for tick keys, because before I found that Vayas spray I was pulling off more ticks than I care to see in my life.

Haven't seen a single tick in months now, though

 

[krissy]

Nexguard doesn't actually repel though, btw. It kills fleas and ticks after they bite.

Yes, but it kills them faster than the disease transmission time, if that's the main concern.

 

[teacuptiger]

Yes, but it kills them faster than the disease transmission time, if that's the main concern.

Yep, and it didn't fail in that aspect for me when I was using it. But I think the op was concerned about repelling, as well?

 

[Elrohwen]

Yes, but it kills them faster than the disease transmission time, if that's the main concern.

My dog got Lyme on the Preventic collar. It didn't kill them fast enough I guess. We did find a couple engorged ticks on him while he was wearing the collar and I would guess they were there for at least half a day or more.

 

[ThreePs]

Nexguard or Preventic

Yes, but it kills them faster than the disease transmission time, if that's the main concern.

My dog got Lyme on the Preventic collar. It didn't kill them fast enough I guess. We did find a couple engorged ticks on him while he was wearing the collar and I would guess they were there for at least half a day or more.

So Nexguard or Preventic? Is Preventic have a milder chemical load because it is not ingested? I thought ticks had to be attached for 24hrs before disease was transmitted. True/False?

My main concerns are not wishing to bring fleas into my home and preventing Lyme's transmission.