It's almost Tick season again...

[3Stars]

So it's that time of year where I have my yearly debate about what I'm going to do to protect my dogs against ticks, heartworms, mites, etc. I spend more time making this decision than I spend on any decision concerning my own health.

I live in Northwestern Ontario, but travel to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northeastern Ontario, and Southern Ontario quite frequently.

I definitely want to protect against heartworm, but because we are getting so many ticks around here I'd really like to protect against that as well, and it seems that most medications work for one but not the other. My vet suggested combining Sentinal and Advantix (2 weeks between), but that seems like an awful lot of meds to me.

On top of this, I found this website: http://www.simplesteps.org/greenpaws-products#/h/+/+/+. It has great information, but is disheartening because you really get an idea of how dangerous the products you put on your dogs are.

I've looked into natural products, but the ones that have good reviews all emphasize the product has to make contact with the dog's skin - which is difficult with the heavy coated dogs I have.

Two years ago we did Sentinal. Last year we couldn't do sentinal so we did Revolution. This year....I have no clue. I want my dogs to be healthy, and I'm terrified of the long term impacts of lyme disease, but I hate the idea of layering medications. What are you planning on doing this year?

[mellie]

Ugh !! Same problem here...I can't/won't use topicals- just can't believe they are safe ,sooooooooooooooo Sally wound up with lyme disease this past summer. We live in an area with high concentrations of ticks so I try to avoid the spots where i know there are ticks but obviously this isn't working.I check her when she comes in from outside but there is just too much fur to be sure. I have good results with vinegar/dawn /h2o spritz and D.E. as far as fleas but just don't know what to do about ticks. Lyme vx offers some protection but not for erlichia and anaplasmosis or RMSF. Some have suggested that collars treated essential oils could help, but don't know anyone with actual experience. I feel your pain !!

[romeosangiovese]

We give interceptor for heartworm because there are SO MANY mozzies here and heartworm is a pain to treat.

But with ticks (which are also plentiful but thankfully no Lyme here) I'm still scratching my head. I printed that list from the website 3Stars posted and leave it in my wallet in case I come across any anti-tick solution. And also to remind me not to get desperate and succumb.

I've been experimenting last year with essential oils, apple cider vinegar, etc (sprayed on and also applied to the collar) but nothing seems effective. The dogs always come back with ticks. Sometimes below the collar that I applied with a blend of essential oils!

This year I might just put diatomaceous earth around the house and then check the dogs for ticks regularly. And maybe Neem. I haven't tried neem.

Sigh. Tick season!

[mellie]

Yeah, I give Interceptor too for HW etc, it's just the lousey, rotten ticks !!!

[3Stars]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's lost when it comes to ticks!

[mcemily]

Generally speaking, I prefer not to use medication/chemicals unless it is absolutely necessary. That said, I also feel that in some cases, a natural/holistic approach may not be enough.

Ticks would fall under that "in some cases" category. Last May, I pulled 5 ticks off of Lerwick. He was on Sentinel at the time (which, of course, does not have tick protection), and I decided that was the last time I was going to deal with that. Fortunately, Lyme disease is relatively rare in this area... but it's not something I want to mess around with. And, since the winters have been so mild the last few years, fleas and ticks are a year-round problem of late.

From my perspective, it's all about risk management, and for me, the risk of my dog going unprotected (or unreliably protected) against heartworms, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes (and all the diseases these things bear) outweighs the risks of the medication. I am lucky to have a dog who tolerates medication very well, so I can afford to make that decision.

As far as layering the medication goes... it is actually a good idea to stagger the medication 2 weeks apart like your vet recommends, because it means there isn't an overwhelming amount of medications hitting the system at once. However, I don't think I'd do BOTH Sentinel AND Advantix, because you'd be doubling up on the flea, mite, etc. medication. I would recommend going with Advantix and a plain ol' heartworm medication instead.

We've got Lerwick on Heartguard and Advantix, for whatever that's worth. :)

[3Stars]

From my perspective, it's all about risk management, and for me, the risk of my dog going unprotected (or unreliably protected) against heartworms, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes (and all the diseases these things bear) outweighs the risks of the medication. I am lucky to have a dog who tolerates medication very well, so I can afford to make that decision.

Agreed, and I'm in the same position.

As far as layering the medication goes... it is actually a good idea to stagger the medication 2 weeks apart like your vet recommends, because it means there isn't an overwhelming amount of medications hitting the system at once. However, I don't think I'd do BOTH Sentinel AND Advantix, because you'd be doubling up on the flea, mite, etc. medication. I would recommend going with Advantix and a plain ol' heartworm medication instead.

It's not dividing up the dosing times I'm concerned about - I agree that it's a good idea. When I'm talking about layering I'm talking about exactly what you expressed a concern about - using two different drugs, layered on top of one another. So we're thinking exactly the same thing.

I'll take a look at Heartguard and Advantix - Thanks!