flea and tick collar

[Battis]

The thread about the Rottweiler Puppies reminded me...
My lasty dog was a Rottweiler/Shepherd. I used the Seresto flea and tick collar on him. He developed a tumor right under the collar that killed him. I checked online about those collars - thousands of dogs were made sick by them, and also people, including kids. And, my dog still got Lyme disease.
Looking back, I used those collars on previous dogs and they also died from tumors. I can't prove their tumors were caused by the collars, but the tumor on my last dog developed right under the collar.

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/are-seresto-collars-safe

[Bmi48219]

Several years ago I spoke to an exterminator when my wife brought home a rescue kitten that had fleas. He said Fleas need moisture, Cats and dogs have moisture around their eyes and butts. Fleas transiting your pet in search of moisture may contact the collar and die.
He didn’t think highly of collars, and he very rarely was called to treat flea infestations in homes. With the oral and topical medicines available now infestations are rare.
My wife says a lot of those medications work but come with serious bad health effects.
Our dogs get HeartGuard Plus to control heart worms etc. and Vet’s Best mosquito repellent spray, plant based formula when the mosquitoes are out.
Heck, when I take the older dog for her midnight walk I use it on myself. It works.

[trapper9260]

I use a flea and tick topical on my dog and past dogs and works better then any collars I used in the past ,they always was able to get the collars off and I put the topical on him once a month and same as the heart worm pill. I give him this all year round .I do not need to , for me trapping and all .for the safe side I give him it all year .

[Battis]

It drives me nuts thinking that I put that collar on him. He died 1 yr, 10 months ago. That collar put him through a bad ordeal. He was #9 that we've had, and I think I'm done. Nothing better than a young, healthy dog - nothing worse than a sick one. And the vets realize that we, the owners, are cash cows - we'll spend whatever it takes to get them better.

[Bmi48219]

It’s getting so you really have to question everything. And research any product you’re thinking of using. Whatever it is, it’s worth going on line and searching for negative / harmful effects. There are recall sites for pet food. A dog food distributor told us years ago there are only two or three companies making dry dog food. The pellets are coated with the brand’s flavor mix and sold as being the best.
We’ve settled on American Journey brand as it is consistently rated in the top three by independent test services.
Incidentally, HeartGuard Plus contains Ivermectin.

[Battis]

A vet told me about the Ivermectin in heartworm pills. He also told me that he doesn't give heartworm pills to his dogs after Nov 1st. He said that the heartworm larvae can't live in tempts below 55 degrees. Of course, here in the Northeast, they tell you to give the pills year round because you can see mosquitoes in the winter. Back in the day - not that long ago - we didn't give the pills in the winter. Another vet also told me not to waste money on Lyme vaccinations - this was after my dog that was vaccinated came down with Lyme.

[john.k]

The last flea collar I bought was useless.....did not kill fleas....they obviously built up a resistance to the chemical used.........anyhoo,took it back ,and got my money back ......since been using the little tubes .

[daengmei]

So what is the best recommended flea treatment and what is the frequency for best results? I have a Beagle that I can't control the fleas. Baths, collars, tube treatments, sprays...I have tried everything. Treated the house numerous times. What a pain.

[Bmi48219]

So what is the best recommended flea treatment and what is the frequency for best results? I have a Beagle that I can't control the fleas..

I think the tubes work well but again, you must research them to satisfy yourself they won’t harm your pet.
If you absolutely can’t control fleas on your dog consider where your pet could be picking them up. If your dog rarely leaves your own property and always gets fleas look into treating the property.

[GregLaROCHE]

Over the years flea collars have become less effective. Maybe that’s good for our pets. I use the drops these days, but they don’t seem to last as long either.

[daengmei]

I considered treating the yard but my dogs seem to always want to "graze" like cattle on the longer grass shoots. I know they are not sick. I just didn't want to use more chemicals when they obviously eat the grass.

[justindad]

Our first rottie died of lymphoma (throat cancer) a week before she turned 4. We were regular with tick medicine and vaccines. My wife is concerned with those meds, so we do less now. We gave a 3 month tick medicine in June and that will be it for the year. No flea collar. Also minimized insecticides around the house and entirely stopped spreading fire ant killer and weed killer. We skipped the bordatella because we don’t keep them in kennels, but we did do the parvo shot and a few others (she knows what they are). We have too many chickens, so I supplement their dry food with eggs. Left over dinners are good dog food too.
*
A dog that guards your family deserves good care. I also make a point to give the dogs a happy smile every day - they can feel your emotions.

[Battis]

The tick collar is to prevent Lyme disease, at least in the Northeast. If I ever get another dog, the only thing I'll use on ticks is a pair of tweezers. My son was stationed in ND. He came home for a visit and brought his dog. The dog came down with Lyme disease. Back in ND, they really didn't know much about that disease. Antibiotics made the dog fine.
Back in the 90s I had an unneutered wolf hybrid (registered with the state). A Yellow Lab pup wandered into the yard, and we kept her after trying to find the owner. Well, the wolf knocked her up. They had a puppy and we kept all three. The wolf lived to be 18, the Lab lived to be 15, and the puppy made it to 16. The vet asked what we were feeding them. Old Roy from Walmart.

[Craig Schneider]

I use a flea and tick topical on my dog and past dogs and works better then any collars I used in the past ,they always was able to get the collars off and I put the topical on him once a month and same as the heart worm pill. I give him this all year round .I do not need to , for me trapping and all .for the safe side I give him it all year .

God these collars are just about the most useless thing I've ever seen. I think it's dangerous because when I was a kid my cat got caught in a branch with a collar and died from strangulation.

[T-Bird]

I'm a vet, semi retired now. I started practice in 1981. I worked for a vet from 1974 till graduation in 1981. Never thought flea collars worked at all. The topicals and systemics that are available now are highly effective. If someone's animal is continually infested while on them, they are constantly being infested by fleas from non treated animals- neighbors etc. Back in the old days, we saw hundreds of fleas on infested animals. We sold gallons of Adams flea spray, it killed every flea it touched, people could see them fall off and it was "the best thing ever". It had no residual effect. Now, with these new products if somebody sees 1 flea on their animal while using them, they say " this stull is expensive, and don't work". I can try to explain the flea life cycle etc they just roll their eyes and go back to "Dr Google"

[john.k]

The collars persist IMHO because people dont like spending $50-$60 on the tubes .........there are also stories spread by greens claiming the tubes kill the animal.......some of the tubes are not suitable for some animals,for sure.

[Battis]

The Seresto collars aren't cheap - $65.00.
The vet we used for years retired. Old school, not a people person, and he spoke his mind. He looked at my 18 yr old dog once and said, "Are you ever going to die?" When the wolf hybrid and the yellow lab had a puppy, I went to him to get the puppy her shots. He asked if the wolf was the father and I said yes, and he said that he had to put the puppy down because you can't breed wolf hybrids. Then he told me to take the puppy to another vet and don't mention her father. That dog lived to be 16.

[T-Bird]

RE: wolf hybrids. When I was in school and early practice, wolf hybrids were discouraged (not real sure when people started breeding them, don't remember them in our area till the late "70's) because, pre-genetic mapping wolves and domestic canines were not known to be the SAME species. Rabies vaccine is very specific for what species it's approved for. We couldn't vaccinate pet coons, wolf hybrids, etc because there was no approved vaccine for them and standard post bite quarantine periods for domestics don't apply to "other" species. In the event that a licensed vet knowingly vaccinated an animal with a "non approved" vaccine and "something" happened-- guess whose head would roll. The same is true with other vaccines with regard to species approval but the public health dept isn't concerned with those. That was the reason for non disclosure concerning the pup's father. In that era that was the position commonly taken. I guess this is the most profound case of thread drift that I have ever been responsible for

[Battis]

Thread drift is OK with me - I started the thread.
The dog was labeled a "wolf hybrid" based on his looks and mannerisms. Back in the early 80s, there was one test available and it cost $800. Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, MA (they still raise wolves) told me to accept that he's a wolf hybrid and live with the restrictions, which I did. Kinda like calling a rifle with certain features an assault rifle.
He howled, his eyes were light blue, he wouldn't eat until midnight (at first) and every vet (and animal control officer) who saw him asked me if he was registered. He was. And, he scared alot of people.
Was he part wolf? I'll never know for sure - he died in 1999.

[T-Bird]

Don't know what "test" was done then that would indicate wolf lineage but what I'm talking about is that when domestic canines and wolves (along with other species of animals) had their DNA sequenced, it emerged that domestic dogs and wolves are not different species. They are the same species. Thus the rabies vaccine WAS approved for hybrids (and wolves too for that matter) and the concerns, at least from that issue went away. This was.... early 2000"s? late '90's? Good looking dog.