week 3 & 4 - Apr 09

Q:My dog has a red circle on his face and I was wondering if this was caused by a tick. I have the frontline plus on him but it is a darker circle inside a circle and it looks very sore I have called the vet but she is booked for 4 more weeks is there anything I should do?.
Jinx C, CA (Question of the week 3 & 4, April 09)

Q: I have a 4 yr. old Doberman. What do you reccommend that I order for him Regarding heartworm and fleas,ticks and lymes disease Thank You. 
Kristine L, Northern WI

A : Hi Kristine,

You will need to use a product such as Frontline Plus or Advantix for the control of ticks that spread lymes disease. Combination flea/tick and heartworm products for example,  Revolution are registered for the control of the American dog tick but not for the control of the deer tick, which is the major carrier of lymes disease. Not one product is 100% effective against ticks and in areas where the disease is very prevalent, you may use a tick collar such as Preventic at the same time as well as other measures such as environmental control. You would then give a separate once a month heartwormer such as Heartgard chewables, Nuheart or Proheart.

 

Q: I just received news that my 11 month old kitten has cataracts in both of his eyes. How can this happen at such a young age, and is there anything that i can do for him or give him to stop the progression over the counter. Also how much does it cost for cataract surgery if he's a candidate? Thank you?
Jennifer, NY

A : Hi Jen,

The causes of cataracts in young kittens can be due to an inherited condition which causes the lens to develop abnormally, nutritional abnormalities or diabetes.

There is no medical treatment that will reverse cataracts or prevent them to happen and the only effective treatment is surgery. I’m not sure of the cost of the surgery. You may like to try calling some local vet clinics that perform this surgery.

Q: Are your Advantage products U.S. EPA approved and made by Bayer?
Gail, Jacksonville, FL

A : Hello Gail,

Our Advantage products are made by Bayer and are exactly the same as those from your vet in the US. The only difference is that the Australian version has its own regulating authorities approved packaging while in the US the product is sold with packaging that the EPA has approved.
 

Q: I have a Toy Poodle. Why does he lick everything? He also likes to eat toilet tissue. These are 2 habits he has that puzzles me. Please help me understand what could be the cause. Thanks for your help.
Lana M, Hampton, VA

A : Hi Lana,

Excessive licking and eating abnormal substances can vary from a mildly annoying behavior to symptoms of more serious disease. There are two main groups of causes of these behaviors, those caused by an underlying medical problem and those that are behavioral. Nausea is a common reason that a dog will constantly lick. Any underlying disease that can cause nausea such as gastro-intestinal diseases, liver disease etc. can cause these signs. Behavioural causes can be due to an obsessive compulsive disorders, canine cognitive dysfunction, anxiety etc. To determine the exact cause a veterinarian will rely on a detailed history, perform a physical examination and possibly laboratory tests such as blood tests. The next time you visit your vet you should ask them to investigate this condition.
 

Q: Hi, I have a 15 year old standard poodle, a 12 year old mutt, and a 9 month old standard poodle puppy. Can you tell me the basic differences in safety and effectiveness of Frontline, Advantix, Advantage?? I don't know which to choose. Also, what about Heartgard, Interceptor and other similar products? Which products do you truly feel are the safest and most effective
Sonja R, NY

A : Hi Sonja,

Most of the better ‘once a month’ treatments such as Advantage, Advantix or Frontline Plus are very safe. Adverse reactions are very rare. Effectiveness varies from area to area and I have had some customers who tell me that they are finding that Frontline Plus is not working as well as it once did. Heartgard Plus, Interceptor and other monthly heartwormer tablets are also very effective and safe when given at the correct dosage.

There is no one perfect product that treats everything. Which product to use depends on your circumstances, whether ticks are a problem, your dogs swim a lot, whether you have cats or prefer to use only one or two  products, instead of three or four. Here are the pros and cons of the various products.

Advantage – is easy to use, can be applied after bathing, safe for use on dogs and cats. It is very fast acting. Advantage crystals also fall from the pets coat into areas where they rest a lot or their bedding where it will kill the developing flea larva. Advantage may not last as long as other products if your pet is bathed often or swims a lot.

Advocate (Advantage Multi) - is a new multi-purpose product that combines imidacloprid (Advantage) with moxidectin so it kills fleas, as well as prevents heartworm, hookworm and roundworm in dogs and cats, plus whipworm in dogs, and controls lice and ear mites in cats, and mange and lice in dogs with monthly application – however it has no real effect against ticks..

Frontline Plus – is easy to use, controls ticks as well as fleas, safe for use on dogs and cats. Frontline Plus is more water resistant than other meds so is good for dogs that swim a lot or are frequently bathed. Contains an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to kill flea eggs and larvae. Do not bathe animals for 48 hours prior to and after application.

Revolution – also has a multiple action. It is easy to use, controls some ticks as well as fleas, heartworm and some intestinal worms – but not whipworm. Revolution is eliminates the need to use separate flea and heartworm preparations each month.
You could use Revolution but still need to give a separate wormer to cover the whipworm, such as Drontal, Canex or Popantel every 3 months.

K9 Advantix – is easy to use, controls ticks as well as fleas. Also repels mosquitoes so is very good for dogs in high mosquito areas. If you were to use Advantix you will still need to give a heartwormer such as Heartgard Plus to cover Heartworm and a separate wormer to cover the whipworm, such as Drontal, Canex or Popantel every 3 months.

Q:Can you tell me what I can use on a hot spot my dog has had a few of them this winter?
Kathy B, Woodbine, NJ

A : Hi Kathy,

Hot spots usually occur when a dog has an underlying allergy. Some dogs need the allergy treated to stop the hotspots from reoccurring. If you get hotspots early enough they can be treated with topical creams but in more advanced cases antibiotics are often necessary. For dogs prone to hotspots I recommend regular washing in a medicated antibacterial shampoo such as Malaseb to keep the bacteria levels on the coat down, using a topical cream such as Dermaclens cream or a spray like Wound-Gard when they first appear and supplementing with an Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid supplement  such as Mega-Coat to reduce any underlying allergy.

 

Q: I have 2 dogs and 2 cats. My question is there something I can put on my dogs along with the revolution that I use monthly to kill fleas when they get on them. My pug has gained some weight and she goes for walks and that must be where she is picking up the fleas. She isn't bad but she has sores on her back and I think they are from fleas. Thank you
Janet, Tarpon Springs, FL

A : Hi Janet,

You may like to try increasing the dosage to once every two weeks for two or three doses until the fleas are brought under control. If you think that your pug is picking them up when he is out on his walks you can try having a spray bottle made up with either Fido’s fre-itch concentrate or Permoxin. When the walk is over you can give him a quick spray. With the Permoxin you must take care not to apply it to your cats as this product is very toxic to cats.

Q: My dog keeps getting ear mites,what can I do to get rid of them and have them not come back?How do you get ear mites and are they contagious.
Heather K, Easley. SC

A : Hi Heather,

Ear mites are a small external parasite that lives in the ear canals. The usual signs seen are shaking of the ears and scratching of the ears. This is due to severe itchiness caused by these mites.  Affected ears usually have brown or black, crusty debris in the ear canals. Ear mites are highly contagious and spread from one animal to the next by physical contact.

Revolution is usually effective in the treatment of ear mites. You will need to dose every animal in the household every two weeks for three treatments and then once a month thereafter. You do need to treat every animal as they spread easily from one animal to the next. If your dog is still scratching there ears you can try a treatment such as ilium ear drops. The drops need to be applied twice daily. I prefer to give the drops for longer than the recommended 4 – 7 days. I like to apply them for 10 to 14 days so as to ensure the mites are eliminated. If that does not stop the scratching it is possible that the signs you are seeing are not caused by ear mites but due to some other reason, in which case it would be best to have your dog checked by a vet.

 

Q: Can you give a dog benadryl
Charlotte B, WV

A : Hi Charlotte,

While generally safe and effective when prescribed by a veterinarian, diphenhydramine (Benedryl) can cause side effects in some animals. You should never treat your animals with any human medication without checking with your vet first.

Q: Hi, I need to know what is the best flea product for my puppy? I have a 4 month pompom. I also have a  chow chow, she has been on Front Line Plus for year's. So i have no problem with her.
Karol W, Eaton, OH

A : Hi Karol,

Any of the better once a month treatments such as Advantage, Advantix, Revolution or Frontline Plus are suitable to use on your puppy, however you may want to consider one of the newer treatments that treat multiple other conditions such as heartworms and intestinal worms.