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View Full Version : Keeping fleas and ticks of dogs on the trail



tucker0104
08-18-2008, 08:27
What has everyone found to be the best way for keeping fleas and ticks of your dog on the trail?

Two Speed
08-18-2008, 08:53
Yep. One word: Frontliine. As long as I keep that on my mutt he does just fine. Forgot it once and had to pull a couple of ticks off of him.

Blissful
08-18-2008, 09:04
Agree, Frontline works great.

tucker0104
08-18-2008, 09:16
Keeps them off or it keeps them from latching on?

Cuffs
08-18-2008, 10:02
Nothing will keep them off unless you put a space suit on your dog. Frontline is the best thing currently on the market for flea and tick protection.

adventurousmtnlvr
08-18-2008, 10:05
Keeps them off or it keeps them from latching on?

When my dog used frontline, I agree it works; however unless I was misinformed ... it's my understanding they still get on the dog but after the first bite are killed. In other words, doesn't 'repel' but rather kill after a bite and also does kill larvae, eggs. I will also add, in 'my' opinion from actual experience the generic brands do not work as well. It must be applied correctly though by 'parting the hair' on the back of the neck (don't put it on top of the hair).

leeki pole
08-18-2008, 10:20
When my dog used frontline, I agree it works; however unless I was misinformed ... it's my understanding they still get on the dog but after the first bite are killed. In other words, doesn't 'repel' but rather kill after a bite and also does kill larvae, eggs. I will also add, in 'my' opinion from actual experience the generic brands do not work as well. It must be applied correctly though by 'parting the hair' on the back of the neck (don't put it on top of the hair).
I'll agree, and that's what my vet told me. The generic brands, though cheaper, don't work near as well. Spend the bucks, it's worth it. Kills ear mites, too.

notorius tic
08-18-2008, 10:22
I put this out there before on this topic. I goto my local FEED store an get a cattle tag, cut it up into 1 inch squares an cut a hole in it, put it on my dogs collar, an a due the same for me I attach it around my anckle Just have be careful on your dogs weight isssue. I have a 30 pound corgi, he has not got sick yet for me I am 170 pnds. So i use a Half of a tag. I also use front line on my dog but they still get on him they just dont stick. The tag keeps them from even coming close. My VET is the one that taught me the trick.

Phreak
08-18-2008, 13:51
Frontline & Comfortis

cowboy nichols
08-18-2008, 13:57
I put this out there before on this topic. I goto my local FEED store an get a cattle tag, cut it up into 1 inch squares an cut a hole in it, put it on my dogs collar, an a due the same for me I attach it around my anckle Just have be careful on your dogs weight isssue. I have a 30 pound corgi, he has not got sick yet for me I am 170 pnds. So i use a Half of a tag. I also use front line on my dog but they still get on him they just dont stick. The tag keeps them from even coming close. My VET is the one that taught me the trick.
What is the brand name of this tag? Thank you

superman
08-18-2008, 14:02
I put this out there before on this topic. I goto my local FEED store an get a cattle tag, cut it up into 1 inch squares an cut a hole in it, put it on my dogs collar, an a due the same for me I attach it around my anckle Just have be careful on your dogs weight isssue. I have a 30 pound corgi, he has not got sick yet for me I am 170 pnds. So i use a Half of a tag. I also use front line on my dog but they still get on him they just dont stick. The tag keeps them from even coming close. My VET is the one that taught me the trick.

I wore smart wool socks when I went through those fields in 2000. The ticks accumulated around my ankles in the top part of the sock I fold over. It was common to find about 20 or 30 of them at a time.
Now I use PRoMeris for dogs on Winter per the Vet.

Two Speed
08-18-2008, 14:42
What's the active ingredient in these cattle tags? Guess my status as a city boy is showing, because I've never heard of them before.

tucker0104
08-18-2008, 15:45
Has anyone ever known anyone who has lyme disease?

Old Grouse
08-18-2008, 16:12
Oh yes, you can't live around this part of Connecticut without either having had it or knowing those who have. Lyme and also Erlichiosis.

Speaking of the latter, I met a thru hiker named Rue on a recent section hike. She was just back on the trail after getting off for treatment for what turned out to be Erlichiosis. This tick-borne disease is not as common as Lyme, but the good news about it is once you recover its over. It doesn't have the potential to recur as does Lyme.

Frau
08-18-2008, 16:28
I contracted Lyme in VA, but got treatment immediately. My dog is positive for Ehrlichiosis, from any of dozens of ticks he picks up within a few miles of my home.

I use Frontline Plus but will investigate the cattle tag at SS.

Thanks for the info!

Frau

kanga
08-18-2008, 18:43
I put this out there before on this topic. I goto my local FEED store an get a cattle tag, cut it up into 1 inch squares an cut a hole in it, put it on my dogs collar, an a due the same for me I attach it around my anckle Just have be careful on your dogs weight isssue. I have a 30 pound corgi, he has not got sick yet for me I am 170 pnds. So i use a Half of a tag. I also use front line on my dog but they still get on him they just dont stick. The tag keeps them from even coming close. My VET is the one that taught me the trick.


What is the brand name of this tag? Thank you


What's the active ingredient in these cattle tags? Guess my status as a city boy is showing, because I've never heard of them before.

y'all, be careful before you go playing around with those. they're made for 1000 lb animals and they're mainly for fly control. they don't put them on humans for a reason, no matter who told you what.

superman
08-18-2008, 19:31
Oh yes, you can't live around this part of Connecticut without either having had it or knowing those who have. Lyme and also Erlichiosis.

Speaking of the latter, I met a thru hiker named Rue on a recent section hike. She was just back on the trail after getting off for treatment for what turned out to be Erlichiosis. This tick-borne disease is not as common as Lyme, but the good news about it is once you recover its over. It doesn't have the potential to recur as does Lyme.

Yup, my mother had Lyme disease. She lived in Lyme, Ct and was one of the early cases diagnosed.

Two Speed
08-19-2008, 07:39
y'all, be careful before you go playing around with those. they're made for 1000 lb animals and they're mainly for fly control. they don't put them on humans for a reason, no matter who told you what.Um, yeah. I'm getting that the cattle tags are right nasty, and shouldn't be handled w/o gloves, etc.

I'm voting against this option. Better stuff out there.

ct1974rlw
08-19-2008, 08:13
I use Advantage and found this useful. I didn't care for Frontline as I found that with a heavy flea and/or tick season, frontline will only last for 2-3 weeks. I discussed this with my vet as well and she told me this is a common complaint with Frontline.

However, Advantage has some disadvantages too (no pun intended) as neither one prevents fleas or ticks (especially ticks as they pose certain health risks as fleas in small numbers are more of a nuisance) from landing on your dog. Which can lead to human festation.

What my vet recommended for trail dogs is a horse pesticide to repel ticks, gnats, flies, etc. This can be purchased in a 28 ounce bottle at your local feed store. It is VERY strong stuff and can NOT be used on cats. But highly effective. It will not repel fleas-although I have to admit that I never found a flea on my dogs since I have been using this stuff.

The directions are .5 cc per 50lbs of body weight or .25 per 25lbs of body weight-per my vet. I am reluctant to post the name of this stuff as you really should check with your vet before you apply something like this. When applied-the dogs are stuck outside for 24 hours (as I do have cats). But they always know that when they get the treatment, they are hitting the trail very soon so they aways seem more wild and playful-so maybe that is good.

I find this stuff very effective and yet I have never found a single tick on my dog since I have been using it. It's awesome stuff. Your vet should know what I am talking about-btw-it's a lot cheaper than advantage or frontline and it's about 1.00 an ounce.

Two Speed
08-19-2008, 08:17
Another option: I don't actually use Frontline, but a product from Australia that works just as well. Let me rumble around and see if I can find the website and product name (evidently having my first senior moment! :banana).

Mercy
08-19-2008, 08:20
I place the liquid contents of a Frontline Plus single use pre-measured container monthly, supplemented by (according to my vet's instructions when I asked the tick question for hiking) spraying her legs with Frontline spray.

I also carefully check the dog for ticks several times a day.

Rouen
08-19-2008, 11:37
Are you sure the pill is frontline, to the best of my knowledge frontline only comes in liquid form for between the shoulder blades, and spray meant for use around the house and in the yard.

Mercy
08-19-2008, 11:47
Sorry, my bad.

I use the frontline liquid that comes in a plastic single use holder once a month. (not the pill) I kinda screwed up on the pill thing, since (insert excuse:D) what I was trying to contribute is there is also a frontline spray designed to go on the dog.... not the yard.

My vet told me to spray that on my dogs feet/legs before hiking. I was worried about it being like double-dosing the dog, but the vet assured me I was ok in moderation. The vet also agrees that the product loses its efficiency in less than a month.

ct1974rlw
08-19-2008, 11:49
Are you sure the pill is frontline, to the best of my knowledge frontline only comes in liquid form for between the shoulder blades, and spray meant for use around the house and in the yard.

I was wondering about that myself-I couldn't find online anything about Frontline making a pill either. I do know (and have used in the past) Program-that is a pill. It worked great, but I am a little freaked out about giving my dogs a pill that kills fleas and ticks.

Wise Old Owl
08-24-2008, 11:15
I put this out there before on this topic. I goto my local FEED store an get a cattle tag, cut it up into 1 inch squares an cut a hole in it, put it on my dogs collar, an a due the same for me I attach it around my ankle Just have be careful on your dogs weight issue. I have a 30 pound corgi, he has not got sick yet for me I am 170 pnds. So i use a Half of a tag. I also use front line on my dog but they still get on him they just don't stick. The tag keeps them from even coming close. My VET is the one that taught me the trick.

GardStar®plus, the original Y-TEX insecticide ear tag, is a pyrethroid tag containing 10% permethrin. It has had countless applications and works well in areas with pyrethroid susceptible horn fly populations. GardStar®plus also controls Gulf Coast ticks, face flies and spinose ear ticks. In addition, it aids in control of stable flies, house flies, and lice. This 9.5 gram tag can be used on all cattle of any age including lactating dairy cattle. Rotate to WARRIOR™ or OPtimizer™ to manage insecticide resistance.
EFFECTIVENESS:
Controls pyrethroid-susceptible horn flies, face flies, Gulf Coast ticks, and spinose ear ticks. Aids in control of stalbe flies, house flies, and lice.

OK I looked it up and no pun intended about this idea - "I am on the fence" Here is why....


2.6 Effects on Human Beings

Permethrin can induce skin sensations and paresthesia in exposed
workers. It develops after a latent period of approximately 30 min,
peaks by 8 h, and disappears within 24 h. Numbness, itching,
tingling, and burning are symptoms frequently reported.

No cases of poisoning have been reported.

The likelihood of oncogenic effects in human beings is extremely low
or non-existent. There are no indications that permethrin, when used as recommended,
will have an adverse effect on human beings.

In mammals, permethrin was rapidly metabolized and almost completely
excreted in the urine and feces in approximately 12 days. The trans
isomer of permethrin, which is much more susceptible to esterase
attack than is the cis isomer, was eliminated more quickly than the
cis isomer. Major metabolic reactions were ester cleavage and
oxidation, particularly at the terminal aromatic ring of the
phenoxybenzyl moiety and the geminal dimethyl group of the
cyclopropane ring, followed by conjugation. Major metabolites thus
formed were Cl2CA in free and glucuronide form, sulfate conjugate of
4'-hydroxy-3-phenoxybenzoic acid (4'-OH-PBacid), PBacid in free and
conjugate form, and oxidized forms of Cl2CA as glucuronide
conjugate. Less than 0.7% of the dose was detected in the milk of
goats or cows when they were given permethrin orally.

In dogs, the NOELs were 50 mg/kg body weight and 100 mg/kg body weight
in different 3-month studies.

In higher doses - this poison enlarges the liver and has some negative affects on the nervous system.

I think your vet made a sound suggestion, If this works for you & your dog -great. Now I am going to look up dog collars and other stuff.

Wise Old Owl
08-24-2008, 11:45
The active ingredients in Frontline plus are fipronil and S-methoprene. Frontline plus acts against all stages of the brown dog tick, the American dog tick, lone star tick and deer ticks. Deer ticks are the major carriers of Lyme Disease. Frontline plus is also active against the adult flea, flea larvae and flea eggs. Research shows that it kills 100% of fleas on dogs within 18 hours of application and 100% of ticks within 48 hours of application. How does it work? Frontline plus acts by hyperstimulating fleas so you might notice that the fleas seem even more active just before they die. Frontline plus is waterproof and is used as a monthly application for dogs over 8 weeks of age.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fipronil is a broad spectrum insecticide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticide) that disrupts the insect central nervous system by blocking the passage of chloride ions through the GABA receptor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABA_receptor) and glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCl), components of the central nervous system. This causes hyperexcitation of contaminated insects' nerves and muscles. Insect specificity of fipronil may come from a better efficacy on GABA receptor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABA_receptor) but also on the fact that GluCl does not exist in mammals.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-0#cite_note-0)
Fipronil is a slow acting poison. When mixed with a bait it allows the poisoned insect time to return to the colony or haborage. In cockroaches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach) the feces and carcass can contain sufficient residual pesticide to kill others in the same nesting site. In ants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant), the sharing of the bait among colony members assists in the spreading of the poison throughout the colony. With the cascading effect, the projected kill rate is about 95% in 3 days for ants and cockroaches.
Toxic baiting with Fipronil has also been shown to be extremely effective in locally eliminating German wasps (yellowjackets). All colonies within foraging range are completely eliminated within one week.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-1#cite_note-1) Beneficial insects, such as honeybees, are not affected by this method as they are not interested in the bait.
Fipronil is used as the active ingredient in Frontline (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontline) Top Spot at about 9.8% concentration, and is used together with (S)-methoprene (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methoprene) (8.8%) in Frontline Plus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontline_Plus), a topical flea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flea) and tick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick) control commonly used on dogs and cats. It kills adult fleas before they lay eggs. It is also the active ingredient in Over N Out season long fire ant control product.
After a local application of Frontline, fipronil is slightly absorbed (approx. 15%) through the skin. Low levels of fipronil may be detected in the plasma, with a very high variability between dogs.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-2#cite_note-2)
It is also the active ingredient of Regent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_(insecticide)), now marketed by BASF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASF), which also sells Fipronil under the brand name Termidor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termidor) for use as a conventional barrier treatment for termites (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite) and also as a dust to be blown into termite tunnels. In the US, ant Fipronil based gels are sold under the MaxForce (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MaxForce&action=edit&redlink=1) brand (mfg. Bayer), and under the Combat brand (mfg. Dial Corp). Both brands carry .001% Fipronil by weight as the active ingredient. Agricultural products include Chipco Choice for use against pests of field corn, golf courses and commercial turf.
It acts by binding to an allosteric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allosteric_regulation) site of GABAA receptors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABAA_receptor) and GluCl receptor (of the insect), a form of non-competitive inhibition.
Acute oral LD50 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LD50) (rat) 97 mg/kg
Acute dermal LD50 (rat) >2000 mg/kg
In animals and humans, fipronil poisoning is characterized by vomiting, agitation, and seizures, and can usually be managed through supportive care and early treatment of seizures.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-3#cite_note-3) [5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-4#cite_note-4) This risk may be associated with the withdrawal of the MaxForce (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MaxForce&action=edit&redlink=1) tick management product.[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fipronil#cite_note-5#cite_note-5)
In May 2003, the DGAL (Direction Générale de l'Alimentation du ministère de l'Agriculture ) indicated a case of bee mortality observed in Southern France related to Fipronil acute toxicity. Intoxication was linked to defective seed treatment, which generated dust. The seed treatment involved has since been forbidden.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]

sasquatch2014
08-24-2008, 18:57
y'all, be careful before you go playing around with those. they're made for 1000 lb animals and they're mainly for fly control. they don't put them on humans for a reason, no matter who told you what.

We used them when I was out in Wyoming and one of the hands that I worked with got pretty sick from them. really designed for Bovine and not recommended for horses either I have heard of them getting sick as well.

Wise Old Owl
08-25-2008, 11:58
Thanks Chris - I figured someone would remember someone getting sick