flea and tick medication for dogs/cats

I've got a big dog and a little dog, and two relatively small cats. We used to live in Oregon, and I'd just buy "big dog" (4 mL) doses of Advantage, give one to the big dog, and with a syringe I would measure out doses for everyone else. With Advantage you can do this - it's the same medication for all animals, just in different amounts.

However, this is our first summer in Tennessee, and I'm worried about ticks also now. I don't think Advantage is supposed to work on ticks, so I guess I'll start looking around for alternatives. Does anyone else have any experience with a good flea/tick medication like this, where it can be shared between dogs and cats? I only ask because there is potential to save a whole lot of money (and that would make a difference to us right now!). Advice would be appreciated, thanks!

 

I use frontline plus. whether its the same for all cats and dogs i do not know....different amts, yes. i buy them each a single one every month...costs me $50 for three. of course it would be cheaper if i bought by the box. you just cannot put a price on keeping your babies flea and tick free............(not YOU i just mean in general) K9 advantix is another one i've heard of but have never used. it's supposed to repel them as well as kill them.

 

We use Advantage on our cat and dog.

 

Well you have to be careful-a friend of mine used either Frontline or Advantage (I can't remember which) on her cat-the problem is that she was using the type that was made for dogs. Her cat immediately got very sick and had to be taken to the animal emergency clinic-it cost her $1500 to save the cat. The vet told her real clearly that if it says "for dogs only" on the label, it means that for a reason! (she actually hadn't done it intentionally). Just a little word to the wise.

 

feeddem raw garlic in there food..

no serious..

 

Flea and tick meds made for dogs can make a cat VERY sick. A freind of mine tried to treat her cat with dog medicine for fleas, to "save money" (as she already had it in the house) and the poor cat's fur all fell out. ONLY use medication your trusted Vet recommends.

HipHil, I know you do a lot of your own doctorin yourself, but garlic and other vegetables in the Lily family can make many dogs very very sick. There is an enzyme in them that many dogs cannot process. Onions are also toxic to dogs (same family, the Lily.)

 

cure em or killem.. 6 of onehalf dozen of another.. its just a dog..

 

That's precisely why I'm researchng it I know that the Advantage we usually get is the same exact thing - I've compared ingrediets, talked to vets and I've even known vets who measured it out the way I do. If I can't find something that'll work the same and work on ticks as well, I'll spend the extra and take care of my little loves. Having them healthy is more important, but since money is tight for us I'm trying to pinch our pennies when I can!

 

We spray our dogs with 1 part teatree oil and 2 parts olive oil seems to work pretty good

 

Just beware of all Hartz Products! http://www.hartzvictims.org/
Hartz products cost me several hundred dollars in vet bills, and almost killed my cat.

 

I like the Frontline spray .... it is messier but goes so much further than the drops ...

I just used some on my cat ... Ive been putting it off for many months in spite of our pets having fleas... because Im trying to go chemical-less and ... Im also concerned about his age (10) ... I dont like putting this stuff on him.... my sister and I actually sit down and go through our pets fur sometimes and pick the fleas of and put them in soapy water to kill them... i guess thats the most natural form of flea control you can get ... lol....

But with fleas comes tapeworms so... its better to get rid of the fleas altogether... and in the south we have no escape from the freakin fleas.... its a constant battle... good luck!

 

getting rid of fleas will mean nothing if you dont get rid of the eggs. you have to stop the cycle. frontline plus is good for that. that's what i use.

 

I was just about to put a Hartz warning. My friend's dog almost died from one of their products, too.

 

We give Frontline to our dog once a month. Doesn't come cheap, but it works like a charm. Last year, when my family went on vacation, we allowed our Cassie to be dog-sat by a lady who had several animals of her own. When we got her back, she was completely covered in fleas... a few drops of medicine, and they were gone in a little over a day.