Dogs, Ticks and Advantix - Lessons Learned (1 Viewer)

[DBK]

On post number 126 on this thread: https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/two-go-back-to-spain.173803/page-7#post-2841199 I mentioned we started finding lots of ticks on our dog Charlie while in Spain. I initially thought this was because we were a few days late treating him but it has happened again. Yesterday I took three off him and found another walking on the fur of his leg. The three I removed were quite small so had only just latched on. Given we treated him on 12 May this is just under 28 days ago, and every 28 days is the interval recommend by our vet.

So what's going on? I downloaded a PDF written by the manufacturer which states Advantix is effective against two types of tick for four weeks but only three weeks for a third type Dermacentor reticulatus which is not native to the UK but it is now found in coastal areas of the SW and west Wales. However, it is widespread in the rest of southern Europe.

A possible secondary factor is Charlie falls between two dose sizes. There is a tube for dogs 4 to 10kg of 1ml size and one for dogs 10 to 25kg in weight with 2.5ml of the medicine. Charlie weighs 9.5kg so he has the smaller dose. I guess we could use the larger size but that would mean him getting two and a half times the dose he's on now of a potent pesticide.
So we won't be doing that.

While we are on this trip we are now going to treat him every 21 days and I'll have a chat with the vet when we get back. This means he will get another dose a week before we get the ferry.

So the lesson learned I think is depending where you are you may need to treat for ticks more often than the standard 28 days.

But don't follow my advice - talk to your vet first!

And check your legs - I found one crawling up my leg today.

The PDF I downloaded was here: https://www.vet-medic.com/downloads/1373453858ADVAD-advantix-spot-on-dog-datasheet.pdf

 

[Ridgeway]

We've not found a treatment that's really that effective after about 14 days, 20ish at the absolute max. We treat EVERY 3wks religiously from April to end Oct.

Both my wife and I get several on us most days, i've got lots of scars from where I've dug them out, probably 20 or so on my chest and 30 on my legs.

We always put our doogies in the utility room when they return from a walk and leave them there for 1-2hrs and this is when nearly all the tics come off them. Unfortunately our Irish Terrier has a habit of taking dirty clothes out of the clothes basket and he makes a bed out of them, the tics often end up in here and when we go to load the washer 1 or 2 take their opportunity......

If you're in a high tic area a shampoo treatment can be good as the tics fall off before latching on to the host. It does need applying once a week though, more is better.

 

[DBK]

We've not found a treatment that's really that effective after about 14 days, 20ish at the absolute max. We treat EVERY 3wks religiously from April to end Oct.

Both my wife and I get several on us most days, i've got lots of scars from where I've dug them out, probably 20 or so on my chest and 30 on my legs.

We always put our doogies in the utility room when they return from a walk and leave them there for 1-2hrs and this is when nearly all the tics come off them. Unfortunately our Irish Terrier has a habit of taking dirty clothes out of the clothes basket and he makes a bed out of them, the tics often end up in here and when we go to load the washer 1 or 2 take their opportunity......

If you're in a high tic area a shampoo treatment can be good as the tics fall off before latching on to the host. It does need applying once a week though, more is better.

Sounds like our experience is mild compared to yours! I did find on this website advice not to use detergent shampoos - but how you know which is which I'm not sure. It's under the section about Advantix being waterproof.
https://www.bayerdvm.com/products/k9-advantix-ii/

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[Ridgeway]

Yes it's good to avoid any water at all for 2 days or so after these topical treatments, not always easy with some dogs.

Seresto collars are actually a pretty good alternative and we had some success last year with them although one of our woofers has an adverse reaction to them so we stopped using them.

 

[sdc77]

We use a scalibor collar on both of ours. Lasts for up to 6 months .... (I'd think 4 is more realistic) ...but no ticks.

 

[Ridgeway]

We use a scalibor collar on both of ours. Lasts for up to 6 months .... (I'd think 4 is more realistic) ...but no ticks.

Scalibor are OK for fleas, but seems pretty useless on tics, cheaper than Seresto though.

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[TerryL]

As well as the monthly medication we use a tick/flea collar while out and about. Don't seem to have had any problems with our Westie.

 

[sdc77]

Scalibor are OK for fleas, but seems pretty useless on tics, cheaper than Seresto though.

Strange... on our Collies we get absolutely no ticks at all with the Scalibor collars.
They have advocate for fleas

 

[Burgo]

We use a scalibor collar each on our three, changed every 6 months. We buy 2 x large size, and use the old clips to join together the off cuts to make a third. We also Advantix every month using the up to 40 kg pipette, giving half to Rosie (27 kg) and divvy the rest up between the two little dogs. Never had a problem with fleas or ticks. We also worm monthly in summer (May to Sep) against heart & intestinal worms, bimonthly in winter as heart worm less of an issue then. YMMV and if in doubt see a vet..

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[sdc77]

@Burgo great idea 're making the third ..thanks

 

[Cat53]

You might like to try this. Have used the soap on my puppy’s paws and it is lovely. Having neem oil and tee tree it’s a natural insect repellant. And it leaves the fur wonderfully soft. https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/601...o-bar-insect-repellent?ref=shop_home_active_1

 

[old-mo]

Just out of curiosity.... We give Daisy our dog treatment every month...

We use "Flea Away"... 1m through a syringe near her collar and onto the skin....

We have never found a Flea or Tick...

Having a field at our disposal and that is the only place she can run around freely...

Do "Ticks" live in long grass and where no animal ie Cows/Horses/Sheep have been for nearly a year.???

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[Dogeared]

Scalibor appears to work well on ours, just coming up to six months on ours, and not seen tick or flea, even though she loves water

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

You might like to try this. Have used the soap on my puppy’s paws and it is lovely. Having neem oil and tee tree it’s a natural insect repellant. And it leaves the fur wonderfully soft. https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/601...o-bar-insect-repellent?ref=shop_home_active_1

I used to dilute pure tea tree oil in water and spray it on our kids hair, before school. It stopped them getting nits if they were rife in class. I’d also put a few drops in the conditioner bottle too.

 

[Ridgeway]

Just out of curiosity.... We give Daisy our dog treatment every month...

We use "Flea Away"... 1m through a syringe near her collar and onto the skin....

We have never found a Flea or Tick...

Having a field at our disposal and that is the only place she can run around freely...

Do "Ticks" live in long grass and where no animal ie Cows/Horses/Sheep have been for nearly a year.???

Tics can lay dormant for a long time, probably a year or so ??? but will likely move out of fields where there's nothing to feed on. But yes they seem to prefer long grass, especially on path edges and hot spots are where there's any regular animal traffic like deer which are tic magnets.

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[Ridgeway]

I think overall not seeing a tic or flea on an animal isn't necessarily a sign of a treatment successfully working, it could just be that the animal wasn't greatly exposed to the parasite.

On heavy testing here the Scalibor collars had limited effect and for a much shorter period than marketed, the Seresto collar were better but still fell short of claims although they are also more expensive.

Be careful using both collars and topical treatments as it's a form of double dosing and some animals react to this, one of ours is fine with it and the other isn't so we stopped it.

 

[DBK]

We used a Scalibor collar and Advantix on our first trip to southern Europe but I too was subsequently concerned about overdosing. Both contain a pyrethroid insecticide though a different type but in addition, Advantix contains Imidocloprid which is possibly why, unlike the Scalibor collar, it is effective against sandflies - which can carry the deadly Lieshmaniasis disease. However, it is only effective against one type of sandfly for two weeks, for other species it is three weeks. There is a vaccine against Lieshmaniasis but it isn't 100% effective.

 

[Burgo]

"it is only effective against one type of sandfly for two weeks, for other species it is three weeks". Interesting. Never heard that in 12 years of living here and with Mrs. B being involved with a dog rescue centre. What's the source / where did you hear that?

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[DBK]

"it is only effective against one type of sandfly for two weeks, for other species it is three weeks". Interesting. Never heard that in 12 years of living here and with Mrs. B being involved with a dog rescue centre. What's the source / where did you hear that?

The PDF I linked to above published by the manufacturer. It's at the bottom of the first post. Have a look at it and see if you read it the same way as I do.

 

[Burgo]

Apologies. I just checked the Pdf, then your post, and I misread your post as referring to Scalibor, not Advantix. Scalibor is good against ticks for 6 months, fleas for 4, but the main reason we use them is as a deterrent against the Phlebotomy sand fly which carries leishmaniasis The active ingredient is Deltametrina 40 mg/g

 

[Burgo]

Scalibor data sheet...

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[Rachael33]

We use Advantix and then two weeks later Advocate and two weeks later back to Advantix and so on. Lindy very rarely has a tick on her and I always carry two sizes of tick removing tool with me just incase!