[MrVivas]

Our Chupie got his last set of puppy vaccinations two weeks ago. It's now the time for me to start treating for fleas/ticks and giving him his heartworm preventive.

So a couple questions:

1. Where do you get your meds from?
   
   I checked 1800petmeds and amazon...certainly better prices but don't want to miss out on other good sites. [I will stay away from eBay as I'm just not confident if those are the real meds]​
2. What medicines to you use?
   
   The vet's office wanted to sell me Heartgard Plus and Frontline Plus - I looked in the forums and a lot of you seem to like Iverhart max and I'm leaning towards that.
   For fleas/ticks someone recommended PetArmor but I've also heard of dogs having seizures and such things - makes me want to avoid them.
   Frontline? Advantix? Are there other good (cheaper) ones?
   I live in Indiana and apparently ticks got bad this year and Lyme disease started spreading so I really want to make sure my dog is protected.
   ​
3. Do you recommend getting the 12 doses?
   
   This is the cheapest way to get them but I don't want to be stuck with 11 doses if they don't work...how did you handle that?​

Thanks for your help!

 

[Kylie's Mom]

All the medications are dosed by weight. We have been buying Heartguard Plus and Advantix in individual doses from our military vet since Kylie was 8 wks to make sure we have the correct dose for the weight of our puppy, Kylie. She is 20 weeks and about 34-35 lbs.

Did your vet say not to give Heartguard and flea protection until after the shots? We started right away, when we got our puppy.

 

[cgriffin]

How old is your pup?
Personally, I would start a pup on heartworm preventative earlier than after the last set of shots are given. Mine always started on preventative, once I brought them home from the breeder and had them for their first vet visit.

I also think Heartgard Plus and Frontline Plus are a good way to go.
I know nothing of Iverheart, I just heard they have had a lot of recalls, so I would not trust it. Also no to PetArmor, which I think is the cheap Walmart version of Frontline Plus which is most likely made in China or another third world country that just does not have our strict regulations.

I would go by your vet's guidelines with Heartgard Plus and Fronline Plus and see if it works for you.

Also your pup is still growing, so don't get a 12 pack, weigh him monthly and maybe for now, just buy one monthly dose at a time. Single doses are sold at some vet clinics, mine is one of them. Single doses should always be available for puppy dosing anyway.

 

[MrVivas]

My pup will be 18 weeks old this saturday and he weighs 34 lbs. He has been getting the heartworm preventive at his vets visit every time but since we won't be going monthly it's now time for me to take care of that

The weight was one of my concerns for buying the 12 pack.

 

[MrVivas]

any others have any feedback?

 

[Artnlibsmom]

We were originally using Interceptor for Heartworms but our vet had a problem getting it a few years ago so we switched to Heartgard Plus. We didn't have any problems with either. As for flea and tick control, we recently changed to Activyl Plus because the darn bugs seemed to be developing a resistance to the Frontline Plus that we were using. The Activyl Plus has seemed to keep the bugs at bay but the first application did cause a long-lasting "greasy" residue similar to what we had with Frontline, but lasting much longer. Maybe it was the application process. We'll try again and if the big grease spill remains a problem, we'll be looking for something else.

 

[Golden999]

800petmeds is solid. Make sure you look around for a discount coupon code. You can usually get $5 or 10% off at any given time.

Amazon sometimes farms out it's stuff to third party sellers. I used to order my Frontline Plus from them when they only sold it directly and it was fine, but suddenly I saw it listed as being sold through random third party sellers that'd change every time I'd order, and I checked reviews and saw people were getting things like tubes (it doesn't come in a tube) in the mail from some less reputable third party sellers, etc.. They do disclose whether they are selling it themselves or through a third party, though- I think it depends on the dog's size and stuff.

I've always used the combination of Heartguard Plus and Frontline Plus, and I do think ordering online is the way to go. There is far less markup than at the vet's office, and in general I don't like the conflict of interest of vets diagnosing a problem, prescribing a medicine, and then profiting from the medicine they've prescribed for the problem they've identified. I feel more comfortable with getting most of my medicine from a different source, just like my human doctor calls medicines in to a separate pharmacy. My pocketbook feels more comfortable with ordering online also.

 

[Dallas Gold]

Do not order heartworm preventive online- you want to make sure that it isn't bogus- the consequences are too great and risky if you get counterfeit medicine. See if your vet will price match. If not, and if you really want to go online, make sure it's a VIPP pharmacy, that meets the standards set by the organization. That means proper storage at proper temperatures, etc. If you need it during the extreme heat or cold, make sure the shipper doesn't keep it in the delivery truck above the recommended storage temperatures.

As far as flea meds, Pet Armor caused seizures in dogs. It is made in India and the inert ingredients are possibly the culprit. Personally I'd avoid it like the plague. I also switched to Activyl with good results, other than the greasy slicks. That said, we've given Yogi 2 baths and he's gone swimming twice and it's still protecting him. Even though a med says it's waterproof, it's not if your pup swims or gets a lot of baths. I believe another forum member did some research and if your dog gets wet more than once or twice a week it may not give full protection.



We switched to Heartgard plus after Interceptor went off the market. It's OK. Iverhart has a generic but one was recently recalled...no details, you can google search it.

I personally avoid Comfortis and Trifexis given they don't cover ticks. Our Toby had a horrific reaction to Comfortis and we don't want to see him suffer like that ever again. Many dogs experience seizures on it and there is a class action suit forming against the manufacturer.

We bought 6 months of the HG+ for our puppy at the dosage below the 45 lb one. We weighed him right before each dose and at the end we ended up giving him 2 doses to get to the weight limit.He's now on his adult dosage as he's 54 lbs. Make sure you break it up so the dog chews it. There are problems if the dog swallows whole- he/she may not get the full protection. I dose with a meal too. I also give Hw and Flea/tick on separate days to minimize adverse reactions.

We went with a 12 month prescription for the adult dosing because it is cheaper. If you have more than one dog, make sure each dog has a prescription, even if you share because you want the manufacturer to pay for HW treatment should there be a failure not attributed to yours or your dog's fault.

 

[Golden999]

Do not order heartworm preventive online- you want to make sure that it isn't bogus- the consequences are too great and risky if you get counterfeit medicine.

Do you really think 1800petmeds is selling bogus or counterfeit medicine? They're the largest online pet pharmacy in the country, require prescriptions, and so on and so forth. Every box of Heartguard I've gotten from them has looked exactly like the ones I got from my vet, as have the chewables and interior packaging. They smell the same, have the same consistency, etc.. The Frontline Plus I switched over to them for later has also perfectly matched what I used to get elsewhere. I have a relative who has used them almost religiously for other preventatives (She uses alternative heartworm and flea/tick meds) for years and always recommends the site to people. She was using them long before I was.

I'm open to seeing real proof that it could be a bogus pharmacy, but, in that case, I sincerely doubt it's bogus. I've had great experiences with them.

Now, Amazon, on the other hand, has made a real mistake in farming out some of their flea/medicine selling to third parties that are less reliable, and aren't a pet medicine company by trade. I love Amazon- but for e-books and music and random household stuff and clothing and such, not for medicine. And there are plenty of questionable online pet pharmacies.

So, in general, I agree with the gist of your warning, I just think 1800petmeds has established it's credibility, at least to the extent you can trust anyone (Including veterinary practices one doesn't know well). Don't you?

 

[Dallas Gold]

You know Golden 999 I'm not going to argue my personal opinion with you. Have a nice day.

 

[Golden999]

On a side note, it's worth tossing in there that Wal-Marts in some areas have begun stocking Frontline Plus on their shelves, and distributing Heartguard Plus at their pharmacy counters with valid written veternary prescriptions. I had to buy Frontline Plus there once when I was going to be away from home and couldn't get it delivered and it was fine. I've never tried them for Heartguard Plus (I like 800petmeds, and had severe problems dealing with Wal-Mart for my human prescriptions, prompting a switch to another pharmacy years ago, and thus don't want to deal with their pharmacy counter for dog prescriptions either).

 

[MrVivas]

So it seems like Frontline and Heartguard seem to be recommended the most. Any Advantix experience?

 

[anguilla1980]

I went with Sentinel for worms and fleas.

Why buy multiple products and increase cost/complexity?

The doggy shampoo I use on him weekly is a 10day flea/tick preventative too.

 

[MrVivas]

Why buy multiple products and increase cost/complexity?

My only concern with that is that since ticks apparently were bad this season, that they won't be taken care of with just the shampoo. Also, I know very frequent baths have been known to dry their skin so I would like to avoid that..

Have you seen any changes in your pup's coat because of the frequent baths?

 

[Ohiomom9977]

So it seems like Frontline and Heartguard seem to be recommended the most. Any Advantix experience?

I like Advantix much better than Frontline. I order they Petco.com & I believe it is sold in 4 dose, 6 dose & 12 dose pkg. Always follow the dosing guidelines. I got the 4 pack when Charlie was 3 or 4 months old & we were able to use all 4 before he got to the next higher dose.

Edited to add: Also, we use heartguard plus for heartworm preventative


Sent from Petguide.com Free App

 

[Dallas Gold]

Why buy multiple products and increase cost/complexity?

I'd rather experience complexity than give my dog something simple that might not work or might cause major health issues such as seizures or severe gastric issues. I'm not referencing Sentinel, but am thinking of Trifexis and Comfortis.

 

[anguilla1980]

My only concern with that is that since ticks apparently were bad this season, that they won't be taken care of with just the shampoo. Also, I know very frequent baths have been known to dry their skin so I would like to avoid that..

Have you seen any changes in your pup's coat because of the frequent baths?

Thats a true, plus I live in the city so only have ticks when I take him to the mountains, in which case I bath him Fridays so a weekend mountain trip the shampoo would be fresh.

I haven't no but I've only given him 2 baths, only had him home for 10 days now. I can't imagine not bathing him once a week, just for the dog smell if nothing else. Plus it makes his coat so soft and fluffy lol. I'm not even sure how I would know if it's drying his skin unless he started itching the same spot over and over. I'll have to keep an eye on that. I'm super careful to REALLY rinse him well and towel dry him.

 

[anguilla1980]

I'd rather experience complexity than give my dog something simple that might not work or might cause major health issues such as seizures or severe gastric issues. I'm not referencing Sentinel, but am thinking of Trifexis and Comfortis.

Good, you scared the crap out of me there for a second lol! The breeder told me they have always been giving all their goldens Sentinel so I just went with that. I figured they would have the experience I could trust. Although they were also feeding him Purina Pro Plan and I switched him right away to Orijen.

 

[Golden999]

I went with Sentinel for worms and fleas.

Why buy multiple products and increase cost/complexity?

If you want tick and lice protection. There was a walking trail near where I used to live that I'd take the dog to occasionally, and the place was full of ticks in one of the worst areas in the US for lyme disease. With Frontline Plus, my dog would often come out with no ticks, or at most two or three, and I only saw one ever attach to his skin while on the product.

I switched to what was supposed to be a straight generic for the product and on three separate trips he came out crawling with hundreds of ticks that took days to remove. I'd think I got them all, go to flush them down the toilet, and come back and more would crawl up. Back to Frontline Plus and he didn't get them anymore except the occasional 1-3 ticks that weren't attached to his body and looked sickly.

I actually kind of wish there was a tick preventative for humans, because I get more ticks than the dog does when he's on Frontline Plus!

I do vaccinate him for lyme disease, but the lyme vaccine on the market is only partially effective. There are enough problems with it that I am not comfortable with it as my only line of protection.

Anyhow, I am not sure why the generic didn't work. I normally use generic human medicines across the board for myself and the dog takes some generic stuff for his allergies. The flea/tick product wound up getting pulled for violating a patent, and in combination with my experiences, I think it might indicate a lack of attempt to detail from the company that was making it. I mean, that patent was clear as day- I read some of the actual legal briefs online and I'm not a lawyer and clearly understood that the combination drug was patented and when the patent would expire (Which wasn't when they thought it would). I kind of wonder if a company like that could be trusted to have gotten the medicine right. They still have a product that is just a generic for the old Frontline Top Spot on the shelves.

 

[anguilla1980]

Hmmm, good points. Perhaps I'll use Frontline in addition to Sentinel when I know I'm going to be taking him those types of places. Thanks!