nowwown Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hi, We walk and run with Cody regularly outdoors and have been removing at least two to three deer ticks a day that get onto him. Is this normal? I thought Frontline was supposed to repel these awful bugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Hi, We walk and run with Cody regularly outdoors and have been removing at least two to three deer ticks a day that get onto him. Is this normal? I thought Frontline was supposed to repel these awful bugs. I don't think Frontline actually advertises itself as a tick repellant does it? In fact, I believe Merial states that it can take up to 48 hours for Frontline to kill a tick once the tick has *attached* to the dog. They also claim that the tick's mouth parts are paralyzed within 24 hours (the window of opportunity for the transmission of Lyme disease), but I'm not quite sure I buy that. At any rate, Frontline stopped working for me ages ago (though others on this forum are still reporting success with it). I am now using Advantix (Advantic claims to be a mosquito repellant I think, but I can't remember for sure--I'd have to check their website), but I still find ticks attached sometimes. I still figure any protection is better than none, but it sure is frustrating to find attached ticks after using these expensive products.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Were the ticks attached? I thought what Frontline did was to make it so the ticks can't attach, they crawl around and die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowwown Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Were the ticks attached? I thought what Frontline did was to make it so the ticks can't attach, they crawl around and die. Most were just crawling but one was definitely attached. I HATE those little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WoobiesMom Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I use Frontline also. My vet said it's still possible for ticks to attach, it's just that they will die and fall off. I'm not sure how transmission of disease is prevented, though. Off to read the label... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Trust me we had a horrible fiasco last year with Rivendell, ticks are ...well... icky. Here is a link to my post about them last year lol.. http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index.p...ic=1305&hl= ETA: Sorry we also use frontline and it works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WoobiesMom Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 hmmm, okay, now I'm a bit concerned. It says it kills these critters, but if one attaches, there's no indication that it prevents disease transfer. grrr off to call the vet now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Annie and Missy also use Frontline. Our vet, however, says that this may not be enough to repel ticks. When Annie and I go to her favorite park for swimming (to get to the water, we must track through brush), Annie wears a special tick collar that provides a much higher level of protection. This tick-specific collar that we get through the vet is not cheap, but there are other products that can provide protection more inexpensively; one example is Tick Collar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Mom Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I wouldn't even know what a tick looked like if I saw one LOL.. we have none in PEI. *goes off to search for a picture of an icky* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Mom Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Umm... EWWWWWW they look so nasty!!!!! *itches all over* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 My understanding is that Frontline needs to be applied monthly to be effective with ticks. We use it monthly (and Hoku swims daily), and find one or two a week crawling on him, but not attached. A friend with a Golden says that she needs both front line and the tick collar to keep her Velcro girl tick free. She also is careful to remove the collar when her girl swims. Yuck, I just hate those buggers, they are just the creepest things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Frontline isn't worth the packaging it's wrapped in. It doesn't repel ticks and yes, it can take up to 48 hrs to have attached ticks fall off, thus allowing the ticks to still transmit diseases. If you want to use a topical F/T product that REPELS ticks, you'll need to use something with Permethrin or some other synthetic pyrethroid in it. Synthetic pyrethroids interrupt the nervous system (neurotoxin) of the pests thus killing them quickly. Frontline uses an insecticide called Fipronil as their main pest-killing ingredient. This is not a synthetic pyrethroid and is a slow acting insecticide (it is still a neurotoxin but is much slower acting than pyrethroids) that allows pests time to retreat back to their nests before they die (widely used for cockroaches). Hence the reason ticks don't die quickly with Frontline. K9 Advantix is the big name F/T product with Permethrin (although several OTC products also have Permethrin in them). If your dog has ticks on it, my best suggestion is to remove them yourself. Toughen up, grab and pull. Start a morgue for the ticks if they are a big problem (a bottle of rubbing alcohol). Burn it when it gets full. It's very simple and I have probably removed upward of 500 ticks off of new foster dogs in the past 3 months alone. Yes, they are disgusting. But you're better off to pull them off as soon as you see them than to wait until they are engorged and they fall off and crawl into crevices in your house until they need another blood meal. You may be their next victim. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I can pull them off of dogs but if they get on me that's just disgusting!! Here is a good little breakdown of the different F/T chemicals: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article....d=0&aid=521 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I just want to add to what Debbie said about pulling ticks off yourself. Be careful to do it properly. Ideally you should grasp the tick (with tweezers) near the head and remove it by pulling straight back. There are also special tick-removal "spoons" that are supposed to work well. If you grab the tick by the body and squeeze while you are trying to remove it, you may just force the stomach contents (and therefore any disease organisms it's carrying) into the bite--thereby greatly increasing the chances of infecting your dog, should the tick be carrying something like Lyme or other TBDs. Woobies Mom, As I stated in my first post, Merial claims that Frontline kills the ticks within 48 hours but also supposedly paralyzes the tick's mouthparts within 24 hours--so supposedly if the mouth is paralyzed the tick won't be able to tranmit anything through a bite. Who knows if that's really true? Bustopher, As Hoku's mom noted, the Preventic collars (I assume that's what y'all are using) need to be removed before swimming. While they are supposed to be able to withstand getting wet in the rain and the like, prolonged contact with water while swimming kills their effectiveness. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I just want to add to what Debbie said about pulling ticks off yourself. Be careful to do it properly. Ideally you should grasp the tick (with tweezers) near the head and remove it by pulling straight back. There are also special tick-removal "spoons" that are supposed to work well. If you grab the tick by the body and squeeze while you are trying to remove it, you may just force the stomach contents (and therefore any disease organisms it's carrying) into the bite--thereby greatly increasing the chances of infecting your dog, should the tick be carrying something like Lyme or other TBDs. Yeah, I have gotten so used to removing them myself that I forgot there really is a proper way to do it. I am good at it now and I find the "tools" they make to remove ticks to be a pain in the butt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I just want to add to what Debbie said about pulling ticks off yourself. Be careful to do it properly. I LOVE tick twisters! I'm too clumsy to pull out ticks with my fingers without sqeezing them, and also too clumsy to use the tick tweezers they sell here . The twisters are as foolproof as it gets (plus they're cheap and "backpackstuffable" etc). I have used Frontline once (on one of our geo field trips), and there were far less ticks on her than on previous trips into the "flat lands" away from the Alps, but since it wasn't exactly the same area, my experience doesn't count for much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WoobiesMom Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I think I'm switching to K9 Advantix ('sides that singing puppy is cute!) and a collar when we're out. Luckily there's not too many in our yard, I dose it pretty regularly (and continue to try to get rid of the grubs and hence the moles) but we pick them up occasionally at the dog park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 My dog contracted Lyme disease while fully treated with Frontline. I switched to K9 Advantix, and he's been pretty much tick free. The package says to apply every 4 weeks, but I've gone 6 - 8 weeks between any sign that a tick is crawling on Buddy. (Once I find a crawler, I reapply.) I think K9 Advantix actually repels the suckers. I also think the ticks where I live (NE Massachusetts, the home base of Lyme disease!) may have become immune to Frontline. You CANNOT use K9 Advantix if you have cats! The chemicals can kill them, if they groom the dog. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 We have used Frontline on Fergie for her 11-1/2 years. She has never had an embedded tick. And we walk her at the pond, through the field, in the woods - everywhere. After the first 2 years, we have never found an embedded tick on either of us - same walks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Luckly I haven't found any on Black Jack which is good because there have been a few cases of spotted feaver around us. Hopefully I won't find any either. Great now I'm all buggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darci Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Hi, We walk and run with Cody regularly outdoors and have been removing at least two to three deer ticks a day that get onto him. Is this normal? I thought Frontline was supposed to repel these awful bugs. Keep Cody out of the taller grass, thats where they pick up most of the ticks. We bush hog paths through our property so we can take nice runs through the woods. Frontline is a pesticide, and you are putting pesticide on your dog and it is absorbing into the dogs blood stream through its pores. If the tick attaches, it will die after a day or two. I use a good flea collar in conjunction with my monthly frontline and my vet approved its use. Also every couple of months, its good to switch products instead of just using the front line. But be sure that the product that you use isnt also intended for heart worm, unless you have recently had your dog tested for it. There is a heart worm pill on the market that also says it works for fleas and ticks, but it can kill your dog if it has heart worms. Also, I have used, and Im not saying you should, Im just saying I have also, before I took my dogs out into the woods for a romp, sprayed bug repellent for people on them and it seems to work, and I havent had a dog sick or hurt from using it. I am a 25 yr veteran dog groomer. Educating owners about fleas and ticks is part of my job. I deal with these pests every day on my doggie clients. Talk to your vet, and your groomer about ways that you can better repel these pests. They are the pro's and can help you care for your dogs and keep your flea and tick problems in check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Mom Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Ever since I read this thread, and looked up a pic of a tick I've been having bad dreams about having them on me! *sniffs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonlvr Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 Hi all, I live in the hot south and my dogs have always been inside, other than playing frisbee and going to the bathroom. One thing that works wonders on fleas, ticks and most other insects is sevin dust. It is safe for animals. You can buy it in bags in any lawn and garden department. I sprinkle it all around the outside of the house and it keeps them out of there too. When I was a kid, my Grandpa used to actually put it on our dog that stayed outside. This may be of help in addition to whatever you use from the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 9, 2007 Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 RE: Advantix and cats I avoided Advantix for years, despite the fact that Frontline no longer appeared to be working for my dogs, because of the warning against using it around cats. My cats don't groom my dogs that I've ever seen, but they do sleep together and so are in close proximity to one another. Finally my vet told me that as long as the Advantix is dry it shouldn't harm the cats and that she used it on her dogs with cats in the household. Since switching to Advantix, I have had way fewer problems with ticks or fleas and no cats have died. I usually try to apply the Advantix when I'm heading out of town to a sheepdog trial so it has a good couple of days to dry before the cats might come into contact with it, but I don't always do that. Anyway, I've been using Advantix for nearly a year now, with 5 cats in residence, and none has been harmed--but as I noted I do take precautions to make sure the Advantix is dry on the dog before a cat might come into contact with it. If I had a cat that actually groomed my dogs, I might do something different. At any rate, at least talk to your vet before dismissing Advantix out of hand if you also have cats. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Hello, we are in tick country New Jersey and Chaos is in the woods at least 3 hours of everyday. I have found Advantix to work wonderfull. For about the first 2 weeks it also works as a repellent, after that any ticks will normally die and fall off after a few hours. They look like little dried raisins. Frontline does not work for him on fleas or ticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I am glad Advantix is working for you. When I lived in tick country NJ (Hunterdon County) from '99-'06, I also used Advantix successfully. But when I moved here to SW VA, I kept finding ticks all over my dog. Then when the second dog came, he had ticks too - even with Advantix 'protection' which I stubbornly continued for another year despite advice to use Frontline. I finally got fed up enough to try Frontline, but I also added a Preventic collar. Works great so far. Fingers crossed this combination doesn't lose effectiveness. Every time this topic comes up, you will read that Frontline works for some people, whereas it doesn't work for others. Same for Advantix. Jovi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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