Topical Flea Meds

[Guest jackieandryan]

One vet this past summer talked me into using Revolution. Now I am reading and being told that it isn't 100% effective on Heart Worm, like the oral meds are.

 

A more recent vet recommended Vetra 3d for Flea and Tick control. Apparently it is new and only available through the vet, which leaves me skeptical.

 

 

Just curios as to what everyone uses and why you choose to use it.

 

*btw, I know there are already some threads covering this topic, but I am looking for anyone with information on Vetra 3D or information as to why topic heartworm treatment isn't as good as oral*

Edited December 13, 2007 by jackieandryan

[juliepoudrier]

Jackie,

I can only guess as to why the topical might not be as good as the oral, and I think that would have to do with how it's applied and absorbed by the dog into its system. Things that come into play would be whether it was applied properly, whether it had time to absorb properly before, for example, being washed off, and other things of that nature. I'm guessing that even differences in a dog's skin (abnormalities or whatever) that could affect absorprion could then affect efficacy of the medication (for example, I have a geriatric dog who has some skin issues, and I often wonder if the condition of his skin has an effect on how well Advantix is absorbed and spread over his body). Oral medication goes right down the hatch and so, assuming you've got the correct dose, it should all be absorbed into the system and therefore be effective. That's just a guess of course.

 

As for Vetra 3D, I've never heard of it. If the price is comparable to the other products that are available I would consider using it, especially if it was a chemical in a different class from what's already out there--the idea being that if the fleas/ticks are developing resistance to the current crop of products, then a new class of chemical might actually be more effective than what's already out there and worth a try. That said, if it's more expensive and the current products are working for you, then I'd stick with what's working and keep the new stuff as a backup for when the current stuff stops working (which it will eventually do--fleas have managed to become resistant to every chemical control that has been developed so far). Let me "background" my comments by noting that I used to use Frontline, but it stopped working for me (others report that it still works fine for them) and switched to Advantix. I think it's just a matter of time before I start having trouble with Advantix, at which time I will be looking for something else that works. Hence my comments above--if Vetra 3D *is* something different, then it would be my next logical choice in my fight against fleas (and ticks--is it supposed to work against ticks too?).

 

Sorry I can't be any more help than that. BTW, I does my dogs separately for HW prevention so have no need to use a "combination" product like Revolution.

 

J.