FLEA & TICK PREVENTION

What can we do to protect our dog from fleas and ticks?

A flea prevention program makes great sense for dogs, including those that spend a lot of time outdoors, those who live by wooded areas and those who are often around other pets when they visit boarding kennels, doggy daycare centers and dog parks. There are a variety of options to choose from when choosing flea-fighting tools. Each alternative has its own unique advantage. Based on your individual needs, read the list below and chose the best choice for you and your pet.

Topical Monthly Preventives: are quick and easy to apply, taking only a few minutes. Simply pour these liquids on the skin along the dog’s back. In a brief period of time,this liquid will use the oils that naturally occur on the dog’s skin to spread throughout the coat, providing safe and effective flea protection for a month. It’s important not to wash the dog or have him get wet for three or four days after the medicine is applied. This will give the preventative time to spread over the coat. With most products, once this brief period is up, the dog can get wet without reducing the effectiveness of the preventative. However, you should check the manufacturer’s label before making this assumption.

The products Pet Supplies “Plus” carries in this area include Frontline Plus, Bio Spot-Spot On, Hartz Advance Care, Advantage, Advantix, Zodiac Pet Care, Sergeant’s Natural Defense Squeeze- On and Sentry Pro Squeeze-On.

Oral Monthly Preventives: These protect the dog by disrupting the development of fleas, preventing eggs and larvae from growing into the adult parasite. In many ways, they are more convenient than topical medications, and dogs readily accept them.

The products Pet Supplies “Plus” carries in this area include Program.

Flea and Tick Collars: These collars work by releasing chemicals that kill fleas. Although these are the least effective and slowest acting form of flea prevention, they are also simple, easy and inexpensive.

The products Pet Supplies “Plus” carries in this area include Hartz 2 in 1 Flea & Tick Collar and 3 in 1 Control Collar, Zodiac Flea Collars, Fleatrol & Tick Collar.