Fleas

RachRubyD

I had a little look around this forum about fleas already and got some information. However I just need a bit more advice. I own a small dog which at the moment has fleas (for the first time in her life) but I also live with my mum, who has a cat (I suspect fleas have come from her) and also stay at my partners house alot and he has a large dog. Now they all have fleas. In the past i've used Bob Martin flea products on the animals but after reading up never doing that again. My cat ripped her fur out (thought it was the flea collar) after an application and also when we bought the spray she foamed at the mouth. I was just naive I suppose and its so handy being able to just pick it up from local supermarket for a cheap price.

The large dog is on the PDSA, but flea treatment isn't free. They advised frontline or stronghold. They didn't say that you needed a prescription to buy these 2. Is a prescription free from the PDSA?

I rang my vets about the small dog and they said they advised Frontline Combo, which would be £24 for 3 months supply for each of the animal. Thats very expensive especially when i've seen the same product online for £13. Only issue is you need a prescription from the vets. My vets charge a fortune for a prescription and not only that but it cost me £10 just to get to the vets. Been meaning to change vets but its the best one in my area and since my dog has epilepsy wanted her to recieve best treatment.

The cat is registered at another vets so they will also charge for a prescription.

I took the first step and ordered Indorex for the house. I just don't know what to do really. Does the normal frontline work just as well? its on offer at the co-op at the moment.

Stronghold is also a little bit cheaper than frontline combo but not sure if it works just as well. I still have same issue as frontline combo with this anyway as it requires a prescription.

Also I seen a few people on here talk about Effipro Spot on and how it works the same as Frontline but is cheaper. On the website animedirect (which has the cheapest prices for all the above treatments) it just says Pet Registration is required, not sure if thats the same as prescription. It seems to be the most bought on their website as well which is pushing me in that direction.

If anyone can offer advice be so grateful. I have been treating the animals with lemon,rosemary oil and peppermint baths and hoovered everywhere but they still scratching away poor things. I didn't wanna waste money until I got advice from the vet and also other people who had the same issues. I don't have a lot of money, neither does my mum or my partner. I love my animals very much and spend all my money on worming tablets, epilepsy tablets every month not to mention the best food lol. So don't take this as me being mean and won't pay for the best treatment for my dog. I just can't afford £34 (vet flea tablet price and travel price) for 3 months worth of tablets on top of everything else.

Katiehound

Frontline has worked for me but my dogs rarely get fleas.
I think the website which wanted pet registation may be just that- just register the pets name.
Sorry I am not much help!

You could ask advice from the online pharmacies. Vet medic for example has a free phone number- and a vet on hand too.

Just to say , hope you are buying your wormers from online UK vet suppliers, not from the vet. There's a huge mark up on these- and unless your pet eats dead mice. birds etc you probably don't need to worm every 3 months. (Cestem is ame drug as Drontal but cheaper.)

RachRubyD

Alright I will give that vet uk a call then tomorrow see what they suggest. My partner is taken his dog the PDSA in the next few days anyway and going to pick up the flea treatment there if its not much difference in price than the online shops. When he is there he is going to ask if they could maybe also give us Frontline Combo for the smaller dog (my dog). I highly doubt they will as usually the animal has to be registered with the vet before they will write a prescription. But worth a shot.

I stupidly enough bought a years worth of wormers for dog from the vets. Was pricey but cheaper buying for the whole year and just wanted her treated. They are called Milbemax chewable tablets and we got 4 in the packet. They big massive treat looking things. Says they are 92p per tablet. The vet said they lasted 3 months each tablets. I can't remember the exact price but am sure it was around the £20 mark. Feel so stupid that i've been overcharged that much.

Its probably cheaper buying the tablets online for her epilepsy as well. But you need a prescription for this and the vet said it wouldn't work out much cheaper anyway. Cost me about £45 for 6 months supply and she has 2 a day. They called Phenobarbital 15mg. She has to go vets every 6 months for a check up anyway at the moment. So they don't charge for the prescription fee just for the check up and tablets. (I reckon they may just say come every year and check her when she gets needles). Anyone know if you can get the phenobarbital cheaper online (bare in mind the prescription fee cost from vet). Also as its a repeat prescription would you be charged by the vet for them writing up a repeat prescription?

My mums cat brings in dead animals all the time so she defo needs worming. We use the Bob Martin Flea and Worming spot on treatment. But as I said in my first post never using it again. Is that drontal a prescription medicine? My dog slides her bum on the floor all the time if she isn't wormed. She gets her glands done when she revisit vets and also introduced plently of porridge oats and brown rice/ pasta into her diet. She won't eat dog biscuits (I know they are better than the wet food) she thinks they are treats and wants to be hand fed them. Our own fault for spoiling her. At the moment I fed her different types of meat like chicken, beef and pork or fish such as sardines in sunflower oil, then mix fresh vegetables (carrots and peas) as well as brown pasta or oats into the mix. Just thought its better than the crap in the wet dog food such as pedigree and she adores meat and vegetables so makes her happy.

PRINCESSX87

I personally thing that frontline has lost its touch over the past few years. More and more people i know, have also agreed, Its too highly priced with very minor results. (Again, this is just a personal thing!)

So far i have tried my dog on various different treatments because a) He had these little !!!!!!s a few years ago and i HATE them! & b) because the area we're in its prone to ticks, again yuk!

Strong hold, Did have great results, however since ive last used it, its slowly crept up in price, Now all i do is weekly / fortnightly shampoo baths & buy flea spray and apply a few sprays weekly!

I do the above with my cats, minus the bath, instead, i use collars and brush them often. (They are short haired and i look stupid) but we are 2 years free of fleas (roughly!)

And finally, indorex! Best ever investment. Always buy when on special and keep a small stock pale, as people forget that in winter if you've not treated your pets / home enough then they are just waiting for the spring / summer for their feeds! x HTH

RachRubyD

Yeah I heard that frontline has lost its touch. However could this be because vets recommend it and its the highest selling flea treatment therefore most people use it an they say that fleas become resillient to the treatment, so thats why there is alot of complaints recently?

Well the frontline combo (small dog) is £13.51 for pack of 3
Stronghold (small dog) is £11.15 for pack of 3
Effipro Spot On (small dog) is £9.75 for pack of 4.

The Effipro is the cheapest and I don't need to pay for a prescription but does it work the same as the Frontline Combo. Someone said they both have the same ingredient that kills fleas but the combo has an extra ingredient that stops the eggs and fleas breeding in your home. But if we have the Indorex won't that stop them breeding anyway?

What flea spray do you buy? I don't really like bathing the dog as she hates being wet (shes a cav, think they known for it). The cat has a flea collar and we brush the dog and cat everyday but it doesn't stop the fleas. My mum thinks the cat doesn't have them but her fur always jumps and when she sleeps in my bed I feel really itchy. The cat goes out everyday, never seen a tick on either on them so thats not a worry but she catches mice and birds so she could catch fleas from these.

Does the indorex work for 12month as it says? Also I was hoping to be able to spray 2 houses with it. There is 3 bedrooms in each house but only carpet in the hallway in both homes. Do you think this is possibly or do I need to order 2 lots?
It was only £7.50 free delivery which is good if it last all year.

*Scarlett

You could have a look a Vet UK

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=frontline+combo

I have used this company for both prescription and non prescription products and found the service to be good.

RachRubyD

Its not the company/online shop am having the issue with, its getting the prescription medicine without being charged a fortune being my vets for a prescription. The vetuk you still need a prescription for :S. Plus that vetuk is more expensive than the one I have been looking at. Thanks for the post though.

gettingready

OK - I have used several pet pharmacies and like Animed DIrect best:

https://www.animeddirect.co.uk

For fleas you can use Advantage which is better than Frontline. Also, Advantage is available without prescription.

For worming - Drontal is easy enough. Again no prescription necessary.

With Animed Direct you register your pets (name, age, weight) as you create your account with them, nothing to do with prescriptions.

Very fast and free delivery

RachRubyD

Thats the website I been looking at. I couldn't post the link as am new but I do say about it on my first post. Its great isn't it, best price around for everything.

I heard about Advantage being good but isn't that similar to the Effipro Spot On, in that it only kills the fleas and doesn't stop the eggs.

Do you think that if I put the solution that only kills the fleas (but doesn't require prescription) and treat the house with Indorex that this should keep fleas at bay. As when the eggs hatch they can't live on dog due to the treatment and can't live in the house due to the Indorex?

I am going to ring my mums vet which the cat is a patient of as this is closer to where I live. I wouldn't had to pay travel cost. I thought i'd ask what flea treatment they have and how much. I may as well get my dog on their books as her epilepsy is sorted now, just on meds. Then even if they are selling the treatment as a higher price than the online stores, I could ask if they would charge a cheaper rate for 2 prescriptions or just charge for the price of one for both.

Has anyone used the Frontline Spray? Its £12.60 but it treats both cats and dogs. This could save money as I can use it on all 3 animals rather than buying seperate products. Its also listed as prescription only, but this wouldn't be an issue as we could get it under my partners dog name from the PDSA, either direct from them or via a free prescription from them.
Bit worried about the spray as last time we used a spray on cat she foamed at the mouth. But then again it was Bob Martin so what do you expect. I

gettingready

I have 1 latge dog and 4 cats not a single flea on them/in the house - using Advantage. To me that workds.

All my lot go out.

Vets will always charge much more than online pet pharmacies.

BUt if you use onlinbe pet phatmacies - make sure you use the legitinate ones, like the ones mentioned here.

Effipro - used it, was finding fleas. Effipro is like Frontline really and Frontline is not that effective any more.

You do NOT need a prescription for Advantage (fleas|) or Drontal (worms)

Advantage was on perscription only till few months ago anf in my opinion much better

RachRubyD

Well the Advantage is £1 more than the Effipro but I mean I don't mind spending £1 more. I looked online and they all just have the same ingredient anyway so you just paying for the name. I don't get that if they all have the same ingredient how some can work and others don't.

The combo has methoprene POM-V in addition which prevents flea eggs and larvae from developing into new fleas – an Insect Growth Regulator.

The Combo is only £13.51, but don't wanna waste like £3 if the cheaper non-prescription treatments do the job just the same.

I am really interested in the spray as I said it will treat all 3 animals. Effipro also do a spray and its same price if not £1 cheaper than the frontline but also requires a prescription.

Going to stock up on the drontal next year as i've still got 2 tablets left from the worming tablets I got from vets, and also suggest my mum and partner buy them for £4 odd for a year protection you can't go wrong. Sick of seeing my partners dog slides its bum along the floor haha.