Newbie Dog Owner Advice

Money_saving_maniac

IME over the counter flea stuff does not work anymore. Frontline used to be great but it doesn't touch the fleas round here.
I don't like overloading my boy with chemicals so he has the flea treatment every couple of months rather than every month.

Mupette

Please please please don't touch Bob Martin stuff.

elsien

My dog had a bad reaction to a flea collar - open sore on the neck within 24 hours that took weeks to heal. Was from a reputable pet store as well. Horrible things.

Feral_Moon

elsien wrote: »

My dog had a bad reaction to a flea collar - open sore on the neck within 24 hours that took weeks to heal. Was from a reputable pet store as well. Horrible things.

What sort of flea collar? Which brand/active ingredient etc? It really annoys me when people make such statements without giving relevant facts!

If you're talking about one of those you can buy in a supermarket or pet store then quite frankly I'm not surprised it caused a nasty rash! But, they're not all the same and neither do they all have the same active ingredients.

I don't know of a single dog to have an adverse reaction to a Scalibor collar yet, and I know a lot of dogs who use them. They're excellent at keeping ticks off dogs. Unlike other treatments whereby the tick first has to attach and bite before it dies thereby increasing risk of tick borne illness and infection.

I, and my friends, walk our dogs in a high risk area for ticks. Not one has been found on our dogs whilst wearing this collar. Unlike others who treat with Advantix or Frontline.

ETA: there is rarely such thing as a reputable pet store (I know of a couple of independents) and certainly not Pets at Home, if that's who you're referring to lol

trolleyrun

I use Seresto collar on mine and it seems expensive to buy at £40 but it lasts 8 months so works out at £5/month. No ticks or fleas in sight and I walk in areas where other dog owners get loads on theirs.

catkins

Money_saving_maniac wrote: »

IME over the counter flea stuff does not work anymore. Frontline used to be great but it doesn't touch the fleas round here.
I don't like overloading my boy with chemicals so he has the flea treatment every couple of months rather than every month.

I have had over 14 dogs over the years and, apart from when I lived abroad, have never regularly used any flea treatment. I have only once had a dog that got fleas.

I cannot see the point of using chemicals that may well not be needed.

I have always treated my cats for fleas but I now have an indoor cat so don't treat her either.

I do worm the dog and cat though

thorsoak

brokenheartedman wrote: »

Sorry forgot to mention I'll be rehoming a dog from a trust, aged between 2 and 5 ideally, all their dogs are microchipped and neutered/ spayed.

So to confirm I could buy "over the counter" flea and worming medication? How much would this cost per time for a Border Collie and how much would a vet charge?

Do they need vaccinations or a check up every 12 months? Again if so, potential cost?

Thanks

Please DO NOT USE over the counter flea and worming medication. I use vetmedsonline.co.uk for frontline and drontal - but please be aware - ivermectin (an ingredient in some wormers) should NOT be used for border collies - they can have a fatal reaction to it. Vetmeds do have a veterinary help desk, so you can always check on whatever you are ordering. Frontline an Drontal do not need a prescription signed by a vet, but often medication does require a vet's prescription (and vets will charge you anything from £5 to £25 for writing and signing a prescription, so be aware of that!)

Get some quotes for pet insurance - though I would advise against using E&L because they can be dreadful at paying out. Some vets do have a system where you can pay a set amount each month which will cover vaccinations and wormers etc -but it is a case of checking out the local vets and finding which one suits you.

Enjoy your puppy!

Fosterdog

There is no hard and fast rule about how to look after a dog and what works for one dog and owner may not work for another. I'm a huge believer in only treating something that is a problem rather than pumping my dogs full of chemical preventatives that they don't need.

Fleas are not a massive problem in my area, my dogs have never had fleas and one of my parents cats got them once but the other cats didn't and the house didn't get infested nor need treatment. I don't use any flea prevention at all, I check them for fleas once a week and not had a single sign of any fleas on any dog. My one dog had a tick between her toes once and I keep a tick remover in the house just in case but again use no preventatives and just one tick one time around five years ago isn't enough to make me dose them up.

I also don't worm my dogs, they have all been done once when first adopted or fostered and after that I get an annual worm count done (one for tape/intestinal worms and parasites and one for lungworms) and go on the results. My boy hasn't needed worming for four years now and every year he comes back clear for everything, my girl was adopted less than a year ago so she had an initial dose of drontal and she will just be tested once a year.

I get initial vaccinations done (not as puppies as all my dogs have been adopted as older dogs) and don't give boosters, I have them titre tested six months to a year after vaccination to check immunity and never vaccinate again if they show immunity at that time.

Saying all that my dogs don't go into kennels at all so I don't have to comply with any of their rules.

Feral_Moon

trolleyrun wrote: »

I use Seresto collar on mine and it seems expensive to buy at £40 but it lasts 8 months so works out at £5/month. No ticks or fleas in sight and I walk in areas where other dog owners get loads on theirs.

Seresto is POM (or at least it was last I checked) whereas Scalibor is now available without px and is only £13 and actually performs better. I've seen dogs with ticks whilst wearing a Seresto collar but have yet to see a dog with a tick whilst wearing Scalibor. Different active ingredients, therefore different actions upon the ticks.

Feral_Moon

catkins wrote: »

I have had over 14 dogs over the years and, apart from when I lived abroad, have never regularly used any flea treatment. I have only once had a dog that got fleas.

I cannot see the point of using chemicals that may well not be needed.

I have always treated my cats for fleas but I now have an indoor cat so don't treat her either.

I do worm the dog and cat though

Most fleas that are found on a dog are cat fleas. If you own both then the cat is likely to be the problem. Treat the cat and the environment then you will rarely have to treat the dog.