This is the season for fleas and ticks to come calling. To prevent them from bothering your pet, we recommend a few effective products.
Fleas are attracted to motion and can hitch a ride into the home by a dog, cat, or a human. Even indoor cats frequently contract a growing number of fleas from one flea that is accidently brought in the home by a human family member.
One flea will lay 40 eggs daily. Fleas can bite dogs, cats and humans and even minor exposure can cause dramatic allergies with severe skin itching.
Your pets can contract tapeworms when they accidentally ingest a flea while grooming themselves or chewing an itchy area. Due to our mild climate, year-round flea prevention is recommended. It is important not to let fleas get established in your house.Ticks can also infest a home and one engorged tick can release 7,000 eggs. Tick populations are increasing nationwide. Many serious diseases have been discovered that can be transmitted to pets and people including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tick Paralysis, Babesiosis, Borrelia, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Colorado Tick Fever, Powassan disease, Rickettiosis, Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Tularemia, Lyme disease (a new Lyme disease has been discovered in Michigan) and Bartonella.
Some of these diseases in a human are challenging to diagnose and can be a challenge to treat or resistant to treatment.
For example, approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the US yearly but it is estimated that the actual incidence is 300,000 (difficult to diagnose & difficult to treat). Comprehensive tick control is important for both you and your pet. It is time to take steps to prevent fleas and ticks. We often see fleas and ticks on our patients even in the winter. It is important to start your pet on tick prevention now. We have a detailed article on the products listed below, which you can reference by clicking the links at the end of this article. Below is a very simple write up on how to prevent fleas and ticks.
Revolution (topically) monthly. Prevents against heartworms, ear mites, fleas, and intestinal roundworms and hookworms. Even indoor only cats can develop respiratory symptoms from heartworms (it only takes one mosquito). Revolution does carry a tick prevention like Revolution Plus dose.
Revolution Plus (topically) monthly. The top choice because it also prevents heartworms, ear mites, fleas, intestinal roundworms and hookworms, and now additionally ticks.
Revolution Plus has been approved for kittens over 8 weeks of age and weighing over 2.8 pounds. It is not approved in breeding, pregnant or lactating cats. Your veterinarian will use caution with cats with a history of neurologic disorders. Revolution Plus can be administered in conjunction with numerous cat medications and may be given to cats with adult heartworm infection. While there was a low incidence of side effects in clinical trials (drowsiness, temporary loss of appetite, hair loss at the application site, lethargy) it’s important to report to your veterinarian any unusual signs or activity in your cat or kitten after applying the product. To learn more about Revolution Plus, please visit: https://www.revolutionplus.com/faq.aspx
Sentinel + Nexgard: Sentinel (oral chew) monthly for heartworms, intestinal hook, round and whipworms, and flea eggs + Nexgard (orally) monthly for adult fleas and adult ticks (give the medications on separate days).
Sentinel + Bravecto: Sentinel (oral chew) monthly (for heartworms, intestinal hook, round and whipworms and flea eggs) + Bravecto (oral chew) every 12 weeks for adult fleas and most ticks.
Bravecto (oral chew) kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks and also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks. (give the medications on separate days).
Trifexis + Frontline: Trifexis (orally) for fleas, heartworms, intestinal hook, round and whipworms + Frontline (topically) for ticks (give or apply the medications on separate days). OrTrifexis + Seresto Collar: Trifexis (orally) monthly for fleas, heartworms and intestinal hook, round and whipworms + Seresto collar for eight months of tick control (give the medication and then apply the collar on a different day).
Any of the above combinations will do an excellent job of preventing heartworms, intestinal hook, round and whipworms, fleas, and ticks on your dog, but all except the Seresto Collar are prescription.
Some combinations are better for dogs with certain health conditions, so your veterinarian here at Animal Hospital of North Asheville will prescribe what is best for your dog and take into consideration your wishes and your pet’s environment in making a recommendation.
Click Here for more information from the American Heartworm Society
Click here to learn more about ticks and the diseases they can pose to people and pets.
What are the differences between Bravecto and Trifexis
Trifexis not only kills fleas, but also prevents heartworm and controls whipworm, hookworm, and roundworm infections. Trifexis combines both internal and external protection to provide this protection. The combination of Spinosad and Milbemycin Oxime accomplishes this in a once a month chewable. Bravecto is also administered orally but only protects against fleas. While Bravecto doesnt prevent heartworm, it does kill flea eggs and larvae which can help break the flea cycle quicker than Trifexis.
Bravecto only needs to be given to your dog once every 12 weeks whereas Trifexis will need to be given monthly. Bravecto shouldnt be administered to dogs and puppies younger than 6 months. Trifexis can be safely administered at 8 weeks as long as the puppy weighs at least 5 pounds.
Bravecto uses Fluralaner and begins to kill fleas in as little as 2 hours. Bravecto kills many types of ticks including the lone star tick for 8 weeks. Spinosad, the primary ingredient in Trifexis, begins to work in 30 minutes and is proven to kill 100% of all biting fleas.
Both products are safe for dogs when following directions. However, unlike Bravecto, Trifexis has not yet been evaluated for use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. It is recommended to test your dog for heartworm before starting Trifexis.
Trifexis is not available for cats. However, Bravecto is available as a topical treatment – which provides an added benefit of being able to repel fleas and ticks.
Both Trifexis and Bravecto will require a prescription from your vet before you can buy online. Your vet should be able to answer any questions related to side effects, precautions, or special care for your dog.
Heartworms: Heartworm disease in cats is not as straightforward as it is in dogs. Cats are much less susceptible to heartworms than dogs, but they can be infected. It can be impossible to definitively diagnose heartworms in cats and there is no treatment once a cat is infected. We carry Advantage Multi for Cats, which is a monthly spot-on product that prevents heartworms, kills fleas, and treats and control roundworms, hookworms and ear mites. For more information on heartworm disease in cats, visit the American Heartworm Society’s page.
Heartworms, fleas & ticks: Many dogs need it all – heartworm, flea, AND tick prevention/control. There are several ways of achieving this. You could give Sentinel, or Trifexis and then also give Bravecto, Nexgard or Effitix or use a Seresto Collar to kill fleas and ticks.
If you have a cat that starts exhibiting signs of illness such as lethargy, fever, not eating, jaundice (yellow color to skin), or difficulty breathing, you need to get the cat to a veterinarian as quickly as possible. These are signs of infection with the Cytauxzoon organism, which is often fatal and needs to be treated aggressively for the cat to have a chance of survival. Click here to read more information on Cytaux.
Ticks: Ticks are an extremely serious issue in cats in this area of NWA, as they can transmit a deadly disease known as Cytauxzoonosis. Therefore it is crucial to keep a tick preventive on every cat that goes outdoors. The latest news is that our favorite flea and tick product for dogs, Bravecto, is now available in a spot on formula for cats! This is very exciting news, and one dose lasts up to 12 weeks. We also recommend Seresto collars, which last for eight months and are labeled to actually repel as well as kill the ticks in as little as six hours. These collars are a good solution for cats who are at high risk of tick bites.
If you would prefer a topical “spot-on” treatment over a chewable tablet, we also carry Advantage Multi for dogs. This is a monthly topical treatment in the form of a small amount of liquid applied to the dog’s neck or back. This medication prevents heartworms, kills fleas, and treats and controls roundworms, hookworms and whipworms in dogs. We do see better results against fleas with Trifexis as compared to this product, but if giving a pill is an issue then it is a good option.
For example, approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the US yearly but it is estimated that the actual incidence is 300,000 (difficult to diagnose & difficult to treat). Comprehensive tick control is important for both you and your pet. It is time to take steps to prevent fleas and ticks. We often see fleas and ticks on our patients even in the winter. It is important to start your pet on tick prevention now. We have a detailed article on the products listed below, which you can reference by clicking the links at the end of this article. Below is a very simple write up on how to prevent fleas and ticks.
Some of these diseases in a human are challenging to diagnose and can be a challenge to treat or resistant to treatment.
Click here to learn more about ticks and the diseases they can pose to people and pets.
Your pets can contract tapeworms when they accidentally ingest a flea while grooming themselves or chewing an itchy area. Due to our mild climate, year-round flea prevention is recommended. It is important not to let fleas get established in your house.Ticks can also infest a home and one engorged tick can release 7,000 eggs. Tick populations are increasing nationwide. Many serious diseases have been discovered that can be transmitted to pets and people including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tick Paralysis, Babesiosis, Borrelia, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, Colorado Tick Fever, Powassan disease, Rickettiosis, Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Tularemia, Lyme disease (a new Lyme disease has been discovered in Michigan) and Bartonella.
Sentinel + Bravecto: Sentinel (oral chew) monthly (for heartworms, intestinal hook, round and whipworms and flea eggs) + Bravecto (oral chew) every 12 weeks for adult fleas and most ticks.
FAQ
What can I combine with Trifexis?
- Seresto Flea Collar. …
- Hartz UltraGuard Flea and Tick Collar. …
- Pet Armor Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs and Cats. …
- EasyDefense Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs.
- This collar also:
Can you give Bravecto and Trifexis together?
Whats the difference between Bravecto and Trifexis?
Can you use Nexgard and Trifexis together?
Both Trifexis and Nexgard can be safely used in conjunction with a flea and tick collar. In fact, some collars, such as those made by Preventic and Seresto, are even recommended for use with Trifexis since Trifexis doesn’t protect against ticks.