Dog flea/tick/heartworm meds?

[Nick1911]

What do you all use for flea/tick/heartworm on your dog/cat?

I've always used advantage multi for my dogs, but since moving to a more rural property, I realized that it really doesn't work on ticks, which we have many of.

I'm thinking about switching to bravecto, but that doesn't do heartworms.

Suggestions?

[Calumus]

I’ve had my dog on Bravecto for probably about 5 years now. Hasn’t had a flea since, and haven’t found a single tick embedded. Found a couple walking on him right after leaving the woods; but not a single one has latched on and I’m in a pretty tick heavy area. I give him heart guard for heartworms.

[zxcvbob]

I don't give mine anything for fleas and ticks.  Don't have any problem with those.  If they pick some up at the dog park, I'll have to wash them with flea soap and see if that works, then maybe get a flea treatment.

For heartworms, I've been using HeartGard Plus for years.  In 2020 I couldn't get in to see the vet so I bought a bottle of ivermectin sheep drench at Fleet Farm and dosed them myself.  This year I have switched to Interceptor because it also will protect against tapeworms and my dogs kill and occasionally eat rabbits that get in my garden. (Good dogs!)

[bedlamite]

For heartworm, sheep drench from the local farm supply store. It's $25 for a bottle that will take care of several dogs and will last year's.

[Ben]

Steve is on Bravecto and Interceptor. He eats the Interceptor in his food no problem, but HATES the Bravecto, and I don't blame him - it smells like a chemical factory. I always have to trick him into eating it. Luckily it's an "every three months" thing.

We have tons of mosquitoes in the season, so as much as I would like to not feed him chemicals, I guess it's for his own good.

He has never had a flea. He never had a tick until a few months ago, when I think he got some from another dog at the dogsitter's house. It was near the end of a Bravecto dose, so maybe that's why. Took a few weeks to get those suckers out of the house. I even woke up with one on me one morning. Steve refused to sleep on his bed for a couple of weeks, even after I had treated the hell out of it. Little dude is totally paranoid about ticks.

[cordex]

We use Heartgard for heartworm and Simparica for fleas and ticks.  If I tell our dog either one is a treat she eats it right up.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I use ivemec for heartworm and seresto collars for fleas and ticks.

[fifth_column]

We use Nexgard. It's a monthly chewable and is a bit spendy at $30 per tablet, but that is for the whole month. It seems to be working fine. I check for ticks after every off-road walk, i.e. trails, state parks, etc. I've found a couple of ticks on her in the past year, but she hasn't had any that actually bit her since we started using it.

[WLJ]

Out of 10 cats 3 constantly get fleas. For them during flea season I use the monthly Pet Action from Sams Club. I can usually catch it on sale for ~$26 for 8 doses. Every one get a dose of Nitenpyram in their food once in a while. Also every once in a while I spray a peppermint oil based flea killer around where they hang out/sleep.

[K Frame]

I use Heartguard +  and, I THINK, Simparica for Seren.

[castle key]

Mitigation of these evil beasts is a calculated risk of the chemicals versus dog illness.

I've had every tick borne disease and they universally suck. I poison my dogs with simperica and hate doing it, but the alternative is worse.

Risk/reward.....

Getting heartworm or tick diseases sucks....