Bailie was at the veterinarian a few weeks ago to get prescription flea and tick control. Sure you can get flea and tick products pretty much anywhere including on line these days, but it is important to visit your own vet to discuss the specific needs of your dog. I’m going to give you my top five reasons to check with your vet before purchasing flea and tick prevention products!
This post is sponsored by BRAVECTO® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share information about BRAVECTO. But we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Neither Intervet Inc., nor Merck & Co Inc., are responsible for the content of this article and have not written, reviewed, or edited it in any fashion. For more information about BRAVECTO please click here.
Why should you ask your vet about flea and tick control?
You want the best for your dog. Fleas and ticks are not only disgusting, they can carry diseases that are not only harmful to your dog, but to humans. To keep your dog healthy, make sure your dog has regular check ups, and always ask your veterinarian about the current medications your dog is on and if there might be something new on the market that is even better. When you are at the vet, things can be a bit busy, so make sure and bring along a list of the questions you would like to ask during your visit.
1. The market is changing
As is the case with everything in the world, change is imminent. Products that worked wonders twenty years ago, are often out of date now. You need to find out what new and current products are available for your dog. An example of a new product would be Bravecto® (Fluralaner), an oral product providing 12 week* protection against fleas and ticks for your dog with just one yummy chew tablet. Stay up to date on the Merck Facebook Page!
2. The best product depends on the lifestyle you have with your dog
Where you live, the activities your dog participates in, and your dog’s health, all play a role in selecting the correct flea and tick preventative. Bailie, for example, is always off road in the woods and tall grass with her tracking. She needs a really good flea and tick preventative that works under any weather conditions in any environment. Every product is slightly different in dosage, application, side effects, and efficacy. Your veterinarian who knows your dog’s lifestyle and medical situation, can help you choose the best product for your dog. Dogs are not all the same!
3. Prescription products meet higher standards
It is important to get the best product for your dog. Your vet can explain the options to you. Prescription products are often held to higher standards with more safety and efficacy studies. Most flea and tick products are based on weight. Visiting your vet clinic allows you to get the correct current weight for your dog. Bailie learned she gained a few pounds and needed the larger size of BRAVECTO. She is most likely done growing now, but had she not gone to the vet, she may have used a product for a smaller sized dog.
4. Learn what to expect from flea and tick products
Do you remember my first post about BRAVECTO? I had a tick crawling across my head. What was up with that? Does that mean my flea and tick product isn’t working? Are there fleas and ticks I don’t even see? Your veterinarian can answer questions like these for you. She will let you know what you can expect from different products as well as how they work. Are you settling for an okay product but could be using a much better product?
5. Get more information on BRAVECTO®
Mom, Bailie, and I got a lot of good information on BRAVECTO on our vet visits. With BRAVECTO we have the best flea and tick control we can get. It’s so easy! Just eat one yummy chew every three months, and they offer us reminders so we never miss a dose. Have you talked to your veterinarian about BRAVECTO? Check here to find a veterinarian near you!
*BRAVECTO kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. BRAVECTO also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published. However, it remains the responsibility of the readers to familiarize themselves with the product information contained on the USA product label or package. More product information is available here: https://intervetus.naccvp.com/product/view/1047512?e=d97b22ed63e734e84c1a5910a9c8f531z1688
Oh I hear you… we always used frontline… and Easy got a fresh dose before we went on howl-i-day… guess what he brought home? Fleas from normandy (have we to fill out a customs declaration?) we changed to a new product, thanks for a great review, we will ask our vet if he can order yours for the next treatment.
No fleas, please! I know you can get BRAVECTO in Germany because our vet friend told us about it. Next time leave the fleas and bring home BRAVECTO!
Mama always makes sure our Revolution every month, but she likes the idea of only treating every 12 weeks and will make sure to ask our V-E-T about BRAVECTO on our next visit! Thanks for the great info, Emma!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
A chew tablet every three months that works so well is a great solution.
Great review! You don’t want to mess with those dang fleas!
No fleas please.
This stuff is worth a try
Lily & Edward
I tried it first, now Bailie is taking it too. We love it and it works really well. We are always in areas with fleas and ticks but haven’t found a one!
Our heartworm medicine takes care of fleas but we need something for ticks!
No one should be allowed to hitch a ride on you boys! You should give this a try. Mom loves it for us because it is so easy and works so well.
Ohh do I agree…even though I am an indoor only cat I get monthly flea/tick applications. Just in case one catches a ride inside on one of my peeps. Here in the south it is never cold enough to freeze dried the critters and their eggs love our climate!
Hugs Madi
I’ve heard that even out bitter cold winters don’t always kill of the creatures. It’s important to stay protected just in case.
We’re still doing OK with all natural products, but that could change any time, so it’s always good to know about what else is out there!
Good for you guys. We can’t imagine them working for us, or Mom having the patience for them.
we like the idea of such a long lasting flea/tick treatment but Mom is too scared to change what we already use after Denny had such a bad reaction to a different flea treatment
That is a bummer. We haven’t experienced bad reactions, so we are up to trying new things.
My vet will always tell me that she wants to insure the quality of the product too. When I tell her about some new product I found, she likes to make sure she researches it.
We’ve noticed just over the summer we see much more about BRAVECTO around and at our vet. We think it is the absolute best, at least for us!
Love Bravecto, Bravecto now has come out with a topical for dogs and cats. Cats will be available this fall/winter and dog stuff early next year.
We will stick with the tablet. We are thrilled not having to deal with the topical stuff anymore.
Pawsome review, Emma! Thanks for keeping us informed. 🙂
We love BRAVECTO at our house!
Treatment options and requirements can also vary from one location to another, so it’s important to talk with your local vet about what’s best for your area. Our last move was less than 80 miles, but our vet had completely different recommendations for us. That’s what we get for going to an even more tropical place!
Different places and climates have different dangers. You are very right about that.
The natural products stopped working for us last year – especially with Ducky at daycare two, sometimes three, days a week. So, even though we couldn’t find any fleas on her, the vet suggested Bravecto and we’ve been using it ever since. No more fleas!! They both get itchy now and then from slightly dry skin but I usually use a little coconut oil on those spots as needed.
We just love how easy it is and the protection seems to be perfect. We are out in the fields a lot and need to be protected.
We’re glad it kills lone star ticks. And we wonder if it has explicit warnings on the packaging to NOT use on cats?? So many flea/tick Rx cause severe nerve damage & death in cats! Do they have plans to include heartworm preventive soon too?
This is NOT for cats! They are coming out with one for cats in the near future. As far as I know there are no plans to include heart worm with it, but that would be nice and handy!