I Should Know This, But I Don't!

[Guest kodywyoming]

When I adopted Zoey the adoption group was kind enough to give me Frontline and some heartworm preventative (can't remember which brand; I'm at work).

 

I just realized that I don't know where to get this stuff myself. Do I have to see a vet and get a prescription? Can I pick it up at Petsmart? Should I order from the internet? Which brand of each do you reccomend?

 

Zoey had ticks (and possibly fleas) pretty bad when she came from the kennel, but the first dose of Frontline (and a bath at the vet) seemed to take care of it, but we've been spending a lot of time at the park by the creek and I'm starting to see itty bitty ticks again, so I think I want to give it to her as often as possible (we can do a few months of once a month, right, and then go down to the once every 2-3 months [can't remember the reccomendeation on the box]?).

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! This is my first time owning a dog as an adult so I want to get things right of course.

[PrairieProf]

Yes, for heartworm it's prescription only, and you need a heartworm test annually in order to get a prescription.

 

Frontline can be ordered online without a prescription. Some brands of flea/tick stuff are available at Petsmart but I don't know if that includes the good brands that are safe to use on greyhounds.

[Guest Energy11]

You can get BOTH the heartworm preventative and the Frontline/Advantage online. You WILL NEED a script from your vet for any type of Heartworm preventative you order, but not the other stuff (topical for fleas). Personally, I use Iverheart MAX, (*vet wrote me a script) and Adams Flea and Tick Mist for flea and tick control. I personally, SWEAR by the Adams! Had about for or five ticks this summer and NO fleas!

 

You can get the Adams online or at Wal-Mart, believe it or not!

 

Good luck with all of this. Once you figure out the best combination that works for you, it is actually pretty easy!

 

 

[Guest littlesyd85]

Yes, for heartworm it's prescription only, and you need a heartworm test annually in order to get a prescription.

Yes you need a prescription for it, but not every vet requires you t have the dog heartworm tested every year. If you do the heartworm prevention all year round there is no reason to have a test done every year. Every three years is sufficient. Also you may want to check with your adoption group to see if they will sell it to you. I know at our group you can purchase it from them (and save a lot of money).

 

Like stated by others, you can get Frontline, Advantage, Advantix, and other flea and tick prevention meds at pretty much any pet supply store (PetSmart, Petco, etc.) or you can order it online.

[joejoesmom]

I prefer Heartguard Plus or Interceptor for the heartworm protection. I give it every month, even in the winter. Technically, I could probably get away with discontinuing in the winter but we occasionally get a thaw that could allow some mosquitos to be hatched, so why take the chance. As far as I know, greyhounds can handle all of the ingestible heartworm medications. You will need a prescription from your vet who will only give you one if you have had a heartworm test done in the last 12 months. You can either purchase from your vet or purchase online with the prescription.

 

You must be careful with flea and tick protection and greyhounds. Some are safe for other dogs but not for a greyhound. I prefer Frontline Plus. I am not familiar with the Adams brand someone else mentioned. Just be sure to check whatever you intend to use with your greyhound adoption group or others on this board. For instance, I have heard of problems with Top Spot and greyhounds. I would never use this.

 

Frontline Plus handles fleas for 3 months and ticks for one month. It doesn't kill the tick unless it starts to "bite". Therefore, it is not uncommon to find a tick crawling on a dog. However, the tick would not be able to embed enough to transmit a disease. Because I am wary about using too much insecticide on my dogs, I usually give about 3 doses of Frontline a year (here in central Ohio). I do the first in mid March (before the ticks start to come out), one again in mid May, and one in early August. If I lived in a warmer climate, of course I would give it for a longer period of time. If I lived where more tick borne diseases were prevalent (we have a lot of ticks but just a few diseases here), I would give it more often.

 

I like to use Entirely Pets for my online purchases. ( www.entirelypets.com ) . If you sign up for their newsletter, they send you a coupon code to get a little bit off (or free shipping).

[Guest Sweetreba]

I use Revolution on my greys without any problems. It is for heartworm, ticks, fleas, ear mites, and mange. I put it on once a month from May to Nov. I don't use it during the winter. I used it on my other dog and was glad to see it was ok to use on the greys. I never saw a flea or tick in years on any of them. They are checked for heartworm every year before I start them on it again.

[macoduck]

Just my opinion - and I may be wrong - the over-the-counter flea products like Biospot, Frontline, etc, may be the earlier formulas of products like Frontline Plus that require a prescription. Fleas and ticks seem to develop a tolerance of these older products and they become less effective.

Do not let a Petsmart vet sell you the only product they push (from their pharmacy, not the shelves) once called Vectra, now marketed as First Shield. They contain permethrin which is toxic to greyhounds.

 

We use Interceptor for heartworm control and Comfortis for flea protection with no problems.

[Greytlady94]

It is always a good idea to bring a newly adopted dog in to whatever veterinarian you are going to use anyway so they have a record of the dog, and an exam while the dog is healthy. At that time you can get a prescription for the heartworm preventative or you can probably get it at the vet clinic. Frontline Plus you can get at Petco or Petsmart.