HarleysMum

Hi Luna, from everything I've heard, read about or discussed with my vet I haven't heard of a monthly injection for ticks. If there is one - I would love to know about it! but i doubt it exists otherwise we wouldn't be forced to use frontline, proban etc, particularly at the prices they charge for the treatments. The best scenario would be an annual injection that covers everything: ticks, fleas, heartworm, other worms etc etc. With the way that tick anti-serum is produced I think we're a long way away from a convenient way to take good care of the health of our dogs, but I'm sure they're are plenty of people out there that would contribute to research to support such a product becoming reality... it's up to the veterinary pharmacuticals to make it happen - the demand is certainly out there!!

our vet agrees with yours - we saw him on Saturday for their annual heartworm injections he said there's only a month to go of the heavy tick season in this area and he recommended for our dogs to stay with the tick collars as the product on the tick collar spreads through the coat, advantage for fleas but no frontline or proban, just continue with the daily rigourous checks, we which are doing religiously!! I trust his judgement, he's an excellent vet and knows our dogs well, so I'm presuming he's recommended this course of action specifically for our dogs others will no doubt be different, depending on where you live etc. He was the one that treated Hubert recently for his tick bites.

thank you very much for such a thorough breakdown of all the options. With both dogs being long haired (have been clipped but still have length on the legs, stomach and chest), also with long grasses everywhere and of course the sea, hosing down after sea runs, rain, weekly baths etc. the daily check is a necessary precaution. When Hubert was administerd the anti-toxin it cost us $400 - so obviously with both dogs at risk it could be a very expensive season.... We've decided to go on revolution and keep the tick collars but change them regularly and we take them off when they're near water or it's raining etc. But as you say nothing is 100% so a daily check on both dogs (normally my husband does one and I do the other - but last night I had to do both - took about an hour!) - is the only way to go to be sure. I just hope a company comes up with a sure way to avoid our pups ever getting ticks, we'd be devastated as any dog owner would of losing our beautiful pups. Just as well we don't have children yet - tick monitoring is a full-time job! ;)

i'm definitely getting the impression that frontline is the way to go and i'll look into the injection for the heartworm. does frontline also guard against fleas? I know i sound stupid, but when we first looked into this we were recommended revolution as being better than frontline for a certain reason - but it wasn't obviously ticks!!? it's such a mindfield out there - and i'm sure the proban way works for some dogs but it's a large amount of tables for each dog every 2 days and that's got to have some effect on them. Hubert is prone to a reaction - after he was bitten one of the tick bites the bite swelled up and was hardened underneath and we had to put him on a course of antibiotics and the vet said he was skin sensitive. He is also allergic to proplan food due to the preservatives and additives in the non-breeder packs (even though they advertise them in the pet places as perfect for show dogs etc??) . I think Hubert will be the one that will have difficulty taking proban. Harley is much sturdier - he luckily hasn't had a tick bite so far, never any fleas and doesn't have sensitive skin. but i would prefer to have both dogs on the same treatment otherwise it will get too complicated. I had heard of something to do with a sonar sound device that ticks can't stand the sound of and they don't go near the dog - but maybe I was dreaming this??!!

yes we do - we're opposite Sharkey Beach - there are a few beaches on the North Coast of the Gong - from Austinmer this is about what I know re dogs allowed on beaches: Austinmer = strictly prohibited Little Austi = yes, allowed off lead Sharkeys = not off lead, but allowed on lead- signs went up about 4 months ago Coledale Beach = prohibited (but off-season in winter you'll find dogs on the beach) Now as Sharkey beach is home to a number of dog owners and is home to serious surfers - (with most surfers bringing their dogs which wait for their owners at the edge of the water - all in a line ) - you'll find numerous dogs off lead on the beach, ignoring the signs. Most of the dogs and owners all know each other and get on well. When summer really comes however and the tourists hit the beach no doubt the inspectors will be out - but otherwise early morning and evening you'll find mostly dogs and surfers enjoy sharkey beach! Our dogs don't run on the beach only because we'd probably never see them again!! they're still in training! hope this helps

Hi, we live on the south coast NSW right by by the sea with the escarpment and bush around us. We have 2 setter dogs which were both clipped and trimmed to be manageable for spring/summer grooming and searching for ticks with both on revolution and wearing tick collars. But this wasn't enough. One of our setters got 2 paralysis tick on his back thighs (one on each outer side). We have been recommended proban - with 2 large dogs that works out about 7 tablets every 2 days, the other alternative is frontline. I'd like to hear from those with practical experience which method is the best/safest for our dogs. Obviously we're checking them every day aswell as spraying them with permoxin but can't decide the best step forward. luckily our setter survived - the ticks had been on him 2 days and he was already experienced paralysis in his back legs and throat - he was administered the anti-serum and is ok now. But this was such a scare for us and we feel very naive that we thought we had them protected against this - but obviously not so. It's a mindfield of different products for ticks/fleas/heartworm - some do one but not the other.... Which product/s works the best in the environment we live in to cover ticks/fleas/heartworm?