# Frontline, Advocate & pesky ticks - some advice needed please



## silverbeetle (Jul 17, 2009)

We regularly (every 6 weeks) give Freddie Advocate as a preventative for lungworm - he is prone to licking and possibly eating slugs and snails, but I think Advocate does not deter ticks.

For the first time this week we have had ticks on him. He is such a wiggler that they are impossible for me to safely get them off him - I have really tried and feel such a failure that I can't get them off.

So we had to take him to the vet on Tuesday for them to remove one. He absolutely hates going to the vets and really kicks off but luckily they managed to get it off him (it took 2 nurses to do it).

This morning I have found another attached one - right under his mouth. I have no idea how the vet nurse is going to get it off. I am just waiting for them to open to book him in.

I have been giving him garlic tablets since early April as I read these are supposed to deter ticks. Does anyone know how long they have to be used before they take effect?

I do not think Advocate deters ticks. Does Frontline actually prevent ticks (I wanted advice if it actually works)? Is it safe to give alongside Advocate. I really worry about chemical overload on his small body though and do not like to give him these chemicals. 

I am thinking of giving the Advocate a miss (he is due for a dose on Tuesday) and using Frontline instead but wanted to check if it does work and actually prevent ticks. If not is there anything better at preventing ticks?

Sorry for the long rambling post - hope someone can advise how to prevent these disgusting little critters.


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## Braighe (Jul 2, 2010)

We live in an area where we are prone to ticks.

We use Frontline on Braighe, he gets it every 4 weeks during tick season. Very occasionaly he will pick up a tick when he is due his monthly dose.

I dont think anything will work 100% and Frontline is as good as it gets


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## henry (Mar 16, 2009)

I have some Advocate in (2 tubes left!) but I'm going to alternate with Frontline as Advocate doesn't kill ticks. I will probably go back to Frontline as lungworm has not been reported in this area. We are often at Knole Park at the weekends (which has a large herd of free-roaming deer) so I do worry about ticks (Henry's picked up a couple recently when I hadn't used the Frontline) so I will use Frontline next month.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Not sure if you've heard of BillynoMates, it's made by CSJ and a natural repellant. Lots here use it with great success. I havent tried it.

I use a homepathic sulphur remedy which makes their skin less inviting along with brewers yeast and garlic. Took a while to take effect but not seen a flea and no itching for weeks - cats and dog. Mine have diamataceous earth regularly for worms.

Its a very hard one to call, too many drugs not good but neither are the diseases they prevent.


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## silverbeetle (Jul 17, 2009)

I tried Billy No Mates but Freddie refused to eat his food with it in - it smells strongly so must have a strong flavour. 

I think I will persist with the garlic tablets and maybe alternate monthly between Frontline and Advocate. Luckily with all this dry weather we seem to have less slugs and snails.


The good news - I have managed to get the tick off :001_smile::001_smile: I am so proud of both myself and Freddie. I managed to get him to hold still long enough to twist it off with the gadget!! It was in such an awkward place just under his jaw.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

silverbeetle said:


> We regularly (every 6 weeks) give Freddie Advocate as a preventative for lungworm - he is prone to licking and possibly eating slugs and snails, but I think Advocate does not deter ticks.
> 
> For the first time this week we have had ticks on him. He is such a wiggler that they are impossible for me to safely get them off him - I have really tried and feel such a failure that I can't get them off.
> 
> ...


I deffinately wouldnt mix them Advocate and Front line both contain really strong chemicals as it it that can cause side effects on their own, so wouldnt be safe at all I would think.

I recently read of a tick removal system called Tickner Vet, It has a built in rapid freeze spray and is said to kill and extract ticks in 30 seconds,without contact by you to the tick. It apparently kills the whole tick with no chance of mouth parts being left. One system does 25 ticks approx. but at £20.00 or so its not cheap, but if it works probably cheaper then several vet visits or rick of leaving mouth attached to cause problems.

Fine Fettle do something called Flygon which is said to keep Ticks at bay, whether its safe to use with things like advocate eetc. you would have to check.
It comes in a pump spray you just spray on For a Healthy Future! | Fine Fettle Feed but it looks like a natural product to may be ok.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2011)

I was going to suggest Billy No Mates as I use it with Kenzie, but I see you've already tried it, sorry!


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## Andromeda (Nov 21, 2010)

Does anybody use those:

Folklore Practce - - Four Seasons Dog cat Worm Control 100ml

Folklore Practce - - Flea away Dog Cat Flea Protection 100ml FLEA-AWAY a natural and safe approach fo

I just ordered them. I thought that maybe is time to use more natural solution. And if it's true this will cost less than advocate or frontline.


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## Helbo (Sep 15, 2010)

silverbeetle said:


> We regularly (every 6 weeks) give Freddie Advocate as a preventative for lungworm...


I just wanted to say that Advocate does not *prevent* lungworm, only heartworm, but i think vets use Advocate to kill/treat lungworm in it's early stages. What's the difference? Its best that you are aware of lungworm symptoms between doses, just to be safe 

I know it's off topic from what you asked, but I'd hate to think that owners aren't aware of this distinction since Lungworm needs to be caught asap.

Exact wording of Advocate found here on Bayer's website:
Bayer Animal Health: Welcome to Advocate®/Advantage multi®


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Andromeda said:


> Does anybody use those:
> 
> Folklore Practce - - Four Seasons Dog cat Worm Control 100ml
> 
> ...


I have used flea away - great smell but didnt do much. I would suggest not applying it to exactly the same spot - it made mine sore. Daily it may have started to do something but when the dose was reduced to weekly(as per the directions) it failed.

That said, what works for one doesnt necessarily do the trick for another so worth a try.


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## Andromeda (Nov 21, 2010)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Daily it may have started to do something but when the dose was reduced to weekly(as per the directions) it failed.


Good to know. We will see in next month. I still have Advocate to use, bought yesterday.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Andromeda said:


> Good to know. We will see in next month. I still have Advocate to use, bought yesterday.


You dont know unless you try these things. I think I remember someone saying they put half measure on their dogs rump and half between their shoulder blades. I tried it but had already moved on to homeopathy. It's difficult to give things a proper chance when you are up against the pesky little critters.


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## Andromeda (Nov 21, 2010)

I will give it a try.



Mum2Heidi said:


> I tried it but had already moved on to homeopathy.


May I know what do you use?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Have a look on the BADA UK website re ticks and nasties, garlic won't stop them from attaching to your dog necessarily, although it does have other benefits.

Home page: BADA-UK

Although Advocate doesn't prevent French Heart Worm (or lungworm as it's also known, and there are varying similar parasites) it is the only (as far as I know) treatment that does treat for infestation at normal dosage levels, unlike other wormers, where treatment involves higher dosages of the particular wormer. One other note, is that Advocate doesn't, from memory, prevent tapeworm, it's worth swapping treatments at least once a year to try and cover all of the parasitic infestations, panacur and drontal plus are the other two best options imo.


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## Aly12 (Oct 19, 2008)

I use Advocate on my two westies as my vet has had a case of lungworm this year. I also use Advantix on them which repels ticks and they have not had any since I started to use it. I don't use them both on the same night - my routine is Advantix on 1st of each month from March to October and Advocate on 27th of each month. My vet also gave me some Droncit tablets to give twice a year to prevent tapeworm


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

To stop ticks attaching, the best thing is Bayer Advantix. Frontline kills them after they've attached, so if you're in an area that has Lyme disease, that's a bit late.

Billy No Mates works well for one of my dogs but the other has still got ticks.


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

Burrowzig said:


> To stop ticks attaching, the best thing is Bayer Advantix. Frontline kills them after they've attached, so if you're in an area that has Lyme disease, that's a bit late


Same is true of Practic from my reading of Novartis's notes, though they fall off by themselves it happens after they bite, so can't prevent disease.

Can a product actually prevent the bite and transfer of fluids?

Perhaps we need to keep our dogs out of tick prone areas eg) undergrowth whilst the ticks have had very favourable conditions.


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