# Veterinary prescribed worming/fleaing schedule?



## Lizz1155 (Jun 16, 2013)

I took Ted for his annual vacs a few weeks ago, and whilst I was there I wanted to pick up a wormer for him. The vet recommended and prescribed an Advocate pipette once per month, and on top of that Drontal 3-monthly (cos Advocate doesn't cover tapeworms).

Does anyone else use this fleaing/worming schedule? It just sounds a tad excessive to me. Especially since Ted's never had fleas, mites or worms. Although I do like knowing that he's parasite free.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Vets go on what the drug company recommendations are, and also what will give them a healthy and reliable profit ( worm treament, flea treatment, vaccs, neutering etc are a vets bread and butter).

For me personally, i feel its excessive. I have never used a regular treatment for fleas, and only do so if i see more than one in a week. Even then i dont do all my animals, and mainly do a couple of the cats, and that seems to sort it. I havent defleaed the dog for years now.

I only worm when i remember to do so. Probably once, maybe twice a year.

I think you need to weigh up the pros and cons and the risks. My lot are low risk, so i see no point in pumping them full of chemicals.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I only use flea drops about every 3-4 months as some of my older cats do go out, i use advantage, and i worm at the same time, i think every month is excessive, to many chemicals too often, 
I have never seen any fleas on my cats,or worms, they dont go out of my garden, and no other cats come in, but i know fleas can be brought in by someone elsewho has pets ,so its precautionary really


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

I worm every 3 months to treat any worms (I do worry about the risks worms present to humans) and use a spot on in spring and summer to help prevent tics (I live in an area with a lot of deer and tics are prevalent) I only treat in between for fleas if I see any - in 8 1/2 years I've only ever had to give 1 extra treatment for fleas.


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## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

Lizz1155 said:


> I took Ted for his annual vacs a few weeks ago, and whilst I was there I wanted to pick up a wormer for him. The vet recommended and prescribed an Advocate pipette once per month, and on top of that Drontal 3-monthly (cos Advocate doesn't cover tapeworms).
> 
> Does anyone else use this fleaing/worming schedule? It just sounds a tad excessive to me. Especially since Ted's never had fleas, mites or worms. Although I do like knowing that he's parasite free.


I use monthly advocate and three monthly droncit. I never used to flea regularly but my dog is a Lungworm risk as well as increased risk of fleas now we live more rurally (he rarely mixes with other dogs), he's more likely to pick things up from the local wildlife.

I've never had a problem with fleas, the most my dog has ever had is a single solitary flea picked up from somewhere - he's predominantly white and very short haired so they would be easy to spot.

There are SO many fleas this year. I've never seen it so bad (I work in a veterinary practice). People are coming in without even realising their dogs are riddled with fleas - it's so bad this year that advantage flea treatment for cats is totally out of stock and the suppliers are waiting for the manufacturers to produce more.

As far as I'm concerned, prevention is much easier than cure. It only takes a single flea to lay eggs and you have a problem - I'd rather prevent with monthly flea treatment than try and deal with an infestation. I also react badly to flea bites, so that's another reason to prevent them!

As for worming, I worm three monthly because my dog is a scavenger.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I use RIP household spray for fleas once a year and haven't needed a spot on since. I have 2 cats and Heidi. I would much rather treat the house annually than the animals monthly/3monthly.

For worming I use diatomaceous earth


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## DirtyGertie (Mar 12, 2011)

I don't like over use of chemicals so Poppy gets Billy No Mates and Biospotix (natural spot on) for fleas. As she's white and brushed every day I can spot any fleas straight away. I've seen one this year and saw two in total last year. I do use Advantage on the cat as she's mainly an outdoor cat. I also spray the house annually with RIP fleas.

For worming I used to use Panacur twice a year but now I use Four Seasons Natural Wormer which is a homeopathic/herbal preparation. I use it for both the cat and the dog, neither of whom notice it on their food (the cat used to refuse food with Panacur on). It's possible to get worm count kits to test for worms so I'm happy to go with a non-chemical route.


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## speug (Nov 1, 2011)

Lizz1155 said:


> I took Ted for his annual vacs a few weeks ago, and whilst I was there I wanted to pick up a wormer for him. The vet recommended and prescribed an Advocate pipette once per month, and on top of that Drontal 3-monthly (cos Advocate doesn't cover tapeworms).
> 
> Does anyone else use this fleaing/worming schedule? It just sounds a tad excessive to me. Especially since Ted's never had fleas, mites or worms. Although I do like knowing that he's parasite free.


my vets recommended Advocate every 6 months and drontal likewise to get 2 doses of each every year to cover tapeworm and lungworm. They said that I could use Advocate monthly for fleas if I really wanted but it was expensive and, unless we had a flea problem, not needed.


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## Buzzard (Aug 10, 2012)

Can't comment on advocate but our vets use Program Plus which is for fleas and worms and is given once a month. I also sprinkle billy no mates on Red's food as it helps repel fleas, ticks and mites and is great for coat condition.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

TBH I have rarely done any of mine for fleas for years - I did get some Advocate for Maisie last autumn but that was for harvest mites

However, lots of people (especially with cats) seem to be having a problem with fleas this year (maybe the hot / dry / wet weather?) so I have recently done all of them

They go come across a fair bit of wildlife (mice, rabbits, foxes etc) so they could easily pick them up 


Re wormer - I think it really does depend on your dog (or cat!) - Maisie is a complete nightmare for eating stuff when we're out so I do tend to do her ever 2nd month to be on the safe side


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

What is excessive for one may not be for another - it's all dependent on lifestyle.

With flea treatments, I would treat monthly or not at all. IMO it's a waste of time and money treating every few months - why leave such long windows without treatment where a flea infestation can set up in your home? :confused1:

Treat religiously to provide continuous protection, or do away with it altogether and treat if you see fleas.

Worming, on the other hand, you need to do as often as your pet's lifestyle warrants it. It may be different intervals for roundworm and tapeworm, although of course most of the time it's easier to worm for both together.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

Shoshannah said:


> What is excessive for one may not be for another - it's all dependent on lifestyle.
> 
> With flea treatments, I would treat monthly or not at all. IMO it's a waste of time and money treating every few months - why leave such long windows without treatment where a flea infestation can set up in your home? :confused1:
> 
> ...


It must help to prevent fleas surely, i have never seen fleas on my cats, but i wouldnt want to wait until they had an ifestation, and i worm at the same time, never seen worms either, but as my older cats do go out i think they need wormers, although the cats dont wander


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

I worm Rosie twice a year with Milbemax.

I don't use any flea treatments on her at all. I have real reservations about putting chemicals on her in the form of any 'spot on' treatment.

If she gets fleas, I'll treat her but, otherwise, I don't.


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## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

Shoshannah said:


> What is excessive for one may not be for another - it's all dependent on lifestyle.
> 
> With flea treatments, I would treat monthly or not at all. IMO it's a waste of time and money treating every few months - why leave such long windows without treatment where a flea infestation can set up in your home? :confused1:
> 
> ...


Is intermittent treatments a contributing factor to resistance too?


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

jaycee05 said:


> It must help to prevent fleas surely, i have never seen fleas on my cats, but i wouldnt want to wait until they had an ifestation, and i worm at the same time, never seen worms either, but as my older cats do go out i think they need wormers, although the cats dont wander


I don't know, is the answer. But I don't see how it can. Advocate, for example, has been shown to protect against fleas for four weeks. Even if you pushed it to six weeks, that would still leave long periods during which the animal is not protected if you're only putting it on every few months.

What happens if a flea jumps on in that window? :confused1:


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## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

jaycee05 said:


> It must help to prevent fleas surely, i have never seen fleas on my cats, but i wouldnt want to wait until they had an ifestation, and i worm at the same time, never seen worms either, but as my older cats do go out i think they need wormers, although the cats dont wander


Cats are so obsessively clean that it's rare to see live fleas on them unless its a very bad infestation as they groom them off. Much more likely to see them on a dog - that being said though, the amount of fleas we've been seeing on peoples animals who have no idea they have a flea problem is very surprising.


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