# Flea control/prevention question - do I need it?



## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

Hello everyone,
my Charlie boy and I just became the new members. I've been eyeing this website for 3 years now and today I finally decided to register, so my boy and I could meet new friends and get help with any maltese-related questions.

I'd like to ask, what is your general opinion on flea control.
Charlie does not have the fleas. He'll be 3 years old and he had fleas only once - got them while playing with another doggie in the park and I detected them the very same day and got rid of them immediately. I must add that he was on the topical flea control then and still got few of those.

Right now the weather in Chicago got finally nicer, so I've been thinking about the flea control again - do you all use it? When I googled the Flea Prevention, all it shows are topical drops (I know majority of them), but in description it says that it kills the fleas, etc....what I'm really looking for is a prevention.
Do I need to use those topical drops? Are they safe?
I don't want to sound funny, but I'm against over-medicating the dogs.
Even with vaccines I try to be cautions, because Charlie's highly allergic and my vet always wants me to drop Charlie at the clinic, so he could get allergy medicine before he gets the vaccine. This year I decided to go only with necessary vaccines instead of all those proposed ones.

I'm concerned not only about fleas, but also ticks. 
What do you guys use as a prevention? What brand is ok? I've been looking at Advantage II for the dogs under 10 lbs, but I'm not sure it works as a repellent/prevention.

I would like to thank you all in advance for your time and your help.

Katie & Charlie :ThankYou:


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Hi Katie and Charlie! 

I use Comfortis, and I strongly prefer it over anything topical. Zooey had a horrible allergic reaction to Advantix, and while I could have tried another topical, I hate the greasy feel they leave on the hair. You're supposed to give Comfortis once a month, but in the winter I give it every 2 months, and in the spring/summer, I'm going 45 days. 

My vet said there's nothing that really prevents ticks--don't know if that's true.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Kate - welcome! We are in DuPage County! Whether you need preventative depends on where you all be taking your sweetie. If he will be going to parks, doggy day care, or other places where he is either outside in trees or grass or else with other dogs, he should have some sort of preventative. The topicals kill the fleas and (some brands) ticks before they can burrow in or lay eggs on the dog. There are some herbal sprays /essential oils that act as a bit of a repellent but my experience is that they are not totally effective.

Looking forward to hearing more about you pup.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

We also use Comfortis. We break it in 1/2 and give her 1/2 one day, skip a day, then give her the other 1/2. So, she is getting the entire pill, just divided in half and spread over a few days. We do this because sometimes Comfortis sometimes causes stomach upset. We live in VA, so we give it pretty much year around.


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## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

Hello Elisabeth and Zooey.

Thank you for your reply. I think I've seen Comfortis mentioned somewhere in the threads. So it works like a heartworm pills, right? Hmm, sounds interesting.
I'm not sure about the topical solutions. As I mentioned in my original post, Charlie was on the topical drops and he still got few fleas.
I bathe his every week, because he's always digging in the yard (I don't know what's up with that, lol). Plus I have a cleaning OCD and simply like him to be clean, white and nice smelling.
The oral pills may be the right solution for owners who bathe the doggies frequently like myself.

Thank you again so much. I'm going to do some digging and a little research.

Katie & Charlie


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## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

Hello Maggie and Bridget,
thank you both for your replies.
We do not take Charlie to doggie parks or a beach, because there were some fatal accidents, when the big dog killed the little one. 
I do not want to sound snooty, but you really never know, if all doggies are healthy and parasite free, too.

We go for walks around the neighborhood and at least once a week to a regular park, so I agree he should have some protection.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

Welcome Katie and Charlie!! This is a fabulous site filled with wonderful people!

I've never heard of Comfortis before. I may need to look into that myself. We use Frontline Plus because I also give Opey a bath quite often (so hard to keep them nice!) and it says they can be bathed with this topical. Ticks are bad in my area at the break of spring and right before the winter. Poor Opey still picks up ticks during this time, so may Comfortis would help with this. I'll have to look into that myself. Thanks for posting this question!

Welcome!! And can't wait to see pics of that cutie pie Charlie!!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

If you only have fleas, Comfortis works fantastically. I've never seen a monthly product for fleas that was near as efffective as Comfortis. The down sides are many dogs have a little GI upset the first dose they take and some dogs can have elevated ALT (a liver enzyme) levels. 

If you have ticks as well, then topical is your only choice. I use Frontline Plus. You may find you need to apply it every 3 weeks during the high bug season if you bathe frequently.


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## Charlie'sMom (May 12, 2012)

lmillette said:


> Welcome Katie and Charlie!! This is a fabulous site filled with wonderful people!
> 
> I've never heard of Comfortis before. I may need to look into that myself. We use Frontline Plus because I also give Opey a bath quite often (so hard to keep them nice!) and it says they can be bathed with this topical. Ticks are bad in my area at the break of spring and right before the winter. Poor Opey still picks up ticks during this time, so may Comfortis would help with this. I'll have to look into that myself. Thanks for posting this question!
> 
> Welcome!! And can't wait to see pics of that cutie pie Charlie!!


Hello Lindsay and Opey:aktion033:,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I haven't heard about Comfortis before today...I'm definitely going to research it more. Sounds like a great product. Definitely pricey, but hey, if it does the trick and it's safer than topical drops I have no problem with spending the money on it, right?

I still have to update the profile and add some Charlie's pictures. Saturdays are busy here - I scrub the house down and cook, so right now I'm cleaniong the house and every few mins I peek at the posts here, lol.

Hugs to both of you.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

jmm said:


> If you only have fleas, Comfortis works fantastically. I've never seen a monthly product for fleas that was near as efffective as Comfortis. The down sides are many dogs have a little GI upset the first dose they take and some dogs can have elevated ALT (a liver enzyme) levels.
> 
> If you have ticks as well, then topical is your only choice. I use Frontline Plus. You may find you need to apply it every 3 weeks during the high bug season if you bathe frequently.


Thanks, I didn't realize it wasn't for ticks too! Silly me. Fleas don't seem bad in my area, it is really the ticks so maybe Frontline is the way to continue for me! Thanks again!


Charlie'sMom said:


> Hello Lindsay and Opey:aktion033:,
> 
> Thank you for your reply. Yes, I haven't heard about Comfortis before today...I'm definitely going to research it more. Sounds like a great product. Definitely pricey, but hey, if it does the trick and it's safer than topical drops I have no problem with spending the money on it, right?
> 
> ...


Definitely, the money is worth it if the product is safe and works!

Can't wait to see little Charlie!!


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

lmillette said:


> Thanks, I didn't realize it wasn't for ticks too! Silly me. Fleas don't seem bad in my area, it is really the ticks so maybe Frontline is the way to continue for me! Thanks again!
> 
> 
> Definitely, the money is worth it if the product is safe and works!
> ...


 
Thank is what i use Frontline plus. Ticks scare me to death, because of lymes disease, Frontiline plus is for both. 

Oh I cant wait to see little Charlie too


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

jmm said:


> If you only have fleas, Comfortis works fantastically. I've never seen a monthly product for fleas that was near as efffective as Comfortis. The down sides are many dogs have a little GI upset the first dose they take and some dogs can have elevated ALT (a liver enzyme) levels.


Comfortis needs to be taken on a full stomach. I give Zooey her dose right after she eats breakfast. She's never had a problem with it.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

We use Comfortis also. I give it about every 30 days. The thing about fleas, you can do your yard, the dog, the house, and all it takes is a squirel, rabbit or rat to run through your yard, and you have fleas again. Walks around the block is the same way. They can also come in on you!


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