Frontline or stronghold - which works?

[supaspaniel]

 
One of the best all round anti-parasite thingies is Neem oil, and it's safe.[/i]

I trust him.....so hope that helps

I use Neem Oil on my guinea pig as a shampoo; can you buy it in quantities suitable for dogs and how would you administer it? 

I'm lookin into it Rachel 

[cazza]

I have found neem oil shampoos for dogs

[supaspaniel]

I have found neem oil shampoos for dogs

cool..can you share? 

[heelers n cockers]

you can buy Neem products on Ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260249964498&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=016 i havent actually got round to buying any yet!  

[Cazzie]

Ive got the neem bark chews for the dogs they are from here 

http://www.neemgenie.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=007

[hamfam]

Pfizer the manufacturers of Stronghold were found in breach of code for their letters sent to vets containing "Will you lose your flea business - is your income safe?" and "Stronghold - loves vets, hates supermarkets"

Not that i'm suggesting that vets might promote stronghold or other POM only flea treatments in preference to Frontline because they make more money from them but it seems a logical conclusion

[Mudmagnets]

I use frontline on my two, not seen any evidence of it not working i.e. fleas or ticks on either of them. I also buy mine online

[cazza]

I have found neem oil shampoos for dogs

cool..can you share? 

Here's a few places to look at 
http://www.holisticpetsupplies.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21_175

http://www.amphora-retail.com/neem-tree-products-neem-products-c-190_196.html

http://www.animalsource.co.uk/neem-tree-oil-dog-shampoo-6-x-250ml-759-p.asp

[supaspaniel]

I have found neem oil shampoos for dogs

cool..can you share? 

Here's a few places to look at 
http://www.holisticpetsupplies.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21_175

http://www.amphora-retail.com/neem-tree-products-neem-products-c-190_196.html

http://www.animalsource.co.uk/neem-tree-oil-dog-shampoo-6-x-250ml-759-p.asp

ty 

[Lynne L]

We have always used Frontline on our (now deceased) cats and Paddy (much alive cocker) and been quite happy. However, last time I was at the vets I was told that they were no longer stocking frontline and had gone over to Advantix - because it killed fleas / ticks faster than Frontline. The receptionist was v.keen to make sure we didn't have cats as I understand that Advantix is quite toxic to them. Rather alarmed by the sound of the stuff I bought it (3 treatments) and applied it once. Paddy had v.dry flaky skin on his back and his nose and skin around his eyes went really dry and flaky as well with 24 hours of using it. I put it down to the Advantix and spoke to the vet who was not sure as Paddy is a bit of an 'allergy prone' dog. We have gone back to Frontline which we purchased from the local chemist. As Paddy is prone to picking up ticks in the heather and woodland around here we will have to keep a close eye on him as it is quite a bad season for them  up here (Northumberland). He has suffered no apparent ill-effects with the frontline. I intended to do some more research on this to compare the two - not sure whether our vets converting to one or the other is for scientific reasons or commercial but would be interested to find out!
Lynne

[Karma]

We've been using Frontline, and it seems to do it's job.  The main thing is that it doesn't stop them attaching, but will kill them before they've had the chance to leave anything nasty in the blood supply.  Advantix stops them attaching in the first place.  Don't know about Stronghold....

Honey has picked up plenty of ticks, but most of them have been dead by the time we've seen them, and we do check her very regularly (in fact, I lie - most of them I've found before they've attached...).  When one had left it's head behind (just as her Frontline was due, so it wasn't dead) and we took her to the vet, he said to keep with the Frontline, but to consider changing if ticks were becoming a major problem - his view was that Frontline does work, but not with the immediate effect of some others. 

I'm actually looking forward to Honey's next tick, as I am now the proud owner of a pair of O-Tom's and want to have a go with one!   

[caro]

Pfizer the manufacturers of Stronghold were found in breach of code for their letters sent to vets containing "Will you lose your flea business - is your income safe?" and "Stronghold - loves vets, hates supermarkets"

Not that i'm suggesting that vets might promote stronghold or other POM only flea treatments in preference to Frontline because they make more money from them but it seems a logical conclusion

We bought some frontline from a countrywide store and they said the vets don't say how goot it is anymore because they know people can buy it cheaper elsewhere - and yes I agree with you mollymoo they get commission from certain products.  I asked for advice on insurance and they said they could only recommend Petplan! 

The flea treatment they started to promote after a year or so promoting Stronghold, was Advocate, which gave Fern a bad reaction.  We also read the small print and it said she shouldn't go in water within 28 days or something stupid else it would not be effective!  So now they order Stronghold in specially for us, but since last summer we've been getting frontline from the countrywide store as that does ticks and stronghold doesn't.  Charlie the cat is on advocate and has no problems with it.

[*sandra*]

My lot get advantix(ed) every month, and although they get the odd tick they have never had fleas. some friends who used to come up from england used to buy bob martin from the co! poor max was fill of ticks!then they got the advantix and he was so much better. its a bad area here for ticks because there are so many sheep  , deer and bracken. Jack has a bit of acne type stuff on his skin which i was told was to do with him biting himself because of anal gland problem or possibly something the advantix couldnt kill of so he got advocate which didnt make much difference, but i think his shoulders are a wee bit far from his bum so have got some skin and coat supplement from simply supplements, along with breath freshner which a friend recommended, and he is , i think, feeling better in the skin department, and his breath is more fragrant too. 

[hamfam]

Stronghold does not have any effect on ticks - it's not designed to, however it does destroy heartworm and is effective on fox mange, if you use stronghold you will need additional protection against ticks like a scalibor collar for example.

Just looked up Prac-tic and it appears to be similar in performance to frontline although it is only effective for 28 days wereas frontline is good for 28 days (ticks) and 56 days (fleas) both products allow ticks to attach but only frontline is recommended for use on pregnant and lactating bitches which may indicate a safer product? or it may be that prac-tic has never been tested on pregnant bitches?

I will continue to use frontline unless i see some scientific evidence that it is in some way inferior or ineffective. My understanding is that frontline is not absorbed into the dog (unlike most other treatments) but forms a protective barrier as it exists within the natural oils secreted by the animal.

I would ask any vet who suggested that frontline was no longer effective for evidence of the scientific studies that support his claims - he must have access to them or else he would just be scaremongering in an effort to boost profits and we all know they wouldn't do that.

[bracken]

I have used Frontline for years  never had fleas but mine do get the odd tick 
Jo