[David M]

I know Hartz has a terrible reputation, but my wife decided to give our dog a bath with that shampoo not knowing how Hartz has this terrible rep. I had no knowledge she was doing this. We did use this shampoo a couple years ago once, (I had no knowledge how bad Hartz can be at the time), and he didn’t experience any side effects or anything. Last night when she gave him a bath he seemed completely normal after the bath and today he seems fine. I’m just kind of leery of any long term effects if any. From what I seen if anything were too happen it would have happened a few hours after the bath. A few hours later we rinsed him off with just water just incase. Even though he didn’t experience anything, we’re still never gonna use this product again.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would be concerned about it’s ability to actually kill fleas/ticks. Pay attention to the critical reviews….. Good luck

PS: I would probably use it in conjunction with something else, maybe even a Preventic collar (amitraz). It depends on how bad the fleas/ticks are in your area as to what type of protection would be best. Or, you could still use it inbetween a topical…
I use Wondercide spray on my dogs, but I wouldn’t trust it alone to do the job. I think it helps s little, sometimes I spray some on myself too.
People tell us we spell like their grandma’s cedar chest!

[Kim S]

Hello Norene, I have a 9 yo yellow lab that has skin issues and found out wheat was her problem early on. A little over a year ago she began to scratch and bite herself to the point of being bloody and raw. I started researching and this is where I found DogFoodAdvisor. I have found many other sites that have helped too. I looked an environmental issues, allergies, flea/heart worm meds and food. My vet was not able to help much and I took to the internet. I found that grains can greatly effect a dog and we knew that wheat was a problem for her, I went grain free only to find that potatoes are a big fill in for them and she ended up with a widespread yeast infection. I did try raw but she ended up being sensitive to chicken and lamb so that didn’t work. Here’s what helped and I highly recommend to anyone with skin issues. We did a Alternative Sensitivity Test by Glacier Peak Holistics, all done by mail. That gave me a wealth of information and confirmed all my suspects. She is now on Orijen 6 Fish and doing wonderful. I’ve also added a daily probiotic, digestive enzymes, coconut oil to her meals. I have nothing to do with Glacier Peak but there are other companies that perform these tests and sell the same products. I also have found very informative websites such as Dr Karen Becker, Only Natural Pet and obviously you’ve found Dogfood Advisor. Beware of the flea and heartworm products, they can cause a number of issues and there are natural remedies. House hold cleaning products, laundry soaps, fabric softners, fragrance sprays and such can effect your dog. I now have a green home as much as possible. Good luck and hope you find the cure. I can tell you that it will be up to you and not your vet and I do like my vet very much.

[Peggy]

Hi Bobby_dog! Good to be posting with you again.
Yes this issue popped up for both Tebow and Lady at the same time. I actually noticed it on Tebow first, as he was scratchng more intensely, rubbing his back on the carpet and scooting around on his butt.
Lady was scratching too but being sooooo laid back, not as bad. Of course first thought is FLEAS. I checked, combed, brushed and bathed them. Not a single sign of fleas anywhere. PLUS the fact that I myself am a flea magnet. If we ever have fleas (which we have not had in years), they are all over me. Yet the scratching has continued.

At the vet, after their examination, which included a search for fleas, flea dirt, etc., we talked to the board certified dermatologist who is on staff there. LOTS of questions about changes in environment, cleaning products, etc. He did quite a bit of testing, skin scrapings were taken to test for mites, mange, yeast infection, etc. Blood test for worms, and I don’t know what all else.

Since everything came back negative, the dermatologist narrowed it down to 2 things – either food sensitivities, or ragweed allergy. It is BAD here this year.

We’ve had issues with food allergies before, a couple of years or so ago, they were diagnosed with food sensitivities, We switched to grain-free Pure Balance, and the symptoms disappeared for almost 2 years. Yet here we are again. I’ve been wracking my brain about their food, and realized I have gotten a bit lazy about what I feed them. A couple of times I have veered off the grain-free food. I don’t know if that’s it or not.

Thank you for the information, Shawna.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Peggy.

[Anonymous]

I have tried these type of products, I tend to think of them as repellents, at best, they also keep people away from you and your dog because they stink (just my opinion) 🙂
Consult your vet for recommendations on adequate flea/tick control products.

PS: There are a lot of reviews for the product at the link you provided.
I have not used this specific product. It might very well be a lovely dog shampoo.

[Shawna]

Hi Paul R,

They now know that dogs with kidney disease actually need good amounts of protein in the diet as it helps with the blood flow (aka GFR) and therefore keeping the blood clean. The exception to that rule is when the dog has high amounts of protein in the urine as that is a sign of inflammation of the kidneys. The protein should be lowered until the reason for the inflammation has been found and addressed — possibly a bacterial infection, stones, food sensitivity (they know in humans that gluten can cause increased proteinuria – I would assume reactions to foods can be the same in dogs). Here’s some data on that “A gluten-free diet induced in 75% of the cases a parallel improvement in these abnormal immunological data. Mean proteinuria values were found to be significantly decreased after 6 months of the diet and a reduction was also observed in microscopic hematuria.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2311308

May not be the case with your pup but I think it is often overlooked as a possibility.

My dog had kidney disease from birth and lived nine years. I fed her a raw diet but once in a while I was running in and out or really sick for a few days and would give her some kibble. Each time I gave her kibble I had to deal with the consequences of doing so for several days after. I would highly advise against ANY kibble, even prescription. The new prescription Science Diets are chicken and beef based and look appealing. If you can’t home cook and don’t want to feed raw it would be something to try while you are trying to deal with the proteinuria. I would also give a high quality omega 3 fish oil as it is anti-inflammatory etc. Another to try is organic (must be organic) turmeric (the spice). Turmeric is anti-inflammatory as well as anti-fibrotic, which are both helpful for the failing kidneys. Start with a small amount and build. Most dogs do well with it but my Audrey didn’t seem to tolerate it well. 🙁

Don’t give any more flea or tick meds or heartworm preventatives. Also no more vaccines. Some states will give rabies exemptions for pets with life threatening diseases. Take advantage of that if your state does.

It also helps to give reverse osmosis filtered water. There are so many impurities in most tap water. Always have water available. I would also look at a good probiotic and prebiotic. The right ones can help clear BUN etc from the blood which will help your pup feel better. This is called “nitrogen trapping” which was apparently discovered and coined by Iams researchers. I used a probiotic called Garden of Life Primal Defense (a human product) and a prebiotic called Fiber 35 Sprinkle Fiber (also human). I’ve heard that Sprinkle Fiber is no longer made but it was simply 100% pure acacia fiber. Any source of acacia fiber will work. Not all fibers work, some make things worse. I found this out the hard way. The one product I would not do without is made by Standard Process and is called Canine Renal Support. It helps in many many ways.

I hope something I’ve wrote is helpful for you and your sweet puppy!! Let me know if I can clarify anything or answer any questions etc.

Prayers to you both!!

[That-One-Guy]

I just purchased a bottle of Natural Chemistry flea and tick shampoo for my little dog at Petco. And from the research I found it didn’t seem bad. But the problem is there’s not many reviews and wanted to get some educated opinions on this product. Instead of just posting the ingredients on here, I’m just gonna post the link of the shampoo.

If there’s anybody that would like to take a look at the product and give me your opinion on it that would be really appreciated.

[Peggy]

The vet has a dermatologist on staff. That is who came in for the skin scrapes and analyzed the blood samples. We are going back next week for another test which takes 2 weeks for results. But as of now, there is no sign of any type of mange, mites, fleas, poisons, etc.

We came home with a medicated shampoo to use twice per week, and a bottle of low dose Hydroxyzine for itching. I have a bottle of Pet Calm which I use to calm them a bit, because I’ve noticed that my JRT gets really anxious which makes his itching worse. When he is calm, he doesn’t itch nearly as much.

[Peggy]

I joined the forum over a year ago for my 2 dogs Tebow (Jack Russell Terrier) and LadyBug (Shepherd/Lab mix). They were both overweight and experiencing food sensitivities.

Upon advice I upgraded their food (from Pedigree). Blue Buffalo, made them sick, so I switched them to Pure Balance on which they’ve been doing very well. Problem is, PB does not offer a large enough variety of can food, so while staying with PB grain-free dry, I’ve switched them to Wellness and Nature’s Recipe grain-free cans. They love both, especially the stews.

Now comes the problem…….. !
Tebow is again itching and scratching incessantly (NO fleas), and shedding horribly. Also chewing at his paws. I noticed a week or more ago that he’d developed a raw area on his chest.
LadyBug has a series of raw areas on her lower back, backend, and upper tail. REALLY raw.

Now, Tebow’s seems to be healing up, while Lady’s was getting worse, so I took her to the vet this morning. After skin scrapes, flea combing (no fleas or flea dirt), and 2 blood tests, the verdict is…. food allergies! UUGGHH!

The vet said that ‘perhaps’ I should decrease their beef and chicken intake and feed more duck and venison. Also decrease their twice-per-week salmon meal to just once per week because her skin seemed oily (she was dirty, as I had not bathed her in a couple of weeks).

ALL of this was preceded by “perhaps” with no real clear instruction. Soooooooooo….
I am again here asking for feeding suggestions. Additionally, both are still overweight, Tebow is 5 lbs over, and Lady is 8 or 9 lbs over.

OK – hit me with it. And thanks in advance.

[Patti S]

You actually can find quite a few hypoallergenic brands of dog food at Petco or Petsmart, as well as topical flea control products.
Witch Hazel and 100% pure Aloe Vera gel can be applied to itchy areas to help soothe the itch (try applying it before going out on a walk, so it can stay on long enough to do some good). Both of these products are safe if licked off.

[InkedMarie]

Yes Angel, I posted what I use already: Bug Off Garlic and flea/tick collars from HolisticFamilyandPets dot com.

Regarding food, you typically feed less of a higher quality food. Most high quality foods don’t come in 50lb bags. As I also posted above, skin issues aren’t easy and it costs money to diagnose and “fix”.

[Angel76736]

InkedMarie, I was worried about that as I do not like to use chemicals unless I absolutely have to. Do you have any suggestions?
Patti S., Thank you for the information, it was very informative and I will try to find something along those lines.
Pitlove, Changing the quality of the food will not mean my dogs eat less. It might even mean they eat more lol. I go through 50lbs of food because I have multiple dogs, so the amount will not change no matter what the food is. As for the flea allergy and food, the vet is the one that suggested changing out the food as his skin is sensitive due to someone infecting him with fleas a few years ago his skin has just gotten worse over the years to the point that he scratches too much and too deep. Any bug bite will make him scratch. The vet said that changing his food may help with the skin sensitivity. So she said to take out food with beef. I moved to the Pedigree Chicken one from Purina Alpo Prime Cuts Savory Beef. It has not seemed to be beneficial. My vet moved when her husband got restationed with the military so now I can not ask her what would be next. I thought this would be a good idea since this forum reaches thousands of people. I am unwilling to pump him full of benadryl as the current vet suggested because the amount he would need for his size is way more then I could ever be comfortable giving anyone. So thank you to everyone willing to shoot me ideas.

[Patti S]

Using an inexpensive topical flea product that you buy at Walmart or a supermarket such as BioSpot or Zodiac Spot On would be better than not using any flea product at all!

As far as the food goes, you won’t find a hypoallergenic dog foods at the supermarket, you’d need to look at pet stores or specialty feed stores. You need to find a food with a dog food with different protein and carbohydrate source that what he’s currently eating. You should try keeping your dog on an “elimination” diet for 8-10 weeks to see if his itchy symptoms improve. In an elimination diet, the dog is fed a food that has a protein and carbohydrate source he’s never had before. There are many over the counter foods you can use, for this purpose. I’ll suggest a few further down. Your dog’s elimination diet should not contain:

• Wheat, barley, rye – ALL of them. (including bread, snack crackers, treats, wheat/gluten, etc.)
• Dairy products – ALL of them. (including milk, cheese, whey, casein, dried skim milk, etc.)
• Soy – ALL forms
• Corn- ALL forms (including corn gluten meal)
• Artificial preservatives and colors
• Beef and fish – (only if allergy symptoms are present/persist for longer than 8-10 weeks. These are “secondary” allergies.)

By eliminating the above items, you will be taking care of at least 80% of all food allergens and all three of the major sources of food intolerance (gluten in grains, casein in dairy, and soy protein.)
This diet must be strictly adhered to, it includes ALL foods, including TREATS and TABLE FOOD! Be strict! Food allergies can be very sensitive conditions and the least amount of the offending substance can trigger reactions that can last for days. Be creative in finding safe treats for your dog those that MATCH the diet rules. This will be a lot harder on you than your dog.

Giving your dog an essential fatty acid supplement can also help suppress itching. Arachidonic acid is stored in cell membranes and released when the cell is damaged, it then combines with certain enzymes causing inflammation and itching. Essential fatty acids combat this reaction because the essential fatty acids combine with the enzymes, making them less available to bind with arachidonic acid, reducing the inflammation and itching. Your dog would need to be given an essential fatty acid supplement daily for at least a month before you see it’s beneficial effects.

[zcRiley]

Nexgard is an tasty oral square chew. Once a month. I flea/tick comb them once in awhile, nothing. Buy online, it’s cheaper.

[InkedMarie]

You’re going to have a very hard time finding any ndecent food at that pricepoint. Having a dog with skin issues is going to cost money to diagnose and “fix”.

For fleas, we use Bug Off Garlic and bought flea/tick collars from HolisticFamilyandPets dot com.

[Pitlove]

Unfortuntely you can not fix an allergy to fleas with food. They have nothing to do with each other. Even one flea bite can create a reaction that lasts for a long time. Keeping him on his monthly preventive and spraying the yard and the house during flea season is probably the only way to make sure they are dead and can’t bite him.

Again, feeding a better food you will not be going through 50lbs of food in a month.

Rachael Ray Nutrish comes in a 40lb bag for 38$ at Walmart. You could also try Tractor Supply if you have one near you. Diamond is usually fairly cheap and a bit better than what you’re feeding currently. They do make 50lb bags of some of the Diamond foods.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Pitlove.

[Angel76736]

He is allergic to fleas. The vet and I tried several different things with medicine and topical treatments. The vet finally said to try new foods but I am having issues finding one that works and is fairly inexpensive. I have about $30-$35 a month that I can spend on dog food and that is the max. I also go through almost 50lbs of dog food a month.

[roxanna s]

hi,
Penelope, 10 yr old Chihuahua shithzu mix, has short hair like Chihuahua, 13 lbs, has been eating acana ranchland. On her 3rd 15 lb bag. She does not have fleas but she itches and has small dry red irritated areas on chest and legs. Not real bad but noticeable.
She rolls on her back a lot to scratch her back. She even uses whatever she can push up against that will serve as a back scratcher, she seems miserable sometimes.
Could it be the food? What do you recommend for a 10 year old couch potato that’s rather finicky. I would like to know of some canned foods that could be used to mix in the kibble to make it more palatable. thanks

[Anonymous]

“So what I’m wondering is what can I do to improve all my puppies health? Should I start making homemade puppy food? What supplements and flea medicines should I be giving them? They have to be on a leash outside so do you have any fun exercises I can do with them? Any other advice you want to give me, especially towards the new puppy”?

I think you should ask your vet these questions when you see him. He looks like he may be a small breed mix, dachshund? There is a dog dna test you could try when things get settled, if you must know.
Puppies do well with 3 or 4 small meals a day, soft and dry mixed with water. They sleep, play and eat…..see if he will play fetch? Carry him to the area you would like him to use as the bathroom every 2 hours so he will get the idea.

[Cody G]

So, about a week ago we found this adorable puppy that our neighbors abandoned and left our on doorstep when they moved.

He was so little and cute! His eyes still weren’t even open 🙁 The worst part was he had these bumps all over his body which I assumed were either chigger bites, or *gasp* Mange.

Of course, when the vet opened my wife and I carried him to get checked out. Sadly, Rambo did have Mange and worms (goes back next week to get vaccinated, he was just treated for Mange and to remove the worms this time). Luckily we kep’t him isolated from our other dogs (both lab mixes, one is husky the other is border colly).

Looking at this puppy (picture included) and seeing how he looked made me really want to step-up on keeping all my dogs healthier. The puppy is *I think* just a few weeks old maybe a month, my Husky is 1 year, and my Border Colly is 2 years.

So what I’m wondering is what can I do to improve all my puppies health? Should I start making homemade puppy food? What supplements and flea medicines should I be giving them? They have to be on a leash outside so do you have any fun exercises I can do with them? Any other advice you want to give me, especially towards the new puppy?

Btw I think the vet said hes mixed with Pomeranian but hes too young to really tell what else he is mixed with maybe you can help decide, I honestly can’t tell what kind he is at all 🙂

[Pitlove]

Hi Kim- Seems like a lot is happening at a fast pace with your foster. Went from being fine on Diamond to itching and loose stool in 2 weeks. The loose stool could certainly be food. My dog (and my cat actually) let me know very quickly via their “output” whether or not something is agreeing with them. My cat will throw up instantly if she eats beef and my dog will have diaherra (sometimes explosive) if a food doesn’t agree with him and he gets very bad gas on beef.

For his upset stomach; if he has been eating Diamond his whole life, he probably doesn’t have a diverse enough amount of microflora in his gut to handle the diet change. If you didn’t tranistion him to Earthborn, that is most likely the cause of the diaherra. If you did, you might have needed to give him more time switching. If you gave him even more than 7 days to switch, maybe there is some stress playing a role from the rehome?

For the itching; there could be an ingredient that he is intolerant to in the Earthborn that’s not in whichever Diamond Naturals you were feeding. Compare the 2 ingredient panels and see if something jumps out at you as being different. Look at everything including stuff lower on the list. You can certainly try to go back to Diamond and see if that helps. Or a food that mimics the ingredients if you want to stay away from Diamond.

Not sure where you live or if he came to you from a different state, but down in LA where I live, environmental allergies in dogs is like an epidemic because of the climate. So it could be a change in climate depending on where you live or where he’s from.

If you want you can almost treat him like hes an 8 week old puppy and just keep his food the same til he adjusts. Sometimes going to a new home especially for a dog thats in foster care can be hard on them. Keeping him on Diamond will also give you an idea if it’s the food or the environment. If he goes back to no itching and diaherra, it’s probably the food. If the diaherra clears up, but the itching continues it could be the environment.

On one last note, make sure you check him for fleas as well. Akitas have some pretty intense coats that fleas can hide in, so really look hard for them. Just in case.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Pitlove.

[C4D]

Hi Kevin,
THROW THE GREENIES AWAY! They are loaded in wheat! If you must do a chew like that, pick one that has no grains and minimal potato. These are difficult to find. You might try something like a bully stick or venison ear. Here’s the ingredient list:

Wheat flour, wheat protein isolate, glycerin, gelatin, oat fiber, water, lecithin, natural poultry flavor, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, potassium iodide), choline chloride, dried apple pomace, fruit juice color, vitamins ( dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid), turmeric color.

Link:
GREENIES Pet Products for Dogs

Many dogs react to grains of any type. My own dog did, even though they were the “good grains”. This alone helped for many years until she developed a specific allergy to only 1 protein.

Red, I realize that you are all about skeptvet. HOWEVER, I really am not happy with how he dismisses alternative treatments.

I treated an older demodex mange dog (confirmed by my vet) with feeding her echinacea in her food daily for 7 days and shampooing her every 10 days (3 times) with a natural mineral based shampoo that included neem oil. My vet was aware of what I wanted to try before using the “traditional methods”. It worked completely. I also changed her from a fish based diet, (which I confirmed was the cause of allergy through my own trials) to a limited ingredient diet. She was completely cured. She is now able to eat all but fish in her diet. The fish was the cause of all of the allergy issues which in turn triggered the demodex. I treated a dog with high liver enzymes (vet diagnosed) with milk thistle and sam-e. Within 6 months, I brought the ALT down from over 300 to under 65. I had another dog with a bacterial skin infection that my vet thought was environmental. I switched the protein and we have not had an issue since. I did experiment and found that in fact the specific protein was the cause. I truly believe there must be a melding of both western traditional methods with some alternative holistic methods. That’s my $.02 worth! I will forever choose a combination of the 2.

P.S. I don’t use topicals either. I pull any occaisonal ticks that are on my dogs and have never had fleas, but have found that many of the natural methods repel fleas and ticks do help. I wouldn’t treat my children with flea and tick topicals even though we have had ticks on them over the years of primitive camping. I’ve kept all various worms/parasites at bay (even with fosters that are infected) with Diatomaceous Earth. It’s worked for me.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by C4D.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by C4D.

[Helen B]

Hi everyone, I have a 10 month old springer spaniel and live in the UK. I was recently advised by our vet to change from frontline to Bravecto as it was “more effective”, I would like to add that we had never had issues with ticks or fleas prior. It has been one month since his first dose however last week we noticed a significant lump in the skin tissue on his back thigh about 2.5cm diameter. I immediately took Harley to the vet as he was irritated by it and it was becoming sore within the day. The vet put it down to a skin infection and gave a weeks worth of antibiotics 4 days in I have seen no immprovement. Harley has also been scratching a lot and seems generally irritated with his skin. It was my husband that pointed out that he only started scratching after his Bravector tablet. I am now wondering whether Bravecto could be the cause of this lump which the vet is now suggesting he may surgically remove!!!!! And his poor constant itching. I wish I had done my research before trusting my vets advise. What I would like to know is, has anyone else experienced similar and is there any evidence to support my suspicions?

[Allison M]

I have a horribly itchy dog. Vet said it was most likely fleas and put her on Bravecto. She is still itchy but she doesn’t scratch herself till she bleeds now. Haven’t seen a tick on her in 2 months since we started using it. No ill side effects that I have noticed

She probably still gets flea bites and is really sensitive to them, but they’ve been biting her less now. The place where I live is perfect for tons of fleas so this is as good as it can get for my poor dog

[Kimberly W]

Hi all,

I have a puppy-mill Boston Terrier female named Lexie. I got her at 1 year old and she was in bad shape – demodex mange being one of the issues. We got rid of the mange, but she itches almost constantly still ….. especially mid-back and butt. Her tail has a spot where she’s rubbed all the hair off and now it’s like a callous there. I’ve tried all different proteins (even ground raw venison!) and grain-free foods, allergic injections, prednisone ….. even trying an immuno-therapy serum for common Florida allergens. She’s currently on Apoquel at $2 per DAY ….. it does help, but she still itches. I liked the idea of the Dinovite supplement + the raw diet they promote and switched her over VERY slowly. My first box of Dinovite lasted over 60 days. Lexie has a very touchy tummy and I didn’t want her to get sick. She seemed to do okay with the supplement and the diet, but we noticed that only the Apoquel made her scratch less. And by no means did the scratching stop ….. :/

So, into the 2nd box of Dinovite, Lexie started spitting up after eating. This had happened all along, but just once in awhile – now she was doing it after almost every meal. And it wasn’t RIGHT AFTER she ate, it was hours afterwards. Like we were sleeping at 3am and she’d vomit in the bed with us. And it was always GREEN. Like she was just spitting up just the Dinovite. We weaned her back onto the white fish based kibble she’d been on (that we were sure didn’t make her sick) and just put the Dinovite in that – thinking we’d eliminate the chance that it was the raw food. She STILL would vomit only green stuff.

I’m at my wits end here. I hate thinking she’s miserable. We have really tried a ton of stuff, but I think something in the Dinovite is making her sick. I’m wondering if all the time she was on the raw diet, it was moving the toxins from the crappy food she was fed (before I got her) OUT of her body and then, the grain (sorghum) in the Dinovite finally made her sick????

I wish I could post a picture – she looks SO good – hair is all grown in from where the demodex had her bald, so glossy she shines in the sun ….. everyone comments on how beautiful she is ….. but she itches. Almost all the time. Doesn’t lick her paws and her skin doesn’t smell at all, her ears are pretty pink inside ….. no yeast that I can see manifesting itself on her body anywhere. When I scratch her back where you can obviously tell it itches the MOST, there is some dandruff that comes out. She has no fleas and I’ve washed her with DermaBenss shampoo – as suggested by my vet – for the flaking skin ….. but when that didn’t work, I used a soap-free emu oil shampoo that’s FOR DRY SKIN and that didn’t help either.

This is what a meal looks like for Lexie:

1/2 cup of white fish based kibble – NO GRAINS (no corn, wheat or soy)
3 pumps of Yummy Chummies salmon oil
baked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 capsules of food enzymes (opened and sprinkled on the food)
Drs. Foster and Smith adult vitamin
vitamin E capsule – 400IU
***Also, before bed, I’m giving Lexie 2 capsules of bifidophilus, to help repopulate the good bacteria in her intestines.***
***We only use one kind of treats – Yummy Chummies Grain Free treats made with 95% salmon + potato and pea flour.***

The food we are using scores a 3.5 star on the food advisory list and I’m willing to buy her a 5 star food, but am not sure that food is her only issue. Does anyone have ANY suggestions for me? I’d be very grateful for any ideas that I haven’t already explored. Another supplement? A different shampoo? Anything I haven’t thought of or don’t know how to look for? I’ve even wondered if the itching is just a HABIT and maybe she doesn’t know how to stop ….. :/

Thanks for any thoughts!!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kimberly W.

[Freda D]

My vet encouraged the use of the product. I used it this season. I won’t next. It is relatively effective
but not as effective as other products I have used. I know someone who only feeds their dog fresh garlic for flea and tick repellant and he swears he’s not seen any at all.

[Pitlove]

Red, I’m not sure aquariangt was suggesting not seeking treatment, however I do think that a change is needed for this dog. That is fairly undeniable. Depending on where the OP lives, this dog is at an increased risk of heartworms, ticks, fleas, and a whole host of other issues. Speaking from living down south those things are all to scary and real down here. My boyfriends parents Rottweiler is currently being treated for heartworms because he is the outside dog.

Bringing the dogs inside would most likely create a significant improvement in the quality of life and possibly reduce these symptoms until the OP can afford or seek treatment.

[Jill V]

Been trying to research this product but am just too skeptical to try it. I have two senior chihuahuas and just cannot risk their health on this. They are not outside all that much so it just doesn’t seem worth it. I currently use Frontline Plus. Our vet was pushing us to try Vectra so I did and both the dogs were horribly itchy afterward and it made their coat extremely greasy so I moved them back to Frontline. I’d love to just not use anything but we’ve dealt with a flea infestation before when we moved into an infested rental house (it was awful!!!). Took 3 months to get rid of them all. Don’t want to revisit that.

[phyllis r]

If you are still out there, I sure would appreciate hearing if anything helped. I have a 5.5 yr old rough coat collie and we have had the same types of lesions since last November. We live in Colorado, a place where fleas aren’t so prevalent – NOT! Abut a year after we moved into our house, we noticed 2 fleasy on him. He broke out in little red pimple like lesions. The vet said he was allergic to fleas. We treated for fleas with Frontline & when that didn’t work we tried K9 AvantixII. Treated the skin problem with antibiotics & steroids twice. Even tried an allergy medicine. HAD A HORRIBLE TIME. Finally got rid of the fleas. Then tried to see if was food allergy so went on Purina HA. Didn’t help. Thought it might be mites so tried 3 treatments of Revolution each 2 weeks apart. Didn’t help. In fact, when we used it for flea prevention about 3 months later, he broke out worse. From pictures we can find on the internet, it appears to be ectopic pyoderma but we can’t figure out what is causing it or how to treat it. Right now, we are able to manage it by bathing him in Head & Shoulders shampoo together with providone iodin shampoo twice weekly. We remove the scaly part & treat each lesion with a triple antibiotic ointment. We spray him down twice daily with Purishield Wound. As long as we xan keep him from itching, he seems to be comfortable. Any ideas? Oh, one more thing. before all of this he did have digestive issues. The food that we settled with was Natural Balance Duck & Potato. I would greatly appreciate anyone’s input. Berducci was born in South Dakota. We moved to Colorado when he was 2 & 1/2. We first lived in an apartment. He mostly stays inside except for walks and supervised outdoor time. We live in the city.

[Susan]

Hi, after Patch finished his triple therapy antibiotics Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac last December for his Helicobacter-Pylori 2-3 days after stopping his meds, I saw a tape worm on his black bum, I looked & thought is that a tape worm then the next afternoon the same another tapeworm, they look like rice but cause it was Christmas eve the vet was closed that sells his Milbemax all wormer, Patch can’t take any other all-wormers they make him ill, vomiting & pooing blood, I rung the 24 hr vets & they didn’t have the Milbemax they had another all-wormer, so I had to wait till the holidays were over to worm him…I told his vet at the time & he said, yes he often see’s tapeworms in dogs after they have been on antibiotics but he didn’t say why, he just said tapeworms won’t hurt him, I’d prefer no worms…. so the next time he had too take the Metronidazole again, I wormed him first then started the Metronidazole the next day & when he was finished taking the Metronidazole, I kept looking at his bum after he’d poo to see if I could see any more tape worms & I couldn’t….the thing is Patch doesn’t have fleas, the fleas don’t stay on him & jump back off him, the cat did have fleas at the time & Patch doesn’t kill wild prey mice, rats, rabbits, etc…

There’s several species of Tapeworms Dipylidium Caninum from fleas & Teania & Echinococcus species from mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, deer & sheep…you have to wash all bedding everything he sleeps on.. Does Doc eat wild prey?

I was giving Patch probiotics Protexin Soluble but it was expensive $60 for 1 month, so I found another dog probiotic Vetafarm at the pet shop with the same ingredients for $20 but I don’t think the Vetafarm was as good as the Protexin & I stopped giving probiotics to him then about 3 months ago I saw a Animal Naturopath cause I wanted to put Patch on a raw diet & she sent out human live probiotic capsules that were dairy & gluten free, I had to open the capsule & put only half a capsule on the raw meal, Patches itchy smelly skin & red paws all went away within 3 days of being on the raw diet, the only problem he was regurgitating the raw, water was coming up into his mouth about 3 hours after eating the raw & he hadn’t drank any water after breakfast & he was swallowing & swallowing it, this water came out of his mouth one day while we were shopping & went all down my shopping bag, that’s when I seen it was water & a few little bits of blended veggies thru the water, I think the enzymes were breaking down the raw meat too quickly, so I had to stop the raw cause he was getting acid reflux & a sore throat but I was shattered & so was Patch, he loved his raw Kangaroo, so I started to cook extra lean beef mince & the same, he was regurgitating the cooked meal as well….. the thing is he doesn’t regurgitate wet tin food if its chunky or soaked kibble put thru a blender, so I started looking for wet tin foods but I couldn’t find a low fat, low fiber wet tin food in the Pet Shops, Wellness has their Core grain free reduced fat but the fiber is 3%, so that will be too high when converted to dry matter, so I tried the Hills & Royal Canine low fat vet diets but they all have boiled rice & boiled rice goes thru Patch (diarrhea) the corn or something in the vet wet diets was making him itch & smell again, so about 2 weeks ago I went to the Supermarket & I started to read all the ingredients, fat & fiber in all the wet tin foods & I bought a 700g tin of Purina Supercoat Homestyle casserole Lamb Veggies & Pasta, the Purina seemed to have the best ingredients fish oil, vitamins & minerals, the fat was 4%, fiber-1%max, I also bought another brand that was duck the smaller foiled wet tin food, it had only 2% fat, we tried the duck first at night his last feed he loved it but poo wasn’t as good as they are now on the Lamb Casserole…. I would need 10-12 small foil tins of the duck a day & it works out too expensive to feed…
I also started him on the Royal Canine Intestinal low fat kibble about 2 weeks before, cause when I went to buy his regular Hypoallergenic, gluten, dairy, sugar & potato free kibble “Salmon & Sardines with brown rice & green veggies” it had a Gold sticker saying “New Improved Omega 3,6, & 9 formula” so I looked & all the ingredients were still the same, so I bought the bag of kibble but the new kibbles were smaller & black & felt real greasy, even when I soaked the kibble in water, I could feel the greasiness & Patch was getting his real bad acid reflux again, so I stopped the Meals For Mutts kibble & I gave the R/C low fat Kibble ago… but he has spewed up the R/C Low Fat kibble a few times that’s then I thought I’ll give the wet tin food a go again, I’m feeding the Purina Lamb Casserole for breakfast, for lunch & dinner the R/C low fat kibble & the Purina Lamb Casserole for his last small dinner & he doing the best poos ever.. so today I’m going to just try feeding the Purina Casserole all day & see how he goes & see if he start to get his yeasty smell again, I take out the beans & wholemeal pasta & throw it away & I’ve been adding a little bit of boiled sweet potatos & some boiled chicken, I have a freezer full of cooked foods for him that he regurgitates when feed by themselves, so I’m going to add them with the Lamb casserole tin food & see how he goes… I really think the kibble is causing all his problems with Helicobacter, S.I.B.O, acid reflux & nausea..

With soluble & insoluble fibers you need to work out how Doc goes, if you have ever tried the Hills Z/d kibble, Hills I/d Gastro or the Hills W/d all these kibbles have more insoluble fiber, the Hills Z/d was making Patch do 1 big cow paddy poo in the morning, his poo was just slop & he started to smell real bad with yeast on the Hills Z/d kibble probably the Corn Starch, so Patch doesn’t do well on insoluble fiber, he does better poos on soluble fiber but soluble fiber sits in the stomach longer, where insoluble fiber passes the stomach into the small bowel, so I don’t know is that a good thing for S.I.B.O probably not…

If you can try & get Doc on wet food or raw is the best, a lean protein, like Rabbit, Chicken, Turkey, Kangaroo these are all low in fat… I never added any bone in the begining, the Naturopath said no bone or organ meat yet cause of his IBD… maybe give him his kibble for dinner & try the wet tin or raw for breakfast but I never mixed the 2 together Raw & kibble or wet tin & kibble…. I thought it will just sit in his stomach & something will happen, it always does with him lol… another thing try 1 new thing at a time so if anything happens you will know what is causing what..

[Alan L]

Hi: I’ve been buying Nitenpyram from a company called Animal Lovers House LLC on Amazon since last year for my two dogs and a cat. I used to buy brand name flea control products but with three pets it got too expensive so I decided to try Nitenpyram. I tried a couple brands but I didn’t like them. Then I tried the Nitenpyram from Animal Lovers House LLC. They worked great and cost less than half what I was paying! The fleas just start to fall off dead. This product is easy to use because it comes in a capsule that I can open and mix with food, which is especially important for my cat. Last week, I went to place another order on Amazon and was shocked when I couldn’t find Animal Lovers House LLC’s Nitenpyram products or any other Nitenpyram product. Fortunately, I was able to find them online at animallovershousellc.net. It looks like they have another .com site too but the .net is definitely easier to use. I made my purchase directly from them and just like when I bought at Amazon, my purchase shipped the next day and arrived quickly, same packaging, same factory sealed vials as before. I definitely recommend purchasing from them.

[olive1015]

I’ll 3rd that sentiment. I had a lab mix that I took hiking with me all the time and before we headed out into the bush or deep grass …I’d spray a mix from bottle of 2parts distilled white vinegar and 1part water on her feet underside muzzle and ears. Never…got ticks or fleas.

[InkedMarie]

Olive,
I cannot remember the exact amount but dogs would need to injest huge amounts of garlic for it to be dangerous. I use Bug Off Garlic for flea/tick control.

[Madelon H]

Susan – thanks. I belong to the EPI4DOGS.COM group – they are awesome! Did/does your dog have EPI? I know they say you don’t have to have a low fat diet for EPI anymore – BUT here’s my thinking based on my personal experience. Doc, my GSD, was diagnosed at 3 months old with SIBO but not EPI (pancreas just had not completely atrophied at that time) – they did the cTLI test then and TLI was 16 B12 was 800+ Folate >24 – he had the chronic diarrhea with pale foul smelling cow patties – so he was on metronidazole and put on the Royal Canin Gastro Low Fat Dry Kibble – after 2 1/2 months all was well and I transitioned him to Royal Canin GSD Puppy – he was great – got to 95lbs until March 2015 when he started losing weight – no diarrhea – finally he had lost about 10lbs and despite my telling my vet something was wrong he said he was fine – then he started diarrhea and eating poop – I demanded another cTLI test – positive for EPI and SIBO – TLI < .4; B12 400; Folate >24. He was put on the can RC Gastro – WAY to expensive – once we started enzymes and B12 with Intrinsic Factor I switched him to TOTW Pacific Stream – poops got better but not consistent – then DESPITE being on flea/tick and heartworm meds his entire life he got tapeworms and coccidia (he had coccidia really bad as a pup) – he’s also been very itchy lately. SO my thinking after doing much research is that although they say you don’t need to restrict fat for an EPI dog I’m thinking you may need to restrict fat for SIBO – thoughts? The RC Gastro dry kibble is 5% fat and 3.6% fiber. I’m not opposed to prescription diet food if nothing else will work but I’m $4000 into this disease already and was hoping to find a comparable OTC food that won’t break my bank. I was looking at Natural Balance Limited Ingredient food that has 10% fat – do you think that it’s worth trying? I was also wondering about mixing canned food and kibble food since it appears most can food has less fat than the kibble?
Thanks so much!

[Steve M]

Ingredients state “other ingredients 85%. What are they? Just read “Canine Nutrigenomics” (preview avail. free on Kindle) but not remainder of book which must be ordered separately.

[Anonymous]

Consider making an appointment with a dermatologist for skin testing IDT, maybe your vet can refer you to a specialist .
Environmental allergies are more common than food sensitivities/allergies.
If you use the search engine you will find many posts on this subject. /forums/search/allergies/

Helpful article below:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Pitlove]

Hey I’m sure the OP appreciates any advice he/she can get! No reason to slam someone who is doing the right thing for their dogs anyway! I hate putting chemicals into my dog as well and I try to avoid it as much as possible. I still give the Nexgard because my boy got fleas as soon as he was due for it and I wasn’t able to get to the vet. Probably shouldn’t have brought him to the dog park though, so that was our fault! However I give heartworm every 45 days instead of every 30 and I don’t give it in the “winter” time. I also don’t give flea + tick and heartworm in the same week and I don’t plan on revaccinating my dog except for a 3 years rabies because of the laws. I plan to titer him for the other vaccines instead. Doing all that makes me feel SLIGHTLY better about an oral flea and tick, though I’m still not happy with it.

[Kristin C]

Well thanks for not slamming me pitlove, I kind of gathered it was a little more fierce weather down there:) I think giving heartworm during mosquito season is a must, which is what we do up here in CT.

From what I understand fleas and ticks are most likely to gather on a compromised host, a pet with a weakened immune system. Since our dogs eat raw liver, liver treats, and they are currently getting B-complex vitamins each night, I am finding it has worked so far and just wanted to mention it. I understand the need in the south will be more aggressive than what i do up here.

[Pitlove]

Hi Kristin- Wow! Someone else from CT! I was born and raised there but living in Louisiana now. Very very different climate. Fleas and ticks weren’t nearly as big of a concern up north as they are down here. Also the mosquitos are so rampant down here, heartworm is a scary and real concern for me. Myself and the OP are both in the same state.

[Kristin C]

Hi-no one has mentioned this so I will. I live in CT so I know the circumstances are different, but I do hate treating my dogs with chemicals. We use Advantix on our 2 pups every 6 weeks normally. For their last treatment, instead of a full dose, we gave them half of a dose PLUS I have been giving them B-complex in their food each night. No ticks, no fleas. If it continues we will eliminate the Advantix, but I am sure we will not be able to eliminate it completely, we always treat them with a full dose of Advantix before we travel.

I will also add that they eat mostly a raw diet so they get B vitamins through the liver they eat, which is apparently what naturally repels the fleas and ticks.

[sherry n]

Good morning from southern Ohio. We, too, are having a bad flea and tick year in our area- too much rain and we live in a wooded area. We had to switch to Sentinel Spectrum and Nexgard last summer as Frontline had become ineffective. Our Great Pyrenees have done well with no adverse reaction – I give the two meds about a week apart. Good luck.

[Julia G]

Does anyone have experience using these collars? My vet recently switched her dogs to these collars for flea, tick & mosquito protection feeling the Frontline products had stopped working. We have had a particularly bad tick season this year in the VT/NH area. She uses the collars in conjunction with Interceptor. Any feed back would be appreciated!! Thanks!

[Wendy S]

I can’t speak to Nexgard but I can speak to your yard. I am in Texas & due to the tons of rain we got in May, all fleas, ticks, Mosquitos, midge flies, etc have been just awful so far this summer. Like you, I hate using chemicals- I have 6 dogs, 6 aquariums, a pond & 4 kids… So I try to use as much homeopathic stuff as I can. I have also tried the DE inside & outside of my house. I tried salt which didn’t work for me either. The fleas & ticks have been something else- I pulled two dozen ticks off one of my german shepherds & had never seen ticks on any of my dogs before this. I did a lot of research as I had another issue on top of fleas & ticks- my neighbor has a chicken coop in his backyard which was causing a massive explosion of flies that effected my yard & home. Ok so long story short, I finally broke down & bought something called Cyzmic CS for my yard. You add 1/2 oz of this to a gallon of water in a pressure sprayer. I couldn’t even smell it when I sprayed. The following day 75% of the flies are gone. It’s now been a week- I haven’t seen one tick, flea or fly for that matter. You might want to consider this for your yard to help. You can use indoors also- it won’t harm plants or animals but will harm aquatic animals.

By the way, one of my dogs is on Revolution & the rest are on Adams flea collars & Pet Armor Plus. Good Luck!

[Jonathan S]

I’m going to throw a little non-information into this as my memory is poor at the moment. One of the Border Collie groups I follow has had a discussion going about a topical flea treatment, but I can’t remember the name… not sure if it was Nexgard. It’s something you add to a special collar… anyway, the BC’s are having trouble with it as it makes them lethargic and they refuse to eat. This probably doesn’t help you.

[Mark C]

I have been using this on my two dogs and recommend it. My guys were having issues (reaction) to the topicals so I like this and feelings safe. I hope also there been no reaction to the Nexgard.

Something else I found that works is Vaughns Furfresh shampoo. If my guys pick up a flea this stuff takes care of it. It also works with ticks too. I swear by it. http://furfresh.com/

Hope this helps.

[zcRiley]

My 2 1/2 yr old staffies love barreling through unkept tall bushes & grass in our L.A. neighborhood. I used topical until one got allergic. Plus it washed off during the bimonthly bath and tons of swimming. I’ve used Nexgard for 3 months now & comb them every day right after their walk. I caught 1 lone flea that was already dying, nothing else since. No side effects no dry skin no vomiting. I give it to them on the 1st every month & Heartgard on the 21st, their birth date (so easy to remember).

I’d give Pepper a half dose to start & watch him carefully, and keep combing. I know it’s hard to switch over from an all natural remedy. However, it may reduce any illnesses that fleas & ticks cause.

They say not to cut the pill in half so….

[Deby G]

I give my 6 year old chipoo nexgard also but I don’t give it through the winter. Up north the fleas are not a problem for a few months but they’re a nightmare in the summer. It also saves me money as this stuff is not cheap. When my previous bishon got fleas (from a neighbors dog who wasn’t on any preventive I had him shaved down). As far as your house, my vet told me that salt kills the eggs so I bought 20 lb bags and spread it all over my house, sofa and bed. Anything I couldn’t run through the washer with hot water. I left the salt on the carpet, wood floors and furniture overnight and then vacuumed like crazy. I kept the dog in the bedroom most of the day and did the bedroom when we were downstairs. 30 years ago my shepherd had them and infected the entire house. An exterminator “bombed the house”. We left for 2 days. IT worked but anything that wasn’t locked in the refrig or oven cans and to be washed. That meant all the dishes etc. and linens. It was a mess. This time the salt was much easier. Good luck.

[Pitlove]

Hi– I completely feel your pain. I’m on the Northshore of LA and we just got done battling fleas. They really have been terrible this year. I started my dog on Nexgard as soon as he was able to take a flea and tick medication and it has worked really really well. Even Comfortis didn’t kill all the fleas on him they were so bad.

Just like you I’m extremely worried about putting chemicals on top of chemicals in my dogs body, so I try to min max as much as I can. I use a HW preventative because of the reasons you stated about our state, but I administer every 45 days instead of 30 since they are effective for 45 days. My 1yr 2mo old pit is due for his next rabies on Aug 27 which I will be doing a 3 year since LA allows 3 year. I also will not be doing annual vaccines. Instead I’ll be doing titers on him and re-vaccinating as needed. Doing this things makes me feel A LITTLE better about doing an oral flea and tick. I also don’t give the Nexgard the same week as the HW meds.

You could talk to your vet if you feel they are open-minded enough to offer you other solutions for your senior, as I would also be worried about an oral flea and tick med for a senior dog.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Hello Fellow DFA people,
I have been absent for a while due to major changes-the biggest being my adopting 3 more pups (toy schnauzers) which now brings my total to 6!!!
Crazy i know, but crew 2 as I call them Abe Murray & sister Marlie are all from the same litter.
They came to me underweight fleas and intestinal worms on May 30th. Now they are worm free weight great ( On commercial raw ,cooked meats and dehydrated THK) vet was so happy when she saw them-she wants to send me her hard cases-I politely said no.
But I have a huge problem -I am faced with fleas – i live in south louisiana -we are having one of the worst seasons ever. Crew 1 Pepper Millie & Sophie are my mini schnauzers Pepper is my blind angel who just turned 12 years young Millie turned 1 on july 4th and Sophie is 7 months-well I guess crew 2 brought them in and oh my they (the fleas) don’t want to leave.
I have always used a topical either frontline tritak or frontline plus ,but now it is totally ineffective.
I hesitate to give an internal pill for fleas ,since they MUST be on heartworm chewables ,since we are the heart worm capitol .
I have been seeing Nexgard but am so skeptical.
I started both crews on granulated garlic but know that can take time to work and I am very slowly dosing them, I use the mercola spray before we walk, bathed in old fashioned dawn, been washing everything like a fiend.
Friends I am at a loss, I am so afraid to spray a chemical on my yard so I use Diamacous Earth.
Any feedback, opinions on giving nexgard a try during the bad months and doing a topical in the other months? I fear for Pepper given her age & multiple health problems ingesting a chemical to kill fleas-Oh how I hate this.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and reply.
Hope all of you are doing well and your fur-kids free of bugs and enjoying the summer

[Pitlove]

Kevin, it is our pleasure! Like I said, I know what you are going through. My AmStaff is having skin issues as well AND on top of that we just fought off fleas. He was torn apart by them, but just like your girl, my boy is always full of life and energy and hasn’t let his itchiness get him down. During the fleas I did notice him not as livly though and it killed me. I always tell him I’m sorry I’m failing him in fixing his issues, not that he knows what I’m saying lol.