[Naturella]

Hello, all!

So, I figured I would ask – what do you all give to your dogs (if anything) for the ailments in the topic? When we got Bruno they told us that Trifexis was the most complete pill, for all them worms (treats and prevents), and kills adult fleas. Well, he was on that till March, when the vet decided that he had plateaued on weight and will probably never leave the 11-20lb segment. So they told me I can no longer buy the individual Trifexis, but only 6-month supplies at a time. So I went online (for financial reasons) and was about to get him some Trifexis, but I saw another drug, Sentinel, which claimed to also treat and prevent all the worm types and kill flea eggs (not adult fleas). It was also cheaper by like $100!!! So we got a 6-month supply of that. Bruno had his first April pill with no problems.

Well… My question is… Is it good enough? Is it really comparable/better than Trifexis? Do I need a complete pill or can I do the twice-a-year shot for Heartworm that my friend does for her dogs and not worry about fleas and such? What about topical anti-flea solutions? Do they work, are they good for the dog? My cousin was saying that he thinks it is much better to put chemistry (topical anti-flea stuff) on the dog than inside (pills that make his skin toxic to fleas), but he’s never had a dog. And what about Heartgard? My roommate uses it, but I think it’s just for Heartworm…

Basically – is there a “best” combination, and what is it, or what is it that works for y’all?

[Cyndi]

I would never use trifexis. I’ve read about alot of dog deaths because of it. I think there is a thread here on the forum & I was just reading a facebook page earlier about trifexis & all the stories of people who’s dogs have died after using it.

For heartworm I use a product called Value Heart, recommended by HDM. Its just ivermectin (sp?). For fleas I give Bailey garlic, I use diatomaceous earth on her, I also use Mercolas natural flea & tick spray, & I just recently started using Sentry natural defense flea & tick (or something like that). Bailey got a few fleas last year, but I was able to get rid of them before they got too bad.

[Akari_32]

I use Trifexis and it works great, but it’s soooo expensive! I do know about all the problems it’s caused, but Haley has no issues with it. I’d love to see about cheaper (and safer) options, though. I’m just a poor college student after all lol I have thought about using just ivermectin. Not sure if that gets fleas as well as worms, though.

[theBCnut]

No, Ivermectin does not get fleas, and it doesn’t get all the major worms either.

[Nancy C]

A few thoughts, as I am studying this topic as well. FYI I have given my 10 yr old golden retriever the little round garlic capsules from Whole Foods-pinkish label. One in AM and one in PM. I drop it in her food bowl. We live on a wooded lot in NC and I have NEVER seen a flea on her! I studied for 6 years for a PhD and my chair was the founding president of the American Holistic Medical Assoc, a former Harvard Neurosurgeon, BUT VERY BIG ON avoiding chemicals and pharmaceuticals whenever possible (which can be most of the time actually). He is very informed on holistic remedies, incl homeopathic, and says HE uses a product called CEDARCIDE on his several dogs for ticks and fleas. Says it’s great and it works! He lives in Missouri also in the country/ woods. It’s sold at Amazon by the quart but you can get a better deal by ordering a gallon. My container arrived yesterday and I have already sprayed it on the dogs. It has a cedar-ish fresh smell. Dr. S told me he just sprays and rubs it into the fur a couple times a week. Reviewers swear by this stuff. It’s called “BEST YET” by Cedarcide. And it is super – SAFE! My doc advisor does not put the chemicals in his dogs either. I have not asked him about heartworms but I will. Someone ELSE Who has several dogs and who I respect told me there is a product called PBG-51. The link to the site is http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com/resourcearticles/parasitesbegonefrom mypet.php. I am told that this product is not advertised for heartworms for legal reasons BUT it protects against them. I am studying that now as would like to get OFF Sentinel. I used to give my golden Sentinel only half the year. Two yrs ago my vet sat me down and nicely chewed me out saying the dog is vulnerable in NC all year around. So I promised I would keep her on it. Last thing – I am the one who has the GSD who was 18 mos in jan and wandered into big digestive troubles trying to transition him to Origen then to ACADA — several of you have helped me so much. I have discovered in this awful experience with all his loose stools and diarrhea that a flea/tick collar I bought at the vet (Solesto – made by Bayer) is probably one of the culprits for my Shepherd’s digestive disorder. The DAY after the vet’s secretary fitted Axel with the collar he had diarrhea IN the house and IN the yard. Everywhere he went the entire weekend diarrhea was falling out of him. I was going crazy. Two weeks later I realized that it was NOT the HILLS nasty WD Rx dry food he was on that caused this sudden diarrhea– geeze that stuff is like eating HAY and no way could he have the squirts on it. I had just started giving him a little Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. BUT I bought that collar as I went out the door at the vet. It HAD to be the collar. I looked on line and found that among all the LOVERS of the collar there are some detractors as well whose dogs also had bad diarrhea. So watch out about that collar!
That’s all I know for now. PS: Cedarcide gets rid of all insects, including BED BUGS!!
Nancy C

[Akari_32]

Didn’t think so… We need a good flea prevention down here. It’s terrible! And none of the common topical flea meds work. I bought a cheap $10 4 pack of some Sentry flea stuff and it worked better than Frontline and Advantage did, which is pretty sad. Still didn’t work all that great, though. Trifexis is the best we’ve had for fleas, but $300+ a year is just too much.

I’m gunna look into that cedarcide stuff! Sounds interesting.

[Naturella]

Cyndi, theBCnut, Nancy – thanks so much for the invaluable advice. I also have seen that people have had issues with Trifexis, but Bruno was doing just fine on it, so I figured – no problems. Really, Sentinel was $100-cheaper and sounded similar in all-encompassness (not a word but I hope you get what I mean) – Akari, you may want to check it out on 1-800PetMeds’ website.

I would look into the garlic pills and cedarcide – interesting indeed. As far the other worms, though, what is best to be used? If Ivermectin only protects against heartworm, would just about any all-worm preventative be okay? I apologize for the possibly stupid questions, I’m just trying to learn…

Thanks to all again!

[Akari_32]

I did, and I really like the sounds of it! I think it actually does more than Trifexis. We have no problems with Trifexis, either. Bentley does get tired and lethargic after taking it, but bounces back and is just as annoying as ever in a few hours. Haley has no reactions to it at all. There are risks with any meds (and even natural remedies), human or animal. You’re not gunna know until you try, but don’t go try something you aren’t comfortable with.

I actually just found a 12 month box of Capstar for the cat on https://www.budgetpetcare.com/ for less than $40 after a coupon code. Whoo! I’ve never used this site before, but for $36 I guess I’ll give it a try lol (its also good for dogs, but only kills fleas).

[Naturella]

Akari – same here, no negative reaction to Trifexis, not even throwing up for Bruno.

Well, so far Sentinel is going well too. But I will definitely check that website out too! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Hi Naturella:
I recently switched to Sentinel Spectrum at the beginning of the month. I was using Iverhart Max (ivermectin/pyrantel) and Frontline plus during flea season. I also did not give heartworm meds during the winter months. The beginning of this month I took Bobby in for his 3 year Rabies, reg exam, did bloodwork to check for heartworms, and checked his stool for worms. Everything came back negative.

My Vet asked me to consider changing my HW preventative and the routine I follow for dosing it. She said there were allot more cases of tick born illnesses in our area that were previously only seen in the southern states and my HW/flea med choices were not the best anymore due to possible immunities in some parasites.

I tried Trifexis the first year I had Bobby and he still had issues with fleas. I stopped using it after 2 mos. My reasoning being that he was being exposed to a chemical for flea prevention that did not seem to work so I switched to Iverhart and tackled fleas with Front Line Plus and regular baths during flea season. Also, there were allot of reports of adverse reactions in dogs using Trifexis that scared me so the decision to discontinue it was easy.

I only bought one dose of the Sentinel to make sure Bobby was okay using it and he seems fine with it. I will now make that his HW preventative and will be administering it year round. There is a risk of illness using any HW preventative and that does scare me. I will still keep looking for other alternatives, but for now Sentinel seems to fit the bill.

The Vet Tech also gave me info on another topical for fleas Activyl. I think it may be a fairly new product. IDK My Vet did not mention anything about it during our discussion so I am not sure what her clientel has experienced with the product.

[Naturella]

Bobby dog, thanks so much for the extensive response and your experience.
Bruno seemed ok on Trifexis, but on Sentinel now, he is a tad bit itchier. Now… I am not sure, if it is because he’s getting a tiny bit of grain in his food (although he’s had it before, HHE Original), or because of Sentinel. It is not too much itchiness, so I’m not very worried.

I still wonder which is better – topical chemicals for fleas or internal ones (through the pills)?

I saw that Cedarcide Best Yet only has 2 ingredients, so I may actually try that as well. What is considered flea season? The warm months? That’s like 3/4 of the year here in GA, lol. But I have only seen one flea on Bruno so far since we’ve had him since July of last year. So Trifexis did work well on him… Hope Sentinel does too!

[Dori]

May through December here in Northern Georgia. More so if you’re in the southern part but I think you’re not too far from me.

[Naturella]

Dori, yeah, I am in Kennesaw – not sure where you are, but probably not too far. And thanks – so it is coming up then… Well, I guess that will put Sentinel to the test. I really wouldn’t mind trying Cedarcide if Bruno has any additional flea problems… Sounds the least chemicalized.

[Bobby dog]

Naturella:
You never know how an animal will react to a med. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual and make a note of it to see if there is a pattern that develops. That is one way to determine if Sentinel does not agree with him.

I am sure you can find a map (I haven’t looked) of flea seasons for the area you live in somewhere on the Internet. Maybe someone will be able to direct you in the right direction for a map on this forum. 🙂

I would also check with my Vet about the flea season in your area. For example, I would not have thought about changing how/what I administered for HW & flea protection without the discussion I had with my Vet. I have horses I am aware of the immunities that are being seen in parasites with worm meds for horses, but I thought I had it covered for Bobby. So I am very glad I had the wellness visit with my Vet to keep up to date on the parasite battles for cats and dogs in my area. After discussing your concerns with your Vet and researching further on the Internet, I am sure you will be able to make an informed decision as to the best preventatives for your precious puppy.

I have to write I have found ticks crawling on me after taking a walk through the woods even after the first few frosts in my area; it’s strange. I still feel uncomfortable administering a med that contains flea prevention year round when he does not need it year round. So I will continue looking into other meds. I may not find anything that fits the bill any better, but at least I will know either way.

[Dori]

Hi Aleksandra. I’m in the Vinings area of Atlanta. My dogs have been on Sentinel for years and years. I’ve never had an issue with Sentinel or I guess I should say none of the dogs have ever had issues with Sentinel. Dogs that have since passed from old age, etc were on Sentinel also. Just remember all dogs react differently to meds, supplements just as they do to different foods. One thing I would advise is to not give Sentinel the same week that your dog gets his vaccinations. Give Sentinel either a week before or after his yearly vaccines. In Bruno’s case if he were my dog I would have vet give him his vaccinations this year and if you want to do titers testing next year you can if you want to. Just remember that titer testing cannot tell you how much immunity he has to any given illness. With his vaccines, if you wish, you can space his rabies and the others a week apart so he’s not being assaulted with all the vaccines at once.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Dori.

[Karen B]

Has anyone used products by Wondercide.com? My lab got fleas last month (Jax beaches) and then got tape worms. I had to put Advantix II on her to stop the fleas. I was waiting for my order from wondercide. After I sprayed the yard with the natural cedar, I used the indoor spray around the doors in my house but did not put any on my pup as she was on Advantix. Two days after spraying my yard (I did do it with full strength) my Lab’s eyes and whole face swelled up. Benedryl and a steroid shot later finally took the swelling down. In the meantime we had rotated to a different boost food from NV and gone swimming in the ocean. Not sure which of these things caused the swelling but the vet thought she possibly had gotten bite by something. Anyone ever go through this?

[Jessica S]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone provide more information on their experience with heartworm prevention specifically. I’ve taken our dog off of Trifexis. I’m looking at other flea/tick alternative but my main concern is heartworm prevention at the moment. I was considering Heartguard Plus. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Dori]

Hi Jessica S. You’ll find that HW prevention is at times a touchy subject. We all have differing opinions. I have three toy dogs that have been on Sentinel for years once a month. I live in the South so I keep them on Sentinel year round. They have never had any issues whatsoever with their Sentinel HW medication.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Jessica S]

Thanks for post Dori. I have found this to be true about Heartworm. In my gut I feel like these toxic medications are so dangerous but the same can be true with infestation of heartworms, etc. My dog is recovering from cancer surgery and I’m uneasy putting more toxic meds into his system than necessary.

[Dori]

One of my dogs has cancer but I still feel better keeping her on Sentinel than the possibility of her testing positive to HW’s which is prevalent in the state of Georgia. She’s always done well on Sentinel, I’m quite sure she would not survive the treatment for heart worms. Life is always a balancing act. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I’m sure that there are plenty of people that don’t agree with me on this issue and I’m sure there are plenty of people that do. These decisions are always difficult and in the end you have to do what you are going to feel comfortable with. We all ask a lot of questions but the decision is really ours to make, right or wrong. We do what we feel is best for our “fur babies” as with anything else in life, be it any of your loved ones.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Dori.

[Naturella]

Dori, I have a question regarding Sentinel. Did you try the Spectrum kind yet? I gave Bruno his Oct. 1st. On the night of Oct. 4th-5th (4.30am on Oct 5th to be exact), he started having vomiting and diarrhea. He’s still recovering from that, but I was wondering if it could be the pill causing this, 4-5 days after being consumed…

[Dori]

Hi Alek. Yep, the girls have been on the Sentinel Spectrum for the last two months with no problems whatsoever. Like I didn’t even give them anything. That’s one of the great things of having our dogs on rotation and so darn healthy. They are much better equipped to deal with things coming at them. Honestly, I saw no change whatsoever with Hannah, Katie or Lola and believe me I was watching them like a hawk.

I can’t imagine that Bruno would be having vomiting and diarrhea from the Sentinel Spectrum especially 4-5 days after. Are you sure you, husband, friends or just Bruno himself didn’t get into something he shouldn’t have. Bruno is way bigger then any of my girls so he should have been just fine. My smallest is Lola at 5 lbs. and she as the other to are perfectly fine. I gave them their second Sentinel Spectrum on Oct. 1. No issues. What treats or chews has he been getting lately? Anything new? Has he eaten more than normal amount of anything? Did he get into anything at the dog park. I’m forgetting Aleksandra but didn’t something go on with Bruno that we were talking about that he needed to stay quiet and calm and no dog park for a bit? Sorry girl, I can’t for the life of me remember what Bruno’s issue was. Help me out here?

[Naturella]

Dori, thank you for the response! The pill was one of 4 possible options that could have caused his major tummy upset.
Option 2- a bad can of sardines (he gets those Saturday morning with breakfast – expiration date was fine, plus I had the other half of the can and was fine too);
Option 3 is him digging up something at the park and eating that (we were there around 7-8pm Saturday night, problems started 4.30am the following morning);
Option 4 is a reaction to him being transitioned to NVI Rabbit – I began the transition on October 1st or 2nd – that was his 3rd day of getting 3/4 old food and 1/4 new food, and Sunday we would have given 1/2 old and 1/2 new. Between October 1st and 4th his stool was fine, maybe a tad softer than usual, but formed and all. Color was a tiny bit different those days – probably due to the new food.
So it could have been any of those three other things besides Sentinel… I really have no idea what it is. I have stopped the food transition (and all kibble actually – he won’t have it). He ate 1/2 can of the old food (same recipe as the kibble but canned on Monday after a 22-hour fast), and it didn’t work out completely well for him either (was expelled last night from both ends), so now he’s on a “boiled chicken and brown rice with canned pumpkin mush (pureed together until mushy)”. So far so good, has not had a BM since morning, when he cleared his whole system from both ends… Poor boy… But seems to be feeling a lot better, with lots of energy. Downside? TERRIBLE, and I mean HORRENDOUS gas… Gas that I can’t imagine a dog his size producing… It is BAD (smell-wise), and pretty frequent. I wonder if it’s all the rice… He’s usually on grain-free foods…
Either way, I have some more chicken and brown rice to feed, plus, I am equipped with plain pumpkin, plain yoghurt, THK Perfect Form, and THK Instant Goat’s Milk. So I’m ready to tackle this the natural way, hope it works for him (P.S. I did try bread soaked in yoghurt on Sunday – he had it readily, but then expelled that too… both ways… It was bad, I feel like I have a newborn that I need to clean up after every 2-3 hours every night. But I just hope he gets better soon.

Dori, I think you are talking about his shots – they were the week before, and he did stay home all weekend, resting. Could that be from the shots, about 10 days later?

[Dori]

You know Naturella. It could very well have been the shots. Some times reactions to vaccinations can be seen up to two weeks are the shots. By then we’ve forgotten all about them and start trying to figure out what’s gone wrong. Hmmmmm. Could be. My other thought is his trip to the park Saturday evening around 7/8 p.m. and then throwing up and diarrhea at 4:30 a.m. Alek, that’s a real strong possibility. If Bruno’s not used to eating any grains at all then all the brown rice might be messing with him also. Please be sure to add THK Perfect Form to his meals for a while. That should help him out a bit. I know this may sound yucky, but we’ve all had to do it, in all the pooping, diarrhea and vomitting have you seen anything that looks suspicious? Anything he might have dug up and eaten? Another thought? Has he had rabbit before? Katie can’t eat rabbit. I discovered this recently actually with the Natures Variety Instinct. Upsets her stomach. No gas but lots of gurgling inside and diarrhea. This really sounds like a food or something he ate issue to me, not the Sentinel. Poor Bruno. Anyway, I’d cut down on the rice, it’s a grain and he’s not accustomed to grains anymore. I’ll keep thinking. Don’t forget to add THK Perfect Form. That stuff is a miracle worker. When Katie eats something that doesn’t agree with her the gas can clear out an entire house, not just a room. Damn, it’s really gross.

[Naturella]

Dori,
Ah, those damn shots!!! 🙁

In either case, nothing I can do now… glad to know it is not the Sentinel, although I will keep an extra eye on him November 1st (his next pill).

Also, he has MOSTLY been grain free, but just this past food I was transitioning him out of was lamb and brown rice, so it is not that new to him, he has certainly had it before, but not such gas. Pumpkin is something he hasn’t had in a while, but that shouldn’t be causing his gas, should it?

Also, I was going to add in THK tomorrow – wanted to go simple with just chicken, rice, and pumpkin before I add stuff so that I know what works…

As for that same food, NVI Rabbit, he had a sample of it, and he had it just fine as treats… either way, I am thinking of scrapping the NVI and moving on to Wysong Quail instead… it has brown rice, and I am scared of the rabbit now, lol…

I did certainly look through his stool and vomit too… nothing too crazy or unusual that I could see – whatever it may have been, he must have digested it at least some before it upset him…

In the end, whatever it was, I can’t really undo it now, I can just try to help him get over it and feel better. I will add THK Perfect Form tomorrow and hope for the best. If all goes well, I will add canned on Thursday/Friday, and begin introducing the Wysong Saturday/Sunday, so we’ll see how it goes.

Thank you for all the help!!! It is so much appreciated, Dori, really! And I don’t mean to hoag the thread, I just kept posting here to make sure it is not the Sentinel that could have been causing this.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Naturella.

[Dori]

Add THK Perfect Form to both his meals for a few days or longer until all is cleared up. My dogs don’t normally do to well with plain pumpkin so I’ve given up on that. I always have THK Perfect Form just for these occasions. First sign of any upset and I add it to their food for a couple of days or so. Always works. Wish they’d do well on the pumpkin as it’s cheaper but you gotta do whatever works. Good Luck. Let me know Bruno’s progress.

[Naturella]

Dori, I see! I will definitely keep him on it at least till the end of the week if all goes well. And I will certainly come back to report on it! Thanks again for everything!!! 🙂

[theBCnut]

Fiber digestion causes gas, so yes, the pumpkin could have been the cause if his system doesn’t have the right probiotic to deal with it.

[Naturella]

TheBCnut, I thought so! Would adding plain yoghurt help or should I get him some Mercola probiotics?

P.S. vomiting has stopped, now to eradicate the diarrhea… appetite is back though and the “mush”, now with THK perfect form, is well-received and consumed immediately.

[theBCnut]

I don’t think the probiotics in yogurt are the right ones, so I’d go with Garden of Life, Swanson’s Soil Based Organisms, or Mercola’s. Of those 3 Soil Based Organisms is the one I would pick first, but actually, I think GoL has a SBO probiotic, and they are a great company with great products. But Swanson’s is probably much cheaper.

[Naturella]

theBCnut, I will look up Swanson’s, they sound pretty interesting, and cheaper is always good for me! And oddly enough, today I started adding THK’s Perfect Form to the “mush”, and his first BM (in my bathroom while I was at school) was stinky. Second one (in my bathroom while I was at work) had no smell at all! Like, none! I am guessing it was his breakfast today as his former stools on “mush” only were pretty reeky as was his gas… IDK if Perfect Form is helping or his body is returning to normal or is better able to absorb/digest the pumpkin. Less/No gas today too! 🙂

I am keeping him on “mush” with THK till full/almost full improvement, and then will try to introduce kibble again. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Perfect Form does have some fantastic ingredients and I would suspect that is what is helping.

[Naturella]

BCnut, I think so too! Stool is still soft, but now it is formed, with no jelly! Now if he can get back to firm stools, and mostly, to holding it in, that would be great! 🙂 But he’s getting there! Hooray for Perfect Form! He loves the stuff in his mush too! 🙂

[Marla N]

I live in the north Georgia mountains. I think I’m definitely going to look into that cedarcide. I’m trying to do what I can to get away from so many chemicals. However, I do have to say, in always having used chemical products, what has worked best on my dogs for flea/tick prevention, was the generic stuff that you can get just about anywhere that also sells frontline and advantix. I think I got mine at Walmart, sadly. It’s just the generic of the advantix. As far as for heartworm, I’ve always used triheart plus. My vet carried it, before I moved up here. It’s basically the generic of heartguard. The plus also prevents hook and round worms. You can buy it online. I think that I saw it on amazon and 1800petmeds.com. I’ve been using that since I got my dog two years ago. I now use it with four dogs. My mom, since we had our very first dog some 30 years ago, always used the heartguard until our vet started carrying the triheart plus. Hope this helps.

[Paula L]

My canine companion has long, thick, long hair and missing quite a few teeth. His hair seemed to wick away the topical flea medications from his skin and sprays don’t reach his skin. Some of the combination heartworm/ flea preventative combinations are cheaper than what my Vet charged for the two individual products I was buying before. I bought Trifexis first, but my dog couldn’t chew it, even after breaking it up. My Vet wrote a prescription for Sentinel Spectrum (she doesn’t sell it). This pill is much softer. I give it to him with food (per instructions) & he hasn’t had any vomiting.

[jessica r]

Hi I know this post is old but I have been using 2 things for years one more than the other and they both are fantastic items. Comfortis and Nexguard. My 12 year old cocker spaniel used it her whole life, along with my 19 year old manx/snow foot cat, and my new dogo argintino. I have noticed it had helped even with chiggers due to high grass in some parts of our yard on our dogo. which is great. Neeva (Neevay) my dogo is on Nexguard and it has been amazing. not one issue at all. I pay around $25 a pill the last 35 days. On 1800petmeds theres a 3pk for around $60. hope this helps.

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