Advantage II vs. oral flea meds for dogs: What's the difference?

Yes, there is a difference in how all the different oral and topical heartworm and flea/tick medications work. Yes, a heartworm medication needs to get into the bloodstream, so even topical heartworm preventions will get absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream to work. Flea and tick medications can work topically only or can be oral and work internally. Which are safest products is probably a matter of opinion. I will say that a couple of the oral flea/tick medications have been associated with seizures, so I do not recommend those in dogs that have seizures. Potentially, a topical flea/tick medication that does not get absorbed might be considered the "safest", but we certainly see some skin irritation from those products as one of their side effects. I think it's always a good idea to separate out new products, so you know if Doice is having a reaction to either, but since the products work differently, I don't know that there is a huge benefit to giving them separately long term. There are so many products out there on the market that I can't really give you a specific product recommendation for your area, but I would certainly speak with your vet about your concerns and ask them for their recommendations for Doice. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

With oral prevention there are no issues with bathing/swimming interfering with the product's efficacy as well as they don't typically lose any effectiveness between doses compared to topical flea/tick medications. There are also more chances for errors in applying topical medications compared to oral medications. Topical medications also rely on the skin absorbing them appropriately which rarely doesn't happen. I can't comment on the cheapest effective brand as prices can vary among areas as well as certain products can be discounted as part of a promotion depending on a veterinary clinic, online pharmacy and store. However ineffective products in my experience include Hartz and most collars.

I prefer oral however each brand of tick medicine is only labeled for a select few species of ticks so it may be ineffective if you are encountering a different species. You may want to try Bravecto that last longer or add advantix or tick collar that can help repel

Most oral flea preventatives are safe to give along with topicals, but it would help to know exactly what the oral medication was and when medications were given. You may want to ask your veterinarian what flea product they would recommend in your area - in some areas fleas could be resistant to the medications. You also may need to treat your home - calling a pest control company is safest.

1. You don't need to give Daisy a flea bath before giving her the Advantix. You can give her the Advantix now. I don't recommend flea baths because they don't work well and can be very irritating to the skin. 2. You do not need to use the Advantix with the Sentry flea collar. Using Sentry (which contains fipronil) and Advantix together should be done with caution, as they have not be approved by the manufacturers for use together. The Advantix alone is enough protection. 3. You can give Daisy Capster with the Advantix. It's a one time pill that stars killing fleas in 30 minutes, and is safe to use anytime. That's the only oral medication I woken recommend to use in combination with the Advantix. Don't forget to disinfect the environment as well. Wash Daisy's bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a flea spray in the home such as Indorex, or you may need to flea bomb the house to kill the fleas. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, there are lots of other non-topical flea and tick prevention options. Nexgard and Bravecto have oral chews that dogs can eat as treats. Nexgard is monthly whereas Bravecto is every 3 months. Both of these prevent against fleas and ticks. Heartgard is an oral medication that protects against heartworm and other intestinal parasites. There is a Seresto collar that can be worm by dogs to prevent flea and tick infections for up to 8 months. I recommend reaching out to your local vet to see which products they have available. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Knuckles. It's not recommended to mix flea treatments together. I would wait one more week, then give the Advantage II. Until then, you can give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas in 30 minutes, and it's safe to give now. You can give him one a day until you can apply the Advantage II. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I hope this helps!