Should I keep giving flea and tick medicine monthly in winter?

Vet’s typically recommend year round flea/tick prevention as even in the winter fleas are seen during unseasonably warm weeks. As warmer days are likely in the coming month of March I would start now. In general, the oral flea /tick preventatives such as monthly Nexgard, Simparica or every 12 weeks Bravecto chews are more effective than topical products such as Frontline without the risk of skin sensitivity. When you run out of your current product, before the warmer spring months arrive, definitely inquire with your vet about the oral flea/tick products. Great job for being so proactive of an owner in protecting Snowball!

It really depends on the particular environment that Riley lives in. If you don't see fleas and ticks in the winter, then yes, it would make sense to not give it until they start to be seen again. However, fleas and ticks like to move indoors when the temperature outside gets cold, so you'll have to make sure that inside of the house is cleaned regularly (especially under the furniture, or any other dark areas that they could hide).

If you live along the Front Range then fleas are a problem from spring until the first freeze or so. If you live higher up in the mountains or the Western Slope the fleas are not as prevalent. Fleas can and will get in your house so it doesn't really matter if the dog spend a lot of time outside or not. Fleas are opportunists. I used to live in Colorado and used a monthly flea/tick prevention all year round but I took my dogs everywhere with me. If I had a dog that spent most of their time indoors, not hiking, not around many other dogs, then I would probably do the flea/tick prevention at least from April through October.

So fleas can be a year round issue because they will naturally stay in warm areas (so the cold weather won't kill them). So if you have fleas in the house or if Honey hangs out with a lot of other dogs, goes to dog parks, or gets groomed....she could still get fleas. I recommend to have this conversation with your regular local vet who knows the flea cycles in your area best. Also, you will want to know specifically about heartworms and your location. I hope this helps.

Yes, in most temperate climates, fleas are at their worst [through the fall](https://www.petcoach.co/article/fall-and-fleas-what-you-need-to-know). Like all insects, fleas go through a life cycle where adult fleas lay eggs, which mature to larvae, then pupae and into adults that lay eggs of their own. None of these life stages can survive when temperatures drop below 37 degrees Fahrenheit unless they are already surviving on a host, such as a household pet or wild animal, or are already inside of a warm home. As temperatures warm up in the spring, fleas begin to boom, with adult fleas laying around 2,000 eggs over a two-month span. With consistently warm temperatures, these eggs typically mature into egg-laying adults within three weeks. Consider what happens as these 2,000 eggs mature and each lay 2,000 eggs of their own! The flea life cycle continues to boom until the temperature begins to drop by late fall, making fall the time of year where fleas have grown to the largest population size. In climates that stay above 37 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, there is no reprieve to the flea life cycle. Many pet owners lapse in their use of flea preventives in the fall, which provides fleas with an accessible and unprotected host. In all instances, it is best to keep your pet on a good-quality flea preventive medication consistently year-round. Since all flea preventives are not the same, it is best to discuss the best option for your pet with your veterinarian. ### Capstar is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates.

Hello. You want to start heartworm prophylaxis with 30 days of a negative heartworm test. Ticks & fleas can definitely survive your temperature range, so go ahead & start using your Frontline to get a head start on the warm weather parasite explosion. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thanks for your question about Mazie. This is a great question, and it really comes down to a question of how significant is the risk of disease exposure to Mazie, vs the cost of preventative. I see you live in Georgia - given how prevalent heartworm disease is in your area, as well as intestinal parasites, my advice would be to stick with Revolution in order to have a more broad-spectrum product to address heartworm disease and intestinal parasites in addition to external parasites like fleas and ticks. That's to cover your bases in case the rare mosquito finds its way into your home, or in case Mazie sneaks out. But, again it comes down to risk and cost. If you feel that you live in a home that's pretty mosquito-proof, and if Mazie is not prone to sneaking outside once in awhile, then her heartworm and intestinal parasite risk is probably low enough that a flea/tick product would suffice. Hope that helps!