What are safe, natural flea & tick options for my Mini Aussie?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a good question, especially with some Australian Shepherds having a mutation of their MDR-1 gene. Fortunately, Heartgard is safe to use in these breeds for the prevention of heartworms. The amount of ivermectin contained within a monthly dose is not harmful/toxic to dogs even with the MDR-1 mutation. I would be careful to ensure that Josie does not accidentally ingest multiple months-worth of doses, as this cumulative dose could potentially be toxic to her. As far as topical flea and tick preventatives go, brands such as Frontline and K9 Advantix are also safe to use in these breeds. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there. The concern with Australian Shepherds is that many dogs of this breed may carry the MDR1 gene mutation, which makes them especially sensitive to certain medications. Frontline (active ingredient fipronil) is NOT a drug that would be expected to cause any problems in these dogs, so in general it is fine to use in Aussies.

I occasionally see toxicity issues with some of the over-the-counter topical flea products like Hartz, Sergeant's, etc. - this is more commonly a problem in cats, but can sometimes be an issue with small dogs as well, especially if they've been dosed above their weight range. All of the prescription flea/tick medications currently on the market (Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, etc.) are quite safe and effective.

I do not recommend any flea or tick shampoos, these are usually not safe products and not as long lasting as more modern preventive treatment for fleas and ticks. here is the list of the best flea products on the market. Spot ons: Revoulution Advantage Advantage Multi Frontline (ticks as well) Tablets: Trifexis/comfortis Bravecto (ticks as well) - for dogs Collar: Seresto ( (ticks as well) House spary: Indoorex

The top quality flea preventatives out there are Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica, or Credelio. You can also try Advantix over the counter, but his has variable results. The itching is likely because he has a flea allergy. If this still doesn't resolve, then a vet visit is needed for allergy medication. I do hope that Ruger's itching and flea problem resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.

I am really sorry but to answer your question, there are NO natural remedies that are proven to work for fleas and ticks. They just don't work. If your dog did not do well on Bravecto there are many other products available that don't have the same active ingredient as Bravecto. You could try Simparica or Nexgard. Are you 100% positive the Bravecto caused the seizure? I hear this a lot from owners. They say the dog had a seizure a week or so after the Bravecto administration and peg that as the cause. It is highly unlikely to have been the cause that many days after ingestion. When dogs have seizures the most likely cause is underlying epilepsy. It is rarely due to medication administration. The other option is to try a Seresto collar. Many of my clients love this option and it does work well. One collar works for up to 8 months so it is cost effective too! ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/seresto-flea-and-tick-collar-for-dogs ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi. Unfortunately there is no "all natrual" and effective flea/tick/heartworm prevention medications. It takes an actual medication and antiparasitic medication to prevent these. The natural products you see when you look in to these are not nearly as effective or studied as those recommended by your veterinarian. This is obviously completely your decision, but from a medical standpoint I do not recommend the all all natural medications or collars for this. If your pet is having reactions to vectra and interceptor, please discontinue them and speak to your veterinarian about other options such as revolution, heart guard, simparica or Brevecto. Good luck.