Safe tick meds for my senior dog with arthritis and pain meds?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lupin. I recommend using Vectra 3D. This is a topically applied medication. The pests are repelled or killed on contact. This means the pet does not need to be bit for the medication to work as is the case with oral medications. It is a broad spectrum product including repelling mosquitos. This helps with heartworm prevention as well. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Buddy. I prefer to use a topical liquid for flea and tick prevention. The reasoning being this will prevent the spread of disease from ticks. All oral products require the patient to actually be bitten by the tick for the prevention to work. The bite is how tick born diseases are spread. My favorite product is Vectra 3D. It also repels mosquitoes so it works in conjunction with your dog's monthly heartworm prevention. This is a huge benefit. It is also effective against lice, certain types of mites and biting flies. Unfortunately, natural products are not going to effective. The diseases spread by ectoparasites can be a serious threat to your pet. A lot of times there are manufacturer rebates available when you purchase Vectra 3D. I hope this information helps!

I would suggest Frontline Plus. It is safe and effective when applied properly and does not go systemic as some other preventatives. It stays in the layers of the skin. If your dog has seizures, start a Seizure Log. Note the time of day, activity, meds, diet or anything happening around the time of each seizure. This will help you and your vet pinpoint potential triggers.

Ticks can be difficult to manage - even with some of these high-quality preventatives! Instead of using the Vectra 3D and Seresto products, consider using an oral flea/tick preventative, such as Nexgard or Bravecto. In my experience, these products seem to be more effect for both flea and tick prevention, but both are prescription based. If you prefer using topical preventatives for Orion, Advantix is another option that I tend to prefer. I would not recommend using additional topical sprays while he is also receiving the topical Vectra 3D. While all of these products are labeled for tick prevention, in reality, they can take a bit of time to work and actually kill the tick. If you find ticks that are attached to Orion, be sure to remove them with all of their head and mouthparts. Ticks need to be attached for around 24+ hours in order to transmit disease.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern! Poor Rusty! Ticks are no fun and can be quite painful when in large quantities. I would recommend using a flea and tick preventative such as Frontline, Nexgard or Bravecto. He will likely need a shampoo to help soothe his skin after the ticks die. I would recommend Douxo PS Calm shampoo, which can be easily found online. I hope this helps and that Rusty improves! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns!

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.

Both of those should be safe if applied to the outer coat. However, they will not effectively prevent fleas and ticks. The best way to prevent external parasites is by using a product from your vet. There are newer products like Bravecto and Nexgard that are oral tablets that prevent fleas/ticks for 30 days. This is the best way to keep your dog parasite free.