He has done what many of you all do: apply a month flea and tick treatment to my fur. It's done a great job. Not a single flea, fly, or mosquito has bothered me. Despite all my outdoor romping I've only gotten one tick on me (that we know of, at least). A pretty good testament to K9 Advantix. There are some concerning things about it. First, it's very toxic to cats. If Iggy and Spot would happen to lick me right after the medication is applied they would likely become very ill and die. There are also numerous reports of dogs having skin problems (rashes, sores), stomach upset (vomiting), and neurological problems (stumbling, etc.).
My vet just recommended an alternative that had immediate positive results. He recommended a product called Vetri-Repel which claims it is a natural repellent for fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and flies. It smells kind of nice--made with lemongrass and cinnamon oil. As long as the human is careful not to get it in my eyes and nose, everything is just great.
Wouldn't you know it works? He sprayed it on me and we went for a walk. He noticed that I happened to be standing on top of an area where there were several creepy-crawly bugs. They were actually scattering from underneath me and running away. Pretty nifty, eh?
After reading this post, I bought the VetriRepel wipes and so far, they are working wonderfully! Claire used to run away when she saw me coming with the K9 Advantix - and now she gets wiped down every few days and ends up smelling like lemongrass :) She likes it much better. Thanks for sharing, Maggie!
ReplyDeleteLauren. I'm so happy to hear that Claire isn't running away from you. While the prescription based products have their place, some dogs don't seem to tolerate them well. Since we pups can't talk, the best we can do sometimes to say that something hurts us or makes us feel uncomfortable is to run away. I'm glad the VetriRepel wipes are working out for you (and me too!).
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