Baths and flea control

[Juli]

I was hoping one of our esteemed groomers could give me their advice

My vet seems to want to encourage usage of what he sells. I'd rather go with others experience and research.

What flea control product would you suggest?
He has a standing appt. with the groomer every 2 weeks.(last year the vet intimated that he was bathed too often, that's why he was itchey..I don't think that is the case though) Spends the entire summer in and out of the water, and we get fleas in this area of CA like the plague. We also hike around the lake in a brush/wooded area and many people are already spotting ticks on their critters. Last year I used Advantage. I am thinking Frontline would be a better way to go. Opinions??? Also what are most choosing for heartworm now?
Thanks.

 

[Jeannie]

I highly recommend Frontline every 30 days to control tick and fleas. If you only need to control fleas then you can apply it every 3 months.

Shampooing a dog is not flea control Flea shampoos and dips only kill what is on the dog at the time. Fleas are on the pet only when they are feeding (sucking blood). Fleas live and lay their eggs in you carpet, drapes, dog bedding and so on. To kill the fleas you have to break the flea cycle. If you use the "old fashion" flea control of bathing, remember you have to flea bomb your home. With Frontline I have never had a customer that had to flea bomb the house because it kills the adult fleas, thus breaking the cycle.

I do not agree with you vet that shampooing your newf every 2 weeks will make the dog itch. I shampoo my newfs every 7-10 days.

I DO believe that the type of shampoo that you use can dry the skin and cause itching. If your groomer uses a shampoo that strips the oils from the coat, it can take 45 days to re-coat the hair shaft. I suggest a conditioning shampoo--not an oatmeal. Oatmeal has many good properties but it can be very drying. Does your dog's coat look dull and dry? If so try a different shampoo. Also are you sure your groomer is getting ALL the shampoo out of the coat? Shampoo residue causes many many problems. It takes twice as long to rinse as to shampoo a newf.

Heartworm medication I like to use Heartguard. I like it because it also kills other types of intestinal worms that the pill or shot does not kill.

Hope this sheds some light on your questions. If you have more--just post'em and I answer'em Or at least try to

One more thing. Don't get a flea collar and expect that to work. I have seen them cause skin irriations more than they kill fleas. A waste of money in my opinion



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Jeannie and the rescues
Sara, Samantha and Panda www.newfland.com

[This message has been edited by jggrosch (edited 04-05-2002).]

[This message has been edited by jggrosch (edited 04-05-2002).]

 

[aalvarez]

Oh, we were told not to bathe our puppy too often or the skin will dry out and/or oils in the fur will get stripped. The suggestion was to only bathe him when he starts getting really smelly! Approx. every 2-3 months. Yogi isn't a really smelly dog except for his puppy breath!

He is mostly an inside dog, but now that the weather is getting warmer, we've been trying to take him to the park or the river every weekend. Although, I do think his skin is dry as he has had dandruff for the past week or so. I guess it might be time for a bath

Is there a particular brand of conditioning shampoo you would recommend? Do those conditioning sprays work?

 

[Juli]

Thanks Jeannie,

I have followed your advice from last year(I'm sure the thread is still around for those of you interested in shampoo types etc. I think it's under itchey scratchey puppy

We found a wonderul groomer, knows about the concerns for rinsing that you discussed. I brought up the bathing routine in case it made a difference in the type of flea controll you would recommend. Someone told me that advantage does not work as well if your dog is in water often..?? His coat is beautiful, shiney..and the envy of all at the dog park. I have to carry the groomers biz cards with me as she seems to get all the credit for his coat! Nevermind that I slave and brush him everyday, give him oil supplements more expensive than anyone in the house gets, and bake him salmon cookies! It is worth it though as he really is a handsome guy...and I get a terrific discount 'cause Satchel is such great advertisement.
So I will give frontline a try. I think I will feel a bit more at ease about possible ticks as well. I will NEVER deal with the dips and BOMBINGS I remember being subjected to back in the dark ages

Hooray for medical progress!
Thanks so much. I feel so blessed to be able to benefit from all the shared wisdom here.

 

[Jeannie]

Aalvarez
Many people say not to bath your dogs too much. Most will say every 2-3 months of when they start to smell. I have learned that if you use a good quality conditioning shampoo that does not strip the oils, then you can bath more often.

I get all my shampoos from Spectrum Lab in Idaho. The phone number is 1-800-752-3241. My sells rep is Steve--you can ask for him. I like their conditioning Shampoo. The Aloe Magic is good also.



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Jeannie and the rescues
Sara, Samantha and Panda
www.newfland.com

 

[aalvarez]

Thanks for the shampoo tip. There were times after a dip in the river when he was smelly dog and I really wanted to give him a bath, but because of what was recommended to us decided not to. We would just rinse him off in the tub. Right now we just use a basic, tearless puppy shampoo. We'll try the conditioning shampoo and hopefully will get rid of his dandruff. And I'm also glad to hear the recommendations for Heartguard and Frontline. Those are what we have used. I bought a 3 months supply of Frontline Plus, but I'll have to buy more to get him through the end of summer.