The Pill

[AlmostThere]

Today was Choco's check up with the vet. He got checked all over, his anal glands expressed (he'd been dragging his bum again but vet found no problem), his right ear got tested for yeast (he'd been scratching it, came back ok), blood test for heartworm, and 3 shots! Came home and I gave him his month's dose of flea application plus his heartworm pill. Poor guy is all tuckered out now.

Anyway, back to my point... my neighbor's dogs have fleas and she told me that she was considering the flea "pill" as opposed to the applications like Advantage or Frontline. I have not studied up on the "pill" so asked my vet today. She told me she doesn't sell it and explained that the pill only works to kill the flea AFTER it bites your pet. SO therefore you pet can still have fleas and scratch which she isn't in favor of.

I'd like to hear any comments you might have/experience with The Pill.

[VickieP]

We've always used Sentinel. It's for heartworms and fleas and is given once a month. Our boys are 9 & 10 years old and have never had fleas, even though our neighbor has 10 cats that roam and being in the country there are always dogs and other animals running around. (Our's are either in the house or their fenced part of the property.)

[BirdbyBird]

There is a "pill" that you can give that will kill all the fleas quicky...CAPSTAR...or something like that. It is very useful if you have an animal (rescue or otherwise) that is covered with fleas and you want/need to make flea free quickly...but this particular pill does not give prolonged protection. But google for other information, there are new products being developed all the time.

[Redetotry]

I give Sentinel also and don't use the topical along with. I also schedule any vaccinations for two weeks after I've given the monthly Sentinel so they don't get such a heavy dose of drugs all at once. Also after about age 3 I only give the rabies shots yearly and have titer tests for distemper to see if their levels are still high enough. They can titer for rabies but in Illinois they won't accept that & legally you have to have the 1 or 3 year shot.

[BarbaraRose]

I would think it would be better to use something to repel the fleas to begin with. Why wait until they are already biting your dog and all over your house? If there were a pill to take to kill mosquitoes when they bite you, would you take that, or use something to repel them first? If I was a dog, I would rather not get bit in first place. Just my opinion