# Advantix



## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

I was reading on the What is necessary thread that many of you use advantix for tick prevention and didn't what to hijack but wanted to make a point. We live in western PA. My dogs and I are in the woods a lot. As early as March we have picked up ticks even with freezing temps, and after being TREATED with Advantix. I did call Johnson & Johnson about this issue as I was first of all shocked that it happened, and also wondered if the dogs could become diseased by the ticks even though they were treated. The response that I got was: yes, ticks can still stick and also, they are not sure if they will become diseased by the tick or not. NOT what I wanted to hear as I pay a lot of money for what I thought was PREVENTION!!!! I think when using this product, it is less likely that your dogs get ticks but it still happens and in my tick infested woods a LOT!!


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

One of my friends just had this exact conversation with Frontline. Apparently, FL guarantees to kill ticks, but not quickly enough to prevent transmission of Lyme/Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever/etc. None of the mfgs guarantee to prevent transmission of tick-borne diseases, or even prevent ticks from biting your pet. However, my understanding is the Advantix should work within a few hours, whereas FL works in about 24 hrs, and thus is still better than FL (and better than nothing). Is this consistent with what they told you?


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

IDK about the few hr thing, I usually find the ticks 2 days or so after. You know, when they are starting to fill with blood and you can actually feel them. I have tried bathing them when we get home, however that is not always effective either.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Lisa_j said:


> IDK about the few hr thing, I usually find the ticks 2 days or so after. You know, when they are starting to fill with blood and you can actually feel them. I have tried bathing them when we get home, however that is not always effective either.


Are they already dead? Or are they still alive 2 days later? Finding them alive 2 days later is definitely something to be concerned about.


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

Alive and full, with moving heads when removed =-( I was pretty upset about and although do not like confrontation, was right on the phone with J & J. This was a real concern to me and made me wonder why I poison my dogs monthly, not to mention the cost for something that is not 100% effective. I have 2 dogs that are immunosupressed so I am already paranoid about using chemicals on them to begin with, then to find this! Last year I started off with advantix in March but only used it until June then just used advantage but not until I saw fleas on them. Our tick season is usually early and then fleas seem to come late summer.

ETS- not that it matters, a posion is a posion.......


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

I believe merial claims that it takes more than 24 hours for a tick to transmit diseas, and that frontline kills them in under 24 hours. We had a meeting with a bayer rep awhile back to talk about advantix. They said pretty much the same thing- that it kills before disease is transmitted. I asked why they claim their product repels ticks if they are now telling us they still attach.They said something along the lines of that no product is a magic force field that is going to keep ticks from landing on the dog. Ok, then. I kind of thought that's what repel meant.

I don't like topicals. I have been using a scalibor collar on Darla with good results. I spray Quinn down with an herbal spray before hikes, etc and run a comb over him when we get home.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

The advertising surrounding these topicals is certainly misleading. Dogs will still get ticks, ticks will still attach, and maybe the topical will kill the tick before the tick has time to transmit any diseases. I had trouble with the collar I used (free sample). It didn't seem to help at all, and my fingers went numb when I touched it, so I can't imagine what it's doing to my dog. Of course, I threw it out. Natural remedies haven't worked for me, either - my dog is a poodle, and once a tick gets into her coat, it's not going anywhere.

The best luck I've had, unfortunately, is with the topicals when applied to three-four different places along the back (not just between the shoulder blades). But my area is known for being really bad for ticks (abundant, pernicious, and year-round). I still end up bathing her weekly and pulling a few ticks off of her, but most of them are dead.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

SpooOwner said:


> The advertising surrounding these topicals is certainly misleading. Dogs will still get ticks, ticks will still attach, and maybe the topical will kill the tick before the tick has time to transmit any diseases. I had trouble with the collar I used (free sample). It didn't seem to help at all, and my fingers went numb when I touched it, so I can't imagine what it's doing to my dog. Of course, I threw it out. Natural remedies haven't worked for me, either - my dog is a poodle, and once a tick gets into her coat, it's not going anywhere.
> 
> The best luck I've had, unfortunately, is with the topicals when applied to three-four different places along the back (not just between the shoulder blades). But my area is known for being really bad for ticks (abundant, pernicious, and year-round). I still end up bathing her weekly and pulling a few ticks off of her, but most of them are dead.


Since we live in FL, we have to apply K9 Advantix almost year round, esp since Zio is in conservation areas almost constantly. That being said, we tend to examine him thoroughly after each outing (pretty easy with a GSP) and find the ticks almost immediately. Thankfully, we have never found any evidence of fleas.

However, if we do discover any ticks after that time (1-2 days) they are usually dead.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

I don't use Tick prevention for this very reason it isn't guaranteed that it is going to do anything for them... and it is just more poison going into the dog... I understand for people that have thick coated dogs etc it could be a problem not being able to see them before they are engorged, but I still didnt give it to my husky, i would just go through his coat every 2-3 days and look.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

If there's a science to finding ticks, I'd love to learn it. We have these little tiny seed ticks that are so small, you can't even feel them. One of my friend's dogs just tested positive for Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever, so I'm extra cautious.


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