Spot-on wormers for dogs

We used it for some years but last year our vet told us that it was known to have lost its potency and that he suggested a change for a pill that had to be swallowed. .

We’ve been using it for over a year and found it to be effective.

I agree it’s a chemical but lung worm kills, painfully. Ticks are dangerous parasites and no one wants a dog full of fleas ?.

I look on it as a necessary preventative treatment.

I only deworm once a year and I use Drontal tablets the dogs take them willingly and they do work.

I refuse to use those spot on treatments, if it’s enough to make the cat spit then run out of the house and the dog cower there has to be a reason. I use Drontal pill and the dog accepts that happily.

I'm confused, didn't know there was a spot on wormer I thought it was just for fleas and ticks.
Our dogs wear anti tick collars from April to October and have tablets for worms. It's all quite expensive.

Would you not notice if your dog has worms from scooping the poop?

Nana the vet told me that there has been an 'improved' version of Advocate recently so we're still using it but I wonder if the Drontal pill might be better. I will ask about changing to it next visit I think.

Sodapop this isn't just for ticks and fleas, this covers a long list of parasites, including various worms all in one dose.

mum I like to think that he doesn't have worms because of the Advocate. I love him to bits but I draw the line at rummaging through his poop! it goes straight in the bag

midgey this is what worries me, it must either burn or sting, he's really not happy when I put it on him

Thanks sassenach512 I've not heard of it.

My dog has been prescribed Prinovox spot on; never heard of it before. We're going on holiday and I daren't risk the cottage having fleas even though she doesn't have them [as far as I know]. I hate putting so many chemicals onto and into my dogs.

We used Prinovox before the Advocate Labaik I think they're similar really. I do think I'm going to look into the pill version though, I'm not convinced this monthly dose into his skin is a good thing

The spot on ones get absorbed into their system anyway so in that way they are just like the tablets. Advocate and Prinovox are multi-spectrum products and also treat against lung worm (spread by snails) and heart worm. These you probably wouldn’t know your dog has them until they became seriously ill.

It’s a difficult one. There is always a risk with anything to spot on, ingest or inject. Even if just a small risk...the same goes for humans.

My dog hates it too....it’s the smell.

For worms I use a tablet - there are many brands and even the "cheap" ones from the supermarket or online are very effective. I give them to my dog/s every 3 months.

I’ve been treating my dogs with Advocate for a long time with no problems. It’s a wormer and flea etc treatment in one.
Years ago one of my dogs was suffering from bald patches, after various tests it was discovered he was allergic to demodex mites. Since the vet changed the flea treatment to Advocate he’s had no bald patches at all.

Sassenach have you considered putting your dog on a monthly plan?

I pay £19 a month per dog and that’s the Gold Plan. That covers flea and worming, annual booster jabs, two free health checks annually, nail cutting, ear plucking, consultation fees etc. If you’re paying £10 a month anyway you might want to cost it out at your vet.

We have the same sort of thing as Anja for both our dogs - the spaniel will eat anything he sees in his bowl so the tablets go down easily, but even the collie,who is much fussier, has the tablets without problems. It was always a struggle to put the spot stuff on the collie as well - he hates being messed with in any way. I've not noticed any adverse reactions to the tablets.

I'm already paying £30 a month for his pet insurance Anja it covers him for £7500 but no jabs etc. When we first got him, I paid a set fee of £99 which gives him 2 health checks a year and annual boosters for his life time, so that was a good deal I thought. I don't begrudge the monthly spot-on, I was just uneasy about the long-term affects on his health. A friend's dog has just been treated for tumours on its back and it made me wonder about the possible cause.