Vectra topical repellent/insecticide

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Has anyone used this? My Vet has info on it and says it's good stuff: deals with fleas/ticks and all sorts of buggy things.

I'm normally not one for using topicals because my experience is that A: Where we live, ticks and fleas aren't a huge problem B: I do a daily tick check; and if they're scratching, I'll use a flea comb to get the little pests C: Being Aussie crosses, my guys could react to "chemical overload?" (Not that *I* use a bunch of chemical around them, but you never know what was sprayed on a campsite by the previous camper, or used on the grassy areas, etc)

But we're going to the Pac Northwest in a few weeks - I have no idea of what we could encounter.....

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

After reading enough reports of adverse reactions to Vectra - I think I'm going to opt for clipping their fur short and doing nightly flea-combings. I can always pick up some flea shampoo if needed....

[2paints]

I live in the country, so have no neighbors that spray or fertilize. I myself use vinegar and Dawn. But at a campsite, you just never know. I put out artificial turf carpets or the mesh carpets. Once when at a Thousand trails park, one of the maintenance men was spraying weeds in the dog walk area. I told the manager and said if you're going to spray, at least put a sign up, it was freshly sprayed. As far as walking on blacktop, I've heard of people using wipes or a wet rag at the door to wipe paws before coming inside. I wouldn't use wipes, cause of the chemicals in the wipes. I've not done that, but if it was freshly coated, then yes I would do that too.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

2paints wrote:
I don't use fertilizer or chemicals on my yard either.

Me neither (I'm sure, to the chagrin of my pretty-lawn neighbors). I adore my neighbor Rob, but the second time his fertilizer/weed killer got onto my lawn and Ike vomited for 24 hrs afterward... I'm afraid I came on pretty strong. Now he lets me know when he's going to fertilize; then blows any residue off my walkway and down into the grass.

And that's the thing - we dose our dogs with insecticides/larvicides for the benefit of their health, but then we never know what else has been used in their world? Either deliberately sprayed on (I've read of folks who don't want ANY "crawly thing" on their campsite so they douse it in bug killer. Which always makes me wonder if I got one of "those" campsites?) Or I just read that coal-tar based driveways sealers pack a load of toxins/carcinogens.... I haven't really looked further into that, but it's kind of frightening since our pets are always "barefoot" and tend to lick their paws....

I'm trying not to join the tin-foil-hat brigade; but at what point do our dogs overload on toxins?

[2paints]

I use Essential oils for flea ,tick and Mosquitos. Geranium oil for ticks, eucalyptus for Mosquitos, lemongrass fleas, lavender oil, etc. I mix them together with water. Also every few days, put a drop on their collars. Sentry makes a good essential oil spray. It's called Natural Defense flea and tick spray. I've used this for two years with good luck. I always do tick checks, comb with flea comb, and if ever a flea infestation, I carry Food grade DE dirt. Never had to use it yet. I don't use heartworm preventative either. Takes a lot for variables than just the advertise "one bite is all it takes to get heartworm". I do heartworm test in early summer and again late fall or early winter. I don't leave them out when Mosquitos are active. I was a user of Frontline, until that one application caused my dog to have a grand maul seizure at 15 yrs old. And then several more until he succumbed to them at the age of 15 1/2, No more chemicals, pesticides, insecticides will ever touch my dogs or cat again. Must be the reason cancer is the number 1 killer of dogs. I don't use fertilizer or chemicals on my yard either. Just my two cents.

[Pawz4me]

My Shih Tzu had an adverse reaction to K9 Advantix. It was pretty bad, even though I bathed him in Dawn (per the manufacturer's instructions) as soon as I realized what was happening. He still needed two vet visits, a Benadryl injection, a course of prednisone and a full week to get over it. Still . . . I'm sure it's not a "bad" product. Just not the right one for him.

[DOTLDaddy]

dturm wrote:
I forgot it was Vectra that Inga had the reaction to. Oops.

She has an adverse reaction to just about everything, it seems.:S

We just had to give her benedryl for a suspected bee sting(s) that puffed up her face like an ogre. It took care of the problem, but she suffered just about every side effect listed for benedryl.:p

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

We'll be camping part of the time (along the Oregon coast). I had read some concerning reviews on Amazon, about dogs having agitated reactions to this... and I remember Ike acting like I had poured acid on him with another topical....

[dturm]

I forgot it was Vectra that Inga had the reaction to. Oops.

[DOTLDaddy]

I am sure Vectra is a very good product. With that said, you may want to make sure with your vet that if your dog(s) have an adverse reaction to it, you can return the unused portions. I mention that from personal experience.

We have found that Inga is very sensitive to medications and chemicals. We tried Vectra on her, and she was definitely not a "happy camper".:E We told our vet's office about it, and they said just bring it back. They gave us the credit on a supply of the "old" flea/tick topical, which for some reason Inga can tolerate.:h

[dturm]

Seems like it's a good product, no more reactions or failures than many topical treatments. I think your plan is a good one, during the trip out with rest stops, campgrounds (are you camping?) and with the potential exposure prevention is good.