What do you do about flea and worm treatments?

[LemonadeWithACherry]

I'm debating joining a pet care plan at my vet's. Around £30 a month for flea and worm control, annual healthcheck and booster vaccination, kennel cough booster, and a six month healthcheck.

It seems expensive to me. However I don't trust the treatments available in shops to be effective or safe. Also not convinced he needs the boosters.

What do you pay?

[BiteyShark]

I think mine is £16 but it does not include kennel cough but does include the other boosters. I think it was also dependent on size of dog so larger dogs more expensive (mine is medium).

[LemonadeWithACherry]

Oh yes I meant to say he's a large dog so everything is more expensive!

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

I think it may depend on the size and breed of dog. As in smaller dogs need smaller doses and most dogs don't need six monthly health checks as long as they are fit and healthy and have a good diet. Also probably depends on your location as in its cheaper to see a vet in most of the country than london for e.g.
I signed up for our vets puppy plan but I wish I hadn't as it's been a bit of a waste of money - the monthly health checks are with a nurse who really wasnt able to answer the questions I had re worming and flea treatment and just fed me a load of scare tactic bullshit. And as it turned out the flea and worm treatment were not included in the plan anyway.
As for what I do for flea treatment and worming, pup is only five month old so I worm her every month (tab costs £5.30 from vet) and I don't bother flea treat which goes against every guideline ever but I've never had a flea problem with my dogs and if I get one I will deal with it. If I was to flea treat nexguard cost just under £10 from vet and Advocate is about the same price, Bravecto costs a lot more but is a 3 monthly dose.

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

Cross post. Core boosters are only a three year event according to guidlines so I guess you are paying for the L4 and kennel cough. Seems steep to me.

[pigsDOfly]

Do your sums carefully, and be sure of what you're getting before you sign up. Some of these schemes can work out very expensive compared to paying as you go.

[weaselwords]

Thewolf Advocate worms as well for heart, lung and round worm. It's not just a flea treatment. You just need to get something for tape worm if you use that.

I have no schedule at all and tend to randomly worm in a panic every couple of months, so a plan would be good for me.

[weaselwords]

Your dog will need the boosters if you ever want to put it in kennels as they require proof if vaccination.

[BarchesterFlowers]

It seems a lot to me. I don't use flea treatments, my dog doesn't have fleas, I bought something from the vet when we went on holiday to the Highlands in case of ticks but despite everything I didn't see anything on her and didn't use it.

I don't vaccinate every year either, I have a titers test and vaccinate if necessary. Wormer once or twice a year. Fully supported by my vet.

There is a very profitable industry built on these things which are not always necessary depending on where you live. I have had horses for 40 years and have seen this go full circle with worms now becoming resistant to the stuff we were told to worm them with every 6-8 weeks.

[BarchesterFlowers]

My kennels is happy with the lab result slip too - vaccination not required, just proof of immunity.

[weaselwords]

Ooh, that's interesting about just needing proof of immunity. I will look into that.

[BarchesterFlowers]

It was my vet's suggestion weasel. I like my vet!

[ZippyNeedsFeeding]

My vet has a different price structure for farm animals, which my dog is. So his vaccinations and wormers are cheap anyway. I don't think our vet has plans like that but it could just be that I've never paid any attention.
My sister once left a Clydesdale-cross stallion in my care and told me I must worm him. Not a chance I was going to use the method she wanted me to- that horse was huge and very, very angry. So I made a carrot and treacle sandwich and sprinkled the wormer inside. Job done. Sister made a massive fuss and was invited to house her own horses in future if she didn't like it. She learnt to like it.

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

Thanks Weasel, that is helpful. Does it work as a preventative or just kill an existing infestation? I'm thinking of doing three month worm counts and treating as and when. But if advocate works as a preventative for worms as well as flees it may be worth using.

[georgedawes]

It's about £15 a month at our vets, although I don't use it. Sounds expensive!

[weaselwords]

I don't think any wormer works as a preventive, but I could be wrong.

[BiteyShark]

Unfortunately my pup drinks and eats anything he can on walks so I think I need to stick with regular monthly treatments for the worms and figure I just get the preventative flea treatment for free. Mine is only 5 months old, do you know if they increase the time between doses when they become adults or am I destined to treat monthly forever?

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

My vet said to increase to 3 months after the age of 6 months. You never know your pup may have had his fill if strange things to eat after a while. The worst thing mine has put in her mouth was a toad - she didn't eat it just delivered it live onto the kitchen floor, she was very pleased with herself
Thanks Weasel that pretty much confirms what I thought.

[Ylvamoon]

OP that is expensive. I only use flea treatment as and when required. As a prevention I wash dog bedding at 60 to kill eggs and use household flea spray in spring / autumn when the population seems to explode. I don't have any problems...
I do something similar for worms, give tablets every 12 weeks (bought on internet) but also keep eye on signs like itchy backside or eggs in poo.
For boosters, I singed mine up for a vac 4 life program which is a one off payment of £120. This includes annual health checks. Vets around here charge £20-30 for single boosters- so it's a non brainer once DDogs reach 5 years it's all free!

[LemonadeWithACherry]

Thank you all for your replies. I have to say I'm very surprised as I expected you all to be fleaing and worming regularly at great expense! I feel much better about adopting a 'wait and see' attitude now. He's not had fleas yet, I have a cat who has never had fleas or worms and I don't treat her either - if I had joined one of these plans for her I would have spent a fortune by now for no reason. It seems like so many 'must haves' from the vet are really a bit of a swizz.

[Lordofmyflies]

That seems v expensive. Our vet offers a similar plan, worming X 4, monthly flea and annual checkup and vaccinations for £16 a month for big dog size. I get a prescription for milabax and nexican (sp?) and buy it on line for £8 per month. Still have to pay for jabs but much cheaper this way.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Ours is £15 a month, I have a lab and that covers everything bar kennel cough.

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

I like the idea of a one off payment of £120, where are you Ylvamoon?

Lemonade, I too am relieved that I'm not the odd one out with my wait and see policy. I just don't see the point in using all these treatments if there isn't actually a problem. My kids have never had nits either and I don't treat them once a month.

[BarchesterFlowers]

Lemonade, I don't know many people who do these things religiously when their animals don't have a problem.

Must say that when I lived overseas where heartworm was an issue I did use something every month, but we don't have that problem here.

thewolfs - never had nits here either, I think we must both be in the minority!

[Ylvamoon]

Thewolfsjustapuppy- we are in the Midlands... the offer is through the vet franchise of a well known (expensive) pet store. It's vac4live which is £99 + cost of first course (£20). You get a yearly health check & booster. When we got our dog 7 years ago, this was best offer available. I think vets do try and match some offers- it's always good to shop around.

[japanesegarden]

Vet here. Not commenting on the pricing, but on the worming issue. By all means wait and see if your dog gets fleas or ticks and treat only if necessary, but really everyone should be worming dogs regularly. Firstly, because all dogs acquire toxocara in early life, which is a public health risk, and so should be wormed now and then for that, and secondly because lungworm is an increasing problem in the UK, and often the first sign of that is sudden death. You can ask your vet or look online to see the risk of lungworm in your area, but please do consider worming regularly with a reliable wormer. The alternative can be tragic.