Flea and worming

[PugInTheHouse]

Hi, I just wondered if anyone had any recommendations for flea/worm treatments. We have 2 x dogs and 2 x cats.

Currently we have a plan with the vets but their prices are increasing constantly. The plan includes 10% of surgeries etc and the odd treatment but nothing we have ever used. essentially all we get is flea (Advocate) and worming treatments (Drontal). For the large bread (over 40kg) its £23 a month (will increase to about £25) and the small breed £15.50. Cats are around £7.50 a month each.

This just seems so much money, they charge a fortune for a prescription every 3 months if we wanted to purchase elsewhere so thats a nightmare.

Is there anything else anyone has found is effective at all? Was looking at Advantage as that is non prescription.

Thanks

My vet's written prescription charge is for 3 months of meds, but 6 months if for flea treatment. (Approx £18.)

The drontal isn't prescription, so you can buy from a pet supplier or pet pharmacy online without prescription. I actually bought it on Amazon recently.

We use a pill, Simparica Trio, rather than Advocate, as we all hated the spot-on. Especially hard with multiple pets - we've 3 dogs. We live in a tick area, so wanted the additional cover that Simparica Trio provides over Advocate.

I’ve recently posted about this too as am in a similar situation. We have one dog and three cats and our plan has also had a price increase - it’s now almost £60 a month for all four. I did some Googling and found scientific journal articles to suggest that fleas aren’t resistant to Advantage, which you can buy over the counter, so I’m cancelling their plans and switching to that. We get Drontal spot-on from the vet for worms which again you can buy without prescription. If I get a flea infestation I’ll have to go back to the vet stuff but I’m going to try this first. I also treat them less often than the vet specifies (every 6-8 weeks which seems fine, never seen fleas on any of them) so monthly treatments aren’t cost-effective for me anyway.

Thanks both.

I didn't realise flea treatment on prescription is for 6 months, I was assuming 3.

I usually do every 4 weeks and have to buy an extra one from the vet each year. The vet suggested it as they said the cats catch them so much easier than the dogs (even though they are indoor cats) and I am probably a bit gullible and believed them 😂

I may give the Advantage a go then and see how it goes. I have 2 more lots of advocate left so have a bit of time.

Advantage does not give you any protection against lungworm or roundworm, so you need to use a milbemycin containing wormer (not drontal) monthly if you use Advantage for flea control.

Ah ok, thank you I was wondering about that actually, I couldn't remember what it was that Advocate had in addition to the others.

Drontal does roundworm, though - not lungworm though, you’re right, but I’m not sure that’s as high-risk in most of the UK? It’s more in the south?

We are South, so might be needed then. I will look into that.

Drontal is a good wormer, not expensive and is only needed quarterly. Easily purchased at any pet shop or online. I don't do flea prevention... just treat if they get fleas... which they never seem to.

Surely you get the annual vaccinations in with the vets plan . I’d actually calculate like for like the costs over a whole year .

Yes but our vets offered a vac for life plan for £99 one off so I was going to do that. I just found out that they have stopped doing that and the vaccinations are not cheap at all each year so they kind of have us tied now.