Summer Days

We’ve had our AC on for days now – very unusual for us. The porch remains my favorite spot even though it’s pretty hot – low 90’s. Gardening is really not fun but Rick continues to weed his vegetables. I quit. Remember last year and those 59 hills of pumpkins, the peppers, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes that I grew? Not this year – my peas are about done and then I’m going to mow that area down. Ella and Dawson have their pumpkins at the far end. My bum knee doesn’t like to weed the garden.

Continue reading.

I’ll bet you’re wondering about the lone gosling – I can’t believe he’s still alive! And his “groupies” will not let me get close enough for a decent photo. Here’s what I did get.

A RugAlong Reader asked about using prints – yes, of course you can use prints – I’m just trying to use up what strips I already have cut and they happen to be wovens. The next rug I start will be a combination of prints with wovens.

I haven’t had too many emails so you all must be working on your assignment. That’s good! My days have been too busy lately to sit at the machine until last night. This is a tub of plackets I cut off shirts. I’ve been wondering why I kept them.

I’m trying something but don’t know it it will work – here’s my first step.

It felt so good to sit at the machine again!

I’m asking for your opinion – if you have cats, do you use Frontline for fleas? Do you think it’s effective? If not Frontline, what do you use? How about for dogs? Does anyone use the Seresto collar? Telly and Hazel have the collar and are always itching and scratching. I bathe Hazel and surely I would see fleas on that little white wet body but I’ve only ever seen two when she was on my lap. I’ve been cleaning and washing for a couple of days now. So much work! I’m calling my vet when I finish this post.

I have a great book right now – in fact I’d like to read this morning rather than clean. Haha! No surprise there. I’ll post the book when I finish.

That’s all from the farm, Folks! The weather is hot and humid which means the corn is growing and that’s what it’s all about in North Iowa!

85 thoughts on “Summer Days

  1. Suzanne Beech

    I live in Florida and use Simparica for fleas and ticks for my dogs. It is a once a month pill. Seems easier than the collar, and works wonders!

    1. Patricia E Campbell

      Never heard of that! Thank you for the info! Here in Arizona, tick season is year round! Nasty buggers!!

      Mary- I used Frontline – the topical (between the shoulders application) on my cat the one time she had fleas. It worked wonders. Back then, I believe it was only available from the Vet, but I could be mistaken. Never tried it for ticks. Just using Hartz from the pet store for our dog. It seems to be working – but we live in the “city”.

  2. MartyCae

    I use Frontline on Harry S. Truman. I feel it is very effective. He likes to walk in tall grasses so have to have something effective.
    I have not seen as many ticks this year – last year they were terrible.

    1. Linda Thompson

      Marty Kae, it has been so amazing…no ticks, no mosquitoes or turkeys, just ground hogs, wood chucks, raccoons, gnats, and our two orphaned young very young fawns.

      Mary, it is plummeting rain, thunder, and perhaps lightening if I could see past the trees here in Estherville. I even turned off the ceiling fans and set the air on a warmer temperature! I still hope to find my rug book from a thousand years ago at your shop. And, my loom….he probably borrowed parts! Need waders by now…MartyCae be careful on the river road.

    2. Karen Gaither

      I have always used Frontline Plus for all my pups. I live in Texas and we have fleas & ticks even in Dallas. It has always controlled these for my pups.

  3. Mary

    We have found Nexgard to work the best. More expensive and you have to get from the vet, but it definitely works on all the pests.

      1. Launa

        Our vet recommended BRAV/ECTO…can only buy from vet for Pepper…goes by dog’s weight! Kills fleas, ticks! Haven’t seen any sign of either, but there are ticks outside! Highly recommend it!

  4. Deb Harrison

    Celine by Peter Heller. Crisp, clear sentences made wild places come alive. Well rounded out characters in carefully chosen words.

  5. Mary

    Suzanne Beech – please check out Simparica. It can cause permanent seizures in dogs. Have seen multiple posts on Facebook about it.

  6. Barbara F.

    We use NexGard chewables for our Basset. He gets it once a month and it has been very effective.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Marilyn M – I did think of that – after I started this project! Next time…

  7. Kay Nuckolls

    I use Seresto collar for dogs and vet has one for cats. Good for 9 months and no fleas or ticks. Had to put on cats as dog brought them in.

  8. Janet B

    I use NexGard on my pug. I haven’t seen fleas this year. We used Frontline last year and still had fleas. It gets hot, hot and dry here in Georgia and the fleas multiply like rabbits in this weather.

  9. Marie J.

    Hi Mary! We have used Seresto for a couple years now on the boys, Baxter and Jack-jack. They are wire hair fox terriers. No fleas here! And so much easier because they last 8 months!! We live in southern California so they wear flea collars year round! The boys are into EVERYTHING outside and the pool too! We’ve had a couple weeks of 90+ temps so ALOT of sewing is happening here!
    Hope Hazel and Telly survive the heat! Oh and you too!!

  10. Jill Klop

    My son’s beagle uses Simparica and it works well for him. We use the topical version of Bravecto on our westie mix, who I’ve always thought looks so much like your Hazel. The Bravecto works well on our little guy and I like that I can get it in a non pill form because the terrier is not a fan of the chewable. He gets that once every 3 months. We live in south Texas. Not sure if that makes a difference or not. We don’t get much of a winter to kill some of those pests off.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Jill Knop – thanks so much! I have not heard of Bravecto – hmmm. Hazel doesn’t like chewablesmof any kind. In fact I work hard to find something she’ll eat! How’s your rug coming. Did my picture look like yours?

  11. Gina T

    We use Nexgard for our two wheaten terriers. The Advantix lost its effectiveness! Last year, although I used the Advantix religiously, the dogs still showed up with fleas….the groomer said lots of her customers were like me. We –and my vet — came to the conclusion that the fleas somehow adapted to the Advantix and are now “immune.” So, we turned to a chewable. And it’s working very well.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Gina T – thanks so much for that info! I also think fleas become immune to the drugs. One of my cats definitely has flea allergy so I got her a Seresto collar this year and she’s doing well.

  12. Laurie Mosley

    I’ve used Frontline on my now 15-year-old cat Ella for many years and it has worked great. You mentioned one of your pets keeps on itching even after bathing and only seeing a few fleas. I had a cat many years ago that was allergic to flea bites. Maybe that is the problem.
    I greatly enjoy your blog and your quilting books! Thank you for faithfully writing!

  13. Noel from Kentucky

    I used to work at a pet supply store and had to go to flea product training EVERY year, so I now have the info forever cemented in my brain. 😆 I’ll tell you my opinion first before I explain about them in case you don’t care to read that far. 🙃

    I prefer K9 Advantix II for my one dog who is bothered by mosquitoes, because it’s the only product that repels them. Also, fleas and ticks don’t have to bite to be killed. I use the Seresto collar on my other dog bc mosquitoes don’t bother her. I love it because I put it on and forget about it for 8 months. Perhaps your dogs that are wearing the collar are itching at mosquito bites? My cat doesn’t go outdoors, so I don’t have any first hand experience but can tell you what was pounded into my brain. Catego is the only one that has tick control in it, so I’d go with that if there are lots of ticks in your area. It also kills fleas within 6 hours vs. the 12 hours it takes Advantage and Frontline. Seresto works in the same way as it does for dogs.

    Here’s the technical info for all you geeks out there like me. 😁 Since Frontline has been around for so long, many fleas have developed a “resistance” to it. Also, with Frontline, the fleas/ticks have to bite to be killed. K9 Advantix II repels mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Difference from Frontline is a different active ingredient, and that the fleas and ticks don’t have to bite. If they land they get ‘hot feet’ and jump off. Seresto collar has same active ingredient as Advantix, but doesn’t repel mosquitos. A note about Seresto, they say if your dog goes swimming a lot, reduce the effective time of the collar to 5 months instead of 8.

    Hope this helps! Ahhhhh…it feels good to get that info out of my brain…ha!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Noel from Kentucky – thank you for that info! I feel like I’m being educated this morning which is good. Mosquitoes have not been bad this year so I’m not sure why Telly and Hazel are scratching. This will be a process but hat else do I have to do? Haha!

  14. Jean

    We used Frontline Plus for years. It’s good. The vet just switched to “NexGard Flea and Tick”. We like it too! It’s a once a month chewable, so no application!
    -Jean ❤

  15. Linda B

    I used NexGuard for my dogs, it’s a monthly chewable, they have it for cats too. Frontline gave my Golden seizures.

  16. Jan B. from TN

    Both of our dogs have passed in the last 18 months or so but we used Seresto Collars on both of them & they NEVER had fleas, ticks, etc. While pricey, we only had to purchase each one every 8 months & we also had to be sure they wore them year-round (TN!). If we bought them from our vet, could usually get a decent rebate on each one. They were a bit cheaper at a small pet supply store that opened near us but they didn’t offer rebate forms. We always removed their Seresto collars when we took them in for grooming. We were told by our vet that they could be left on but figured it made it easier for the groomer for them to be off. We’re considerate like that — LOL!! Stay inside where it’s cool. That’s what I do ‘cuz the older I get, the less heat I can tolerate.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Jan B – I found it so difficult to get the rebate from the vet -purchased collar that I gave up. I did purchase the dogs’ collars at Fleet Farm or somewhere because they ended up being the price of the collar after rebate. You had to get the rebate online and it was so hard I couldn’t do it.

  17. Rosalie

    I used the Seresto on the dogs and it worked but after the first year they kept scratching- didn’t really see fleas but changed over to frontline and they still scratched some – maybe allergies.
    I use revolution on the cats – it kills ear mites as well as fleas.
    I will probably used revolution on the dogs once their oral heartworm Med is used up.

  18. Ginny

    All my dogs have Serento collars. This the third year, no ticks or fleas when they ran in the woods in Iowa and no fleas in South Carolina. I used Frontlline for years but I think the fleas build am immunity to it because I started seeing fleas. I have never used flea stuff on my cats and they never have had fleas. The collars say don’t bathe your dog more than once a month. Arlo thinks Rangers flea collar is a toy and pulls it off of him. I had to call my son to come and take away from because it’s a dangerous chew toy.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Ginny – thanks so much – yes, I agree about Frontline. If you’re not absolutely consistent and get every single cat, it won’t work. I hate drugs and chemicals but now I have to step up my game. Yuck! You give that Arlo a big squeeze from me! July 31 is getting lots closer for you!

  19. Judi L.

    Looking forward to starting my rug. Hopefully, since I will feel compelled to keep up with everyone I will actually get it finished! I use Sentinal for our dog. She tolerates it well and I’ve never seen any fleas, etc. Of course, she is an indoor dog. I used to use a combination of Sentinal and Advantix on our other dog due to the mosquito issue here in Texas, but our current baby doesn’t seem to be bothered by them.

  20. Susan Thompson

    We use Comfortis a monthly pill. Worked fantastic for our Pyrenees goat dog, he never had fleas. Works on the little dogs as well. Must be purchased at the vet.

  21. Joyce C

    Love your posts! I have a 10yr old black golden doodle and I don’t use anything. I’ve only dealt with fleas years ago when it was super dry out. So wet this year. He’s mainly in the house or cabin 90% of the time. Nothing for our cat who is in the house all the time except at cabin on her leash. But being in town plays out for my decision to not use anything. Some of these chemicals concern me and I think less is more. When we did have fleas a flea bath was given and solved the issue. I know farm life is totally different …hoping those shirt plackets may work for a rug..!!!!

  22. Frances

    We have two cats in NC, and one cat seems to have had an allergy to mites. These are inside/outside cats, meaning they go in and out. We used Revolution on them in another southern state and they seemed to do well on that, but in NC, things changed. We switched them to Bravecta which covers, fleas, ticks, and mites. One cat pulled all of her fur off on both sides, really bad. Also, we decided to keep the more serious cat indoors only. She is much better and has regrown all of her hair., but both seem to be doing well on this medication.
    Good luck!

  23. Sheila

    We use Frontline on Mittens, no fleas or ticks. I hear you Mary about the bum knee. I just finished weeding a small patch and weed whacking a little hill. Sitting with an ice pack, hot here in Massachusetts

    Enjoy your blog!!

  24. Carolyn Boutilier

    Hi Mary, Our cat is an indoor cat but she got fleas from our golden doodle and we ended up using Revolution. our 3 year old doodle gets Nexgard for fleas and Interceptor for Heart worm, We are hot here going for 90 plus and hotter over the weekend. I am knee deep with zucchini. I am shredding some to freeze and to make bread next winter and some for this evening supper to make zucchini fried patties. I use an egg, chopped onion, bread crumbs mix, salt & pepper and fry in pan. I shake some Parmesan cheese on when served. I am working on some wool applique and hooking a piece for our fair.
    Carolyn Shenandoah Valley VA

  25. Mary Says Sew!

    We get Advantage-Multi on our indoor cats. It’s a prescription drug, so we get it from the vet. It’s pricey, but there are substantial rebates available regularly that really help.

    There are chewable treatments we can successfully hide in food. Those work for the two neighborhood cats who come regularly for food. I also get those at the vet clinic.

    Meds at the vet clinic may be more expensive, but I know they know our cats and situation and they have the latest information. When I’ve researched getting meds elsewhere, the difference in price has been small. The vet clinic knows we can all look up stuff on the ‘net. And I would not want to take my cats to the vet to fix a problem I created by going cheap.

  26. Robin

    Mary, I always get pills from Gene for Libby.. they are a little spendy but I don’t want her to get ticks or fleas 🙂

  27. Sarah in NETX

    Whatever you treat the pets with, don’t forget the yard. Get some diatomaceous earth from the farm store and sprinkle it around the foundation and yard. I have actually used on my dogs-in moderation too. It is like gray talcum powder. The bugs will die off, it cuts their hard shells. I get an old Parmesan cheese dispenser and fill it up and go around the yard. I don’t do the whole yard, just where we walk and play ball. My Pepper (little dog) also gets 2XS Kong balls in her mouth. I swear one time she had 3!

  28. Linda

    I have lots of cats—indoor, outdoor, tame, feral. I’ve found Advantix and Frontline are as effective as applesauce—not at all. Revolution works for us and they have a rebate program you can learn about from your vet clinic. The rebate is applied to a debit card you can use to pay vet fees.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Linda – so how do you treat the feral cats? I have a couple, too.

  29. Holly Woodyatt

    We use a product from the vet in pill form for fleas and ticks. It is chewable and lasts 3 mos. We have never used flea collars. We used to use frontline you apply on their back but it is messy and some of our dogs got hyper after the application so we used it sparingly. Good results with the chewable and never had itching. Don’t know the name but saw advertised on tv and I am sure your vet is aware.

  30. Starrla Opferman

    This my 3rd year using Nexgard for our dog. Two years ago she had fleas and was miserable. The call to the vet said they were finding Frontline not effective anymore. Fleas became resistant ???I don’t know. The Nexgard works great.

  31. Marie Fibelstad

    Our Lab, KC get a huge pill, chewable from Vet, for a 3 month cure, she loves it and we have no trouble with
    any itching. It is for ticks, fleas, and seems to keep flies away from her also. I don’t remember the name but
    know it is the size of 50cent piece and expensive but works!
    Marie

  32. Kristie M Michalowski

    Mary with 6 dogs we use Bravecto also. Our vet gives us a rebate coupon for $15 off when you buy 2…doesn’t matter if it is 2 doses for the same dog or 1 each for 2 dogs. We live with lots of woods and some grass. It has definitely been great…we get the kind you give once every 3 months.

  33. Carla J

    We used Frontline for a few years during hunting season for our bird dogs. This past early spring our three would bring home ticks from their runs at a nearby State Park. We were finding them in March, way too early for here, Western Michigan. I don’t think our winter was cold enough for long enough to kill them off this year.
    Hubby’s hunting friends said they used the Seresto collars, attached to the dogs collar. Someone suggested using the trimmed off ends for the smaller dogs. So our Golden and Gordon both wear Seresto, the mini Dachshund has a the two end pieces trimmed off of their collars on his. No ticks have followed us home from the park.
    We may have to replace the Golden’s before bird hunting season as he really likes playing in Lake Michigan.

  34. Ruth Bridges

    I don’t use any flea or tick products on my 10 and 4 year old Chihuahuas or my 15? year old big fat mama cat. The dogs have tested negative for heartworms. They only go outside supervised by Mike or me and if the mosquitos are bad back in they go.The cat(Martha) doesn’t really go outside much any more. Sometimes she thinks she wants out, but then will want right back in . I wash the dogs with Dawn dishsoap in the summer. Its suppose to kill fleas. Martha gets brushed.

  35. Kathy in western NY

    The older I get in this heat, the more I stay indoors with ceiling & floor fans and AC in the bedroom for sleeping. And I keep the pets indoors with me. Our cat never goes outside but our dogs only take inceptor-plus tablet monthly year round for mosquitos and prevention of heart worm. We go south for couple of weeks in spring So I just keep them on it all year. Never had a problem yet with fleas although they did take bravecto pills just one summer. Our vet sent emails about a controversy on its 3 month dosage so I just decided I will stop using it and see what happens. I don’t like a lot of chemicals in my dogs and our terrier mix has pink skin with white hair and finally now I never see her twitching occasionally like I use to see. Good luck Mary as it’s a tough choice with so many options and so many side effects today of meds.

  36. Polly Perkins

    I used to use Frontline but it does not work anymore. One of my cats died from a tick infestation while she had Frontline on her. We have lots of trees and deer etc around us.

    I use Bravacto which is good for 3 months for my cats. It works. I really like Revolution which kills worms as well but it is not easy to find and must come from the vet. Our vet went with Bravacato instead.

  37. Patricia b

    We use Frontline. Have rescues, 3 dogs (2 inside) and 1 out in a kennel. 5 cats all barn cats. Frontline exclusively. Get @tractor supply or Walmart’s .

  38. Nikki M in Tx

    Mary, Ms Maci gets bathed with Sentry flea & tick shampoo with oatmeal following directions about once a month in between I shampoo her with Veterinary Formula Clinical Care..Hot Spot & Itch Relief Medicated Shampoo followed by their conditioner…( have also used Paw & Pals shampoo & conditioner Natural ) I like both brands. Once every six weeks (have to mark calendar) use K9 Advantix II for small dogs (this is per dog weight)..monthly she gets Heartgard Plus to prevent heart worm disease…the flea collar maybe causing Hazel to scratch. Also I blow dry her on coolest and lowest setting.

      1. Nikki M in Tx

        Yes she is cooperative with bath.. put towel in kitchen sink & bathe her, towel dry before blow dry…she is not real active like Hazel, but she does have attitude!

  39. Gayle Shumaker

    For our Brittany we use Vectra 3D. It works great. Kills fleas, ticks and their eggs. Also it repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. You apply a small ampule of liquid between the dogs front shoulders monthly. We live in a rural area of northern Michigan so Tucker isn’t on a manicured lawn.

  40. Jane

    Mary. We live in florida and so we must use chemicals for our furry people. Else they would die from heartworm due to the pests we have here. We use trifexis. It is a chewable and my dogs hate them. I bury the pill in a piece of peanut butter bread and down it goes. On my cats I use advantage and have no problem whatever. For us Floridians it is either use chemicals or have a suffering sick pet.

  41. Donna Sproston

    We are now catless, but Frontline did the job and kept them flea and tick free. We live in the country and the grasses are lush this year.So are the weeds in my garden. Since I am allergic to grass and want to remove my eyeballs every time I pull a few weeds, I have decided to let the weeds win this year.

  42. Jane M

    Mary. We live in florida and so we must use chemicals for our furry people. Else they would die from heartworm due to the pests we have here. We use trifexis. It is a chewable and my dogs hate them. I bury the pill in a piece of peanut butter bread and down it goes. On my cats I use advantage and have no problem whatever. For us Floridians it is either use chemicals or have a suffering sick pet.

  43. Felicia Hamlin

    Fourteen adds closed today, Mary. Lately, I have found more. I am glad the gosling still alive, what happened to the other eggs? It has been very hot, I overheated the other day, not a good feeling.
    Say hi to Reed.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Felicia – one goose is still on a nest but I can’t believe those eggs are fertile after all this time. When the goose leaves the nest I am that lucky person who carefully picks up all the remaining eggs which are mostly rotten and can explode in your hand! I throw them in the pasture waterway where the dogs can’t get to them. They would love to roll in those stinky eggs!

      1. Felicia Hamlin

        Oh, Mary! Has that ever happened to you? That would be awful. We use to have ducks back home, but the mothers sat on the eggs until all the duckling were born. It seems to me that those geese are a little goofy. Have a nice day, Mary.

        1. CountryThreads Post author

          Felicia Hamlin – yes, I know about that from personal experience – ha! You’re so right – these geese are goofy!!!

  44. Anna M

    I use frontline on our cats and dog. I’ve never had any trouble with fleas or ticks. My vet buys it in bulk and puts the right amt in a syringe. Makes it a little cheaper and you can buy monthly. A vet once told me that the flea collars are a waste of money. That they only keep fleas away from the neck and nowhere else.

  45. Terri S.

    We use Bravecto on our dogs. It is nice because you have to give only every three months. I know our dogs are having allergy issues. Something that they have never had before. Itching, and chewing of the paws.

  46. Linda

    I am going to be odd man out here. We live on a 40 acre farm with a river, marshland, woods, field and pond. We have always had a dog or two and stopped giving anything to our dogs. We have never had fleas or imbedded deer ticks on them. I believe it is poison and not good for dogs and our labs live to be 15 years old. Of course we keep up with all the shots and give them a chewable for heartworms. Think about it, the directions say not to touch the collars or Frontline. It is toxic. This is my opinion. It has worked for us for 35 years.

  47. Carol at Pin Oak Quilting

    I’m in the Phoenix airport, headed home from the Sisters, Oregon Outdoor quilt show… glad it’s inly a layover, not a stay over!

  48. Patricia E Campbell

    Something to note about itchy/scratchy doggies!!!
    What I have done for my GSD who gets dry itchy skin from allergies is this: once per day squirt onto his kibble approx 1 tbsp Flax Oil (w/or w/o lignans). I use Barlean’s brand. It’s really good for them and he gets super excited when he sees me adding it to his meal. He is 110#, so you may have to use less! lol

  49. Kate

    My vet gives our dogs NexGard chewables and it really works. Never have seen a flea or tick on any of my dogs. I gave up having a huge garden years ago. Way too much work and hard on my body. I still love fresh tomatoes, so am growing a few plants.

  50. Penny C Maryland

    I use Bravecto for my cat and dog. I only have to do it once every three months. The dog eats what looks and smells like a great and the cat it out between her shoulder blades. It is the best I have ever used and only doing it every 3 months is wonderful! I get it from my vet.

  51. Ellie

    We use Trifexis for fleas and heart worm and ticks. The GSD we now have gobbles it down but our previous ones didn’t like it so I broke it up and buried it in cheese. Down it went! I also sometimes cover it with plain pumpkin (no sugar or spices) and that was acceptable also. Good luck. Glad to see the gosling hanging in there!

  52. Paula Philpot

    We have a German Shepherd and we lost our Boxer during the winter but my husband always puts a little bit of bleach in their water. Neither dog has ever had fleas. Paula in KY

  53. Rosie Westerhold

    We used to use Frontline Plus, but we got fleas several times while using it. I have 2 chows and a Pomeranian. Or fun to deal with fleas on those furry critters. Switched to NexGard last summer on the recommendation of our vet. The Frontline has shown fleas to eventually become immune/resistant to it, according to the vet. It was always a struggle to get ALL of the Frontline where it was supposed to be. Never knew if they were really getting the proper dosage. NexGard is once/month, and even my pickICKY dog will eat it. I buy from CanadaPetCare.com. Slightly less than the vet. Only problem is that it may take several weeks to get here (Nebraska). I THOUGHT it came from Canada, but I’ve seen postmarks from Germany and South Africa. It’s the exact same product as I can get from the vet. Have not seen any fleas this year. WooHoo to that!! One or 2 fleas is too many. Where there are one or 2, there are always more. Good luck in picking the correct treatment. It was a no-brainer for us. Always tough to decide what’s best for our fur babies.

  54. Janet Orr

    I would advise getting your dogs the Lymes disease shot. Doesn’t cost much vs. treating your dog for this nasty disease. Talk to your vet about it. My daughter’s mini Aussie has Lyme’s and so far she has over $!,000 spent treating him. Shot would have cost $35. She’s pretty upset with her vet for not recommending it. Says she is switching vets soon. I don’t mean to alarm you but this disease can cause itching.

  55. Gwen

    We have used Frontline for two dogs and a cat. We have never had any fleas after we started using it. We had to deal with fleas more than once before that. Our dog did test positive for Lyme disease at his yearly checkup a couple of years ago. He had no symptoms. He had to take antibiotics for a few weeks. The shot is worth it but our vet had not told us about it before that.

  56. Louise K.

    For fleas on my cat, I use Comfortis. It’s a once-a-month pill. It’s not uncommon for cats to throw it up (mine occasionally does) so I split one pill into two doses, given no more than a day apart. Comfortis worked when the back-of-the-neck stuff didn’t.
    You have to get it from a vet.

  57. Janice Hebert

    Hi Mary, our little dog Louie used to take a flea and tick med but started vomiting after taking it the last time. I decided to stop using it altogether because he’s just over 10 pounds and I worry about using chemicals. We do give him heartworm chew tablets though. So far he’s had very few ticks. I wonder if your dog’s food could be the problem? I love Patricia Campbell’s idea of giving flax oil, I am going to try that! I think I’m going to do that denim rag rug we talked about. Take care of your knee and don’t worry about the weeds! Jan in MA

  58. Mary Lou

    Mary – I use Nexguard. Tablets but only give one when I actually see a flea .. Has always worked in a blink
    We do treat our back n front yards but we also walk in untreated areas when the weather is nice.
    Usually one in the spring is all we need fir our Bingo baby ..
    Have a peaceful evening.

  59. Connie

    We bought a flea med that was like Frontline but not name brand and way cheaper. Well, it made our Betsy (cat) sick. We ended up at the vet’s office after hours, getting a flea bath with blue Dawn soap, meds because she was sick, and Frontline! No money saved there! I will never do that to an animal again. Only meds from the vet!

  60. Janet

    We use Credelio – recommended by our vet because it kills the fleas and ticks fast before they can transmit disease to our dogs and also because of this:

    Pills or chews that protect dogs and cats against fleas can cause neurological problems such as stumbling or seizures, and pet owners need more warning, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

    The FDA issued an alert to owners and veterinarians and said it was requiring clearer labels on the products.

    The flea pills and chews all contain a pesticide called isoxazoline, the FDA said. They include products sold under the brand names Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica.

    “Another product in this class, Credelio, recently received FDA approval. These products are approved for the treatment and prevention of flea infestations, and the treatment and control of tick infestations,” the FDA said in a statement.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Janet – thank you! What an eye opener! So appreciate you sending this.

      1. Janet

        You are very welcome. Have you been to your vet yet? I’m interested in what he/she tells you. Our furbabies are so very special to all of us. And if your Hazel is ever missing don’t come looking at my house! I just love her!

  61. Andra Sims

    Mary, I have used Frontgard Plus on my cats for yrs. with no problem. I’ve usually gotten it from the vet but have found they have it at Costco and is a lot cheaper. The vet says it’s the same thing they have. I do make sure so put it on them the first of every month.

  62. Jean H

    My daughter is a veterinarian and she uses Nexgard chewables for her own dog and has me use it for mine. Our dog is an outside dog and I have not ever found any ticks or fleas on him.

  63. Dianne in Ohio

    We get both of these products for Murphy, our golden retriever, from our vet – Bravecto is a pill given every three months for flea and tick control and Interceptor is a pill given each month for heart worm prevention. They both work very well, but are a little pricey. We live in the country in the middle of 40 acres of mostly woods. Because of the deer population, ticks can be a real problem. If we do find a tick on Murphy, it is already dead.

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