Are there any safe over the counter flea drops?

I tried the Hartz once and I hated it.  It left a weird, sticky residue on my dog - it just wouldn't work in and every time I petted him I got the stuff all over my hands.  I just washed it all off him, and later on this forum I heard from people about dogs that had a really bad reaction to it.

Hello there []

There are some over the counter products that work reasonably well (Hartz, Biospot etc). However, they do work somewhat less reliably in controlled trials, and have a higher incidence of adverse reactions than the major brands (Frontline, K9 Advantix).

If you are want to watch costs, you could get one of those cheaper products, and apply only the amount on your dog. Watch for any skin reactions or any other obvious problems for a few days, and if nothing happens (which in the very most instances it won't), apply the rest. Alternatively you can buy smaller tubes and put on one, and then after a few days, the other. That procedure is always a good idea, if you want to put in the time and effort, even when using one of the major brands.

If your dog is fine with Hartz or Biospot, the protection is reasonably good, and far superior to any "herbal" mix you sometimes find advertised. If your dog does not tolerate them well, try another product. Always protect your dog during times with heavy tick load. Protection is always cheaper than the cure. []

I'm not sure how you can continue to promote Hartz products when there have been SOOO many problems with them.

Advantage and Frontline would be considered OTC because you don't need an Rx for them even though they are mostly available through Vets.  Dog.com does carry them if you are comfortable with online purchases.

I am not promoting anything. Firestorm asked about over the counter products, and I replied. While there sure is some hype in this forum about Hartz products, this in no way holds up to scientific scrutiny (nice or not so nice anecdotes do not make science; otherwise, Roswell would be science). Much of the information given by some dissenters here is for instance simply and grievously false. A few days ago, someone claimed that Hartz had to withdraw their dog flea and tick medication because it is so harmful. That is pure fiction. Fact is, that they have to relabel (not withdraw) their cat (not dog) medication by 2007.

Now, do I believe Hartz to be the best product? Of course not, and I think I made that clear. Personally I use K9 Advantix. Do I prefer people cautiously (I even give instructions to carefully test the medication) using Hartz instead of nothing else particularly in early summer? Indeed I do. A qualified opinion is one that weighs risks and benefits under varying circumstances. Doing that, I try to give a balanced account with some careful guidance (use it carefully, major brands are better etc), well aware that some owners do not want or simply cannot afford them.

I hope that clarifies it for you. []



P.S.: As marty has already clarified, all those products are technically over-the-counter; I read it to mean in this context something like 'not charging an arm and a leg' - maybe I misread that, in which case I am sorry. []

and far superior to any "herbal" mix you sometimes find advertised.

Have you ever used any kind of natural pest prevention? Admittedly, it *is* more work, but..... It WORKS!

I'm about to start using a tea tree rinse on my hair, and spritz my body and shoes with Skin So Soft, or an essential oil blend (haven't decided which) before work. I'm carrying fleas to the dogs. If I were NOT, a once a week spray down with heavily diluted tea tree oil, or lemon rosemary spray, would keep them flea free. Unfortunately, I'm extremely stressed out, and I'm not eating well at all. The fleas LOVE me!

We tried Skin So Soft  for mosquitoes  and it didn't work at all for us.  Never tried it for fleas.

Hello Jennie

Well, I have not used them personally yet. However, I also never touched a hot stove in my life, nor have I jumped of a bridge (yet []). I am borderline clever enough to learn from simple laws of physics, my peers, and my instincts that both those things are rather disadvantageous. So are dogs - well, most of them. []

There has been done quite a range or research on the topic of preventing flea infestations and tick bites, for instance by some of my collegues (I am a Parasitologist), and some of the work done I have seen in person. That research shows that "natural" prevention (whatever that is meant to mean btw, as thousands of poisons are completely natural also), that is grandma-recipes, do not work. If it were to work, Bayer would bottle them and you could buy those concoctions for 50$ a shot - bet on it.

Another hint in that direction might be that you are not the first person that I have seen in the last few days on here who basically describes how he or she manages (!) her dogs fleas. Dogs treated with proper medication will not carry fleas, quite regardless if their surrounding is flea-ridden or not.

Anecdotal evidence paired with a constant mantra of "that natural stuff I use works!" does not make it so (as many partisans inadvertently admit), nor is "natural" in any way a badge of quality (often rather the opposite, for all sorts of reasons). However, if someone wishes and can afford to spend a lot of time on sub-par results, that is anyone's decission.

On the sunny side, I had to chuckle when I imagined meeting you at work - strangely smelling like a wild mix of tea and oils all over! []

You can buy Frontline and Advantage in farm supply stores.

Tea tree oil isn't a tea. It's an oil.

Frontline left nasty burns on one of my dogs. What would YOU use on a dog that chemical flea prevention burned?

Sorry, but I'm not going to use Frontline on  me. I know lots of dogs who are on topical flea stuff who HAVE fleas. If they stink, the fleas are attracted to them. I'm not a parasitologist, but a dog groomer. I see hundreds of dogs a week, and give LOTS of flea baths. I have thick, waist length hair, so a hiding flea might get away with it. I also tend to wear clothes and shoes (shocking I know!) where fleas might hide.

I read through the [linkhttp://www.hartzvictims.org]http://www.hartzvictims.org[/link] site a year ago. Whether or not the stories are true, I will not risk anything like what these people describe from happening to my dog/cats.