K9 Advantix?

Hello -

I recently bought a supply for Ace of this flea protection. I am going home for the weekend, and there are a lot of stray dogs with fleas nearby. When I applied it four days ago, the tube emptied on the tiny patch of skin I could find. Ace's fur is very.. fluffy to say the least. I had to search for a few minutes, and I only found a small patch of skin. Most of the medicine went on his fur I think..

Would this still be effective? Please help me understand how this works! :(

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on May 6, 2011 at 5:54pm

Read the instructions carefully (I believe it says to apply it to 3-4 spots along the back, but I forget; there's a diagram).

If you bathe the dog, wait at least 3 days for the skin oils to replenish -- they're supposed to help distribute the insecticide over the dog's skin. Have an assistant hold the dog steady. Spread the fur apart (the 3rd hand is helpful for this!) and apply directly to the skin .

I have a syringe with a huge 18ga. needle blunt needle (ground off the point), handy but tricky for application and measurement, and it's one more piece of contaminated equipment to deal with.

I wear nitrile gloves, but even latex is better than nothing. It's probably not the end of the world if you get it on your skin anyway, but chemists and corporations have a long history of underestimating or ignoring the hazards of the things they play with and sell to us. I don't stick my face in the dog's fur as much while I can still smell the stuff. Children are usually much more vulnerable to chemical toxins than adults.

Advantage is for fleas only. Advantix has an additional pesticide for ticks, so I use it when we're headed for tick country (east side of Cascade Mtns.). This tick pesticide is toxic to cats. Don't use Advantix on cats! If your cat grooms your dog, maybe separate them for a few days.

I recommend FleaBusters. They dust your house with polyborate salts (a dessicant, not a neurotoxin). We had a cat and flea infestation long ago, they guaranteed results for 1 year, and we never had to call them back. YMMV; this was in Seattle, climate might be signbificant.

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Permalink Reply by Sierra on May 6, 2011 at 5:58pm

I read the instructions, and since he's 11 lbs it said just one spot along the back. That's what I've done, I have Advantix, but I just wanted to know if it would still be effective even though most got on his fur.

Thank you though, the FleaBusters thing is something I will keep in mind!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on May 6, 2011 at 6:25pm

It should still work but may not be as effective. Hopefully since he is on the lower end of the dosing range (I'm thinking its like the 11-20 pound tube or something?) it will be enough to keep him protected. I know with advantage you can re-apply it up to once a week (per my vet), so I would call and ask your vet if it is safe to apply advantix early and possibly apply it at 2 or 3 weeks instead of 4 this time.

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Permalink Reply by Sierra on May 6, 2011 at 7:01pm

Yes, I used the 11-20lb tube!

I am taking him today - I may have a few stray fleas on him. Can anyone recommend a good flea shampoo for me to use if that happens? :) Thank you for all the help.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on May 6, 2011 at 10:37pm

K9 advantix is a great product. I have never had a problem with with fleas or other bugs since he has been on it. They now Have a second version and it now also gets rid of flea eggs and larva. Its everything u could want to protect ur dog from these nasty critters. a great flea and tick shampoo I always recommend is adoms. It works great and it leaves the fur soft and shiny. It also smells so good:)