Because our dog has allergies, we had to stop using a flea prevention skin treatment (Frontline). It irritated his skin (causing flaky, itchy patches where we’d applied it, even though we tried not to apply it in the same spot twice) and made my eyes water both to put it on him, and also to be around him for several hours after application.
So, we talked to the vet, and got a prescription for Sentinel instead. This has worked really well for us. It’s a once-a-month flea and heartworm prevention tablet, and from our vet, the cost is comparable to what we were paying for both heartworm and flea medicine before.
Because we try to keep things as chemical free as possible, we don’t use any chemical flea treatments, and have yet to have any fleas at all, which is really wonderful. This year, we are planning on using some of the suggested all natural flea abatements to eliminate mosquitoes (some all natural products do both but are marketed more for flea control). I’ll definitely let you know how that turns out!
Today, though, I’d like to know what you use for flea prevention. Do you use something applied topically? A flea collar? An all-natural approach? And how do you (and your dog!) like it?
Vance hates having his teeth brushed, but we all know that doggie dental care is really important to a dog’s overall health. So, in addition to the dental Kong and teeth-cleaning biscuits, we brush his teeth three times a week.
It seems like a good compromise for us–more often than that and we just never do it, less often and I feel guilty that I’m not taking good enough care of him.
But, today as I was wrestling with Vance and the toothbrush and the paste… I thought I’d see what’s on YouTube that might make the whole process less frustrating for both me and the dog.
Of the great videos available, this one was my favorite, though you’ll have to ignore the corney montage at the beginning. Enjoy this video on how to brush a dog’s teeth! And if you have any tips for making it easier, please feel free to share.
When you brush your dog, what kind of brush do you use? The FURminator is a popular dog health product that pulls out the dog’s undercoat and reduces shedding.
This can help keep your dog cooler in the summer, which will make your dog happier.
We tried a Furminator for about two weeks with our dog Vance and he hated it, despite our best efforts to get him to like it. I’m not sure if I wasn’t using it right (I watched the video, but maybe I held my wrist wrong).
The dog health product hairbrush we wound up using is the Zoom Groom from Kong. It’s easy to hold and does a good job of removing loose undercoat fur. With Vance’s short coat (he’s a yellow Lab), the Zoom Groom keeps him looking clean and tidy and has definitely cut down on his shedding. As an added bonus, the Zoom Groom is a lot cheaper than the FURminator, though it’s probably not quite as effective.
Which dog health product hair brush do you use? Have you tried the FURminator or the Zoom Groom?
