How To Apply Topical Flea & Tick Preventatives

Here’s an illustration showing exactly how to apply these products directly onto your dog’s back, beneath his thick coat.

 

Some Tips:

Just be careful not to overdo it…

It’s important that you use the correct dosage based on the weight of your pet. And never apply a topical flea & tick preventative to a dog younger than 7 weeks of age.

Also, remember to always wash your hands very well after applying the product to your dog’s coat …or wear rubber or latex gloves when you’re applying topical flea and tick treatments on your dog.

Just as important: If you have two or more dogs, don’t allow them to "mouth" each others’ fur for the next day or so. (Dogs often do this instinctively when they’re playing.)

Despite the fact that these are the safest (and most effective) pesticides available for use on pets, you must remember: They are pesticides!

Can Your Dog Get Wet Before/After Using These Products?

One thing that’s true about each of the three products (K9 Advantix, Advantage, Frontline Plus):

They are all truly waterproof — even after swimming and bathing!

However, according to our vet…

Do not apply a topical flea or tick preventative within 3 days of giving your dog a bath (or swimming, etc.). The reason for this is because these products need to interact with your dog’s natural body oils in order to deliver the product to all parts of their body. It must be absorbed into their system a full 3 days before it comes in contact with water."

 

When You Should Use A Flea & Tick Preventative

I’ve heard of people using a product that kills fleas and ticks during the summer months when fleas & ticks run most rampant, then switching to a product that just repels fleas in the winter months for the year-round flea control. (Because ticks usually aren’t prevalent in cold temperatures.)

In our home, we actually stop using a flea & tick preventative during the winter months altogether.

How do we decide when to stop? When the weather man announces that we’ve had our "first hard freeze", we shelf the Advantix. Then at the first sign of mosquitoes (usually somewhere around the first day of Spring), we start the dogs on their monthly rounds of Advantix again. Our vet approves of this, and said that many dog owners do the same thing.

See when flea season is in your area.