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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.
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
