HARTZ Flea and Tick Repellent- spray- for dogs

[RubyPiggie2]

It's called Hartz Control.
My mom is insisting we use it because we think that our dog has fleas (scratching herself where she was bit). Is it any good? I can't imagine it is... But I'm probably wrong.

Here are the ingredients, if they help. Straight from the bottle:

ACTIVE INGREDIENT By Weight (Nom.)
Tetrachlovinphos: (CAS#22248-79-9)...... 1.08%
OTHER INGREDIENTS............................. 98.92%

Hmm... Dosen't tell much... But that's all I could find on it.

Anyone know if it's good? My mom wants to use it because we can't find the shampoo... And are shampoos good? Do they work?

[LuvMyPiggers]

Hartz products have been known to KILL cats. I wouldn't use it as it could have the same effect. Try another brand or get a flea collar. I don't think you want to take that chance.

[Amanda]

I dont know about the dog formula, but we used it on our cat. It didn't work at all, and he got blisters on his neck from the stuff. It is Baaaaaad. The feas got so out of control the cat became anemic and he had to go to the vet to be treated. He got a pill that killed all the fleas on him and he is now using Frontline.

In short, it doesn't work and it hurts the animals.

[Ly&Pigs]

Many of Hartz' products have been known to kill animals. I would avoid it completely.
http://www.hartzvictims.org/

[Marlania]

Definitely stay away from this product. Less than a year ago, Hartz recalled many of its "medical" products, including its flea drops and whatnot. Stay away from products like Hartz and Biospot.

Amanda mentioned a pill for the fleas. I think she may be talking about Capstar. This works for only 24 hours, but it starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. The vet I used to work for used this animals who came in with fleas, and you could really see them falling off onto the white towels. On the dog message board I practically live on, I remember reading a post from someone not wanting to put pesticides into their animals via pills like Capstar for fear of liver damage. However, I haven't heard very much about the negatives of this particular product. Basically, you can use this pill once to get rid of fleas then apply a topical product if you feel they will return. You can find Capstar online for about $15 for larger dogs (pack of 6). It's less for smaller dogs, of course.

Why not see if you're veterinarian will sell you a single tube of Frontline or Advantage? If your mom doesn't want to spend a lot on flea products, most vets will sell one tube for under or around 10 dollars. If you have a smaller dog, you can actually buy the largest dosage and measure the amount needed with a syringe and keep the rest for later use.

I hardly ever use flea products on my dogs or cat, but through the years, I've used Frontline Plus, Frontline Spray, Advantage, and Advantix. I didn't care for Advantix much, and I didn't feel it helped at all with mosquitoes, like it claims. Now, if I use anything, I keep Frontline spray on hand, since it can be used to both dogs and cats, and you can buy a large bottle for about $35 on certain websites.

If you need anymore info on flea products, let me know, and I'll point you to some threads about them on the message board I mentioned.

[RubyPiggie2]

Thank you all soooo much. I'm glad I told my mom it wasn't good stuff, and to let me check first! We haven't used it... I'm going to throw it away right after I post this.

Marlania, would the vet just let us pick it up, no appoinment necessary? She isn't actually OUR dog, she's my mother's boyfriend's dog and mom dosen't want to spend big, like a vet visit, unless it is absolutely necessary.

Are shampoos any good?

Right now, it's 20 after 9 so I can call the vets office tomorrow and see if we can pick something up. Would any of them be in feed stores? I can call my feed store also...

[LuvMyPiggers]

Usually shampoos work, but usually on high quality ones.

[Marlania]

Oops, sorry I didn't see your post earlier.

Yep, most feedstores sell Frontline and Advantage. You probably wouldn't be able to buy a single tube, but you can buy a 3 month supply there. Depending on if the store really jacks up the prices (like the one here), a 3 month supply could cost as much as 50 or so dollars (depending on the dog's weight). However, you don't have to use the stuff every three months. One application might last longer than a month. A lot of times it just depends on the dog. So if you do end up with that much, just hang onto the rest until it's needed again.

If you're established with a vet, it's just a matter of picking up a tube of flea stuff from them. Many vets, however, might not sell anything to someone who isn't a client. Your best bet is probably a feed store if this dog doesn't have a vet it visits regularly.

Re: shampoos

I usually don't deal with flea shampoos, but what you can do is bathe the dog well and search through the fur. If she does have fleas, you'll see them going bezerk in the wet fur, and you'll also probably notice flea debris on the dog. If the dog has a lot of fleas, I recommend getting something like Frontline. You might even be able to find the Frontline spray at the flea store, where you'll get a lot more for probably a cheaper price. You can also use a lot less of the product that way, and your supply will last forever.

Also, if this dog does have fleas, check its poop for tapeworms. I know that sounds gross. You don't have to poke it with a stick or anything. It'll be pretty obvious. Tapeworm segments look like grains of rice and are caused by fleas. If this happens, a vet trip will be necessary because the dog will need prescription meds like Droncit or Cestex. You can buy Drontal and other wormers (for tapeworms...regular wormers don't take care of tapes) at feed stores, but it'll probably be best to bring the dog in for a fecal and physical.

Let me know what happens or if you have any other questions. Have fun de-fleaing.