when is the best time for flea prevention

[NewYorksBrandy]

ok spring is in the air guys and I'm a first time mommy and I was wondering when is the best time for flea prevention? now before the bugs come out or wait a little? and which med will be the best for a 7month old baby like Miss Brandy.. we only go out really early in the morning and early afternoon.. any thoughts? help

[MY OSCAR]

Originally Posted by NewYorksBrandy

ok spring is in the air guys and I'm a first time mommy and I was wondering when is the best time for flea prevention? now before the bugs come out or wait a little? and which med will be the best for a 7month old baby like Miss Brandy.. we only go out really early in the morning and early afternoon.. any thoughts? help

well i guess at the start of spring would be the best time.
where i live it starts getting warm in March sometimes so i start then.
As for what to use, i could give you a couple examples.
you could check with your vet to see what they carry.
Also if you have a tick problem in your area you will want something that also kills ticks.
I use K9 Advantix II which is a good , kills fleas & ticks...
Comfortis is a tablet, kills fleas..
Frontline Plus is another, kills fleas & ticks..
Revolution is good too, this prevents heartworm, internal parasites, is also for fleas & ticks...

[BabyGirl Rosie]

I have already had to start. They are already out in our area. I have always used Advantix in the past but vet recommended Vectra 3D this time. However, I only used half the tube on each girl. Seems to be working.

[kjc]

I use Revolution year round... when it starts to get cold outside, I notice the little hitchhikers coming in on the dogs to get warm, lol. The mild winter we had this year didn't help matters any either.

[CouversMom]

We had trouble with fleas this past summer, so we are on flea preventative already. I really don't want to have to deal with the buggers again, so we are staying on top of things!

[sophias mommy]

We use it all year round!

[Lovetodream88]

The only two months I do without flea and tick protection is December and January. I have a fear of Callie getting fleas and they are crazy to deal with once they are in your house. Frointline doesn't not work where I live so I use Advantix.

[navillusc]

Year round in Florida...

I think the fleas here have long sleeves and lightweight jackets for when the temps dip below 70...lol

Actually, we rarely have had flea issues because of all the ants...and fire ants...but last summer was low rain and light ants, and fall brought fleas into leafy areas near us so now we're trying to stay ahead of the fleas until the rain and the ants come back and run the fleas off again. lol

[TxVicki]

I use it year round. I will not take any chances with my girl's.

[RoxyLuv]

Year round here. Fleas can come in on the dogs, lay eggs in carpets, furniture, etc. We are already having exceptionally warm weather for March. Already have some bugs. I wouldn't wait.

[NewYorksBrandy]

thank you everyone.. shame on me.. I need to get on the band wagon.. do I go to the vet or get it at the petshop? how do you apply it?

[kdhawks]

We use flea preventatives year-round. I'd start by asking your vet what he or she recommends. Some products work better in certain areas. My vet does price-matching, so if I find the product online for an awesome price, they let me buy it there for the same price...so we always buy any medicine straight from the vet.

[gracielove]

When we have had really cold winters I was able to go without treating during December, January, February, and March, and April. Now I am starting already because of the mild winter. Do you have any other pets? Like a cat that goes outside? If not you may be able to wait another month. It is better to start treating before the season gets started.

I don't like the idea of treating all year round though I guess in some areas you have to. The only good thing about a cold winter is that the bugs go away for a while.

[Jacksmom052709]

Originally Posted by gracielove

When we have had really cold winters I was able to go without treating during December, January, February, and March, and April. Now I am starting already because of the mild winter. Do you have any other pets? Like a cat that goes outside? If not you may be able to wait another month. It is better to start treating before the season gets started.

I don't like the idea of treating all year round though I guess in some areas you have to. The only good thing about a cold winter is that the bugs go away for a while.

Ditto - since the winter was so mild and wet, I started Jack this past weekend as a matter of fact. I don't want to chance him getting them - they are hard to get rid of once you get them - learned that the hard way several years ago and do not want to go through that again!

[Joyce Adams]

I use Frontline Plus year round since we rarely have temps to freeze them out..better safe than sorry.