Tick control for pregnant & nursing bitches?

[Susan Stone]

The tick season has started early this year... I'd normally use the Scalibor tick collars for my dogs but this year, with my bitch Erin being in whelp, I am uncertain what to do. The vet says Frontline or Scalibor would be OK - but I hardly dare! On the other hand the risk of tick spread disease is real. I'd welcome your views...

[Monique VIRY]

Moi je continue d'utiliser les pipettes de Frontline même sur mes chiennes gestantes.

[Susan Stone]

Merci Monique!

[Monique VIRY]

Voici la réponse que Frontline m'avait faite lors de notre première portée :

FRONTLINE® est utilisable chez les chiennes et les chattes qui attendent des petits ou qui allaitent.
Traitez la mère avant la naissance des petits pour leur assurer une protection par le contact avec le pelage de leur mère lors des tétées.

[Ulrike Reder-Marko]

I have the same problem as you. I used Scalibor collars last years and it worked well and so I bought it also this year. My boys are already wearing it, but I don´t know what to do with Kathy. She will hopefully have puppies in May.
I posted this problem in another forum and this was the answer from internet:

"hier die info der erzeugerfirma aus dem internet:

Kann das Scalibor® Protectorband bei trächtigen oder säugenden Hündinnen angewendet werden? Ja, das Scalibor® Protectorband kann auch bei tragenden oder säugenden Hündinnen sowie Zuchthündinnen eingesetzt werden. Studien ergaben keinerlei Hinweise auf teratogene, embryotoxische, mutagene oder nachteilige Effekte auf die Fortpflanzungsfähigkeit der Muttertiere." (As german is no problem for you I did not translate)

So it shoud be OK to use the collar, but I did not decide until now, what to do.

Tell me, if you decided.

Ulrike

[Laura Kolbach]

Never had a pregnant bitch but some of my friends continue to use tick collars, like Kiltix, when their bitches are pregnant. Although the package state: not tested on pregnant bitches (most of the spot-on and collar manufacturers do not test). But Advantix was tested on pregnant bitches and approved - so maybe you should try that one.

[ursula wilby]

I did a test on anti-tick collars/sprays/drops for the swedish kennelclub magazine and Scalibor was the most efficiant out of the lot.
On the other end of the scale was Frontline.
But then Frontline is the kindest for the dog with less side-effects. (I never tested any "natural"/herbal varieties - Im not a great fan of those). Also Frontline can often be used by dogs that can not have Scalibor due to allergies etc.
I use Scalibor for my dogs but when it comes to pregnant bitches, I dont use anything at all and just comb them through. (And hope I dont miss anything.)

Somehow I am too much aware of the possible side-effects when it comes to perfectly healthy dogs to feel comfortable about it on a pregnant bitch.

[Laura Kolbach]

I think we already had a discussion about this earlier. Frontline for example has no effect here in Hungary anymore. Scalibor is quite new here, I used it once but found it less effective than Kiltix. In general I prefer the collars, had better experience with them. My opinion :-)

[ursula wilby]

Quite right Laura, we have covered this before...but now we have the "pregnant bitch"-view of it :-)

[Susan Stone]

Thanks for your help... but I still have to make up my mind.
A quick resumé of the answers in french and german:
Monique checked with Frontline and got the reply that Frontline can be used on pregnant and nursing bitches and cats. They recommend treating the bitch before birth then the puppies would also be protected through the contact with the coat of the bitch.
Ulrike writes that she asked the same question in a different Forum and got the reply that Scalibor can be used on pregnant and nursing bitches and has no teratogenous or embryotoxic effects.
So both treatments should be OK, although I admit I have had far better results with Scalibor than with Frontline Combo (said to protect against fleas & ticks).
And then comes Ursula... nurturing my fears!

So I will fetch Scalibor collars for all my dogs but wait with putting one on Erin until I see if ticks become a problem... at the moment they should be freezing stiff under the snow. Ha! Serves them right! Horrible little brutes!

[Nicole Wilson]

I know of a few other setter owners who have used aloe vera successfully against ticks, although I've never tried it myself. I've always had the Scalibor collar, which I prefer to frontline. I think there is an aloe vera quick help spray on the market - especially for dogs - and it's supposed to be helping against ticks. It contains aloe vera and neem oil. Unfortunately, I'm not sure either whether it can be used on pregnant bitches (not much of a help, am I!!) but it is more natural than scalibor and frontline. Maybe someone else here has used it?

[Laura Kolbach]

i think this is the one from Forever Living, and they use real Aloe only. I have that spray, but never used it until now :-) it is also good for cut paws, other injuries and even to give the coat a nice shine.

[Susan Stone]

Thanks Nicole. I actually tried an Aloe spray for a VERY short time - it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on our ticks... but maybe that depends on how desperate the ticks are!
Looks like Scalibor is a favoured one.