I had a pup who had a HUGE allergic reaction to a spot on....never again. It made me realise how strong these drugs are...and then I realised actually, my dogs haven't had fleas for 15 yeasr! I will de flea when needed...as I did then.

Sorry to TJ Rach (but I haven't ever noticed a smell with advocate).

A, is it OK then to not use spot on once every 6weeks (as Effipro says) then? So I can just leave him and treat ticks, mites and fleas if I need to?

I only ever used Advocate once when Zena was a tiny puppy, and she screamed the house down and legged it at the sheer smell of me breaking the seal I'm sure she had a slight reaction the next day, so I did lots of research I decided I was never going to use it again on her. I found Stronghold which is selamectin based has never caused any adverse reactions, it kills fleas, most worms, including heartworm (or could that by lungworm, can't remember!) and mites, and I'm using it every 3 months on her and every month on Georgie and all is well.

There's a brilliant article on here by RoyV which explains all of them in depth, it's really worth checking that article out imo.

It's personal choice Em, a bit like the whole vaccination thing (and neutering )
I don't ever spot on...ever. You have seen what Cosmo is like and the stuff he goes in. We walk in a variety of terrains regularly.
My two don't mix a lot with other dogs though so...

When muppet had a tick we (I) removed it. I was deeply traumatised but I did it.

I refuse to apply chemicals to my dogs just incase...I wouldn't give them antibiotics 'just in case' once a month so don't see why I should do it for fleas etc.
I know I now will get a house full of fleas.
I have not had fleas here for um.... 14/15 years. I used spot ons regularly for about...um...5 of those years? I stopped using them totally about 4 years ago. No fleas.

I do groom them daily.

I'd love to not do it, I hate the stuff but I'm worried if he gets fleas it will infest the office.

I totally agree with not doing it otherwise.

Hmmm....yes, we were told the pups had to be done incase they infested the kennels. They never did.

I work off site from the adoption centre, but other staff bring their dogs in so I would feel bad not doing it. I just cannot stand the stuff and neither can Woody, he gets really distressed by it ;o(

what if he brings in a tummy bug? Or kennel cough?
Just check him for them...look for natural alternatives, like a small amount of garlic. Google can be good

Em if he is distressed he is probably having a slight reaction to it. Our old BC did. There are alternatives.

We rely far too much on these things and they are becoming less able to deal with fleas and ticks. A friend of mine had used a spot on on her dog...he got a tick, she retreated...nothing...the poured a pipette ON it...nothing...cue tick remover (why she hadn't done that first and what possessed her to do the other stuff I don't know) but it shows you what can happen even IF you use spot ons.

My final work and musings on this...
we put these pesticides on our dogs skin...the dog scratches it's skin...we breath in the particles...we stroke the dog...it goes on our skin...the dog exhales the toxins...we breath them in......not a good picture for me. Just my own musings on it all though...nothing to back it up, merely my thoughts.