Which treatments tick your boxes?

Hello

Can you help please ?

I want to protect my Collie-Spaniel cross rescue dog, who is approx six-years-old, from both fleas and ticks in a safe way. At the moment I use Advocate obtained from my vet which is costing about £35 for three months treatment and, having spotted a couple of ticks following a country walk, I was surprised to learn that this product does not kill ticks, only fleas and certain other things.

Having looked at other products on the market I see that Frontline have a spot on treatment which is claimed to kill both fleas and ticks, it would also seem to be cheaper to buy.

At the same time I have seen products in my local pet store from both “Bob Martin” and “Johnson” manufacturers, both claiming to deal with fleas and ticks yet costing about a third of what I am paying for Advocate.

Being aware that often you only get what you pay for, I am looking for some unbiased advice regarding the suitability of using an alternative product.

In fairness my dog has not suffered from fleas or had any reaction to the use of Advocate and I have removed any ticks using one of the implements sold by pet stores, but I am wondering if it would be better to have her protected with a spot on treatment for both fleas and ticks.

If so, does the fact that some other products are cheaper, mean that there is more risk of an allergic reaction, or that they are not as good. Also, if I do think about changing product, would you think it safe, once the effective time lapse from the previous spot on treatment is over, to start with the new one, or should I wait much longer.

Any comments would be very welcome and I realise that you may not be able to endorse any particular product.

Thank you.

Peter Purnell, by email