Hi Shirley. Parasites are the most common but by no means the only cause of itching. Therefore, I’d see your vet on this one. Grooming and bathing should help in the meantime.

Hi Nicole. My position regarding flea control is that if there are no skin problems then it’s okay to not use flea control. However, fleas are nearly universal in the environment and so that doesn’t mean your dog isn’t getting bitten. You will find that most vets choose flea control for their own animals for this reason. As for worming, it’s just like in kids – the risk is always there but on an individual basis, dogs that are not wormed usually get away with it if they are healthy. Once again, Vets tend not to want to take risks here as treatments are inexpensive and safe.

Hi Kevin. That’s a very good question. We generally avoid the related drugs Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica in dogs prone to seizures even though there isn’t much proof. Frontline is not as effective for ticks despite the claim, which leaves Advantix and Seresto. Of these two, I can only suggest you talk to your local vets about efficacy, as ticks are the one thing we don’t have here in Adelaide. If they say they aren’t effective enough, then Simparica may be a better option for high risk areas (balancing a known and serious risk of ticks with an unknown and possibly non-existent risk of seizures). Regardless of the choice, it’s probably then best to choose a separate heartworm control.

Hi Robert. Isoxazoline class products including Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica have been suspected for some time to be associated with an increased risk of seizures. As such, the FDA has recently asked manufacturers to include a warning in the product label. This does not affect the majority of dog owners but we certainly recommend avoiding these drugs if your dog is prone to seizures, and contacting your vet if one were to occur. You can read more about Bravecto here