Buddy, The Mighty Lizard Hunter - Suspected Pituitary Macro Tumor

[molly muffin]

That is wonderful news Kathy! whoo hoooo!!!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Budsters Mom]

Hi all,
I am manic when it comes to flea control. I live in an area where fleas are everywhere! The last two times I have taken Buddy to the vet, he has picked up a few fleas and brought them home. Buddy has flea allergies which quickly turns to flea allergy dermatitis. It only takes one flea before his skin is a real mess and he's miserable, scratching incessantly. I always bathe him right after the vet, but fleas continue to pop up here and there. I have used frontline in the past and that worked well. I pretreat him with Benadryl which he's taking right now for allergies anyway, and then I apply the frontline about an hour later. I follow up with another dose of Benadryl in the morning. I am concerned about using it now. He has so many allergies and his head tremors just stopped 8 days ago. He also takes Trilostane for Cushings. It's the treat or not to treat dilemma? If I treat with the frontline that will keep flea allergy dermatitis away, but I don't know if it will affect his other conditions. Any suggestions?

[Harley PoMMom]

Fleas are terrible!! Had a bout with them last year!! And if ingested can cause tapeworms! So I would suggest treating if fleas are seen. Hope those pesky buggers are gone soon.

Love and hugs, Lori

[Trixie]

Great news..no tremors!! Glad to hear Buddy is still going great!
I too have a dilemma about flea/tick control. I had blamed Frontline for the bouts of bad gastro problems Trixie seemed to have in the summer when I used it...so I stopped.
The vet really didn't believe that Frontline had been the issue, but the timing just seemed to say otherwise.
We don't really have a flea issue much here but ticks can be a problem. I have the old fashioned type of flea/tick collar which I use when she's out in the park or the country but right now on medication I am so fearful to use anything! I don't think the collars are all that effective but I really don't want to use the topicals now.

I did give her the heartworm medication after I asked the vet if it was ok, I was so nervous but thankfully there was no problem.
Don't know what I will do about flea/tick control. Right now I am giving her the once over tick check when we come inside from outside..easier now that she's got a summer shave. Guess we'll use the collar when she's outside..I don't leave it on inside though..always afraid it's going to irritate her.
So many things to think about!
Barbara

[Fellasmom]

Hi
Just checking in to say hello and wish you a happy belated mother's day!Was catching up on a few threads and so happy to hear that Buddy has not had any furthur head tremors.That is such great news!!.

Both Fella and Grace got fleas last summer.I hate the Frontline,it just seems so toxic so I didn't use it for a few years and we were lucky.But last year,they both got them-disgusting!!What a job it is to get rid of them!Those little critters are persistent.I now of course use Frontline again on Grace.

Glad to hear you and Buddy are having better days!!
Hugs,
Patty

[Budsters Mom]

Thank you all for your input. I don't like topical flea products either. Yes, they do seem very toxic and Buddy has so many allergies. I am also worried about the head tremors starting up again. I was not aware that ingesting fleas could cause heartworms. Thank you Lori for that information. Since Buddy has come home twice from the vet with a few fleas now, they obviously are a problem in my area. It looks like I will have to use the frontline and am very nervous about it. Thanks again for your help.

Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy

[Boriss McCall]

I switched Boriss to the Comfortis chewable tablet for flea & tick. I am crossing my fingers that it works this summer. So far the last couple of months it has worked good.

[Harley PoMMom]

I was not aware that ingesting fleas could cause heartworms. Thank you Lori for that information.

Fleas when ingested can cause tapeworms, I believe mosquitoes are the pests that cause heartworms.

When I adopted my boy, Bear, he was 8 months old and full of fleas and tapeworms. It did take us a bit to get rid of those pesky fleas.

[Budsters Mom]

I broke down and treated Buddy with Frontline. I pretreated him with Benadryl first, because he has so many allergies. He hasn't had any head tremors since a week ago Monday. I am hoping for the best.

State testing ends this week! I plan on taking Buddy for his ACTH Test on Monday or Tuesday. I have to call the vet and find out what day she will be there. I finally wore her down enough to where she will do his ACTH test not fasted. I do have to stay to make sure the test is done correctly, within the proper time frame. Cushing's wise, he is doing very well. His hair is growing back on his stomach following his ultra-sound and his skin is starting to pink up some. Rear leg weakness is the only Cushing symptom that remains. Even that is somewhat better.


Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy

[Squirt's Mom]

I used to use Frontline but it seemed to lose its effectiveness and our vet at the time told me they had weakened the formula for the public but the one the vets were using was the original strength - which is why his spray would work but mine didn't.

We now use Advantage Multi which covers heart worms, fleas and many internal parasites. It doesn't help with ticks, tho. I hate using these things but we are sort of in a hard spot in some of the areas we live in - we either treat with harsh chemicals or allow our babies to be exposed to some terrible diseases.