I do a lot of trail running with my weimaraner. We run a few hours every Saturday in rural San Diego County as well as a few shorter trail runs during the week.
I love watching my bird dog bound through the grasses and brush, but of course one of the drawbacks is … fleas and ticks.
Today I’m writing about one option for topical flea and tick control for dogs, Vectra® 3D.
Vectra® 3D for dogs – monthly flea prevention
Vectra® for dogs is a monthly topical flea and tick control that kills and repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes before they bite your dog. It also kills and repels biting flies and mites.
This post is sponsored by Ceva Animal Health, the maker of Vectra® 3D for dogs and Catego® for Cats. Learn more here.
If you’re interested in trying Vectra 3D for your dog, we have a giveaway at the end of this post. Just leave a comment to enter. Update: The giveaway has ended and winners have been notified.
Fleas are a big problem in San Diego County. I used to go without topical flea prevention on my pets before we moved here (from North Dakota) and I never once saw a flea. We could get away with natural prevention options or even no flea prevention at all.
Well, three weeks after living in San Diego, our apartment and pets were infested with fleas. Even my indoor cats had fleas. A lot of them!
Getting rid of the flea infestation was a nuisance because we had to “flea bomb” our apartment more than once. Each time we did this, we of course had to leave our apartment for several hours and take our dog and cats with us. Not ideal.
Flea and tick prevention for dogs – Vectra® 3D
In our case, we continued to have a flea problem until I put all of my pets on a monthly flea prevention, including our indoor cats. (Vectra® 3D is not safe for cats. They have a product specifically for cats called Catego® for Cats.)
We tried some of the natural flea prevention options, but unfortunately in our case they did not work consistently.
With any type of flea prevention options, you should weigh the pros and cons for your unique dog and environment and discuss the best options with your vet.
Vectra® 3D is the flea prevention product our vet recommended for our dogs when we got our puppy Remy. This is because the product can kill fleas before they actually bite your dog.
My senior dog Ace (miss you, Ace!) had an autoimmune disease called panniculitis that caused skin problems. I couldn’t risk him getting flea bites on top of his already sensitive skin, so Vectra® worked for us.
Benefits of Vectra® 3D for dogs
- Kills fleas and ticks before they bite the dog
- Kills and repels mosquitoes before they bite
- Can act as a “double defense” against heartworm (carried by mosquitoes)
- Prevents all flea stages from developing
- Repels biting flies, sand flies and mites
- Easy to apply with its patented application tip
- Waterproof and quick drying
- Protects for 1 month
Vectra® 3D is available through PetSmart, Amazon and through veterinarians. Click here to learn more.
Here is a video we made about Vectra® 3D:
How to use Vectra® 3D
Vectra® 3D is a monthly topical flea and tick prevention. To apply it to your dog, part your dog’s hair at the base of the tail and apply the product onto the skin all the way up to the shoulder blades. A prescription is not required.
It’s designed to dry quickly, and it is waterproof so you can still bathe your dog or allow him to swim. That’s good news for those of us who love to hike and camp with our dogs.
Flea control for cats – Catego® for Cats
Catego® for Cats is a monthly flea and tick control effective at preventing fleas, ticks and chewing lice for cats and kittens. Learn more about Catego® here.
Not everyone will need flea prevention for their cats or kittens, but even if you have an indoor cat, sometimes fleas can find their way into your home. In our case, the fleas entered our apartment through our dogs and that’s how our cats ended up with fleas too.
One application of Catego® will last one month. It is available through PetSmart, Petco, Amazon and through veterinarians. Click here to order on Amazon.
Giveaway – Win 3 month’s supply of Vectra® 3D or Catego® for Cats
Ceva Animal Health is giving away a three-month’s supply of Vectra® 3D or Catego® to two readers of That Mutt. Update: The giveaway has ended and winners have been notified. Congrats to Melissa C. and and Julieann C.
To enter, just leave a comment below so I know you want in on the drawing. What is the flea and tick situation like where you live?
I’ll choose two winners at random on Tuesday May 29 and notify the winners by email. Must have a U.S. mailing address to win.
Would you like to try Vectra® 3D or Catego®?
Let me know in the comments. Please share this post if it will help someone you know, and let me know if you have any questions.
*Vectra® 3D is not safe for cats. For cats, use Catego® for Cats. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Related posts:
How to protect your dog from ticks
Catherine Palmer
Thursday 26th of July 2018
Fleas and ticks are a constant worry, I am always looking for a product that won't irritate Penelope's skin. Thanks
Daniel Scott
Tuesday 29th of May 2018
Our dog Artie could use the Vectra® 3D.
Linda Chong
Tuesday 29th of May 2018
Our family is rather new to this dog-keeping endeavor, having adopted our Chihuahua-terrier mix about two and a half years ago. We live in sunny Southern California, too, and we are ever vigilant of fleas on or near her.
Tarra Lane
Tuesday 29th of May 2018
My Cocker Spanial loves to run through the deep grass when we are out for walks, I am always concerned that he will end up with ticks and of course mosquito's are always a struggle in the summer. This product sounds like just what I'd be looking for.
Linda DeLano
Tuesday 29th of May 2018
I would love to try this on my dogs. I walk them alot but the medicine I use doesn't seem to be enough to keep the fleas away from them. I also the the idea of them not getting bit.