Bugs are Coming! Safe Products for Breeding Dogs + Coronavirus

Dr. Marty Greer brings her pragmatic Veterinary Voice to the topic of Coronavirus and what products are safe to use for flea, tick and heartworm prevention in breeding dogs. COVID-19 is not currently believed to be communicable between humans and dogs. Coronavirus is a general term for a *shape* of a virus and encompasses a variety of viral infections in many species. For more information on recommendations regarding veterinary care during this outbreak, click here. As spring brings the reemergence of various creepy, crawly parasites that affect our dogs, Greer provides in-depth information about which products are safe for use on dogs in our breeding programs, including brood bitches and stud dogs over the course of time, as well as bitches in whelp. Greer said, “I think it's really appropriate for us to stick to the EPA and FDA approved drugs that we know have been tested and safe in breeding animals. So, for instance, Bravecto says there were no clinically relevant treatment-related effects on body weights, food consumption, reproductive performance, semen analysis, litter data, gross necropsy or Histology findings in adults and puppies. So we need to be looking for that kind of language on a label before we go slapping things on or popping things into our dogs … I just want to be perfectly clear for what products have or have not been tested. "So there's three basic categories of flea and tick medications. There's the collar, there's the topical, the oil that goes over the back of the neck or down the back and there's the tablets or the chewables. So there are the three general categories and of those three there's no collar …. labeled for that use in breeding dogs … the topicals, some are definitely labeled and some are not definitely labeled. …if it says like Frontline says safe for breeding, pregnant and lactating dogs and cats, then it's safe. If it doesn't say that you shouldn't use it. It needs to be clear. And if we look at the oral there's …. three oral medications that are not labeled for use in breeding animals. Bravecto is labeled for use in breeding animals. So we need to be really, really clear that we're looking at the labels or reading the instructions and we're thinking at eight weeks of age, what is the this dog’s future, not just is she pregnant right now, but what is her future.”

Product	Active Ingredients	Purpose/Effective Against	Minimum Age/Weight	Pregnant/Nursing/Male
Heartworm
Advantage Multi for Dogs	Imidacloprid and moidectin	Flea, louse, heartworm, hookworm, whipworm, roundworm and mange.  Topical every 30 days	7 weeks/3lbs	Safety not established.
Advantage Multi for Cats	Imidacloprid and moxidectin	Ear mites, flea, heartworm, hookworm and roundworm.  Topical every 30 days	9 weeks/2 lbs	Safety not established.
Heartgard Plus	Ivermectin, Pyrantel pamoate	Heartworm, roundworms & hookworms Tablet every 30 days	6 weeks	Safe in pregnant or breeding bitches, stud dogs
Heartgard	Ivermectin	Dog: Heartworm. Tablet every 30 days Cat: Heartworm and hookworm. Tablet every 30 days	6 weeks	Safe
Interceptor	Milbemycin oxime	Heartworm, hookworm, whipworm, roundworm. Every 30 days	Dog: 4 weeks/2 lbs Cat: 6 weeks/1.5lbs	Dogs: Safe Cat: Not established
Interceptor Plus	Milbemycin oxime and praziquantel tablet	Heartworm, roundworm (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), adult hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum), adult whipworm (Trichuris vulpis), and adult tapeworm (Taenia pisiformis, Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus) Tablet every 30 days	Dogs and puppies 2 pounds of body weight or greater and 6 weeks of age and older.	Safe Not evaluated in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs.  Only milbemycin has been studied and is safe.
Iverhart Max	Ivermectin, Pyrantel pamoate, praziquantel	Heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. Tablet every 30 days	8 weeks/6 lbs	Safe in pregnant or breeding bitches, stud dogs Not evaluated in pregnant or lactating.  Safe in males.
Iverhart Plus	Ivermectin, Pyrantel pamoate	Heartworm, roundworms, and hookworms, every 30 days	6 weeks	Safe in pregnant or breeding bitches, stud dogs
Revolution	Selamectin	Dog:Heartworm, Fleas, flea eggs, scabies, ear mites, hookworms, roundworms, lice (Trichodectes canis), ticks (Haemaphysalis leachi &Rhipicephalus sanguineus), Topical every 30 days.   Cat: Heartworm, roundworm, hookworm, fleas and mites. Topical every 30 days.	Dog: 6 weeks Cat: 8 weeks	To prevent roundworm infection, REVOLUTION should be administered at monthly intervals during pregnancy with a dose administered approximately 2 weeks before parturition. The next treatment should be administered to the bitch or queen, ten days after parturition and followed by another treatment 1 month later. This schedule of treatments for bitches and queens will prevent adult roundworm infections in suckling puppies and kittens for 7 weeks after birth.
Sentinel	Milbemycin, Lufenuron	Heartworm, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms & flea eggs. Tablet every 30 days	4 weeks & 2 lbs	Safe
Sentinel Spectrum	Milbemycin, Lufenuron, Praziquantel	Heartworm, roundworms, whipworms, hookworms & flea eggs, tapeworms. Tablet every 30 days	6 weeks & 2 lbs	Not tested
Tri-Heart Plus	Ivermectin, Pyrantel pamoate	Heartworm, roundworms and hookworms every 30 days	6 weeks	Safe
Trifexis	Milbemycin oxime and Spinosad	Heartworm, fleas, roundworms, hookworms, & whipworms.  Tablet every 30 days	8 weeks & 5 lbs	Not safe in pregnancy due to fetal malformations, not evaluated in males.  Caution in dogs with seizure history.  Use with caution in breeding females.
Flea and Tick
Advantage II	Imidacloprid & insect growth regulator (pyriproxyfen)	Adult fleas, flea larvae, flea eggs, lice. Every 30 days	3 pounds & 7 weeks	Consult your veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, pregnant or nursing dogs.
BioGroom	Pyrethrin shampoo	Kills fleas, ticks, lice, and ear mites.	5 pounds & 12 weeks	Consult a veterinarian before using on sick, aged pregnant or nursing animals.
BioSpot Active Care Spot on	Etofenprox, Piperonyl, Pyriproxyfen (Nylar®) (S)-Methoprene	Fleas, Flea Eggs, Flea Larvae, Tick, Tick Nymphs, Tick Larvae, Brown Dog Ticks, Deer Ticks Kills & Repels: Mosquitoes Every 30 days.	12 weeks.	No
Bravecto	Fluralaner	Dog: Fleas, ticks 12 weeks (Ixodes scapularis – black-legged tick, Dermacentor variabilis – American dog tick,and Rhipicephalus sanguineus – brown dog tick), and for 8 weeks (Amblyomma americanum – lone star tick). Topical   Cat: Flea, ticks 12 weeks (Ixodes scapularis – black-legged tick. Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) infestations for 8 weeks. Topical	Dog:6 months/4.4 lbs   Cat: 6 months/2.6 lbs	Dog: There were no clinically-relevant, treatment-related effects on the body weights, food consumption, reproductive performance, semen analysis, litter data, gross necropsy (adult dogs) or histopathology findings (adult dogs and puppies). Bravecto has not been shown to be effective for 12-weeks duration in puppies less than 6 months of age. Cat: Not established.
Capstar tabs	Nitenpyram	Dog and Cat: Fleas as often as 1 x a day	4 weeks/2 lbs	Birth defects & fetal loss
Certifect	Fipronil,  Amitraz S-methoprene	Deer ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, Black legged ticks, Brown Dog ticks, American Dog ticks, Lone Star ticks, Yellow Dog ticks, European Dog ticks, Wood ticks, and Paralysis ticks	5 pounds & 8 weeks	Can also be used on breeding pregnant and lactating bitches.
Comfortis	Spinosad	Dog: Fleas. Tablet every 30 days	3.3 pounds & 14 weeks	The safe use of COMFORTIS in breeding, pregnant, or lactating cats has not been evaluated. Caution in dogs with seizure history. Safety has not been evaluated in breeding males.  Use with caution in breeding females.
Credelio	Lotilaner	Dog: Adult fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and ticks  [Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick), Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick), Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) & Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick). Tablet every 30 days.	8 weeks of age &  4.4 pounds	The safe use of CREDELIO in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures.
FiproGuard	Fipronil & s-methoprene	Fleas & ticks. Every 30 days	8 weeks	Safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dogs
FiproGuard Plus	Fipronil, (s)-methoprene, and novaluron	Dog and Cat: Fleas, ticks, and lice. Topical every 30 days.	Dog: 8 weeks Cat: 8 weeks/1.5lbs	Safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dog and cat.
Frontline	Fipronil	Fleas, ticks and chewing lice. Waterproof. Every 30 days.	8 weeks	Can be used on breeding, pregnant & lactating bitches
Frontline Plus	Fipronil and (S)-methoprene	Dog: Fleas including eggs & larvae, ticks, mites/mange, and lice. Topical every 30 days. Cat:Fleas including eggs & larvae, ticks and lice. Waterproof. Topical every 30 days.	Dog: 8 weeks/5 lbs Cat: 8 weeks/1.5lbs	Safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dog and cats.
Frontline Spray	Fipronil	Fleas, Ticks and Chewing Lice. - Kills all life stages of ticks (larva, nymph and adult), including brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis), lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) and deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis).Wear gloves. Approximately 1 to 2 pumps per pound of the animal’s body weight will be required. Pets with long or dense coats will require the higher rate. Waterproof. 30 to 90 days.	8 weeks	Approved for use on all dogs, including breeding, pregnant, and lactating bitches and puppies as young as 8 weeks.
Frontline Gold	Fipronil, (s)-methoprene, pyriproxyfen	Cats and dogs: Flea, tick and chewing lice.	Dog: 8 weeks/5lbs Cat: 8 weeks/1.5lbs	Safe
Hartz First Defense	Fipronil	Fleas, ticks and chewing lice. Waterproof. Every 30 days.	8 weeks	BREEDING, PREGNANT AND LACTATING BITCHES,
K9 Advantix II	Imidacloprid, Permethrin*, & Pyriproxyfen	Ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, biting flies and lice. Every 30 days, can reapply in 7 days.	7 weeks/4lbs	NO CATS. Consult your veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, pregnant or nursing animals.
Nexgard	Afoxolaner	Fleas & ticks. Every 30 days.	8 weeks & 4 lbs	Not tested. Caution in dogs with seizure history.
PetArmor	Fipronil	Fleas & ticks. Every 30 days.	8 weeks	Safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dogs
PetArmor Plus for Dogs	Fipronil and S-Methoprene	Adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, chewing lice and prevents the development of flea pupae. It controls mites that may cause sarcoptic mange and kills deer ticks that can transmit Lyme disease. It also kills brown dog ticks, American dog ticks, and lone star ticks and prevents flea reinfestations for 4 weeks.	8 weeks.	Safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dogs
Preventic Collar	Amitraz	Ticks for 90 days	12 weeks	Not tested.  No cats.
Revolution	Selamectin	Heartworm, fleas & flea eggs, ear mites, Sarcoptes, American Dog Tick. Every 30 days	Dog: 6 weeks Cat: 8 weeks	Safe
Scalibor Protector Band	Deltamethrin	Fleas & ticks. Every 6 months.	12 weeks	Consult a veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, pregnant, medicated, or nursing animals.
Sentry Capguard	Nitenpyram	Fleas.	2 pounds & 4 weeks	Birth defects & fetal loss
Sentry Natural Defense	Dog: Peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil & thyme oil Cat: Peppermint oil, clove oil, & lemongrass oil.	Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Every 30 days	12 weeks	Attacks octopamine.  Consult vet.
Seresto collar	Flumethrin & Imidacloprid	Fleas, ticks, lice, sarcoptic mites. 8 months	7 weeks and 18 pounds	Consult your veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, breeding, pregnant, or nursing animals.
Simparica	Sarolaner	Adult fleas, and is indicated for the treatment and prevention of flea infestations (Ctenocephalides felis), and the treatment and control of tick infestations [Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick), Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick), Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick)]. Every 30 days.	6 months & 2.8 pounds	Not tested
Spectra Shield	Zetacypermethrin & Piperonyl Butoxide	Fleas & ticks. Lasts up to 4 months.	6 months	If used on pregnant or nursing dogs, do not replace medallion until puppies are at least 6 weeks old.
Vectra 3D	Dinotefuran, Pyriproxyfen, & Permethrin	Fleas & ticks. Every 30 days. Mosquito & biting flies, sand mites, lice repellency. Water repellency.  “Hot foot” effect before they bite.	8 weeks & 2.5 pounds	Label says “do not use”
Vet’s Best Natural Flea & Tick spot-on	Clove Leaf Oil, Thyme White Oil, Cinnamon Oil	Fleas and ticks, repels mosquitos.	12 weeks	Label is silent.