Advantix reviews: what is best for your dog?
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Advantix Review
There are many flea treatments available for your dog, so it can be difficult to know which one to choose. K9 Advantix II is a popular choice that has received excellent reviews from pet owners. But is it the right treatment for your pet? How does it compare to other products? And is it safe? We’ve summarized our research into Advantix below, including how it compares to other brand’s products and potential side effects.
Why Are Flea Treatments Important?
Fleas and other insects are more than just an annoyance for your dog. Bites can cause a variety of problems, including inflammation, dermatitis, bald spots and even skin infections due to scratching. Fleas can also carry diseases and parasites such as tapeworm.
For these reasons, applying a regular flea treatment to your dog is essential. Treatments are usually inexpensive, especially in comparison to treating a disease or infection, and often only need to be applied once a month.
Why Choose Advantix?
K9 Advantix II is one of the most popular flea treatments. The product also protects your dog from ticks, flies, lice and mosquitoes. It’s a topical treatment, which means it’s applied to the skin rather than eaten, and works fast to kill fleas.
In many cases, killing a flea after it has bitten your dog doesn’t prevent disease transmission. Unlike other similar products, Advantix both kills and repels.
Repelling fleas means fewer bites and irritation for your dog. This reduces the chance of a potentially disease-carrying flea from transmitting an infection.
Advantix also reduces the chance of ticks attaching to your dog. Ticks carry a range of diseases including Lyme’s disease and West Nile virus. If your dog spends a lot of time outside, or you regularly go on walks in long grass, then tick prevention is vital.
An additional benefit is that Advantix repels mosquitoes. While mosquitoes can be an irritation to your dog, they also carry diseases and parasites. Heartworm, in particular, is commonly transmitted by mosquitoes.
Once applied to the skin of your dog or puppy, Advantix repels and kills insects within 12 hours. The effects last for around a month. Advantix also kills flea larvae, which breaks the breeding cycle and stops fleas from wintering in your home.
Another reason to choose Advantix is that the formula is still effective after a bath or swimming. If your dog loves jumping in rivers or lakes, this won’t reduce the effectiveness of the product. You also don’t need to worry about using dog shampoo or conditioner – neither affects the repelling characteristics of the product.
The only exception is immediately after application. Avoid washing your dog or letting him swim in a river or pond until 48 hours have passed. Advantix also recommends using non-detergent shampoo when bathing your dog.
What Makes Advantix Different To Other Brands?
There are a number of popular products on the market for protecting dogs from fleas and ticks. We’ve summarized the main differences between these and Advantix below.
Video: How To Apply Your Dog's K9 Advantix
K9 Advantix Original Vs K9 Advantix II
In 2011, Advantix released a new version of their product called K9 Advantix II. You might be wondering how K9 Advantix II differs from the original and which you should buy.
The good news is that the second version is unquestionably an upgrade – it is not an inferior product designed to boost the company’s profit margins.
K9 Advantix II contains all of the flea, tick and mosquito repelling properties of the original, but includes a new chemical called pyriproxyfen.
This kills flea larvae and eggs. While the old version couldn’t affect immature fleas – the fleas had to mature into adults before being killed – K9 Advantix II kills fleas at any point in the insect’s life cycle.
There also isn’t much difference in price between the two versions. While you can still find K9 Advantix Original in some stores, the second version is superior and doesn’t cost much more. We recommend buying K9 Advantix II for its extra protection against flea larvae and eggs.
One thing to keep in mind for both K9 Advantix Original and II is that you need to spread the dose around your dog’s body. Other brands recommend applying their product only to the shoulder blades. Advantix should be placed in four separate places (indicated in the product’s literature) to avoid irritation and speed up the spread of the product around the dog’s skin.
Click Here to get K9 Advantix II!Advantix Vs Revolution for Dogs
There are several key differences between K9 Advantix II and Revolution for Dogs. The first is that Revolution for Dogs doesn’t repel fleas – it only kills them. Even then, it doesn’t kill larvae and eggs as effectively as the Advantix product. The result is that fleas must mature before they are killed.
Another difference is that Revolution doesn’t repel ticks or mosquitoes. It does, however, prevent heartworm – a type of parasite that isn’t covered by Advantix. As the name suggests, heartworms attach themselves to the heart and other organs of dogs, and can live for over five years. Treatment for heartworm is possible but expensive, and the condition can be serious.
It’s important to understand that heartworm can only be transmitted by mosquitoes. It is not a contagious condition. While Advantix doesn’t directly prevent heartworm, it does cause fewer mosquitoes to bite in the first place, which reduces the chance of your dog being infected.
Video: NMAH- How to apply K9 Advantix to your dog
Click Here to get some Revolution for your pet!Advantix Vs Comfortis
Comfortis is a prescription treatment for fleas that comes in tablet form. The tablet is pork flavored to make it easier for your dog to eat.
Comfortis kills fleas rapidly – in as little as half an hour – compared with nearly 12 hours for K9 Advantix II. Like Advantix, the effects of Comfortis last approximately one month.
Despite the fast effects of Comfortis, the product has a number of weaknesses compared with K9 Advantix II. It is highly effective at killing fleas, but doesn’t repel them or kill eggs.
Video: PetSolutions: Advantix II for Dogs
It also doesn’t affect other types of parasite such as ticks or heartworm. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive protection from parasites, Advantix is the better brand.
Want to know more about Comfortis? Click Here to see what else Nina has to say about it.Click Here to get your pet started on ComfortisAdvantix Vs Advantage
Advantage is another treatment that can kill fleas at any point in the insect’s life cycle. In many respects, Advantage is a similar product to K9 Advantix II, as it’s applied to the skin, is waterproof and kills fleas in around 12 hours. It also needs to be applied monthly.
Advantage can’t, however, repel fleas before they bite. It also isn’t effective at killing ticks, mosquitoes or heartworm. This makes Advantix a much more complete product. Considering there is little difference in price between the two products, we recommend choosing K9 Advantix II for your dog.
Not enough information? Click Here to learn more about Advantage!Click Here to get an Advantage for your pet!Advantix Vs Scalibor
Scalibor manufacture a range of collars that kill fleas and several species of ticks. While your dog is wearing the collar, a flea-killing substance spreads throughout the skin. One collar can last up to six months.
Scalibor collars are a different type of product to Advantix. Firstly, getting your dog to wear the protector band isn’t as convenient – even if it does last six months. Secondly, it doesn’t repel fleas and ticks, it only kills them. Scalibor also doesn’t affect most parasites and is not suitable for pregnant dogs.
If longer lasting protection is important to you then Scalibor is an option to consider. For protecting your dog against a wider spectrum of insects, Advantix is the clear winner.
Click Here to see is Scalibor is a good fit for your pet!Advantix Vs Trifexis
Trifexis is a treatment that both kills fleas and prevents heartworm. Unlike Advantix, Trifexis can also treat parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. Once taken, Trifexis kills fleas in less than four hours, and the effects last for around four weeks.
Trifexis is administered in pill form. This makes it more convenient, especially as the beef flavor makes it taste like a treat.
The downside to Trifexis is that it doesn’t kill flea eggs or larvae like Advantix does. It also doesn’t repel ticks and fleas. When using Trifexis, insects have to bite your dog before they are killed, which increases the chance of an infection.
Click Here to go ahead and start your pet on Trifexis ASAP!Advantix Side Effects
Most dogs don’t suffer from any side effects from the application of Advantix. As long as you use the recommend dosage, your dog is unlikely to have a negative reaction.
Occasionally, a dog may develop sensitivity to the product when it’s applied to the skin. This can lead to red skin and itchiness. The dog may also roll around to try and scratch the affected area. If this happens, consult your vet about whether you need to change flea treatment.
Other potential side effects of Advantix include:
Video: K9 Advantix® II | TV Commercial
- Unusual behavior – such as running in circles
- Heavy panting
- Nausea or vomiting
- Drooling
While Advantix rarely causes side effects in dogs, it is poisonous to cats. If you own a dog and cat, make sure that the dog is kept separate immediately after application. Most vets recommend giving your dog Advantix at night. You can then keep him in a separate room or crate overnight
It’s also important to note that Advantix shouldn’t be given to pregnant or lactating dogs. You should consult your vet about preventing fleas, ticks and other parasites if your dog is pregnant. Advantix is also only suitable for dogs over seven weeks old.
Conclusion
In summary, Advantix flea treatments provide more comprehensive protection from fleas, ticks and other parasites compared with most competing products.
K9 Advantix II, which is the company’s flagship product for dogs, works to kill fleas and other insects fast. The effects last for a month and you don’t need to worry about your dog getting wet.
While the flea treatment market is crowded, most alternatives don’t repel fleas and other insects – they only kill them. This is one of the reasons why we recommend K9 Advantix II over other products. The fact that Advantix can kill fleas at any stage of their life cycle is another advantage.
Advantix is a safe treatment that causes few side-effects. You can typically buy a pack of six treatments, which will last six months, for around $55-$75 depending on the size of your dog (larger dogs require bigger doses of Advantix). If you’re searching for an easy-to-apply treatment that can protect your pet from fleas, disease and some parasites, Advantix is an excellent choice.