photo credit: otisarchives4This is a guest post from a caring cat lover with flea issues…
For years we were very fortunate when it came to fleas. We gave our dogs their monthly flea medicine and never really had a problem. While there are lots of dogs in our neighborhood, we all did a good job of keeping the fleas under control.

Unfortunately, a few months ago we started fostering two very sweet, young kittens that were found without their mommy under a house. Fortunately for them, a no-kill shelter in our town heard about them and sent someone to collect the starving animals.

Two days later, we got a call and the staff at the shelter asked if we would foster the kittens. They would require special care since they were bottle-fed and required regular feedings. Fortunately, we were able to care for them and brought them into our home.

The kittens did not seem to have a flea problem when they arrived, but then the eggs hatched. We knew we had to wait a while, since they were not old enough for flea medicines. Later, we called the shelter and they gave us some recommendations on what we could do to stop the fleas. However, these were not ordinary fleas and nothing seemed to kill them. Before long, they started to get on our other animals. We continued to use our regular dog flea treatments on the adult pets, but they didn’t seem to be effective. After a while, we moved our dogs to K9 Advantix (or you can use generic Advantix for cheaper) and finally started to gain some headway and the got rid of the fleas on the dogs.

We got a different flea medicine from the shelter (Advantix is toxic to cats.) Since the kittens were too young to treat initially, so we had to wait until they were old enough. Once we were able to do the treatments, they did not work. Since then, we have tried sprays and even flea dip to make their situation better.

While the flea dip did the best job of taking out the fleas (we found around 20 fleas on each cat), we are still looking for a long term solution. My goal at this point is to continue treating all of the animals, our house and yard until we can break the vicious flea cycle.

If like me, you like the benefits of using Advantix for Dogs but are not quite so keen on the price tag you may want to know how to save on K9 Advantix.  After much research here are the easiest ways to save on your dog’s flea treatment:

• Forget buying from your local vet.  They just don’t sell in quantities large enough to get the best deals from wholesalers.  Instead buy your flea treatment online.
• Consider buying Generic K9 Advantix.  This is relatively new to the market, first appearing on the shelves in the spring of 2010.  With prices around half that of even the cheapest supplies of the branded version it is a really simple way to make great savings.
• Check Canadian pet pharmacists as they tend to offer a range of pet medicines including Advantix flea drops at far lower prices than their American competitors.
• Buy the largest pack size you can afford.  A twelve month supply of these flea drops will offer you much better savings than the cheapest four month supply.  Remember for most of us flea protection is a year-round issue so it makes sense to buy in a large volume as you will certainly use it.
• Consider clubbing together with friends or family.  Most of the cheap online retailers will charge a standard shipping rate for all orders.  If you order jointly you get to save all those extra little costs.

It is really quite easy to save on the cost of Advantix flea drops.  But you do need to be organised.  The biggest issue is to forget to order in time for their next application and be forced to buy locally at higher prices.  Always be sure to place your order for a new batch of flea medicine when you use the last dose you have at home.  That way you never run out and always benefit from the cheapest supplies.

You can also find some pretty good prices at larger, established sites like Amazon. Some people prefer sticking with names they are familiar with, and Amazon would certainly qualify. Below are some of the Amazon.com deals currently available.

K9 Advantix Flea Control for Dogs, 6 Applications
K-9 Advantix 6pk for Dogs 56+lb
$56.50

Advantage Topical Flea Treatment for Dogs 11-20 Lbs (4 Applications)
Advantage 4pk for Dogs 11-20lb
$22.42

K9 ADVANTIX Dog Flea Control 21-55 lbs Red 6 Month
 
A synergistic effect that enhances efficacy. K9 Advantix is a unique combination of two proven ingredients imidacloprid and permethrin – that work…
$61.95

6 MONTH K9 ADVANTIX Blue (For dogs over 55lbs)
New Advantix Blue kills 98-100% of fleas on dogs within 12 hours and continues protection at least 4 weeks. Repels and kills a majority of ticks and mosquitoes…
$64.98

4 MONTH K9 ADVANTIX Red (for dogs 21-55lbs)
K9 Advantix Redis a once-a-month topical tick, mosquito and flea treatment for dogs and puppies 7 weeks of age and older. It contains imidacloprid and…
$42.75

4 MONTH K 9 ADVANTIX Blue (for dogs over 55lbs.)
K9 Advantix Blue is a once-a-month topical tick, mosquito and flea treatment for dogs and puppies 7 weeks of age and older. It contains imidacloprid and…
$43.99