Frodo, my 4-year-old Golden Retriever, and I had to isolate ourselves at my aunt’s house last April. This was during the peak time of the pandemic when my dad got COVID. Mum suggested that I move out of the house for a while, and so I decided to crash at my aunt Lety’s place for a couple of weeks.
Aunt Lety’s house, although small, was comfortable. The best part was that she too had a dog – Nido, a Cairn Terrier – who was more than happy having Frodo as a company. The two would play together throughout the day, and I did not have to worry about Frodo at all.
However, that all changed one day.
The Fleas Take Over
A week into living with my aunt, and I notice Frodo is aggressively scratching himself, getting agitated as he does so. I then discover small red pimple-like bumps on his belly and under the legs. Along with all this, Frodo seemed to have been losing his beautiful hair for the last couple of days. I knew it right away; fleas had taken over his coat.
I have had Frodo since he was 2-years-old, and never once did I have such a big problem with fleas. I did everything to keep Frodo safe from ticks and fleas, but sadly, I failed him this time around. It did not take me long to realize that my beautiful Golden Retriever caught fleas from aunt Letty’s Nido.
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Nido was always itchy since the day we arrived here and had been so before that as well. I should have taken the hint back then, but I did not bother about it too much. That was perhaps the biggest mistake I made in regards to Frodo and his well-being.
Time to Take Action
Aunt Letty suggested a few fleas and tick chewable for dogs, but they did not work. After my dad got better and we moved back home, I did some research of my own and came across something called NexGard Chewables for dogs.
The NexGard Chewables is a flea and tick chewable medication for dogs. The reviews for these chews looked great, mostly positive. And since I could not buy the NexGard without a vet’s prescription, I immediately decided to get in touch with my vet. Once they saw Frodo and went on to prescribe the NexGard chews for him, I began my course of action.
What is NexGard?
The NexGard Chewable Tablets for Dogs is a beef-flavored chewable that is used for killing ticks and fleas. It further helps prevent flea infestations to a great extent. From what I understood, the NexGard chewy tablets can tackle a variety of fleas, including the American Dog tick, which was the one Frodo had caught.
Let the Treatment Begin
Each NexGard chew was hardly the size of a marshmallow, and Frodo had no trouble nibbling them down. My vet asked me to continue giving Frodo the NexGard chews for the next 30 days. And so, as each day passed, I waited in anticipation to see what would transpire.
The Results
I am not going to say that I was surprised, but I was surely astonished by how effective the NexGard Chewables for Dogs were. It was just as the vet said; 30 days, and the fleas had vanished. Frodo was back to his usual playful self, and I did not have to worry about him anymore.
How Did the NexGard Chews Work?
From what my vet told me and what I read on the internet, the NexGard fleas and ticks chewable use something called Afoxolaner as the active ingredient. This compound hunts down fleas and ticks and makes sure they do not come back. The compound distributes itself throughout the dog’s body, and when the fleas bite into the skin, they are exposed to its poison, which eventually kills them.
Apparently, NexGard can destroy the fleas before they lay eggs. Sadly, I was a bit too late in giving Frodo the NexGard dosage, which is why it took a little longer for it to work. Even then, it managed to help him get rid of his fleas, and lead a normal life once again.
Did the NexGard Chewables Lead to Any Side Effects?
Before giving me the prescription, my vet did tell me to watch out for potential reactions to the NexGard Chewables for Dogs. These reactions included lethargy, loss of appetite, flaky skin, diarrhea, and vomiting. So I was very observant throughout the 30-day-period, just in case Frodo showed any side effects to the chewable.
After the first week, Frodo did get me a little worried. He was not that eager to eat nor play. I could tell that he was just being lazy, but it is not like him to ditch meals. This lasted for around three days, after which I decided to use a few of his favorite dog treats to my advantage. I technically bribed him to eat.
After he had eaten enough, I would give him a treat. This continued for a while and soon enough, by the start of the third week, he was back to his old self. The remaining 10-12 days were pretty normal with no further side effects spotted.
What I Liked the Most About NexGard
Apart from its effectiveness, I also liked how NexGard color-coded its boxes for dogs of different weight classes. For instance, Frodo was around 35 pounds back then.
So I was asked to get the purple NexGard box. I would have gotten the orange one if he were between 4 and 10 pounds, the blue one if he were between 10.1 to 24 pounds, and the red one if his weight was anything from 60.1 to 120 pounds. This type of packaging just seemed more convenient to me.
I also admired how NexGard killed most of the fleas in just 12 hours of ingesting the chewable. Compared to the other chews Aunt Letty suggested, which did not work at all, NexGard was way more effective.
Final Thoughts
I should have been a better dog mom to Frodo and immediately isolated him when I noticed Nido scratching himself. However, I have no regrets. Because of that incident, I am now a better mom to my beloved Frodo.
Not only am I more careful, but I also know where to turn to if he ever gets fleas again. I recommend you buy NexGard Chewables for Dogs (of course, consult with the vet first) if your dog has ticks or fleas. It is a life-saver!
