Nov 15, 2003 (Updated Nov 15, 2003)
Rated a Very Helpful Review
Pros: Oral medicine. Prevents, removes and controls heartworm disease, flea populations, hookworm, roundworm and whipworm Cons: A bit costly, check out some on-line retailers to save money - No tick prevention The Bottom Line: No spot application, just simple oral pill that prevents, removes and controls heartworm disease, flea populations, hookworm, roundworm and whipworm.SENTINEL Flavor Tabs are the only monthly preventive medicine that protects against heartworm and fleas as well as intestinal parasites including roundworm, whipworm and hookworm. Administration of this product is easy, neat and effective. Just one simple pill each month will actually keep your pet protected year round without any messy application or worries of nasty chemicals getting on furniture and carpet in your home.
Here Kramer, take Your Pill
Novartis claims this is a palatable once-a-month prescription tablet. and for the first several months, it was. Our dog actually took the pill like a treat without the need to hide it in food or treats. Unfortunately after the novelty wore off, it became increasingly difficult to get Kramer, our 15 lb Lhasa-Poo to ingest his monthly pill. The tablets in the green box are rather small and easy to hide in a variety of foods. On a number of occasions, Kramer actually found me out and ate the treat, leaving the pill behind.
I have two words for anyone experiencing a pet who has decided to take a pass on his or her monthly pill: Kraft Singles! Just a small portion of one single wrapped around his monthly tablet - 100% effective!
Do A Little Shopping
You will find these tablets offered at a range of pricing depending on where you look. For years we were purchasing SENTINEL Flavor Tabs at our veterinarian's office. The last time we bought the six pill package from the vet was in 2002 at a price of $57.00. After watching countless ads on television touting internet deals on Petmeds we decided to look on-line as an option. We ended up purchasing this particular medication through VetAmerica.com. Below is a partial sample of results I found while trying to locate this product on-line(Green box - 6 tabs - 11 to 25 lb dogs):
PetcareRX. $51.72. $5.99. $57.71
1-800-Petmeds. $56.99. Free Shipping. $56.99
Petscriptions. $50.00. $5.99. $55.99
Entirelypets. $45.85. $3.85. $49.70
VetAmerica. $41.99. $5.50. $47.49
This product does appear a bit expensive at first glance until you consider the fact it is both a flea medicine as well as heartworm protection. The manufacturer also has a 12 tablet pack available, you may want to check these out as well to increase savings even further.
Hop On The Scale Fido!
SENTINEL Flavor Tabs come in four different strengths and are sold in a corresponding color-coded box. The particular product you choose is determined by your "best friend's" weight. The price quotes above reflect the 6 tablet green box for dogs ranging between 11-25 lbs.
2 to 10 lbs. - Brown Box
11 to 25 lbs. - Green Box
26 to 50 lbs. - Yellow Box
51 to 100 lbs. - White Box
Dogs over 100 lbs. need to have the appropriate combination of tablets administered monthly.
Active Ingredients
First, be aware that the U.S. Federal law has deemed this drug for use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. This means it is available by prescription only from your veterinarian.
The two active ingredients found in SENTINEL Flavor Tabs are milbemycin oxime and lufenuron. Each tablet is formulated to provide a minimum of 0.23 mg/lb (0.5 mg/kg) of milbemycin oxime and 4.55 mg/lb (10 mg/kg) body weight of lufenuron.
Milbemycin oxime is the ingredient used to aid in protecting your pet against heartworm larvae as well as the adult stage of hookworm, whipworm and roundworm infestations.
As with other heartworm preventives, Novartis suggests your pet as well as other animals in the home must be tested for heartworm prior to using SENTINEL Flavor Tabs.
Lufenuron, the second active ingredient, inhibits insect development by breaking the flea life cycle, stopping egg development. While lufenuron has no effect on the adult flea, should your dog be bitten, the female flea ingests a blood meal containing lufenuron which acts on her eggs. Lufenuron is designed to break the life cycle and control flea populations by preventing most flea eggs from hatching or maturing into adults. Since this medication does not kill adult fleas, should an infestation occur prior to use, insecticides may be necessary to bring adult populations under control.
Cautions and Side Effects
The manufacturer recommends giving your dog SENTINEL Flavor Tabs immediately after or with a regular meal. This product is for use in dogs and puppies, four weeks of age and older and with a body weight of two pounds or greater. Both milbemycin oxime and lufenuron have been clinically tested in a variety of breeds as well as pregnant females, breeding males and females, and puppies.
Despite all the testing done on this product and it's active ingredients, on occasion some side effects may occur including: vomiting, depression/lethargy, pruritus, urticaria, diarrhea, anorexia, skin congestion, ataxia, convulsions, hypersalivation and weakness. Our experience after nearly six years of use with this product have never produced any of the above mentioned effects.
For flea protection, it should be noted that noticeable control of existing adult populations may take several weeks, up to 30 to 60 days. In those cases where infestation has already occurred, it may be necessary to treat with other methods to eliminate current adult populations. For flea protection in areas where mosquitoes and fleas are seasonal, begin treatment at least one month prior and continue until the season's end. We have opted to use this product all year long for continued protection.
Always store this product in a dry place at controlled room temperature, between 59 and 86°F (15-30°C).
Recommendation
SENTINEL Flavor Tabs are both simple to use and effective. I love the fact that they are taken orally with no need to apply directly to our pet. no messy chemicals to worry about on our furniture or carpet. With regular use, the product's effectiveness is beyond comparison. Our experience over the past six years to date has proven these tablets to be 100% effective. My main concern is for Kramer's continued health, of course I give this product my full 5-star recommendation here at Epinions. "Say Cheese Kramer!"
To contact the manufacturer via USPS, write to:
Novartis Animal Health
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