This is a specific conversation about Flea and tick prevention — what works — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A Chow Chow's double coat is one of the densest you'll encounter, and it's a real problem for spot-on treatments — the liquid often sits on the outer fur rather than reaching the skin, which means you're not actually getting the protection you're paying for. For a dog like yours, the treatment type matters as much as the product itself. To point you to the right thing: how heavy is your Chow Chow, are you in an area with high tick activity (woodland walks, rural areas), and has your vet flagged any health considerations we should bear in mind?
He's about 28kg, we're in rural Shropshire so yes definitely lots of ticks — we find them on him regularly. No health issues, vet last checked him six months ago and he was fine.
inparticular.ai
That's exactly the situation where getting this right really matters — regular tick finds in a rural area means exposure is genuinely high, not just theoretical. At 28kg with that coat, I'd steer you away from spot-ons entirely and look at an oral treatment. Collars can work but are awkward on Chow Chows given the thick ruff around their neck — consistent contact with the skin is patchy at best. What are you currently using, if anything?
We've been using Frontline spot-on but honestly I've never been confident it's working. Found a tick on him last week despite treating him two weeks ago.
inparticular.ai
That's a very common story with Frontline on heavy-coated breeds, and it's not just the coat — Frontline's active ingredient (fipronil) has also seen declining effectiveness in parts of the UK due to resistance. You're essentially dealing with two problems at once. My recommendation for your dog is NexGard (afoxolaner) — it's an oral chew given monthly, so the coat is completely irrelevant, and it covers both fleas and ticks including the Ixodes species common in Shropshire. At 28kg he'd take the large dog dose. It's prescription-only in the UK, but many online vets will issue one quickly, and it's widely available once you have it. It's what I'd use for a working rural dog with his coat type.
Is it safe for a 7-year-old dog? And is there anything I should know before switching?
inparticular.ai
NexGard is well-tolerated in older dogs — age alone isn't a concern here. The main thing to know is that it's from the isoxazoline class, and there's a label warning about use in dogs with a history of seizures or neurological conditions. You mentioned he has none, so that's not relevant for him. When you switch, just let the current Frontline treatment lapse naturally — no need to overlap. Give the first NexGard chew with food to avoid any mild stomach upset, which is the most common side effect and uncommon even then. Going forward, monthly on the same date is all you need to remember.
That's really helpful. I'll get a prescription sorted. Is there anything else worth doing alongside it given how many ticks we're finding?
inparticular.ai
One practical addition: a good tick hook like the O'Tom Tick Twister is worth keeping in your pocket on walks — NexGard kills ticks but they can still attach briefly before dying, so removing them promptly is still good practice. Beyond that, a quick check of his groin, armpits, between toes, and around the ears after every rural walk will catch anything before it's been on long enough to transmit disease. That's genuinely the full picture — NexGard plus regular checks covers you well.
