Fleas and Ticks: how and why to prevent and treat them in a non toxic and less expensive way
Each year hundreds of animals are killed YES KILLED because their owners who are only trying to protect their pets use toxic topical pesticides to control fleas and ticks. These products purchased from their vet or the same products through other outlets or worse other even more dangerous brands sold at discount stores. There are no prescriptions required for these products and they are killing hundreds and injuring thousands and thousands more. This is not my opnion this is FACT. Check the EPA's warnings, RESEARCH PEOPLE don't just do it because anyone says so.
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/petproductseval.html
We feel so strongly about the use of these poisons that we refuse to adopt to people that insist on using them. We do not care what you vet said is safe it's plain and simple if you must use toxic pestacides on your animals PLEASE seek adoption elseware. WE CAN AND WILL REMOVE ANY BOSTON ADOPTED FROM ODBTR FROM ANY ADOPTIVE HOME IF WE FIND PROOF THAT YOUR USING THESE POSIONS ON DOGS YOU ADOPT FROM US. PLEASE adopt from people without these requlations if you feel the need to use poison on your animals.
When you adopt from us you sign an agreement stating that you will not use topical flea and tick control products. We don't pour hard to come by money into taking care of these dogs and getting them healthy enough to adopt so the people we adopt to can play roulette with their lives by using poison on them.
Ok so it's only a few hundred animals that die, seems like pretty good odds UNTIL YOUR DOG OR CAT is DEAD or developes one of many imune system problems they can cause. It's just not worth the risk when safe methods for flea and tick control are not only safer they are hundreds of dollars cheaper. Hummm Less expensive and safer for pets and your family. IT"S A WIN WIN HERE PEOPLE!
OK
I'm not trying to start a fight just posting my educated and researched opinion.Please do not write to me with arguments for the use of these poisons. I won't respond. My opnions are expressed here and anyone who disagrees is free to leave the site.
Most vets will disagree with me on this but contact a holistic or an alternative medicne vet and the answer will be different. Here and there throughout this page are links to sites that I gathered my research from and others that cover the harmful effects of topical pesticides. Type in a quetion about these products in any search engine and worlds of information will apear. Read one or two of the heartbreaking experiences people have gone through thanks to using topical pestacides on their pets.
Keep in mind that vets that sell and recomend topical flea, tick and other pestacide products are NOT trying to kill your dog. They are perhaps relying a bit too much on the hype provided by the companies that make the products they sell. Also maybe the odds are small that your dog will die or have their ammune system copromised. Those odds go up with short nosed breeds and breeds with very short coats. Two strikes for Boston's.
Vets have to keep up with over 150 breeds of dogs and those are just the pure bred dogs recognized by the AKC, add in the extras that the other kennel clubs count and the millions of possible combinations in mixed breed dogs, then throw in 100 breeds of dometic cats and their possible mixes and the other small animals your vet may treat. Well that's a heck of a lot for us to expect one vet to specialize in. With many breeds that have heavy coats and under coats not to mention long noses these topical pestacides are not as likely to cause problems. Take away the thick protective coat and under coat, then the shorter distance to the nose and mouth and Boston's and other short nosed dogs are in danger of injesting these toxins or breathing them in. So in addition to absorbing the poison through their skin they may breathe them in or injest them. Topical pesticides are never a good idea for regular use on brachiphilic (short nosed) dogs, or any dogs in my opinion. There is research to back this up. We do not recommend nor will we adopt to anyone that insist on the use of such products. http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2009/april/epas-finger-wag-topical-pet-insecticide-industry-pet-food-recall-revisited
If you see a flea give your dog a bath. There are also great flea combs one that electrocutes the little buggers. I've lived all over the world and the US including FL, TX and CA and many points between, We're now in Northeastern NC. In my rescue I've gotten dogs that even one of our vets admitted Revolution was the root of the problem that eventually killed the 4 month old puppy. The boxes tell you not to use the products on old dogs, pregnant dogs, or puppies of certain ages. If it's not safe for them it's not safe or worth the risk at any age not to mention safe for human children who may be around the dogs until the poison is absorbed. We don't even use flea shampoo, they are such a rip off. Any soap will kill fleas left on the dog for 5 minutes even dish soap although I do not recommend using dish soap or cheap highly perfumed animal shampoos.
We only use the most gentle shampoo available (in my opnion) is from John Paul Pets, Paul Mitchell's animal care line. There are also great organic shampoo's which are Neem Oil based shampoos if John Paul Pets products are not available near you.
Neem is great stuff for us and our animals.My preference is to use pure NEEM oil in addition to John Paul Pets products. Dilute NEEM with water and spritz on your animals or yourself for that matter the stuff is wonderful, well all but the smell which is not so bad anyway. NEEM will not only kill fleas and ticks it prevents/repells them.
Again remember my favorite saying " don't do it because I do RESEARCH IT!" NEEM is safe on cats and dogs. Most products for one are not good for the other. NEEM is safe on humans too.
Why use a potential hazardious product when safe alternatives that work better and cheaper are available?
If fleas are a serious problem where you live we recommend Sentinel brand heart worm preventative which covers more worms than any other heart-worm pill also covers fleas. It won't kill an infestation but a bath will, it will prevent another infestation. If ticks are a problem a Lyme shot series which cost usually about $16 and is a two shot seres at a few week interval then once a year will solve that problem.
We use Inteceptor brand heart worm preentative in my home and for most of our rescue homes.
If your going to an area that may have fleas or tick a spray diluted one part NEEM oil mixed with 5 parts water will repel fleas, flies, ticks even nasty gnats.Undiluted It kills ear mites and will help with mange. As will Nu-stock, it will kill even demodex mange in less time and for a lot less money than the prescription dips. Nu-Stock is available at the NU-Stock website or on eBay where it's cheaper unless your going to buy a lot of it then the site is cheaper. I tell my adopters if you see a flea bathe your dog then treat your yard. It's cheaper and last longer to bio-organically treat your yard and 100% healthier for you and your animals. Your lawn will thank you too
Milky Spore dust (not the grains those have a short life) is available at home stores like Home Depot and Lowes dust your yard first one time then two years later again then every 5 to 10 years after that depending on your rainfall, also nematodes which you may have to buy on line will rid your yard of fleas and ticks and other pesky critters like mole crickets and harmful grubs and other things moles and voles find tasty. So they solve several problems. Nematodes and Milky Sport dust seem expensive at first and are to start but over the years they are many times cheaper. It cost about $200 an acre to treat the first time with both Milky Spore and the nematodes. The nematodes are a one time treatment since they reproduce, unless you live somewhere that stays below freezing for most of the year but then you probably don't have flea or tick issues if it does :) Diatomaceous earth will also kill the pesky pest and it can be given to your animals in their food provided it's food grade. The websites below have information first on why are we poisoning our pets? The second is an explanation of Diatomaceous earth and a source to buy it, for small dogs it's a bargain and totally non toxic. They can take it internally or be dusted with it. Only with the food grade the other which is used in pool filters is great for dusting parts of your yard that your animals don't spend time in, we used it in our front yard at our old house since the front was on a busy street and our babies were not allowed there unless on lead. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/avictim.htm http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html
There are studies that link the use of topical poisons to cushings disease and cancer in our little dolls. It's just not worth the risk. I understand many vets will tell you these things are safe they use them on their own pets. Remember many vets used the ProHeart shot before it killed so many dogs that it was taken off the market.
These topical treatments are better than infestations but there are alternatives that are so much safer. Question everything then question the answers and research, research, research! Consult a holistic vet for alternatives to the ones I've listed.
Occasional use of the topical treatments are not going to kill your dog but repeated use will cause health issues in many dogs. Why chance it? Why use them at all?
I've been using these safe methods listed for more than 20 years and have no fleas or tick problems. Since moving to the boonies and 10 acres that was part of a huge farm we've treated several acres with the above methods and again no problems. We have tons of wildlife that come through the bulk of our property, deer, bob cats, feral cats, coyotes,bunnies, foxes and bears (so far no lions or tigers ;) and so far no flea problems no tick problem. Not in fenced area or the rest of the yard (three acres that we keep with grass) We will treat other 7 acres later on but for now we don't let the dogs go back there.
Remember Question the Answers and Research Research Research!
Recipes for safe flea, tick and mite control:
Neem is amazing. Mix 2oz neem oil, 1/4 oz soap I like dr Bonners almond but you can use any mild soap. I'd stick with a natural soap and I prefer prefer castile. 1 quart of warm water
That makes a nice spray to repel flees flies, mosquito's and ticks. Although it's not great for brown deer ticks it will help repel them but not kill them.
If you have natural safe flea.tick and mite control recieps you'd like to share
Please email me at odbtr1@embarqmail.com or find us on face book at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Dominion-Boston-Terrier-Rescue/135905463147397?ref=ts
