Natural Flea and Tick Protection?

[Pat & "Tucker"]

I searched for natural products for prevention and there are pages of them on the internet. Searched DK and there is a lot of older info.   Need some recommendations and testimonials. Using Frontline but I'm not crazy about using the chemicals.  Tucker already had a tick on his head.  Little sister McKenzie  (Yorkie) is allergic to Frontline and I cannot use any the chemical products on her. Any suggestions?   Thanks,

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As Lynne mentioned, I cannot take a chance on Jack's getting a flea infestation; that would be a death sentence for him. Flea allergy dermatitis is a serious disease that can shorten any dog's life. But if you've ever had a flea infestation, you will do anything to avoid another one, even if you don't have an allergic dog.
Just last night, I heard of a dog with Canine Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia, which is a fatal autoimmune disease involving the inability of the blood to clot. One of the things that causes this is Ehrlichiosis, which is a tick-borne disease. There are other Rickettsial diseases that come from Tick bites, and some of them cause permanent heart damage, as Jane mentioned. I also know of someone who often talks about all these alternative preventatives, whose dogs are infested with fleas to the point of anemia.
When considering any medication, you have to weigh the benefits versus the risks. The chemicals (medications) our doctors prescribe for us can cause side effects, too. Regardless of what you read on-line about various "natural" products, there is nothing that has been clinically proven to be effective. In my mind, the risks from the fleas and ticks, for my dog, are much greater than the tiny unknown risk from the Frontline. I choose to be sure.

Pat, I am curious about your Yorkie's "allergy" to Frontline...there is no known test for chemical allergies in dogs, so I'm wondering how you know she is allergic to it. Having a reaction to a topical is not necessarily an allergy. Do you know which of the substances in Frontline she is allergic to? Maybe there is an alternate product that doesn't contain that one.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Karen,
What are your thoughts on risks to humans (e.g. young children) from the Frontline? I'm thinking if I choose to continue using it, I may need to be sure the kids will not be around the Doods at least for the first few days after application. The research on this subject is also a little confusing. My Vet says she still uses Frontline on her dogs even though she has very young children because of her concerns over Lyme disease (for then and the dogs).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The only things I have seen about any dangers to humans from the topicals is anedotal stories in chat forums and lay-people's blogs. I have seen no scientific or fact-based data anywhere showing that these products pose any risk at all to children from normal contact with a dog who has been treated. My grandson has been around dogs who were treated with Frontline from the time he was born...and I mean "around" as in sleeping in bed with them. I would wait until the product has thoroughly dried before allowing a child to touch him, and otherwise, I wouldn't worry.
I am almost ashamed to admit this, but I rarely even remember to wash my hands after applying it to Jack; but I don't usually get any on my hands, anyway, lol.

[Adina P]

Supposedly it is FINE as soon as it is dried. So 'days' is not necessary. Besides the way it works is that the oil glands of the dog end up constantly spreading the stuff around on the dog's skin/coat. So...it's never 'gone' -- but again it's supposed to be safe and not systemic.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Maybe if you put the Frontline a little higher up than between the shoulder blades you could let it dry a while and then cover the area with a bandana?

[Pat & "Tucker"]

Karen- you make some good points with weighing the risks/ benefits. I see all of these diseases in kids and some have good outcomes and others do not. It's a worry. I don't even know the active ingredents off the top of my head but my yorkie started shaking, thrashing her tongue continuously, foaming in the mouth and very tachycardic shortly after the application- true reaction, most likely on the verge of a seizure. This happened at night- so I gave her a quick bath to get whatever was left on the skin/ coat off. Watched her closely and to the vet the next morning. Since then, the vet doesn't want me to use any of the chemicals. I tried just a flea collar and she scratches herself. With Tucker I stop the Frontline from Dec to Feb., of course against recommendations.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It does sound like your Yorkie had an anaphylactic reaction to the Frontline. Certainly you should not go against your vet's recommendations.
Here's the thing about "chemicals"; most of the drugs and preventatives we use for ourselves and our pets are synthetic versions of "natural" substances. The reasons the drug companies develop these synthetic versions is that the amount of the natural substance required to be effective against whatever you are preventing or curing is so great that it would be impossible to consume or absorb it. For example, the drug Accutane (and the topical cream Retin-A) is synthetic vitamin A; natural vitamin A would be toxic in the amounts required to have the effect on skin disease that the synthetic version has. Antibiotics come from mold...which is a natural, organic substance. Even aspirin is derived from plants. One of the "insecticides" in the topical products is in fact a synthetic version of the substances in cedar and other plants which is known to repel and kill fleas.
On the other hand, Thuja, which comes from the evergreen arbor vitae and is recommended on many "natural", homeopathic and "holistic" websites as a cure or treatment for various immune problems, is known to be a dangerous neurotoxin. When Dr. Pitcairn advised using it, this was not yet known. But this has since been verified even in studies by Eastern medicine advocates. Yet I see people recommending the use of Thuja for dogs in chat forums, raw feeding websites, and "home remedy" websites all the time. Everything natural is not safe, and everything synthetic is not harmful.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A word about essential oils; many of the "holistic" websites and blogs advocate using various essential plant oils on the skin or bandannas around the neck to repel fleas, mosquitos, etc. Some of these are extremely dangerous to cats and other animals. Pennyroyal, for example, if it comes into contact with your cat, will kill him before you can get him to the vet.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Too true!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Pat, you might also consider asking your vet about K9-Advantix; where Frontline's active ingredients are S-methoprene and fipronil, K9-Advantix uses completely different ingredients...imidacloprid and permethrin. Permethrin is about natural as it gets...it is a derivative of permethrum, which comes directly from chrysanthemums.
Speaking of which, maybe planting a lot of chrysanthemums around the yard would also help keep all these cooties away,lol.

[Pat & "Tucker"]

Thanks for all of the info Karen. / Pat

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree that for me the benefits of Frontline outweigh the risks and I use it regularly for my dogs primarily for ticks. Luckily I have never seen any overt side effects.