SPRING IS COMING! - Danger and a Warning!!! - Let the Debate Begin, Again

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Read this article from http://www.alternet.org/ about pyrethroids, permethrin and deltamethrin, flea and tick products and their dangers to our pets:

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/123420/pesticides_in_pet_pro...

Last Spring, Ginger had a reaction problem with Advanix and I have read some people had reactions to Frontline. There were even huge discussions here on DK about Frontline not working, last year.

So, what should we do about the fleas and ticks of Spring?

Here in NJ, I never have a problem with fleas but the ticks are awful. I have used Citronella Spray and Castor & Pollux's Play Dead Collars. They smell great and keep flies and mosquitos away, but the ticks laugh at the smell.

What is everyone's recommendations for tick control?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I do use Frontline, ever since my poodle got infested with fleas so badly that we had to replace all our mattresses and half of our other belongings. It was so bad that I was getting badly bitten. Once fleas are established in a house, it is almost impossible to ever get rid of them. None of the "home remedies" work...you need strong chemicals & lots of them, repeatedly. My own doctor told me they can "hibernate in vacant homes for years, they could survive a nuclear blast, lol. It was a nightmare. It cost me over $6000 and took 3 months before we could live normally again, and my poor poodle's skin never did recover fully from it...she was 14 years old at the time. Prior to that, I had never used anything for fleas or ticks, and never had a problem. But it just took one bad season.
Flea allergy dermatitis is a really serious ailment, and with JD's allergy problems, it could be life-threatening. So I have chosen to take my chances with Frontline. I've used it since 2004 without a problem, in my case it is the lesser of the evils.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Kar, you didn't find that it seemed to stop working? I used Frontline all last summer and into the fall. I was still seeing ticks up to December. Last year I remember there were many people who had said the same thing and I was hoping someone may have found the answer by now. I haven't and will probably start my Frontline in a couple of weeks. Maybe there is no answer...but this article came this morning and started me thinking. Kisses!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And hugs to go with those kisses!
Seriously, I must not ever go where there are ticks, because I have never even seen one on any of my dogs.
Jackdoodle does run in the woods sometimes, and so far, so good. My poodle did not spend a lot of time outdoors other than my small yard, but we lived right on the woods, and she never had ticks, even when I didn't use anything. So I don't know about the ticks, the fleas are my big nightmare.
I do know that when JD had to be on Revolution last year for an unrelated matter, the vet said that stuff doesn't do a very good job with any of the things it's supposed to guard against...fleas, ticks, OR heartworm.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I am the opposite, no flea problem, huge tick problem. I hate those buggers. I have had Lyme Disease and so has my son. I hope I can find a solution, soon.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Are you using the Frontline PLUS? Or just the regular?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

The PLUS is what I use, too!

[2zw8n9vphfrc6]

We do not use ANY pesticides on our lawn nor on our dogs. We live in Florida which i believe is the Flea capital of the world lol My neighbors battle them though. We do have on hand a herbal flea/tick spray made of pure essential oils that our herbalist makes however we only bring that with us when we go out on the islands on the boat. For our yard we use neem oil and Beneficial Live Nematodes. However just like humans and diseases paraistes, fleas etc will not be attracted to a "healthy"animal. I will say ONE time we had a flea issue and that was because someone found our yorkie who ran away. They thought they were doing us a favor by bring her to the pound since they only had real food to feed her .(thats WHAT SHE EATS LOL) She was covered when we picked her up however it didnt last. We washed all our dogs in a neem shampoo


Michele

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Michele, I do not want to contradict you, but it is simply not true that an animal or a person who is healthy will not "attract" a mosquito, flea, or other other insect or parasite. What attracts fleas is primarily the carbon dioxide that all mammals exhale when they breathe, as well as vibrations when they move. Once the flea has come into your home, it's there. Once the flea bites, the toxins are in the blood. This has nothing to do with how "healthy" the person or dog may be. Mosquitoes are attracted by colors and many different scents, including perspiration and other normal body chemicals. Certain scents do repel them, whether they are "natural" or artificial". Once a person or animal has been bitten, if the mosquito is carrying heartworm, the animal or person will be infested with heartworm, regardless of how strong their immune system may be. This is just simple biology.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You may also want to be aware of the fact that neem oil is an abortifacient...it contains plant steroids and is not safe to be handled by children or pregnant women as it can cause liver damage. Here is some of the info:

Neem seed oil has also been found to prevent implantation and may even have an abortifacient effect similar to pennyroyal, juniper berries, wild ginger, myrrh and angelica. The effects were seen as many as ten days after fertilization in rats though it was most effective at no more than three days. (Sinha, et al, 1984); (Lal et al, 1985). In a study on rats, neem oil was given orally eight to ten days after implantation of the fetus on the uterine wall. In all cases, by day 15, the embryos were all completely resorbed by the body. The animals regained fertility on the next cycle showing no physical problems. Detailed study of the rats revealed increased levels of gamma interferon in the uterus. The neem oil enhanced the local immune response in the uterus.(Mukherjee, 1996) Post coital use of neem oil as birth control does not appear to work by hormonal changes but produces changes in the organs that make pregnancy no longer viable (Tewari, 1989) (Bardham, 1991).

Note:

It is safe for pregnant women or women trying to conceive to use neem soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. Neem oil should not be used by pregnant women, women trying to conceive, or children. Long-term use can cause liver damage.

[2zw8n9vphfrc6]

Hi Karen,
Many herbs are listed as "bad" etc. Heck we EAT neem LEAVES from our friends tree! We however do not use any kind of antibiotics etc. Also as for Neem there are many "mainstream" products sold that make a consumer THINK they are buying the true thing when they are purchasing a biproduct, man made , chemically made etc

Just like Vanillin in most store bought chocolate is NOT vanilla. Vanillin is made from the Paper factory industry.

Lavendin is NOT the same as lavender.

most store bought Neem products will only contain MAYBE 60% the rest or possibly dangerous Inert ingredients which manufactors legally do NOT have to disclose ;(

(We have one of the top herbalists in this country as ours ;) She is local thankfully!

Michele

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What is the educational background of an herbalist? Is there some kind of certifcation or credentials that would qualify a person to be an herbalist/ Do they study physiology or biology at a college level? How would someone know if the person they are dealing with is qualified to recommend treatments?
I am not sure what synthetic vanilla, lavendar, antibiotics, etc., have to do with the use of flea & tick preventatives, but I do have a college level education in biology, physiology, and nutrition, and know how to differentiate betwen the ingredients used in a given product. "Manmade" doesn't always mean bad, and "natural" doesn't always mean good. Each separate issue needs to be discussed on it's own merits.

[Adina P]

Plenty of well loved and cared for doodles have gotten fleas--I don't think that healthy animals are immune any more than healthy people are immune to mosquito bites.