Flea and Tick Preventative

[AxelRose]

Speaking of the wild creatures and the way they must live with ticks, etc....and have not all perished..Im wondering 'What are the statistics for your areas for dogs dying of these 'tick' and 'flea' diseases?

Also, just a short story of a Golden that lives across from me. I noticed she had all these big shaved spots on her a few weeks ago. Her kneck and rump areas. I asked my neighbour what happened and he told me its from surgery. The dog had lumps removed from years of innoculations at these sights. I knew bumps can form if the areas are not massaged right after the shot, as it can sit in the spot of the needle and not disperse into the animal properly.

As well, my other neighbour's mini schnauzer took seizures after having the spot on treatment for fleas put on her back.

I dont have the tick problems like a lot of you do, and we dont go to too many forested areas where the deer are, but we go get fleas around here. I've gone the natural route using Eucalyptus oil and olive oil with lavander plants soaked in the mix, and dab it on all of us. BUT I do use Premise Spray in my groom shop in the basement, the garage, stairs coming from the basement, and the yard (sometimes). This is by Zodiac and it uses Pyrinthian (spelling?) in its base. But it is a chemical. I just make sure everybody is out of the house when I use it and I wear a mask when I spray...then get out myself. When I spray outside, everybody goes inside for at least 2 hours until dry.

Just my thoughts.

...above I meant to type "but we DO get fleas around here" (not 'we GO get fleas'...lol)

 

[GennyB]

I agree that there are many toxic plants out there so sometimes natural isn't as good as it sounds. That said, I'm totally anti chemical and try to go the natural route whenever I can

I am with you there! We get out to parks and wooded areas with the dogs so I have taken to brushing them before we get in the car. I even brush them before they come in the house after we have been out in the yard. My thought is it takes a while for the ticks to bite so maybe I am brushing them off before they do. We do use diatomaceous earth to treat the yard and I think it does work because we have never had fleas and so far no ticks. I also had witches brew to the dogs food which is supposed to repel those nasty critters.
I do like the idea of the tag you found for your dogs, glad to hear it works.
With the mild winter we had, we are supposed to be in for a bad bug season so I hope, no matter what method you all use, your dogs stay safe from all the nasty things that come from both the critters and the treatment side affects.

 

[Dobs4ever]

Speaking of the wild creatures and the way they must live with ticks, etc....and have not all perished..Im wondering 'What are the statistics for your areas for dogs dying of these 'tick' and 'flea' diseases?

Good question and unfortunately we dont' have any way to record that statistic or track it. I am sure it is like most things some will some won't and everyone has to use what works for them. I am sure it affects the weaker and older ones more. But since you can't track it not sure you can decide it is not a factor.

If you want to research it you can find some that have died from a little of it all at one point or another. The point is not all do and in heaviliy infested areas you have to be tough. So for me I choose to only use during the heavy tick/fleas season and then rest - I also do that with heartworm preventative and have the dogs checked annually.

I just don't ever buy into all the hype either way.

 

[pawpads]

I give liquid Ivomec to the dogs for heartworm preventative as well as a general wormer. It is the active ingredient in meds like heartguard only I don't have to take out a loan to get enough for all the dogs! I live in the South and heartworms are a big problem here! I only paid like 26 dollars for a 5oz bottle. You give 1cc per 20lbs. I don't give it during the Winter months. I start in the Spring and do it every month until the mosquitoes are gone. The Vet that cropped Uzi's ears taught me about it 15 years ago. I have been using it ever since and have never had a heartworm issue.
Many people get up in arms about it....but I have done research on it in the past few years (after someone told me I was going to kill my dogs) and there was nothing found that made me willing to stop. Like I said, it's the active ingredient in in heartworm meds sold by the Vet...it is also what is used to treat dogs that have heartworms. I'm just cutting out the "extra" ingredients and the middle man. I can buy it at my local feed store. This bottle though I bought the day Uzi got her crop....the Vet that did her crop sells it.

 

[JanS]

We do use diatomaceous earth to treat the yard and I think it does work because we have never had fleas and so far no ticks.​

I have heard that works very well so it would be my option of choice as well if we didn't have over 100 acres to treat. LOL

Pawpads, you're right and the ivermectin is what Heart Guard has in it and I do know some people who go that route. I might be more careful if it were a tiny dog since the dosage notches are in 100# increments, but it does save a lot of money. We use the Heart Guard here, but we have way more mosquitoes than ticks and it's just quicker for me to remember than the ivermectin. As for over dosing, I really doubt it's a serious risk if you're careful about getting the right amount and once we accidentally gave a foal a 10 dose tube (for multiple horses) and he had no problems with it at all. That said, it was a horrible mistake that could have been bad.

 

[Rits]

I give liquid Ivomec to the dogs for heartworm preventative as well as a general wormer. It is the active ingredient in meds like heartguard only I don't have to take out a loan to get enough for all the dogs! I live in the South and heartworms are a big problem here! I only paid like 26 dollars for a 5oz bottle. You give 1cc per 20lbs. I don't give it during the Winter months. I start in the Spring and do it every month until the mosquitoes are gone. The Vet that cropped Uzi's ears taught me about it 15 years ago. I have been using it ever since and have never had a heartworm issue.
Many people get up in arms about it....but I have done research on it in the past few years (after someone told me I was going to kill my dogs) and there was nothing found that made me willing to stop. Like I said, it's the active ingredient in in heartworm meds sold by the Vet...it is also what is used to treat dogs that have heartworms. I'm just cutting out the "extra" ingredients and the middle man. I can buy it at my local feed store. This bottle though I bought the day Uzi got her crop....the Vet that did her crop sells it.

I do Ivomec 1% too. For anyone reading this, never ever use Ivomec Plus. It has extra stuff in it to kill parasites in cattle...and dogs cannot handle it. It is the little dogs that people really have to be careful for and can over dose more easily like Jan said. Ideally, it would be better to dilute the amount in propylene glycol if the dosage is too small to draw accurately in a syringe. This is what they dilute the ivermectin with to make the ivomec 1% solution. Vegetable oil can be used but it's not as accurate as propylene gylcol because it doesn't mix as well.

As far as flea/tick we use a natural spray since we don't have problems with them. I make sure to heavily apply it/reapply and the stuff we use can be used on humans too. I also brush them right there at the park and have them lay in the grass while I go over every inch. Since owning the dogs and going this route, I have only found one tick on Paige a few years ago, and it was almost as soon as he was on her, not in embedded. I like the idea of the collar tag a lot, though!

You give 1cc per 20lbs. .

I did read that your vet taught you this 15 years ago but is this amount you are giving undiluted Ivomec??? I just wanted to point out to anyone reading this (and hey, maybe you are unaware and it may help???) that wants to be accurate as possible, that this amount is too much if it's undiluted. That is 10,000 micrograms per 20lbs...when it should be 66mcg/20lbs of ivermectin which equals 0.2cc... and that is a 30:1 dilution in propylene glycol! The 1cc per 20lb dosage you have, of undiluted 1% solution of ivomec (if it is undiluted), is just over 151.5 times more ivermectin than the recommended amount! I know dogs with demodex mange do get treated with a higher amount, sometimes daily, but they usually don't get demodex more than once.

I just wanted to put a word of caution out there and hope you understand since, there is discussion going on in this thread of concern over giving our pets toxins and trying to minimize the amount given. And hey, I'm no vet but the amounts match up with the amounts in Heartgard and I've run it by my vet and they were "ok" with the dosage so maybe you have some info on your dosage that I'm not aware of...? It's just good discussion to gather details and decide what's best for your dog from there on.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/ivomec.html#efficacy

 

[pawpads]

Rits...you can go to 100 different sites online and could probably get that many different answers on what the "proper" dose should be. Meds like heartguard are "range weight" based....ie from 26-50lbs and 51-100lbs. They rate it base one how effective it is on the highest weight level. That means a 51lb dog (half the weight of the 100lb dog) is getting the exact same amount in his dose as the 100lb dog. They rate it on the very lowest amount that would make the product effective yet you find that they will not guarantee that it will keep your pet from getting heartworms. For issues like Red mange...it can be common to give it to them daily for 30 or more days! It takes an extreme amount to overdose a dog on ivomec. You are correct about the Plus version alsocollies/collie types with ivermectin sensitivity have been found to have a mutant gene for what is called the "P-glycoprotein." So you should either have them tested or avoid ivomec.
Like I said....I have been using it for 15 years and have had zero heartworm/other worm issues. However, my neighbor (using heartguard) ended up spending a lot of money last Summer treating his dog for heartworms.
Thanks for adding a more detailed reply though for others who may not know much about ivomec.

 

[Denissov43]

worth looking at and reading... these are not just occassionally toxic and dangerous, there is an organization going about seeking to have these products removed from the market...
http://www.biospotvictims.org/

 

[Denissov43]

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/avictimhartz.htm

Jan. 11, 2012 - 'Spot-On' Flea and Tick Products - Alleged to Cause Serious Harm to Dogs and Cats - Prompt Ark Naturals CEO to Suggest Pet Owners Consider Natural Botanical Alternative to Chemical Pesticides to Control Fleas & Ticks - Class Action Suits Increase as More than 75,000 Complaints of Pet Injury and Death Reported to EPA
A variety of common flea and tick products contain chemicals called organophosphate insecticides (OPs) and carbamates, both of which have been linked to brain damage, endocrine system problems and certain kinds of cancer. An overdose can kill people and pets. Even with normal use, organophosphate products can pose a serious health risk. Each year, Americans purchase and apply to their pets a vast array of toxic chemicals intended to kill fleas and ticks. These include collars, sprays, dusts and more. Other pet owners take their pets to veterinarians to be dipped in chemicals. Many consumers probably assume that the products they and their vets use have been subjected to rigorous testing, and must, by virtue of their very ubiquity, be safe. After all, how could the government let deadly poisons be sold on grocery store shelves without applying stringent standards? Spot-On Pesticides such as Frontline, Zodiac, Defend, Bio Spot, ProMeris, Adams and Advantage trigger adverse reactions in dogs and cats, shorten life spans, cause terminal illness, and premature death. --- dangerous pet products
The active ingredients in these solutions include chemicals such as imidacloprid, fipronil, permethrin, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen, all of which have caused serious health problems in animals in laboratories.2 Even some of the inert ingredients can be hazardous to your animal companion’s health. Other forms of flea control—powders, collars, and sprays—are no less dangerous to you or your companion animals. Labels may warn not to get these substances on your skin, to wash your hands after applying it, and to keep it away from children, yet these chemicals are absorbed by your animal’s skin. Immediate effects of pesticide overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, trembling, seizures, and respiratory problems. If your dog or cat shows any of these symptoms after the application of a pesticide, immediately wash the product off and seek veterinary care.
Heartbreaking testimonials: Frontline, Sergeant, Zodiac, ProMeris, Advantage and Hartz
Learn about 100% safe and effective natural flea (and other pest) control alternative ...​

If the video just below does not show or play, please download the flash player

 

[Denissov43]

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/pets/execsum.asp

cut the most interesting portion of this article out... if you follow the link you will get it all..
because Stephen has a little girl.... this should be of a concern to him especially since Justice is 'her dog' and she loves on him and pets him...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY​

Each year, Americans purchase and apply to their pets a vast array of toxic chemicals intended to kill fleas and ticks. These products are designed to poison insects, and they usually do just that. But they can also poison pets and the people who handle them. Moreover, when these products are combined in the home, as they often are, with other toxic chemical products in common use -- pesticides, herbicides, and other products -- they can pose a serious health risk, especially to children.​

Adults are at risk from these flea and tick products as well -- pet workers who apply pesticides to animals on a daily basis, for example. But it is children who are most vulnerable. Because children's bodies are still developing, they can be more sensitive to the effects of toxic chemicals than adults. Studies with laboratory animals have raised concerns among scientists that children exposed to certain of the pesticides in pet products -- even at levels believed to be safe for adults -- face much higher risks, not only for acute poisoning, but also for longer-term problems with brain function and other serious disease. Moreover, children's behavior often makes them more vulnerable than adults. In particular, toddlers' hand-to-mouth tendencies make it easy for toxics to be ingested -- and not just by children who pet the family dog and then put their hands in their mouths. Children spend their time where the toxics from pet products tend to accumulate -- crawling on rugs, playing with pet toys, handling accumulations of household dust, and more.​

Many and perhaps most Americans believe that commercially available pesticides, such as those found in pet products, are tightly regulated by the government. In fact, they are not. Not until the passage of a 1996 law focused on pesticides in food did the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) begin examining the risks from pesticides in pet products in earnest. To this day, the EPA allows the manufacture and sale of pet products containing hazardous insecticides with little or no demonstration that a child's exposure to these ingredients would be safe. Just because these products are on store shelves does not mean they have been tested or can be presumed safe.​

 

[Luvmydoberman]

Hey in Louisiana we have fleas year round. This year is especially bad being as we hardly had a winter. Our old girl, Daisy has allergies, one of which is flea bite dermatitis. Both of our dogs are on Trifexis, takes care of heartworms and fleas. We are in a catch-22. If she gets bitten enough, she chews herself raw and needs steroid treatment and antibiotics which is not good for her,(steroids I mean) but I'm sure the chemicals in the trifexis aren't either. And we do our best, but wildlife roams through our yard on a daily basis bringing more fleas and ticks. Even if there is no problem with the chemicals in the preventative I still live in an area known as cancer alley in between numerous chemical plants along the Mississippi River. I don't think I could avoid chemicals if I tried.

 

[d0ds0t]

I squeeze the juice of one big lemon and mix it with the same amount of boiled water and the double amount of apple vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle and spray over my cats when they go outside in the spring and summer months. They hate it but it sure keeps those nasty fleas away!!! If I forget they are itching non stop from those bugs and I have to spray them outside and wait an our or two to let them in. We don't have ticks up here so I don't know if it would work on those too.