One tick bite was leading to CERTAIN DEATH..in fact came within 24 hours. Cancer..even “if” proved to be caused over an extended period of time….is a better option than DEATH within a week. Exposure to ticks is deadly and Lyme and other diseases are often as bad as cancer. My dog survived cancer but came within 24 hours of death from a tick. One walk in the woods in Arkansas results in at LEAST 20 ticks (more in April when there are seed ticks) per dog and I have several. It isn’t possible to check every dog twice a day for ticks. AND if one falls off…even if unforeseen due to small size or human error…and bites a child…is it worth it? MANY…MANY people have contracted Lyme disease (one friend of mine did on my property) and “Tick Fever” in Arkansas. It is epidemic. By protecting our dog against ticks using the best stuff out there you will more likely prevent disease than cause it AND prevent the potential death of a child/human.
IF vinegar and other “green” products worked so well the other preventatives wouldn’t get sold! IF a natural product killed ticks I wouldn’t buy a chemical. I’m not going to risk what was almost certain death by allowing my dogs to go unprotected by something that will work with the greatest likelihood of success.
Ever watch a dog headbutt a door…walk in circles…due to a swollen brain from meningitis…due to a tick bite? Ever watch a dog whose nervous system was impacted for the long run due to effects of a tick bite?
Ticks are a daily confrontation with impending disease and possible death. Ticks concern me far more than cancer that will most likely manifest itself within a dog’s lifetime regardless. Personally, I have to spray my clothing every time I walk outside. I have to use chemicals on myself…to prevent personal exposure and risk the lives of others in my household when a tick “follows me” inside. I must worry about today even if it leads to “possible” adversity in the future.
Obviously this is personal for me as a friend was read his last rights due to a tick bite he received on my property (120 acres not a nice suburban yard you can easily treat). My dog miraculously survived due to efforts of neurologists at MIZZOU. I attend Veterinary conferences and listen to lectures about the growing problem with exposure to ticks and mosquitoes. Unfortunately, its the reality of the world in which we live.
