[Anne B]

@anonymously,

Thanks for the links….I think I’ll be ordering some of those TickEase tweezers….However, I couldn’t play the article in second link due to this ancient computer with totally blown out sound system..**SIGH**

Also thanks for your condolences about my dog.
In VA, we have to give rabies vaccination every three years, but I have heard in some states, dogs have to get it every year….That’s much too much, IMO.

I do have a nice vet now, but the clinic she works for is really pushing the Bravecto.
She knows I won’t buy any flea/tick pesticide products, so respectfully, she doesn’t try to push them on me.

I do buy the heartworm preventative, which is a pesticide, but feel I have no other choice , since I can’t really control flying insects like mosquitoes with a natural product, and my dogs getting heartworms would be a major setback……However, I only give it every 6 weeks, during the warm months, and they only get 6 doses a year.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

@anonymously….

My post was really directed to davis h, not you…..Based on his posts, he takes his dogs for walks into heavily wooded areas with massive tick population, and claims it “isn’t possible” to check several dogs for ticks 2x day.

Based on your post, sounds like you are doing everything you possibly can to protect your dogs.

I am just terrified of chemical agents, because my one of my dogs died from Frontline.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

@davis h

No, I have never seen a dog with meningitis….But I did see my healthy 4 yr old dog die within hours of an application of FRONTLINE…..Was acting funny, not eating, then he had several seizures and died….My vet concluded that the FRONTLINE was to blame.

Becca above is right about the chemicals not repelling ticks/fleas….Since the insect has to bite and attach to your dog to be killed, it’s highly possible that a live tick could drop off in your home, anyway…..I check my dogs for ticks outside, using a comb to carefully check the entire dog….Then, if I find a tick, which is rare now that I’m using the DE, I drop the tick into a container of rubbing alcohol, which quickly kills it.

My suggestion would be to fence off an area of your property that is not wooded, and don’t take your dog in the woods if there are that many ticks……Then treat the fenced area heavily with the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth and re-apply weekly……You can also apply the DE directly to your dog, being careful not to get it in the eyes…..Also, it is not impossible to check several dogs for ticks twice a day…..I do it every day….Yes these methods take more time, and I’m willing to to put in that time for the sake of my dog’s health.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

@davis h,

What I am doing is not “smoke and mirrors”…….DE has been proven to work for many people who are choosing not to use chemical flea and tick control……I actually lost a dog after applying Frontline ONE time and it was then that I educated myself about natural flea control methods that work.

The DE (diatomaceous earth) has virtually eliminated all the fleas from my yard, and has drastically decreased the tick population, but my dogs are short-haired and it’s easy to check them daily for ticks right after they come in from outside (which I do)…..

Besides, it takes 24-48 hours after the tick attaches to the dog for it to transmit any diseases……So, if you check your dog carefully for ticks every time they go outside, and immediately remove the tick(s) if you find any, there is a practically zero chance that the dog has gotten any disease from the tick…….Occasionally I find a tick, and this is what I do, and my dogs have NEVER had Lyme or any other tick-transmitted disease.

Thanks for your recommendations, but I’m not taking the risk of using the chemical toxins for fleas/ticks (and yes, they are TOXINS), on my animals, when what I’ve been doing works well for me………….I know about cancer statistics in dogs, but why would I possibly increase the chance of my dogs getting cancer, when I have safer alternatives?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

I would encourage everyone who has a flea problem to rip out all of the carpet from their home and replace it with laminate flooring or linoleum, if at all possible–fleas can’t reproduce in these types of flooring….However, they absolutely love carpet to lay their eggs in.

I ripped out all carpeting from my home 3 years ago, plus I applied food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in my yard, and still do……..Haven’t seen a flea in my home since, and I live in VA–known for hot, humid summers….The DE was very effective at killing all the fleas in my yard (plus it killed other nasty creepy-crawlies like ants and spiders that would occasionally get in my house).

If you decide to try DE, make sure you buy the FOOD GRADE DE, not the DE used for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and toxic, but Food Grade DE is completely non-toxic…..I have heard of some people applying directly on their dogs, and it successfully killed the fleas with no ill effects…You can get it fairly cheap at Southern States or Tractor Supply Company.

If applying DE on your yard, use a protective mask and safety glasses so you won’t inhale it or get it in eyes.

Yes, I would rather rip out all my carpet than use Bravecto, Comfortis, Nexguard, Trifexis, etc, or any topical flea product………However I do have to give heartworm preventative, because the DE obviously wouldn’t be very effective against mosquitoes…..I only give the heartworm prevention every 6 weeks, and only during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active, so my dogs only get 6 doses a year…..This approach has worked well for me–my dogs are always tested once a year for heartworm, and have always tested negative.

My concern is, even if you don’t see any immediate adverse reactions from an oral or topical flea pesticide, who knows what it’s doing to your dog’s internal organs, especially if taking long-term—That’s why I choose not to use them.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

Thanks Ronald for the info….I haven’t joined the Editor’s Choice, so I was unaware of that…

[Anne B]

Diatomaceous earth (DE) would be a good thing to try in your yard–I use it in my yard….It’s fairly cheap and you can get it at Southern States or Tractor Supply, but if it rained you would need to reapply, it is ineffective if it gets wet…….Just make sure it’s the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth, NOT the kind they use for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and highly toxic……Food Grade DE is non-toxic, and some people apply it directly on their dogs, ……..Another suggestion would be to vaccuum your floors well every day if you have carpeting….Fleas love carpeted floors……Or, as one poster suggested, pull out all the carpet from your house–an extreme measure, but worth it if you love your dogs….I pulled out all my carpet several years ago, still use the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth in my yard, and haven’t seen a flea since……..Good Luck to you…..
Helpful tip about applying DE: Always use a face mask and some safety goggles to prevent inhaling it or getting in your eyes..!!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

One of my dogs, a pit bull mix, is allergic to dust mites and mold, which are nearly impossible to totally eliminate from the environment…..We found this out through allergy testing…..We know he is having an outbreak when he starts scratching and his skin becomes inflamed with little bumps all over………..My vet told me to bathe him twice a week with Malaseb, and she prescribed some Omega 3 capsules….Can’t remember the brand name of the capsules, but they were on the expensive side………Supposedly these prescription Omega 3 are formulated for better absorption…….We have been doing the bathing and the prescription Omegas and have seen a lot of improvement, but he still has a couple of outbreaks per year during the summer when the weather gets warm, and then we have to take him to vet for antibiotics to prevent skin getting infected…..We also have his sister, a littermate, who has none of these problems at all….And they both eat the same food–so we’re pretty sure it’s not the food causing his problems….

So to sum up, his allergies are controlled, but not totally cured, because it’s impossible to eliminate all the allergens from his environment…..Having a dog with environmental allergies is a lot of work, but I suggest getting your dog tested to find out if he’s allergic to anything, including ingredients in his food, and getting a skin scrape done.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

Merrick has already had several voluntary recalls BEFORE Purina even bought them out….. I know many folks are concerned about Merrick now being under the Purina umbrella…..However, I called Merrick about the sellout to Purina, and the representative said that the sellout came with a contract specifically stating that Merrick would be allowed to conduct business as usual regarding their food (made in their Texas facility, locally-sourced quality ingredients, and NOTHING from China)….I looked up an article regarding the sellout, and it is indeed stated that Merrick will still be allowed to do things their way……If anyone is feeding Merrick food now, and your dogs/cats are still doing well on it, why change?…..If you’re worried about it, continue to check Merrick’s website and the labels on your food, or call the company….That way, if there are any changes for the worse, you’ll know….And if you don’t agree with the changes, THEN switch brands……My opinion is, give Merrick the benefit of the doubt, unless you find out otherwise from the labels or the website.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Anne B.

[Anne B]

I actually called Holistic Select, which is owned by the same company as Wellness (Wellpet).
I asked them about the green tea, and they admitted that the green tea extract they used was sourced from CHINA, because that was the only place they could get it…..That leads me to believe that all the Wellpet brands are using CHINA-SOURCED green tea extract…..I can’t believe this, and don’t trust Wellpet brands any longer…

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