COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHEMICAL FLEA AND TICK PREVENTATIVES

For years, my mother faithfully applied the monthly topical flea and tick prevention and gave the monthly heartworm preventative we carry in our office. Every month, all year round. As I became more and more holistically focused in my practice, I became more unhappy with my mother's desire to use these products. Of course, when I was fresh out of veterinary school, I had also been fed the big-pharma scare tactics that our pets needed to be given these monthly chemicals or they would surely die from parasite-borne diseases. I had done such a great job of convincing my mother of that reality, that now I had trouble convincing her otherwise.

After years of having my own pets remain chemical-free, I finally confronted my mother. I had subtly suggested this in the past, but I was always met with resistance. I was so frustrated, I loudly stated "Have you EVER seen a flea or tick on your dog?" Her answer: "No. And I don't want to. The chemicals work great because she's never had a single flea or tick." And there was my answer.

You see, the products my mother was using had NO repellent properties. They worked by killing the parasites AFTER they got onto the pet. As you can see in the photo, this dog is groomed regularly, with a short coat. Fleas and ticks would be easy to find. This dog simply had no exposure to parasites where she lived. Yet she was being poisoned every month with neurotoxic chemicals. I finally convinced my mother she no longer needed to use the drugs. And, here's the best news...two years later, the dog STILL doesn't have any fleas or ticks! She also remains heartworm free, using the monthly preventative only a few months per year (we live in New Jersey).

Most "preventative" chemicals work by killing fleas and ticks after they are exposed to the chemicals given to the pet. If you live in a neighborhood with manicured lawns and a few trees, your pet may have minimal exposure to fleas and ticks. You have no need to use these toxins. Personally, even if my pets were in wooded areas (which they are) and were exposed to other dogs and cats that are flea infested (which they are), I still would not use these chemicals. The potential for dangerous side effects is too high. I wouldn't swallow or apply a can of insecticide to myself and I won't subject my pets to them either.