from Health & Well-Being Toxic Flea and Tick Products are Poisoning Our Pets

Pick your poison
Summer is here and that means fleas, ticks, hot spots and the problem of how to rid our pets of these nasty bloodsucking, disease-laden parasites. The dilemma lies in the fact that most flea and tick products themselves are nasty, chemical-laden toxins. The most recommended flea and tick products—Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution—are made with chemicals that are toxic to our pets. Frontline is a class C carcinogen and works systemically, entering the animal’s bloodstream. Advantage and Revolution stay in the subcutaneous (skin) layers and are less invasive, but still somewhat so, and toxic. Fipronil, selamectin, and imadocloprid are the chemical agents in these spot-on products, and are also found in shampoos and sprays.
The U.S. EPA pressures the FDA to increase the safety of toxic spot-on flea and tick products for our pets.
With reported cases of skin allergies, auto-immune disorders, and even cancer and death caused by flea and tick products, the EPA is seeking to increase the standards for their quality control and safety. Many products are also toxic to aquatic life, sickening fish and wildlife who live in or drink from polluted streams and rivers.
The drug companies studied these products on rats and mice, but typically for only three to six months, with no longitudinal studies looking for long-term effects. It’s possible that these products may very well be a contributing factor in so many new diseases in our pets now that we did not see years ago.
Not only are we poisoning our pets and the environment, we are jeopardizing the health of our own families in order to solve a problem that is very easily managed by natural and non-toxic alternatives. You can care for your pets, family and the environment in a healthier way.
Natural—or naturally poisonous?
Natural, regrettably, does not necessarily mean non-toxic: When it comes to flea and tick control, almost all of “natural” products are harmful to you, your children, your pets and the environment. Natural products are suspect for two reasons. In some cases, a natural plant-derived component is combined with toxic chemicals to create the end product. In other cases, the plant-derived component is itself toxic to animals, though it might be safe for humans. Some wonderful essential oils are highly toxic to cats: Tea tree and pennyroyal oils, for example, can cause severe allergic and/or toxic reactions. Toxic pyrethrin is an insecticide that comes from chrysanthemum and d-Limonene from citrus.When we use these products, a toxic chain of events is set in motion. Our pets’ immune systems are depressed. Fleas and ticks develop an increased resistance to these products, which then have to be made stronger in order to work, escalating the ripple effect of toxic pollution to our precious loved ones and Mother Earth.
Please don’t be fooled by the word “natural”. It is nothing more than a brilliant advertising scheme. Consider the following statements found on the labels of so-called natural and safe flea and tick control products.
“Avoid contact with skin.”
“Harmful or fatal if swallowed.”
“This product is toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife.”
“Harmful if absorbed through skin.”
“Harmful if inhaled.”
“Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothing.”
“Keep out of reach from children.”
Does this sound like something you want to put on your pets who then get stroked, loved, brushed and cuddled by your loved ones?
A healthy pet has a healthy immune system and a healthy immune system is not as tasty to fleas and ticks. If we start by feeding our pets healthy foods, and manage our home in a safe, environmentally friendly way, we can keep our animals, children and planet free from these nasty chemicals.
Managing fleas in your home
Our inside home environment is probably the best breeding ground for fleas which lay their eggs in carpets, rugs, and some furniture. Boric acid is a non-toxic powder that kills the fleas and larvae. This treatment is completely safe and lasts one full year. Flea Stoppers and Fleabusters are two common, easy to find boric acid flea powder products and can be found online or in select pet stores. You can administer these yourself or have it professionally done.
Pets get the spa treatment
Managing our pets at the same time that we manage our home environment is crucial. After reducing the flea population in our homes, taking care of our pets gets easier and easier. Use a flea comb daily. Pull the little jumpers off the comb and put them into a bowl of water to drown while you work. (It’s very satisfying.) Bathe your animals with a non-toxic shampoo, massaging the soap through the fur for 10 minutes to make sure fleas have drowned. The massage makes bathing much more enjoyable for both of you. Cats on the other hand are more difficult to bathe, but often love being combed frequently. Bear in mind that fleas are sneaky little blood suckers and will scurry around to his back while you’re combing his stomach. Be thorough, comb the whole animal, and keep an eye out for renegades.
Fleas also live outside in the grass. If taking care of your house and animals doesn’t stop the problem, it might be time to add nematodes to your lawn. These microscopic worms eat flea larvae in the grass, killing them naturally. Nematodes are safe for the outdoor environment, for your pets and your family—and are very easy to apply. Find them at your local gardener supply or online at Flea Control Treatment Kills Dog Fleas and Cat Fleas - Fleabusters.
Managing your home environment is easier than you think. It’s so much healthier for you and yours, too, that the thought of putting chemicals on your pets will be a thing of the past. I know sometimes it seems as though putting a few drops of something on your pets once a month is the most convenient and effective way to treat the flea and tick situation, but once you realize what the cost of using these products truly is, you may become a convert.
Hot Spots
Hot spots are an allergic reaction to fleas and occur when your dog licks himself so much that the skin develops a bacterial infection. If you are diligent in your efforts to manage your home and your pet, your efforts will pay off tremendously. Sometimes though, hot spots happen, and can easily get out of control. The saliva in the dog’s hair creates a moist environment ripe for bacterial growth. You’ll want to shave or cut the hair around the hot spot, clean it with hydrogen peroxide and then let the air do the healing. It will heal naturally without a trip to the vet for medication. The most common medical treatment for hot spots is a steroid, which only further debilitates the health of your pets.
With a bit of knowledge and effort on our part, we can help our pets live longer and healthier lives, keep our families safe, and contribute to a healthier environment.
Share and Enjoy:
Call: 707-601-3332
Email: [email protected]

Avoid Toxic Toys While Satisfying Your Dogs Need to Chew

Dogs need to chew, it’s instinctive. Some dogs are have more need to chew than others, and providing our dogs with safe toys is our responsibility. Monitoring our dogs’ chewing habits helps us see what kinds of chew toys to provide for them. Things we should be aware of regarding chewing are: the dog’s chewing need and the size of the dog. With regard to safety we must consider a toy’s durability and what it’s made of. Choosing the appropriate size toy/bone for the size of the dog is very important. Equally important is daily exercise and training. If dogs don’t have daily exercise (a physical release) they can become more voracious in their chewing needs.
Choosing toys for our dogs seems like a no-brainer, yet for too many, dogs are susceptible to the dangers of toxic or unsafe toys, necessitating very costly trips to the veterinarian, and some times the loss of life. We have all been made aware of how few standards are required of the pet food industry and manufacturers of toys for our children. We as pet owners need to educate ourselves in appropriate and safe toys. Fortunately, there are some companies who have taken the lead in making non-toxic toys and safe products for our pets. You may find a list of these companies below.
Beef marrow bones from our own butchers at local supermarkets may be by far the healthiest and safest chew toys around. Marrow bones are distinct from other bones which are smaller and can be chewed up and swallowed potentially tearing the lining of the intestine. A beef marrow bone is the long femur bone of a cow. Dogs can’t break this bone yet they can chew endlessly and happily satisfying their need to chew. Beef marrow bones supply our dogs with a safe and very effective chew toy, and they are not laden with chemicals and additives used to prolong shelf life. The only concern one must have when purchasing marrow bones is the size in relation to the dog. Don’t give a German Shepherd a marrow bone that is 1 inch long because they can choke on it and by the same token, don’t’ give a Yorkshire Terrier a heavy 3 inch bone, that he can barely pick up, let alone be able to get to the very scrumptious and nutritious marrow inside the bone. These beef marrow bones can be cooked or given raw. They will eat the inside and outside of the bone clean and your dog will have months of good chew time. I have marrow bones in the toy box that are years old and my dogs still love them. Another benefit to marrow bones from the butcher besides being toxin free is their cost. One can spend $10 on one toxic bone at the pet store, compared to a couple of dollars for a nutritious marrow bone at the market.
Greenies the ever famous dental toy. This dental chew toy has been known and reported to cause bowel problems and/or get lodged in the intestines requiring abdominal surgery for removal. Often times these dogs cannot be saved from the resulting blockage. There are countless reports of severe diarrhea, bowel disorders and even death from Greenies, yet they continue to be sold at pet stores, as a great dental cleaner. While they may clean your dogs’ teeth the potential danger to your dog far exceeds its promise. Let me give you the ingredients and you can make an informed decision. Greenies are made from processed wheat gluten (wheat protein), glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose fiber, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acid, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll. Need I say more?
Rawhide is another toy that can cause bowel problems and rupture the intestine. Let’s say you have a voracious chewer; a Golden Retriever, Labrador, or Rottweiler. You give her a 6-inch rawhide bone; she goes through it in an hour. Her need for chewing hasn’t been satisfied so she roams around searching for something else to chew and comes back with your shoe. In an effort to save your shoe, you offer up another 6-inch rawhide bone. That too gets devoured in about an hour…. Still not satisfied she makes another round in search something to chew…get the picture? How many rawhide bones might one give a dog with this kind of chewing habit? Think about that for a moment. Let’s be conservative here and say 3 bones a day, that’s a lot of rawhide. Rawhide is treated and preserved with formaldehyde which is a carcinogen. Rawhide is not easily digested and may sit in a dogs stomach which may bloat or give them diarrhea or it could get lodged in the intestine. This endless cycle to satisfy a habit could be very costly to the health of your dog and to your purse.
Nylabones are another very tricky toy. I say this because the packaging is very confusing. Just a few weeks ago,a client called me telling me that her 1 year old dog was throwing up. She found pieces of nylabone in the vomit. He was lethargic, not eating and vomiting. When I asked which kind of nylabone it was, she didn’t know. “”It was a gumabone, style nylabone.”" Now follow me here. The Nylabone Company makes two different kinds of bones; one for puppies that is bendable, softer, semi flexible, good for teething puppies but not adult dogs. An adult dog with adult teeth and stronger jaw can chew off a piece too big and swallow it. It can then get lodged in the intestines. You know the rest. On the package, it is not clear that a gumabone is just for puppies. There have been many reported deaths and many lawsuits ongoing against the Nylabone Company yet you will still see them at pet stores. This shows a serious lack of concern and low standards in the pet toy industry. After a trip to the vet and monitoring the dogs vomit and stools for a week or more, the dog was fine but it was touch and go for a while. The owner went through the house and threw away all unsafe toys and replaced them with safe non-toxic toys.
Fluffy stuffed toys are another potential hazardous toy. The material on the inside and the plastic squeaker are what may cause the most damage. Some dogs will never destroy a fluffy toy and have it as a pretend litter mate, cuddling with it and sleeping with it their entire life. Other dogs try to kill the squeaker within minutes ripping it open, spreading it all over the place and often times swallowing it. A client whose dog became lethargic and wouldn’t eat had to go to the vet. Upon x-ray, a tiny piece of stuffing was found blocked inside the intestine. After a $5000 abdominal exploratory the dog recovered and yes, all of the fluffy toys were removed from the home.
Below are some websites for earth friendly pet products; from biodegradable poop bags and cat box liners, to hemp collars and recycled toys.
EcoAnimal - earth friendly products for your pets and for wildlife.
SimplyFido
Dog Toys, Dog Beds, Dog leashes, Dog Accessories and more from Planet Dog
earthdog: quality hemp dog colars, dog leashes and other products for your pets
Help educate fellow animal lovers about the risks of unsafe and toxic pet toys. Share this article.






Share and Enjoy:
Call: 707-601-3332
Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2006 - 2010 shewhisperer.c