- Active Ingredients in Veterinarian Prescribed or Pet-Store Insect, Parasite Preventatives and Treatments;
- Why Would a Veterinarian Prescribe Something That was Not Good For Your Dog, Cat;
- What the EPA is Saying About Theses Products;
- Your Dog’s, Cat’s Best Defence;
- Why The Life Span of Our Dogs and Cats Has Declined Rather Than Increased Since the 1950’s;
- Overuse, Parasite Acquired Immunity and Loss of Efficacy;
- Typical Pesticides Used, Side Effects and Cautions;
- Do Your Own Research and If Your Risk Assessment Says You Must Use Chemical-Based Preventatives Take Appropriate Action to Offset The Toxins
- DIY Alternate Preventatives and Treatments – Natural, Herbal, Homeopathic
- Should you use conventional chemical-based oral and/or topical preventatives and treatments obtained from your veterinarian or pet store, or;
- Should you adopt a holistic approach?
- If you do choose to use chemical-based preventatives should you be doing something to offset- the harm done to your dog’s, cat‘s system by the chemicals?
- And if so, what can you do?
Even if the remedy is not ingested but instead applied topically, the toxins present in the product are still entering your dog’s body. Toxic substances pass through the skin and into the bloodstream, so at best you are increasing your dog’s toxic load, endangering their immune system and at worst you could be triggering severe health issues.
Pet stores and veterinarians (modern veterinarian medicine as opposed to holistic veterinarian medicine) sell many products to help control fleas, ticks, worms. Any of these products that are chemical based pose an immediate and ongoing threat to the health of your companion animal. Not only are the chemical-based active ingredients in these products health threatening, but as well many of the other ingredients (i.e. artificial colours, foaming agents, suspension agents, etc. are known to cause respiratory problems, hair loss, skin irritation, tremors, vomiting, permanent nerve damage, liver failure, cancer and death.
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Examples of Spot-on Flea, Tick Preventatives |
- Topical Interventions:
- Flea Collars;
- Direct Spray-on Applications for Dogs and Cat;
- Topically Applied Drops (also known as ‘spot on’);
- Shampoo;
- Household Carpet, Upholstery and Yard Sprays.
- Ingested Interventions:
- Pills, Tablets, Injections.
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Examples of Heartworm Preventatives |
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Examples of Flea and Tick Collars |
- Understand and expertly perform standard and emergency medicine;
- Modern medicine is designed to address illness and disease post development;
- Modern Medicine is designed to react to and treat acquired conditions, it is not designed to strategically enable and maintain overall health and well being.
- They study modern-day medicines (most of which are chemical-based) are used to treat a condition;
- They do not study the components of that medicine, its active ingredients and possible hazards – short and long term, of those ingredients on the body;
- They do not study how to naturally treat the condition and build up immunity from the inside out using, diet/nutritionand alternate, natural preventatives, and;
- Just as with veterinarian prescribed dog food, manufacturers of the product (in this case insect and parasite preventatives and treatments) provide course material to the University Veterinary Sciences course.
- The end result is that the majority of veterinarian students do not have the opportunity – during their standard course, to study objective non-bias data, results and alternate methods.
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Examples of Flea and Tick Shampoo |
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Examples Carpet and Upholstery Spray/Bomb Carpet and Upholstery Treatments to Kill Fleas and Ticks |
You can read more here.
- The life-span of a companion dog in North America is now half of what it was in the 1950’s;
- In the 1950’s the average life-span of a golden retriever was 15 to 16 years, today the average is in the range of 8 to12 years;
- In 2005, 50% of older dogs died from cancer, and the number is on the rise.
- The popularization of commercially manufactured dry and wet dog, cat food, the subsequent increase of grains and cereal by-products in that food, along with chemical based additives and preservatives;
- Feeding dogs, cats species inappropriate diets creates a weak immune system and overall poor body function;
- The harmful, toxic and carcinogenic substances found in many commercially manufactured:
- Pet grooming products , i.e. shampoo, dental care products;
- Chemical based insect and parasite preventatives;
- Indoor pollutants (i.e. chemically based household cleaners), and;
- Outdoor pollutants like herbicides, pesticides, road-salt, and vehicle exhaust, etc.
All of these substances contributes to the creation of an ever-present toxic load on the dog’s system;
- On a daily basis a dog may ingest, have surface contact with or inhale many toxins;
- Over time toxins build-up in a dog’s system – in order to process and eliminate the toxins the dog’s liver and kidney must work over-time;
- The toxins also:
- Interfere with the endocrine system;
- Destroy the natural healthy balance of the blood PH level, etc.
- And as the load becomes too large to process:
- The toxins continue to build, and;
- The body’s organs begin to wear out;
- The immune system becomes compromised;
- This process of burden and wear occurs quicker in most dogs than in a human as an adult dog is typically smaller than an adult human – their organs are smaller too!
- Pharmaceutical companies aggressively market veterinarians to over-inoculate on an annual basis and add new and unnecessary inoculations.
- Inoculations contain toxins and immune system suppressors.
- While the immune system is suppressed the dog/cat is at an increased risk of acquiring disease, illness and parasites.
Used In (examples) |
Active Ingredient | Target | Side Effects | Cautions |
Proventic | Amitraz | Ticks, Mange, Scabies | Can cause high blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood pressure (hypotension), low body temperature (hypothermia), sedation | Commonly used in mange dips and tick collars. Do not use on dogs under 12 weeks of age, do not use on aged, sick, medicated, pregnant or nursing dogs |
Frontline | Arylheterocycles (most common – Fipronil) | Fleas, Ticks | Can cause irritation – I was unable to find details on what was meant by ‘irritation’…i.e. skin irritation? | Do not use on dogs under 8 weeks of age, sick, medicated or aged dogs |
Vectra | Dinotefuran | Fleas | Can cause immune system toxicity. | Do not use on debilitated, aged, medicated, pregnant or nursing dogs, or dogs known to be sensitive to pesticides, aged, sick, pregnant or nursing |
Program, Preventic | IGRs (methoprene, fenoxycarb, pyriproxyfen) IDIs (lufenuron, diflubenzuron) |
Fleas | Can cause vomitting, diarrhea | Read the label – age of puppies products can be used on varies, do not use on aged, sick , medicated, pregnant or nursing dogs |
Advantage II | Imidacloprid | Can cause drooling, skin irritation and may cause miscarriages and skeletal deformities. | Do not use on dogs that are: aged, nursing or pregnant, sick or under 7 weeks of age. | |
Heartguard, | Ivermectin | Heartworm, | Neurotoxicity – depression of the nervous system followed by ataxia. Dogs with defects in P-glycoprotien can suffer severe poisoning | Most Collies cannot tolerate this substance and should not be given meds that include Ivermectin. Do not use on dogs under 6 weeks of age, aged, sick, medicated or underweight |
Interceptor, Sentinel | Milbemycin oxime | Roundworms, Hookworms | Can cause stupor, tremor and ataxia | Not to be used on Collies or other herding breeds. Often used in products that include Ivermectin. Check the label of the specific product for puppy age restriction. Do not use on breeding, pregnant dogs or dogs with epilepsy |
Capstar | Nitenpyram | Blow Flies, Fleas, Maggots | Can cause Lethargy/depression, vomiting, itching, decreased appetite, diarrhea, hyperactivity, lack of coordination, trembling, seizures, panting, allergic reactions including hives, vocalization, salivation, fever, and nervousness | Should not be used on pregnant and nursing dogs |
Various Products | Pyrantel pamoate | Roundworms, Hookworms |
Can cause facial swelling, hives, scratching, sudden diarrhea, vomiting, shock, seizures, pale gums, cold limbs, or coma.
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Usually used in combination with Ivermectin |
Bio Spot Flea and Tick Spray or Spot on Flea Control | Pyrethrins |
Fleas, Ticks, Lice, Mites, Mosquito |
Can cause tremors, depression, convulsions, death
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Do not use on dogs that are aged, sick, medicated, pregnant or nursing. Do not use spray on puppies under 12 weeks of age, do not use oral tablets on dogs under 6 months of age |
K9 advantix II | Pyrethroids |
Fleas and Ticks |
Can cause drooling, tremors, vomiting, seizures
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Do not use on dogs that are: aged, nursing or pregnant, sick or under 7 weeks of age. |
Various Products | Praziquantel | Tapeworms |
Can cause drooling, sudden diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, staggering, vomiting
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Revolution | Selemectin | Heartworm, Fleas, Mange, Mites, Ticks, Parasites |
Can cause hair loss
One of my dogs and one of my cats had severe/chronic hair loss resulting from use of Revolution.
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Do not use on puppies under 6 weeks of age |
Comfortis, Trifexis |
Spinosad | Fleas |
Can cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting
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Do not use on pregnant dogs or dogs with epilepsy, dogs under 14 weeks of age |
- A healthy dog is much less attractive to parasites and insects;
- A healthy dog’s natural system is much better equipped to fight-off any parasites.
- Then if you decide it is best to put your dog on heartworm, off-set the damaging effects of the toxic chemicals in the heartworm preventative by:
- Feeding species appropriate food, and;
- Augmenting your dog’s daily diet as indicated in the article.
- Feeding species appropriate food, and;
- Augmenting your dog’s daily diet as indicated in the article.
- Select from a series of articles on diet, nutrition and health care by going to this page.
- Or simply add these items to your companion animal’s diet.
- Lemon – A Safe, Natural Mosquito Repellent for Dogs – read here;
- DIY Natural, Herbal, Homeopathic Flea, Tick, Mosquito Spot-On and Collar Drops for Dogs and Cats – read here.
- DIY Natural, Herbal, Homeopathic Flea, Tick, Mosquito Repellent Sprays, Rubs, Dips for Dogs and Cats – read here.