Flea/Tick Meds?

[Saeleofu]

I use Frontline every 3 months in the summer, and Trifexis monthly in the winter.

[DJEtzel]

Good note Southpaw!

We constantly have people coming into the dog park where I work to bathe their dog because it has fleas, and members frequently complain about ticks on their dogs in the warm months as well, so we certainly have them plentiful here!

[DJEtzel]

Originally Posted by sassafras

Whatever substance is in garlic that may or may not work, is also a chemical. Just sayin'.

Garlic is a chemical?

I mean... I guess if you get really technical it is composed of molecules and atoms and all that scientific stuff... but it isn't a chemical the way most people think of the word. Garlic is a natural substance.

[sassafras]

Originally Posted by DJEtzel

Garlic is a chemical?

I mean... I guess if you get really technical it is composed of molecules and atoms and all that scientific stuff... but it isn't a chemical the way most people think of the word. Garlic is a natural substance.

LOL just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's not a chemical.

ETA: If garlic is an effective repellent or insecticide, is contains an active chemical compound responsible for those effects. Just like you can purify some drugs from plants although it's usually cheaper to make them synthetically.

ETAETA: Just like Capsaicin - the chemical compound in peppers that makes them hot. It's not that "peppers" are hot - it's that they contain a chemical that makes them so.

[DJEtzel]

Originally Posted by sassafras

LOL just because something is natural, doesn't mean it's not a chemical.

ETA: If garlic is an effective repellent or insecticide, is contains an active chemical compound responsible for those effects. Just like you can purify some drugs from plants although it's usually cheaper to make them synthetically.

Like I said, still not how most people think of chemicals, because it's not man-made.

It's 100% garlic... I don't think there is any chemical compound? And from my understanding to be a chemical, there has to be a compound or process? Maybe I'm science dumb... I didn't learn that kind of stuff in high school OR college. So... I'd love to be enlightened. I googled the definition of chemical and it didn't help much.

eta; I have no idea what Capsaicin is.. so I guess I'm googling that too.

eta eta; I think I get what you're saying about make ups of organisms. So I will retract my statement to say that natural things are better than synthetic things in terms of dog's health in this case so I like the natural alternative since it still works.

[sassafras]

Originally Posted by DJEtzel

Like I said, still not how most people think of chemicals, because it's not man-made.

It's 100% garlic... I don't think there is any chemical compound?

The definition of "chemical" is not "man made." Probably you missed my second edit while you were posting, but capsaicin is an example. It is the chemical compound that makes peppers hot. "Peppers" aren't hot - capsaicin is hot and it is found in peppers. Even 100% peppers.

Similarly, assuming that it is effective "garlic" isn't a repellent or insecticide. Garlic contains a chemical compound that is a repellent or insecticide. Even 100% garlic. It just hasn't been identified and named yet (to my knowledge anyway). The same way the toxic chemical in raisins isn't known (but surely exists) and the toxic chemical in onions didn't used to be known.

[Fran101]

Originally Posted by Southpaw

ETA Fran how much of everything do you use in your little spray? I might want to have a little something like that on hand, mostly for Happy because it wouldn't be as easy to spot a tick on her like it is with Juno.

One part water + One part Apple cider vinegar... then just a bunch of drops lol I didn't really measure it out at all. Just a bunch.
Shake before using!
Really great for that doggy wet smell.

[DJEtzel]

Originally Posted by Fran101

One part water + One part Apple cider vinegar... then just a bunch of drops lol I didn't really measure it out at all. Just a bunch.
Shake before using!
Really great for that doggy wet smell.

Where did you get the essential oils? I'm interested in making something like this, too. Does it lose effectiveness after being mixed/sitting for a while?

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Fran101

One part water + One part Apple cider vinegar... then just a bunch of drops lol I didn't really measure it out at all. Just a bunch.
Shake before using!
Really great for that doggy wet smell.

Thanks! I'll have to keep this in mind this summer

[Lyzelle]

Vinegar is vinegar. As long as it doesn't come into contact with anything that would alter it (like baking soda), it shouldn't lose it's efficiency at all. I use regular white vinegar, but apple cider like Fran uses is actually way better and doesn't dry the coat out as much.

Plus it smells a little nicer.