interesting read on spot on flea products

I ran across this article. I thought it was worth sharing and getting some input on. Well, do you think its true?

http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf

I personally am torn .....damned if you do , damned if you don't ! Back when it was flea powders and dips , we still had fleas . With one litter of 12 it made me sick to use a flea comb on puppies ....I tried every natural on the Mom . I helped my neighbor groom her old dog yesterday ..... covered with fleas and flea dirt . She finally applied some Sargent gunk . Sigh ! This is an old gal that it hurts for her to scratch and she did have some hot spots . I told her to watch for tape worms ........... she had no clue !! I've been flea free since I've used K9 Advantix ...... wish I knew a safer method !

I had an interesting conversation with my vet yesterday. He had asked me if the dogs were current on heartworm preventatives and I told him no. He said that enough time had not passed since their last dose of preventative so a heartworm test would be a waste of money (I appreciated this!) and then asked me why I had stopped giving it.

So, I blurted out, in a nearly hour long conversation, my fears with chemicals and giving too much as far as vaccines and flea meds and heartworm preventatives. I explained that the thought of so much being pumped into the dogs scared me, etc.. I appreciate this vet a lot, so when he said, "let me tell you what scares me" I sat down and listened.

In a nutshell, he stated that the topical flea preventatives and this new capsule (I forget the name of it) that you give orally are the things that scare him because these are in/on the dog for at least 30 days but what does not concern him is interceptor as it is a pill that is given once a month, or every 40ish days and is out of the dogs system in about 12 hours and is 1/32 of the dose used in (I am having a memory blank here....).

He compared it to smoking cigarette's. If you smoke 100 today, you aren't likely to get lung cancer, etc., but if you continually smoke several a day for all of your life, it is more likely to catch up with you. So, he said, give the topical flea meds if absolutely necessary, but don't use regularly. And give the heartworm pill once a month, as it is far less likely to cause damage versus a dog actually getting heartworm and having to go through treatment to get rid of heartworm.

Having said that, I am still undecided on the heartworm pill, we have a low incidence in this area (the vet said the clinic sees maybe 10 cases a year and there are 14 doctors and the clinic serves the greater East Bay) and will not use, as I have been, use topical flea meds regularly. I do, however, keep them on hand (for dogs and the cat) in case of emergencies and will use them if we have a breakout, like we did just recently.

My vet has seen heartworm double here .... and having treated 3 fosters with it , that is one med I won't stop ! With all the flooding around .... be careful folks ! Fleas don't kill , but heartworms do !

I subscribed to WDJ for a year, but I couldn't read it because of stuff like this. It just made me nuts.

No, I don't think Frontline and Advantage are dangerous (though personally I wouldn't use Advantix or any other product that contains permethrin because I do have cats). I don't think it's necessary or desirable to use them if you don't have a problem, but fleas are more than an annoyance. In severe cases, they can kill. Ticks are the bigger concern where I live, and with the prevalence of Lyme disease around here, well, Frontline doesn't worry me that much.

i think any product that tells me to "keep out of contact with humans" and to "wash" if it comes into contact with a human - isn't something I'm putting on my dog.

heartworm is a whole other ball of wax.

I am using interceptor on my dogs, and we have lots of heartworm problems here. That is something that i cannot stop giving.

This natural stuff is not working well for me though. I still have fleas....
but I am refusing to put a spot on treatment on them! They are getting a bath today in a shampoo that is made out of oils (its an alternative to pesticide shampoo from Espree)
It will get the live ones off, and maybe no new ones will jump on my dogs since they will have the natural spray and spot on treatment from Natures Guardian. I am thinking the all natural stuff is to prevent flea problems, but get rid of them.

Thanks guys for reading! I am worried!

My vet advises against the use of these spot-on treatments. She said she'd rather I treat the fleas WHEN my dog gets it rather than dose her with insecticide monthly.

What are you trying?

i think that's pretty good advice for anyone who isn't in an extremely flea-populated area... no need to expose them to those chemicals if you don't absolutely HAVE to.

... also treating the yard with DE each season before there's a problem is also a good idea.

Excellent way of putting it, Grammy!

Rabbitsarebetter - you are using Espree's orange-colored flea shampoo (Pure-O-Flee) right? I love that stuff, it's amazing. I've used it on *infested* dogs - and it's worked great. My little blue foster dobe showed up covered in fleas and filth, and the Pure-O-Flee took care of both in short order. Good stuff, I must say...

Fleas can kill in a round about way if the dog gets tapeworms and emaciated from them. Not saying anyone here would allow their dog to become that way, but yes. Fleas do kill.

Dog can also get a flea anemia, or have an allergy to fleas.


I'm confused. Is your vet suggesting you treat the fleas with interceptor (as an all in one deal)? Interceptor doesn't kill fleas. Nor does Sentinel (it sterilizes the females, doesn't kill them). Or was he just using that as a comparison of why he thinks flea treatments are scarier than heart worm treatments?

Well, I let my Frontline does lapse by 3 days (I have had terrible flu and SO has been working too late to get to the vet). I had my girl at the vet today for HORRIBLE flea allergies. I gave her a Capstar and Frontlined her on Monday, but the results from a couple of flea bites are bleeding skin and itching.
Poor baby had to have a steriod shot to break the cycle. I would much rather use Frontline monthly then have her have regular steriod shots.

luckily my dogs are not allergic to fleas.

A comparison.