Although there are thousands of kinds of fleas, it only takes one type to cause a lot of misery for you and your pet. We went to a internationally known flea and tick expert to find out how to fight fleas and eliminate ticks and discover the most effective tick product on the market.
Q: How did my dog get these fleas and ticks?
A: Dogs generally get ticks because they’re out and about in a natural environment, walking through the woods or high grass, and these ticks undergo what’s called jumping, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass, generally 2 to 3 ft off the ground and they basically hang out. And when the dog walks by or we walk by and brush up against these ticks they dislodge and jump onto us. Ticks don’t climb up into trees. That’s an old wives tale. They just hang out waiting for us. It’s sort of an ambush strategy. They can live well over a year without feeding.
Q: Can fleas and ticks cause my dog to get sick? What kinds of illnesses can she get from them?
A: Probably the most common thing is, when these fleas are feeding, they’re injecting saliva into the skin. These salivary proteins are often allergenic and animals end up with allergy. The most common skin disease of dogs and cats is what’s called flea allergy dermatitis, where they bite and scratch and lose their hair. It can take only a few fleas for this allergy to become a problem.
If you have a lot of fleas, since they’re blood-sucking insects, especially if you have puppies, pets can become anemic and even die with heavy infestations. Fleas also commonly transmit tapeworms to our pets, at least one species.
With ticks, there are a dozen to 15 or more tick-transmitted diseases that our pets get from ticks. There’s Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia,
Q: An environmental group has sued several pet stores and manufacturers claiming that flea collars have high concentrations of chemicals in them that are dangerous to pets and people. Are these over-the-counter flea collars safe?
A:.. Basically no, they are not safe they are poisonous, and each year they make the poison stronger as the fleas and ticks resistancy also grows stronger. The issue we have with many of the over-the-counter products is that many are what we call pyrethroids, or synthetic pyrethrins. We know that is a class of insecticides that fleas are commonly resistant to, so one of the reasons over-the-counter formulations don’t work very well is that fleas are resistant to them although they are very harmful to your pet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2u9rbGM1ak&list=FLc2-zkbme6AgSjq7VtKpO9g
Q: There are also reports that the EPA is looking into an increase in adverse reactions from topically applied flea control products, the ones we usually put on our dogs and cats between their shoulder blades. So are these unsafe?
A: Based on my experience and field studies, that the products we get from our veterinarians are generally expensive and generally do a poor job, often resulting in the suffering and even death of the pet. But you’ve got to understand that millions of doses are used each year. With that many doses, things happen. We know they do. But generally with a veterinary-recommended or prescribed flea or tick product, they make a very good profit, although the pet often suffers after the spot application.
Q: Are there natural ways I can control them if I don’t want to use chemicals?
Yes.
Pet Protector have developed a Nanotechnology disc that is scientifically proven to keep Ticks and Fleas off your pet. The disc emits scalar waves that repel all Ticks and Fleas on attack. The disc is completely safe (non toxic) it is low cost ( lasts two years) and is cost effective. The product is also guaranteed and they have already sold 20 million discs world-wide.
For
more information click here
About the author:
I am a proud father of two grown up boys who are 19 and 23 years of age.
I am a martial artist (various) and appreciate the need to be in good shape to enjoy life to the maximum. I have had the pleasure of being a dog owner virtually all my life and have had Poodles, Cocker Spaniels (crazy) Gigantic German Schnauzers (wonderfully loyal) and of late Old English Sheepdogs two in fact.
Unfortunately Snowball got Leshmaniosis and passed away prematurely.
But Junior is good and well ( 10 years old) and we go jogging most days.
I am no longer using chemical flea and tick products and his coat is a much better softer texture. He has been wearing the Pet Protector disc for 6 months and he's a happy healthy dog!
All the best,Paul
