Problematic Parasite Prevention

To understand why it’s so important to use natural prevention we need to know a little more about chemical worm treatments and how they work. There are three main options, chewable tablets, spot on treatments and flea collars, there is also now an injectable that lasts six months. Chemical flea and tick treatments are powerful toxic pesticides that accumulate in your dog's blood and skin. Ticks and fleas have to bite and ingest your dog's blood which paralyses them causing them to die and fall off from the chemical pesticides. It can take many hours for the fleas and ticks to be killed in which time they could still spread the disease. 

The powerful pesticides found in all chemical flea and tick treatments can cause a whole host of side effects and health issues, lets look at this further. 

ISOXAZOLINE DRUGS 

These come in the form of a chewable tablets but recently also in injectable form. In September 2018 the FDA made manufacturers put a warning on Isoxazoline flea and tick products because they have been associated with adverse neurological reactions in dogs that have no medical history for these issues. 

The side effects range from: 

*loss of motor function

*Stiffness/inability to walk

*Seizures Convulsions

*Ataxia Death

*Vomiting Diarrhoea

*Skin issues/itching 

Here are some of the Isoxazoline products: 

* Bravecto Fluralaner

* Nexgard Afoxolaner

* Simparica Sarolaner

* Easecto Sarolaner

* Credelio Lotilaner.

* Nexgard Spectra milbemycin oxime + Afoxolaner.

* Bravecto Plus fluralaner/moxidectin

* Revolution Plus Selamectin and Sarolaner

* Simparica Triple Sarolaner moxidectin 

SPOT ON TREATMENTS 

Spot on flea and tick treatments come in a pipet that goes directly onto your dogs skin. They contain chemicals like fipronol, permethrin, moxidectin, Pyriproxyfen, Methoprene, Nitenpyram and Imidacloprid. These chemicals are absorbed by the body and stay in the skin, hair and excretions of the dog. We are told by the manufactures to either wear gloves or wash hand after handling the product, if any gets on our skin to wash it off immediately, so why would we want to apply to our dogs skin? If you and your family stroke and pet your dog after using spot on treatments the pesticides are then being absorbed into your body too. 

Side effects from spot on treatments include: 

*Restlessness

*Hair loss

*Chemical burns

*Vomiting

*Diarrhoea

*Anxiety

*Depression

*Seizures

*Restlessness

*Death 

Here are some chemical spot on treatments: 

*Advocate

*Frontline

*Advantage

*Avantix

*Fipro

*Effipro 

Using spot on treatments on your dog is not only potentially dangerous for them but damaging to our aquatic life and water ways, bees, insects, birds and wider ecosystems. A recent study carried out by the imperial college London showed that just one spot on treatment for a large dog is enough to kill 25million bees! Read more below ⬇ https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/243875/toxic-flea-tick-treatments-polluting-uk/ 

CHEMICAL FLEA AND TICK COLLARS 

These work in the same way, the chemicals are absorbed into the body and remain in the dogs, skin, tissues and fur. 

Chemical flea and tick collars have many of the same chemicals in and side effects as spot on treatments. There are a huge range of these collars on the market, sadly many claiming to be natural, so you need to do your research.

How to spot a chemical collar:

*Made in China

*Waterproof

*Lasts 9 months

*Chemical names (as above in the spot on section)

*Product warning labels 

SO WHAT CAN WE DO INSTEAD TO PROTECT OUR DOGS? 

Using natural prevention is much safer and equally effective if done properly. The main difference when using natural prevention is that you aim to repel fleas and ticks so they don’t go on to your dog in the first place, rather allowing them to bite your dog and be killed by pesticides. 

To protect against fleas and ticks 

* Neem oil and neem powder are very effective used topically on your dog's coat! If you have a sensitive dog dilute neem oil and don’t use it for pregnant or whelping bitches or breeding dogs as it may act as a contraceptive. 

* Apple cider vinegar water mix spritzer is also a good flea and tick repellent you can also mix in a few drops of essential oils like lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus and patchouli. Make sure your dog is happy to have this on then before using, this is important with all essential oils. Use a 50/50 ratio of water to vinegar. 

* Food grade diatomaceous earth - is made from tiny sea creatures. It dehydrates the parasites and their eggs so they die. Make sure you buy FOOD GRADE, and care should be taken not to breath in the powder by you or your pet. It can be used to sprinkle around the home to kill the parasite and their eggs. Dust DE powder through the coat if fleas are present then shampoo out taking care not to let your dog breathe it in. 

* Amber collars - are great they create a magnetic charge over the dog's coat keeping the fleas and ticks off. Using an amber collar alongside other preventatives works well. 

* Hedge row hounds do a great mix called natures bounty which can be added to food, there’s also a product called Billy no mates and a blend from Mr Slobberchops. 

*Biospotix and Mr Slobberchops do natural flea collars. There really is no need to use powerful chemical pesticides on your pet when natural prevention works equally as well and is completely safe. 

Check out our changing to natural prevention blog for more options. 

🪱 To prevent against intestinal worms: 

* Organic Ground Pumpkin seeds - You can use ground raw pumpkin seeds in food. Pumpkin seeds are from the GOURD family, they contain an amino acid called cucurbitacin which paralyses and eliminates worms. 

* Organic Crushed Garlic - start with giving ¼ teaspoon per 10kg of the dogs weight increasing to ½ a teaspoon if well tolerated. We suggest giving garlic 3 - 4 times per week, i.e. every alternate day. However, do not use garlic for puppies under 6 months of age, pregnant or whelping bitches, Japanese breeds or dogs on certain medications. Please read the linked article below for more information about garlic:

https://mypetnutritionist.com/post/can-my-dog-eat-garlic/

* Feeding Fur - It’s a popular misconception that feeding any kind of foods or treats with fur still attached acts as a natural wormer. This however is not true, though feeding fur can be useful to help expel worms when used in conjunction with other natural worming preventative's. Feeding fur helps cleanses the gut. 

*Black seed oil is known for its many properties and health benefits including antimicrobial, anti inflammatory and also anti parasitic. 

* Worm count regularly - It is important to do a worm count for intestinal worms every 3 months, this is a simple poop test, it is inexpensive and very easy to do from feclab.co.uk. I recommend the combination test and setting up a subscription. Don’t forget to use our members code below for 10% off - NOBULL10 

* Never chemically worm a dog before doing a worm count first to check if they need worming. 

Worm prevention for dogs using whole foods:

1. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) ¼ to 1 teaspoon per day. If you are adding ACV to your dogs water bowl always make sure they have access to fresh water without ACV so they have choice.

2. Pumpkin seeds ½ teaspoon per 10kg

3. Cucumber 1 teaspoon per 10kg

4. Garlic ½ teaspoon per 10 kg 

🫁 🪱 Lungworm 

Lungworm also known as French Heart Worm, is transmitted by either eating a snail or slug that is infected with the lungworm larvae (the larvae can also be transmitted through the slime from slugs and snails in outdoor water bowls, puddles and dog toys left outside) or by eating grass with infected slug or snail slime. But we must remember not all slugs and snails carry lung worm. 

Lungworm begins life in the gut then migrates to the lungs and heart, so if you are regularly using a natural intestinal preventative, it is less likely that the lungworm will be able to make it to the lungs, however it is extremely important to test regularly as lungworm can be dangerous if left untreated. 

© Written by Karla Pearson for NO BULL Just Natural Health for Dogs. 

For more support on changing to natural prevention depending on your country of origin, please see our other blogs.

🇬🇧 Changing to natural preventions for UK

🇺🇸 Changing to natural preventions for US

🇨🇦 Changing to natural preventions for CA

🇦🇺 Changing to natural preventions for AU