Should you be using Advantage flea control, Frontline flea and tick control, and other well known chemical flea control agents to get rid of fleas in your dog?
I have maintained for several years that the clear answer is NO.
The problem of how to get rid of fleas is an ever present one for most pet owners, but in most cases, there are many steps you can take to prevent fleas, and even to get rid of them if they do occur, without needing to resort to these chemicals poisons.
I have just come across a great, informative article on the dangers of these chemical flea treatments – it was an article that appeared in The Whole Dog Journal back in 2002 (just before I started reading that publication, in fact). You can read the article here – http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf
It says what I have been saying all along, but backs it up with scientific evidence, laboratory studies, information on how these products work, what EXACTLY they contain, and what health problems they do actually cause.
I couldn’t possibly do justice to the information in the article here, which is why I’ve given you the link where you can read the entire article at your leisure.
But suffice to say:
1. While products such as Frontline flea and tick, and Advantage flea control may be effective in getting rid of fleas, there is a cost – a cost to your dog’s health.
2. Adverse skin reactions to the application of these topical treatments, while they can be severe, are probably the least of the concerns.
3. It is established that these chemical flea preparations can cause such diverse side effects as chronic itching, depression, lethargy, liver toxicity, lung tumors and other cancers and autoimmune disease.
4. Dogs who already suffer from conditions involving their liver, kidneys, thyroid, adrenal gland, spleen, lung or brain, are eminently more likely to develop serious chronic illness as a result of the use of chemical flea preparations.
5. Although animals in good health may not show any adverse signs from the use of chemical flea treatments, the toxity will inevitably build up and over time, although you may not connect certain conditions with the use of these flea treatments, the connection can be scientifically established as being a very likely cause.
6. Contrary to what your vet may tell you, and the advertising for these products would have us believe, there is no doubt that these pesticides do enter your dog’s internal organs, do move into their intestinal tracts, and are eventually eliminated in your dog’s urine and feces. All of these products have neurotoxic effects on your dog.
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6 thoughts on “Dangerous Chemicals Used for Flea Control”
peg snipas
My Bearded Collie is a female and is 6 year old. Never sick except for an ear infection that was treated. Then shortly after applying a monthly treatment to her back of Frontline Plus, we saw lesions on her. Took her to one vet who determined it was staph intermedius, but when the soresand she prescribed an antibiotic, but after 4 weeks it didn’t get any better and we took her to another vet who biopsied her and did cultures, and because all cultures were negative, the biopsy pathology report came back as sterile granuloma. She has been treated with simplef for 7 weeks and prednisone started out at 20 mg. then now down to 5mg. every other day. She has healed and the vet had to shave her back and all her hair is coming in, but I notice her skin is flaky almost like a dandruff. We use no flea protection on her at all. I live in an apartment complex, well-maintained and they do treat the lawns here. I can’t get the Frontline out of my head as a possibility to all of a sudden knoiw she has an Autoimmune skin disease with little being known about it. Any suggestions or comments or studies would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Peg
Brigitte Smith
Peg,
I think the use of Frontline is more than a possibility! There is no other explanation that has been offered to you, and you can see from the above article that adverse skin reactions, chronic itching, and autoimmune disease can all be side effects from the use of flea control chemicals including Frontline.
The use of antibiotics and steroids (Prednisone) will also have further compromised your dog’s immune system.
I recommend that you attempt to build your dog’s immunity so as to limit the effects of all these chemicals and drugs that your dog has been putting up with.
There are many ways to do this.
The first is a healthy – preferably raw – diet.
Next is to give your dog a good immune support supplement – there is information on the best one I know of – here.
And no further use of chemicals for flea prevention if you can avoid it. There is information on natural flea treatments – here.
Regards,
Brigitte
Stephanie Holt
I have been reading your articles on toxins and I agree our pets are being exposed everyday to toxic chemicals. I have an old country vet that has told me to treat my pets the way I would treat myself. Trust me, I would never put insecticides on my body therefore why would I do that to my beloved pets.
Vitamin supplements prevent the need to eat a lot grass. Grass is what a dog will eat to clean their system or to get vitamins and minerals they are lacking. Unfortunately grass is full of toxins as you had mentioned. You can’t stop a dog from eating grass from time to time but the vitamin supplement will prevent the need to eat as much grass. Also I have learned that garlic deters fleas and mosquitoes from biting. If your pet has a problem with fleas, rinsing your pet in vinegar will get rid of pest. If the fleas have infested your pet, I found that dandruff shampoo will do the trick.
The dandruff shampoo with conditioner added will get rid of the fleas and leave your pet with a soft shiny coat.
This is one pet lover that goes with all natural. Believe me it works, your beloved pet and companion will live a longer healthier life.
Your friend
Stephanie
Brigitte Smith
Thanks for these suggestions, Stephanie,
And I’m really happy to hear that your vet seems to have great common sense (so many vets really don’t when it comes to this issue of putting chemicals and other toxins into and onto our pets!)
I totally agree with Stephanie Holt. We should treat our pets the way we want to be treated. Putting insecticides to our pets to kill fleas is really not a good idea. We should keep our environment clean and always make sure that our pets are taking supplements.
Ed
Older instructions used to tell you to wear the gloves that they provided to apply product. They no longer show or tell one to do so . It made no sense to do so anyway, as indoor pets roll over everything in the house such as carpet, beds, couches and people.
Should you be using Advantage flea control, Frontline flea and tick control, and other well known chemical flea control agents to get rid of fleas in your dog?
a cost – a cost to your dog’s health.
So there you have it. I really encourage you to go read the article – http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf.
My Bearded Collie is a female and is 6 year old. Never sick except for an ear infection that was treated. Then shortly after applying a monthly treatment to her back of Frontline Plus, we saw lesions on her. Took her to one vet who determined it was staph intermedius, but when the soresand she prescribed an antibiotic, but after 4 weeks it didn’t get any better and we took her to another vet who biopsied her and did cultures, and because all cultures were negative, the biopsy pathology report came back as sterile granuloma. She has been treated with simplef for 7 weeks and prednisone started out at 20 mg. then now down to 5mg. every other day. She has healed and the vet had to shave her back and all her hair is coming in, but I notice her skin is flaky almost like a dandruff. We use no flea protection on her at all. I live in an apartment complex, well-maintained and they do treat the lawns here. I can’t get the Frontline out of my head as a possibility to all of a sudden knoiw she has an Autoimmune skin disease with little being known about it. Any suggestions or comments or studies would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Peg
Peg,
I think the use of Frontline is more than a possibility! There is no other explanation that has been offered to you, and you can see from the above article that adverse skin reactions, chronic itching, and autoimmune disease can all be side effects from the use of flea control chemicals including Frontline.
The use of antibiotics and steroids (Prednisone) will also have further compromised your dog’s immune system.
I recommend that you attempt to build your dog’s immunity so as to limit the effects of all these chemicals and drugs that your dog has been putting up with.
There are many ways to do this.
The first is a healthy – preferably raw – diet.
Next is to give your dog a good immune support supplement – there is information on the best one I know of – here.
And no further use of chemicals for flea prevention if you can avoid it. There is information on natural flea treatments – here.
Regards,
Brigitte
I have been reading your articles on toxins and I agree our pets are being exposed everyday to toxic chemicals. I have an old country vet that has told me to treat my pets the way I would treat myself. Trust me, I would never put insecticides on my body therefore why would I do that to my beloved pets.
Vitamin supplements prevent the need to eat a lot grass. Grass is what a dog will eat to clean their system or to get vitamins and minerals they are lacking. Unfortunately grass is full of toxins as you had mentioned. You can’t stop a dog from eating grass from time to time but the vitamin supplement will prevent the need to eat as much grass. Also I have learned that garlic deters fleas and mosquitoes from biting. If your pet has a problem with fleas, rinsing your pet in vinegar will get rid of pest. If the fleas have infested your pet, I found that dandruff shampoo will do the trick.
The dandruff shampoo with conditioner added will get rid of the fleas and leave your pet with a soft shiny coat.
This is one pet lover that goes with all natural. Believe me it works, your beloved pet and companion will live a longer healthier life.
Your friend
Stephanie
Thanks for these suggestions, Stephanie,
And I’m really happy to hear that your vet seems to have great common sense (so many vets really don’t when it comes to this issue of putting chemicals and other toxins into and onto our pets!)
Regards,
Brigitte
I totally agree with Stephanie Holt. We should treat our pets the way we want to be treated. Putting insecticides to our pets to kill fleas is really not a good idea. We should keep our environment clean and always make sure that our pets are taking supplements.
Older instructions used to tell you to wear the gloves that they provided to apply product. They no longer show or tell one to do so . It made no sense to do so anyway, as indoor pets roll over everything in the house such as carpet, beds, couches and people.