A Pesticide collar is nothing but a poison necklace around your pet's head. It emits a constant toxic cloud that your pet inhales, and so do you, every time you hug your pet.
You can find many brands of flea and tick products at supermarkets, pet supply stores, online retailers, and through your veterinarian. Before you use any of these products on your pets, it is critical to read their labels and consult with your veterinarian. They may contain ingredients that could harm pets and people.
In addition to the risks associated with flea treatments, there is simply no chemical based pest control pill, dip, solution, shampoo, or collar that is without the potential for side effects.
Just because a compound is applied to or worn on your pet’s fur doesn’t mean it’s safe. Remember: what goes on your pet goes in your pet, by absorption through the skin or ingestion during grooming.
Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other parasites feed first on unhealthy animals. So the goal of preventive pest control is to bring your dog or cat to optimal health, which will make him naturally more resilient and less attractive to parasites.
Flea and tick collars along with flea products are not only toxic to your pet, they also expose you and your family to pesticides when you play with your dog or cat.
Children are particularly at risk, and may be exposed to pesticide residues at levels up to 1,000 times higher than the U.S. EPA acceptable levels, posing a risk of cancer and damage to the neurological system. The residues can remain on your pets' fur for weeks.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Findings
In mid-March the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a free, public webinar titled “Evaluation of Pet Spot-on Flea and Tick Products and Next Steps.”
The purpose of the webinar was to discuss findings from a five-year study of flea and tick products. The increased scrutiny was prompted by rising rates of adverse effects from these products.
In April of last year, the EPA issued an advisory about “spot-on” chemical products. These are products applied to the neck or back of dogs and cats as a flea and tick preventive.
The advisory was issued due to a significant increase in reported adverse reactions -- everything from mild skin irritation to seizures and death. Over 44,000 reactions presumed to be tied to spot-on products were reported by pet owners, veterinarians and other animal caretakers.
The risks of these products are simply too great to warrant their routine (monthly) use. Dr. Karen Becker encourages her dog and cat owner clients to avoid these pesticides in favor of safer alternatives.
The full EPA report can be found here, and includes a list of the specific products reviewed and the adverse reactions reported for each. For more information, you can also review the EPA Analysis and Mitigation Plan
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| Read here about the HARTZ VICTIMS stories.
Texas Bulldog Owner Wins Verdict Against
Hartz Mountain Pet Products |
Pets Health Risks
When Using Chemical Flea Killers
- Loss of appetite
- Convulsions
- Excessive whining, barking, crying
- Aggressive behavior
- Body twitches/tremors
- Stiffened limbs
- Unsteady gait
- Lack of co-ordination
- Labored breathing
- Thyroid cancer
- Liver enlargement/toxicity
- Liver and lung tumors
- Enlarged kidneys
- Brain lesions
- Increased miscarriages
- Smaller offspring
- Headache
- Depression
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Death
The Natural Approach to Flea Control
Run the comb through your pet’s hair and gather a bit of hair & “dirt”. Then put this between two damp white paper towels and press them together – if the “dirt” creates rusty looking spots on the paper towel, then there is a flea somewhere – most likely a family of fleas – on your pet. If you persist, you will likely trap some of them in the comb.
Drown the fleas in SOAPY water (DAWN dish washing liquid works wonders) – fleas have been known to jump out of plain water and off the flea comb. Flea combing daily may sound tedious, but it is very helpful while you are working on the environmental control measures necessary to rid your world of fleas.
I used Dawn on my cats and was very surprised how well it removed and killed all the fleas. I didn't bathe them in it - just put Dawn on a wash cloth, rubbed it on their skin and combed them. With each combing, immediately dip the comb into a bowl of diluted Dawn...gone in a remarkably short time.
Just remember that for every adult flea you drown in that soapy water you are preventing generations of future parasites from searching for food in your home.
Drown the fleas in SOAPY water (DAWN dish washing liquid works wonders) – fleas have been known to jump out of plain water and off the flea comb. Flea combing daily may sound tedious, but it is very helpful while you are working on the environmental control measures necessary to rid your world of fleas.
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| The ducks that were involved in that big oil spill several years ago, were bathed in Dawn, which did the job and is gentle on the skin. Does the job for fleas and ticks as well. |
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| Read here about the HARTZ VICTIMS stories.
Texas Bulldog Owner Wins Verdict Against Hartz Mountain Pet Products
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'Diesel' died less than 40 hours after flea and tick drops were applied.
March 9, 2010 A 72-year-old dog owner has won what may be a landmark decision against the countrys leading maker of pet care products and fueled the ongoing debate over the safety of topical flea and tick treatments. A Texas jury awarded Frank Bowers $4,440.75 in the small claims court action he filed against Hartz Mountain Corporation. In this David-versus-Goliath court battle -- believed to be the first small claims court acti...(to read more click here.)
Sources:
- Wikipedia Dog Fleas
- Wikipedia Cat Fleas
- "Flea Control in the Indoor Environment". Retrieved 2010-05-26..