Even though the snow outside my windows belies it, spring is on its way. That means it’ll be flea and tick season soon, so today’s newsletter is not only about what options there are, but how they work. Obviously, any decision you make regarding flea and tick treatments should be discussed with your veterinarian.
Before getting into treatment, consider that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While fleas and ticks can be picked up anywhere, your dog is probably in your yard the most, so keep your lawn trimmed appropriately short; clear out any piles of plant litter, as fleas love those; do what you can to keep wildlife out of your yard. Beneficial nematodes can be a great way to keep your yard flea- and tick-free, and diatomaceous earth can be used to treat an infestation and then to keep it clear. Another important piece of prevention is your dog itself. Feed your dog the best food you can, as a healthy dog will be less attractive to insects.
Flea and tick treatment can be broken down into three classes: chemical insecticides, repellants, and physical insecticides.
Chemical insecticides: there are a host of chemicals which are neurotransmitter disruptors. Different chemicals work to disrupt different stages of an insect’s neural network. Some (imidacloprid; fipronil; metaflumizone; selamectin) block the insects’ nervous system; some (pyretherin & pyrethroids) cause nerve cells to fire continuously, resulting in flea death; some (lufenuron) are second-generational, which means that they don’t affect the actual flea that bites, but disables its larvae’s ability to form an exoskeleton so it dies; some (nitenpyram) blocks fleas’ nerve receptors and kills in about 30 minutes, so used if there’s an active infestation.
There are different ways to administer these treatments. A single-dose liquid, applied to the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades and down the spine, is very common. In this case, the active ingredients spread across the skin, thanks to the oily carrier fluid, accumulates in hair follicles, and is ingested by the insect when they bite. Oral tablets are an option as well. There, the chemical is stored in body fat and transmitted to the insect when it bites. Sprays do the same job as the single-doses. For collars, the active ingredients are embedded in the collar and release slowly over time.
Repellants: a quick Google of “flea tick repellants” will net you a screenful of links and a variety of essential oil recipes, from oil combinations applied a drop at a time to sprays. There is also at least one single dose-type product (Sentry Natural Defense). There are also wipes. A huge caveat is that essential oils can be dangerous for cats, so be cautious with this approach if you share your house with a cat.
Physical insecticides: the diatomaceous earth mentioned above can also be put on your dog; as with applying any powder, be careful not to inhale and not to overdo it as it’s very drying. There is a prefab product from Buck Mountain (link below).
So which is right? That’s going to depend on your dog, your activities, and your lifestyle. A short-coated, light colored dog who stays in the neighborhood can use a different product than a densely-coated, dark colored dog who hikes regularly. I’m not a fan of either neurotoxic chemicals or tick-borne diseases, so my boys wear Seresto collars but only during warmer months; they get a break during the winter.
Hopefully this newsletter has given you some good information about how various flea and tick treatments work. Below are some of the links I used for research.
http://www.nematodes.com/
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/diatomaceous-earth-fleas-yard-53053.html
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/evr_multi_how_do_common_flea_medications_work
https://www.petcarerx.com/article/how-do-flea-and-tick-treatments-work/141
http://goodnewsforpets.com/how-do-topical-flea-and-tick-preventives-work/
http://www.buckmountainbotanicals.net/treatments/parasitedust.html
Before getting into treatment, consider that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While fleas and ticks can be picked up anywhere, your dog is probably in your yard the most, so keep your lawn trimmed appropriately short; clear out any piles of plant litter, as fleas love those; do what you can to keep wildlife out of your yard. Beneficial nematodes can be a great way to keep your yard flea- and tick-free, and diatomaceous earth can be used to treat an infestation and then to keep it clear. Another important piece of prevention is your dog itself. Feed your dog the best food you can, as a healthy dog will be less attractive to insects.
Flea and tick treatment can be broken down into three classes: chemical insecticides, repellants, and physical insecticides.
Chemical insecticides: there are a host of chemicals which are neurotransmitter disruptors. Different chemicals work to disrupt different stages of an insect’s neural network. Some (imidacloprid; fipronil; metaflumizone; selamectin) block the insects’ nervous system; some (pyretherin & pyrethroids) cause nerve cells to fire continuously, resulting in flea death; some (lufenuron) are second-generational, which means that they don’t affect the actual flea that bites, but disables its larvae’s ability to form an exoskeleton so it dies; some (nitenpyram) blocks fleas’ nerve receptors and kills in about 30 minutes, so used if there’s an active infestation.
There are different ways to administer these treatments. A single-dose liquid, applied to the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades and down the spine, is very common. In this case, the active ingredients spread across the skin, thanks to the oily carrier fluid, accumulates in hair follicles, and is ingested by the insect when they bite. Oral tablets are an option as well. There, the chemical is stored in body fat and transmitted to the insect when it bites. Sprays do the same job as the single-doses. For collars, the active ingredients are embedded in the collar and release slowly over time.
Repellants: a quick Google of “flea tick repellants” will net you a screenful of links and a variety of essential oil recipes, from oil combinations applied a drop at a time to sprays. There is also at least one single dose-type product (Sentry Natural Defense). There are also wipes. A huge caveat is that essential oils can be dangerous for cats, so be cautious with this approach if you share your house with a cat.
Physical insecticides: the diatomaceous earth mentioned above can also be put on your dog; as with applying any powder, be careful not to inhale and not to overdo it as it’s very drying. There is a prefab product from Buck Mountain (link below).
So which is right? That’s going to depend on your dog, your activities, and your lifestyle. A short-coated, light colored dog who stays in the neighborhood can use a different product than a densely-coated, dark colored dog who hikes regularly. I’m not a fan of either neurotoxic chemicals or tick-borne diseases, so my boys wear Seresto collars but only during warmer months; they get a break during the winter.
Hopefully this newsletter has given you some good information about how various flea and tick treatments work. Below are some of the links I used for research.
http://www.nematodes.com/
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/diatomaceous-earth-fleas-yard-53053.html
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/evr_multi_how_do_common_flea_medications_work
https://www.petcarerx.com/article/how-do-flea-and-tick-treatments-work/141
http://goodnewsforpets.com/how-do-topical-flea-and-tick-preventives-work/
http://www.buckmountainbotanicals.net/treatments/parasitedust.html