The tiny biters have been spotted!
Are your dogs protected?
That’s right! Just as we were starting to believe they weren't coming back, (and that we had finally won the war against these horrid insects!) FLEAS have resurfaced and are out in force!
As the weather gets warmer, Flea Season is approaching and so now it’s time for all us dog owners to stop being complacent and guard our pets against these pesky parasites.
So what are your options for flea prevention this season? Recently, there have been many new flea-prevention products hitting our shelves and this gives us many options! There is still the trusty topical treatment, there is also tablets that can last up to 3 months, and now there is even a natural flea-prevention option. So now we have no excuse not to protect our pets from an itchy and irritable flea infestation!
Chewable tablets (eg. Nexgard or Bravecto)
While Nexgard will protect your pet for one month, Bravecto claims to protect against fleas for up to 3 months and paralysis ticks for up to 4 months.
PROS – well isn’t it obvious? We only need to give this product to our dog 4 times a year! It is also FDA approved and its testing period produced great results, claiming to be one of the safest flea and tick prevention products for your dog. Since these chewable tablets have become readily available, I have personally heard great reviews from users. I have trialled them myself and I have to report that, yes, it did seem to keep the fleas at bay.
CONS – The cons of this product come into play when we dig a little deeper into HOW these ingestible preventions work. The product reaches the tissue level just under the skin of your dog. When a flea or tick bites your dog it ingests the product and dies. So what does this mean? It means that your dog must get BITTEN before the product will kill any parasites. The active ingredient affects the nervous system in insects, but has no effect on a canine’s nervous system. What you really need to think about before you feed this product to your dog is that this product is INGESTED. While the products are FDA approved and claim to be safe for your dog, the bottom line still remains - your dog is eating a pesticide.
Topical treatments (eg. Frontline or Advantage)
So what is another choice for flea prevention? The good old topical application, such as Frontline or Advantage. Topical treatments are applied to the back of your dog’s neck once a month.
PROS – Your dog does not need to ingest this product and so in general it has fewer chances of side effects. These products have also been on the market for a lot longer and so it is more widely accepted as being safe to use and effective. But the biggest PRO of them all – topical treatments work by creating a barrier on your dog that repels fleas and ticks BEFORE they have the chance to bite your dog! They also kill ALL stages of the flea cycle, not just the adult fleas.
CONS – because they have been on the market for some time now, parasites have started to build immunity against the product, which is making it less effective. Another con to think about is that this product is poisonous to humans and we should make sure it doesn't come into contact with our skin or be ingested. This can especially prove troublesome when, like me, we have little children running around that just love to touch our pets!
A natural alternative (e.g Diatomaceous Earth)
So is there a safer product out there that works as a natural pesticide? Well I think I have found one! This product is called Diatomaceous Earth.
Diatomaceous Earth is a fine flour-like powder made of the microscopic remains of fossilized diatoms, a type of algae. Diatom cell walls are made of silica, a component of glass, and fleas and other insects with a hard exoskeleton are susceptible to the glass-sharp edges of the microscopic diatoms. The silica shards cut through the waxy exoskeleton surface, effectively drying out the flea and resulting in death to these types of insects and their larvae. Diatomaceous earth is not toxic, does not cause any residual or lingering issues, and because it is a mechanical killer versus a chemical killer, the fleas will never develop immunity to it.
Diatomaceous Earth is a non-toxic way to rid your home of fleas, but only if you're careful to use it safely and appropriately. It is a very fine powder that can dry out the skin or cause irritation to the throat and lungs if breathed in. So safety measures must be followed when using this product, and I suggest doing your own research before trialling this product. I have trialled this product and (when handled properly) it is a great natural alternative to a chemical pesticide for flea prevention.
Test and Try
Different products will work best for different dogs and their lifestyle. The most important thing is that we as pet owners are doing something to minimise our dog’s exposure to these nasty creatures. Remember that it can take up to 3 months to completely eradicate your dog from a flea infestation and that you need to also kill the other life stages of the fleas within the dog’s environment.
Have you tried any of the products mentioned. such as Nexgard or Diatomaceous Earth? If so, please comment with your experience! The more we talk about these products the more facts we all have to make an informed decision!
By Davina Dewar