Warning: Please Read

[sims822257]

Originally Posted by lisatodd

so all of you who don't use commercial flea/tick medicine and live in area where they are a major problem, what do you use and does it work?

My question as well......I am not sure what to believe BUT would obviously rather NOT use any poision which I am sure all advantix and frontline is on my dogs. SO if I stop using that how do I control the fleas and ticks? I am open to any natural solutions if you have them. My dogs are outside and do go a lot of places with me so they have to be protected.

[Yorkieluv]

We homecook and give supplements and add a little garlic and nutritional yeast to our healthy dog's food...We don't take them outside when mosquitoes are most likely to be out or just after it has rained. We use Minksheen shampoo if we are going somewhere when we know we are going to have them outside for awhile. And we spray them with a natural anti-flea spray(lemon, rosemary seeped in hot water for 15 hours, then poured through a cheese cloth). If by any chance we see a flea on them, they are immediately bathed in a little Dawn. But I think it starts from the inside out.

[laurenr]

WOW!! I just found this thread. After reading what is basically a confirmation of this warning on the Humane Society's web page, I will no longer be using those products on my babies!!! Thanks for this very important information.

[nansyorkies]

I had a friend tell me about using a few drops of the original dawn dish detergent on my yorkies when i bathe them. IT HAS REALLY WORKED. i also have stopped using any kind of flea treatment after using advantix k-9- and one of my girls losing chunks of hair.

[Sandysbabies]

After reading this, I am scared to death. The vet just put Advantage on my little Kayla Wednesday. She assured me that it does not get in the bloodstream. So, after trusting her I bought a treatment for Mandy and Tina. Mandy had a bad reaction to Frontline. Within an hr. of putting it on her she could not walk and was dragging her back leg, foot turned under. They assured me that it was not the Frontline. I still believe it was and my husband said we were not putting any chemicals on our dogs. Kayla is just 13wks. old. This makes me sick to my stomach. Thank you so much for posting this because I felt so unassured of what to do and you just answered my questions. I had rather they have fleas than use this crap they are killing our dogs with. Just like the prescription dog foods they get a kick back on. I know everyone sees things different and has their own options but as for me, I will NEVER put these products on my dogs again.

[RONLYNN]

Teddi is 1 year this month and I have never had any fleas so have never put anything on her but now after reading all this I know I will definitely not ever put anything on her!! Thanks for all the info and so very sorry for your loss.

[altigger74]

I'm confused now. I've known for a long time not to put pymethrin on my animals but after looking into the flea meds available at the vet's none of them have pymethrin in it (that I could find).

I live in northeast alabama, the fleas are so overpopulated there's nothing we can do except wait for a bad freeze to kill them. I was using Frontline plus but within a few days Cody would have them again. So what is there to do? I use dawn soap evertime I bathe him, it kills the fleas on him but they jump right back on,
My house has been treated inside and out many times.

[missPenny]

After reading this thread and the article by the Humane Society, I showed my husband. I also looked up the ingredients for K9 Advantix at drugs.com. 44% Permetherin. Eek!

Does anyone know if oral meds pose the same dangers? We also give Sentinel. ????

[missPenny]

To all those who have posted some natural methods, please see this thread: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94577

I created it so we could separately track natural and holistic methods for flea prevention and share the info with everyone.

Thanks!

[blondflava]

This is so sad... We all want good for our dogs, but if there's something wrong with the food we feed them or the medicines that we give them and we find out too late, that's heart breaking... Thank you for the warning. I use flea/tick/mosquito control on Pepper but only two doses in summer months instead of three...

[MaxwellHouse]

Maxwell was due to have his Frontline -- but now I'm glad I put it off. I think I will try the Euchalyptus oil idea.

Brutus, my first yorkie, had frontline from April to September every year of his life and he died unexpectedly at 12 with no warning. His 9 year old half brother died the same way 2 months later, and my friend was just as careful about putting the treatment on her Rex. Now, I wonder if the cumulative affect did them in?? Looking back, I should have realized, but we thought the skin problems Brutus had and odd head jerkings, were always something else. Never even considered the flea treatment since we got it from our TRUSTED VET!

[Txgurl06]

my boyfriends moms dog used frontline and her dog had burns/rashes all over.
he is a white and grey shi tzu. Well let me say because i seen it that its skin was all red and nasty, he didnt even look white.

[EmrldShdwQueen]

You're all very welcome for the warning!! I know you all feel about your babies the same way I do...I would MUCH rather be safe than sorry...I'm sure it's possible to use it on some dogs their whole lives and never have issues, but since we now know it CAN happen, why risk it? I'm just scared to death of ANYTHING that might be bad for my babies!!

I do have a question though...what is it in the dish detergent that causes the fleas to die??

I've never had a huge problem with fleas except once when Maddie was younger she got a couple from the groomer's (which btw I don't take them there anymore...I try to do my own grooming because they got several parasites and kennel cough from a "reputable" groomer in the area), and I DID use Frontline with no problems. But as soon as my mom sent me this I swore I would never use it again...However, I WOULD like to have something to use in case they ever do get them again...and since I know they won't be infested because I brush them daily and would notice ANY immediately, I would love to have something to use as needed. So you've all had positive experiences with Dawn? Thanks!!!

[karren]

I should have listen to my big dogs(2 labradors). I think they know something about that flea medication because once I pop it open... they look at me in the eye with a worried look.... I go towards their direction and ...zooom they are gone. They actually run away from it , I have to chase them all over the backyard. I thought that was weird..

[MaxwellHouse]

Originally Posted by karren

I should have listen to my big dogs(2 labradors). I think they know something about that flea medication because once I pop it open... they look at me in the eye with a worried look.... I go towards their direction and ...zooom they are gone. They actually run away from it , I have to chase them all over the backyard. I thought that was weird..

I'm inclined to trust the instincts of two labs. I know that the treatment has been around a long time, first in Europe, and it is great not to worry about fleas, but since most people don't get lab tests done after their dogs die, we never really know if a cumulative poisoning over years happened, or not.