Flea Control

Posts Tagged ‘pennyroyal oil’

Deadly nightshade is natural - but would you give it to your pet?

Natural flea control is very popular. Just do a search on google and you can see how many different products are out there which claim to work against fleas. I’m sure that some of them do have some effect on fleas, but I doubt there is any natural flea control product that can compete with one of the veterinarian-only flea treatment products.

Why am I against natural flea control? Mainly because of the huge number of cases that I see at my vet clinic who use “natural flea control” but are still covered in fleas. On the other hand, the number of cases I see using a registered flea control product who are still having flea problems is almost non-existent. When they do have a problem, it is usually because they are not using the product properly, not because of any problems with the product.

But aren’t we poisoning our pets by using these products? You might be surprised to find that most of the registered flea control products have very wide safety margins. All of the major brands have several studies where animals have been given large doses of the product, and have shown little to no ill effects.

The same cannot be said for some natural products. For example, pennyroyal oil is known to be very toxic to dogs and cats when applied directly to the skin. And garlic, another common flea control agent, contains thiosulfate, which can damage the red blood cells and cause anaemia.

The other main reason to use a registered flea control product on your pet is because they actually work. One of the reasons that I recommend products like Frontline Plus, Comfortis, Advantage and Revolution is because all of the manufacturers of these products have published studies which prove the effectiveness of their products. The same cannot be said for natural flea control products, where anyone can make pretty much any claim they like without a lick of evidence to support it.

When it comes down to it, the choice is up to you. Do you want to use a synthetic product that actually kills fleas and prevents flea infestations, or would you rather use something natural, and  have something that has little or no effect on fleas but makes you feel good because it is “safer” for your pet?

To a flea free pet!

Dr. Simon

photo: BurningQuestion

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