Non-Toxic Products to Use Instead of Flea and Tick (Insecticide) Products
Use a non-toxic product that really works! http://www.cedarcidestore.com/ANIMALHEALTH.html We have no affiliation with the company cited above and are therefore not endorsing it. We only mention it because their Best Yet product works very well for our dogs and it may for yours also. Also, there's Diatomaceous Earth (DE) That's right, FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth (DE) can be used on animals for fleas and ticks and even used as a wormer. NEVER use swimming pool grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) around animals. It can not only poison but kill them. Read more about this natural product. http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/diatomaceous_earth.html Also, view a YouTube informative video about DE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQn6GSHNzBE Flea and Tick Products and Adverse Reactions Did you know that most flea & tick products are insecticides? Most pesticide chemicals in commercial flea repellents
are fat-soluble and are stored in the fatty tissues of the body,
primarily in the liver and in the nervous system. As these chemicals
accumulate over time, they negatively affect nerves, hormones, and
immunity. Symptoms of product poisoning to watch for
Pyrethrum, a nontoxic insecticide made from
chrysanthemum flowers, is found in many flea repellant products and is
considered safe in its natural state. However, combine pyrethrum with chemical additives and
you have a potentially dangerous environment for your dog. Chemical additives to look out for include diethyl toluamide (DEET), propoxur, diazinon, carbaryl, dichlorvos, and DDVP. Be forewarned: Constant inhalation of DDVP, found in flea collars, can cause permanent damage to your dog's internal organs. Be aware that some flea dips contain very strong chemicals and are much too strong for certain breeds or small dogs. Remember, you are applying an insectide when you use a flea dip or allow your animal to wear a flea collar. If you note any of the symptoms above, wash your dog thoroughly with a mild shampoo and rinse thoroughly to remove any product that may still be on it's fur or skin. Quote about ProMeris flea and tick treatment: “As a practicing vet I can tell you that it's not a product that I'll be selling or recommending any time soon. Amitraz is a really potent drug that originally is used to treat demodectic mange. I rarely use it as the side effects can be really severe. Neurological signs, vomiting and other side effects have been seen. When I saw that Amitraz was in ProMeris, I was concerned. Not all animals will be affected but you don't know which ones will have a bad reaction till you use the stuff. Frankly, I still recommend Frontline to all my clients and use it on my own dogs. Advantix/Advantage is a good alternative too, though not as waterproof.” Experience: This is Jo Bell and this is a very important message to my family & friends who have dogs-cats--and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris. This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available thru a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale) and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me. Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge. Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, one was dragging his back leg, one was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented-dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story, all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I'm home now and so are the dogs. We're all feeling much better. Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days. Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience, I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product.
For many years we used 5% Sevin Dust (made by Gulfstream Home & Garden, Inc.) on our pets for fleas and ticks. The label stated it was safe to use on household pets. Recently, while doing more research, I stumbled upon the article below and found that the labeling information has changed and now warns against using on domestic pets. http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/poisoning-our-pets/Content?oid=1195319
ProMeris has a cute commercial http://www.promeris.com/consumer/ and the Quick Facts http://www.promeris.com/dogs.html state "Gentle enough for dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older." But then there's this (scroll down to 4.6 Adverse reactions (frequency and seriousness): And this: http://esa.confex.com/esa/2005/techprogram/paper_20906.htm The 2005 ESA Annual
Meeting and Exhibition Please note: Recorded presentations are still being processed and added to the site daily. If you granted permission to record and do not see your presentation, please keep checking back. Thank you. Saturday, December 17,
2005 Metaflumizone: A new insecticide for structural
pest control from BASF Metaflumizone is a new chemistry (Semicarbazone) that has high activity against key insect pests. These pests include lepidoptera, coleoptera, hymenoptera, isoptera and diptera. Metaflumizone exhibits a novel mode of action and has no known cross resistance with existing products. Metaflumizone has favorable toxicological and environmental profiles and has been designated by the US EPA as a Reduced Risk Candidate. This molecule exhibits low impact on beneficial insects and is compatable with IPM and IRM practices. Species 1: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Reticulitermes flavipes (Eastern Subterranean Termite) Keywords: Novel Insecticide, Semicarbazone See more of Fb. Urban Entomology See more of The 2005 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS From chardonnet laurent, technicien, IAC,
October 22, 2007 From Inge Blevens, April 9, 2008 I have searched the web on information on any side effects of metaflumizone and can’t find anything in plain English. The only link I found was a side link to Bio-Spot, how it caused seizures in dogs and killed many pets. However that is not the same ingredient as in this new Pro-Meris product, which has metaflumizone as the active ingredient. An honest answer would be appreciated. Can you please let us know about the side effects of metaflumizone in the use against fleas and ticks in dogs, and the consequent contact to humans? Thank you! From Fredric Shotz, ND, Maine Integrative
Wellness, May 5, 2008 From Fredric Shotz, ND, Maine Integrative
Wellness, May 5, 2008 From Mayank Patel, August 14, 2008 From Manjeet singh, August 16, 2009 From Prof. Shailesh Gajjar, Assistant Professor,
Navsari Agricultural University,Navsari,GUJARAT-INDIA, March 19,
2010 Comments and Corrections showed three questions about Metaflumizone (one of the main ingredients) which have gone unanswered since 2005! This information does not seem pro-pet but rather anti-flea only. It's nice if you can rid your pet of fleas and ticks as long as they don't die from the treatment. Draw your own conclusion from the material presented but read, before you administer! It is clear that we have to be the watchdogs for our pet’s health. ~Mel
ProMeris is brought to you by the same company that made ProHeart 6, an injectible heartworm preventative with the distinction of becoming the first ever pharmaceutical for pets to be recalled by the United States Food and Drug Administration after it became clear animals were dying as a direct result of this drug. It has since returned to the market, not reformulated but only with more warnings. |
