Flea & Tick

there are more risks than benefits in my opinion. 

The vaccine has low efficacy: it prevents illness in up to 60-70% of dogs, but the effects are not consistent. Additionally, the duration of immunity is short and therefore requires annual vaccination. 

There are more adverse side effects seen, within 3 days of administration of this vaccine than any other vaccine, even Rabies. The AVMA categorized these adverse events as “moderate” in 2002.

The vaccine uses the same mechanism that was used in the human vaccine, which initiated immune-mediated arthritis in those genetically predisposed individuals. In dogs, we are finding that it initiates immune-mediated kidney disease, which in some cases, can lead to kidney failure and death. We suspect that these dogs are also genetically predisposed (especially Retrievers).

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Preventing ticks prevents the disease. A tick must be attached for 24-48 hours in order to transmit the bacteria. Because I choose to be more holistically oriented, I utilize a wholesome, healthy, raw diet (to ensure a healthy immune system), flea/tick prevention in the form of diluted essential oil blends, and routine skin/coat checks – when they go hiking, I comb through the bullies coat after the hike and remove ticks as needed (with tweezers or a tick-removal device such as the Tick Key… never with their fingertips! We humans can have microabrasions in our fingertips, and if the tick is indeed carrying Borrelia bacteria, we can become infected).

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5 parts neem oil

 1 part mint oil

2 part cedar oil 

and 1 part eucalyptus

Mix  in a spray bottle.

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I strongly discourage automatically applying potentially toxic chemical agents to pets or around their home to repel or kill pests. Each pesticide application should have thoughtful awareness that assesses risks vs. benefits. The use of spot-on products may cause skin irritation, paralysis, seizures and even death if used improperly, and there are effective natural alternatives that are far safer.

In addition, ticks are growing resistant to chemical pesticides, which means your dog or cat may still be exposed to tick-borne disease.

if left with no choice but chemical to protect my pup their liver will be tasked with processing the chemicals that make it into the bloodstream, it can be very beneficial to give a supplement to help detoxify the liver. I give them milk thistle, which is a detox agent and also helps to regenerate liver cells. 

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I give 1/2 tsp in powder form

(50lb pup) every day with food

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