The skinny on Flea collars..

[Nanook]

I had an at length discussion with my vet yesterday on the matter of flea collars. To summarize in a nutshell AVOID THEM! They are very toxic and essentially poison to not only your pets but to the humans who touch them.

I use no flea or tick control for my dogs at all. Fleas are not a common problem in the far north, though we do have ticks. However, I can usually see a tick on one of my dogs from afar since the hair is so short and since I don't let them run in the woods I don't see a lot. I take a small chance on deer ticks vs the chances of them actually coming in contact with a lymes tick, but I keep toxins away from my dogs and the chance to me is so slim I just don't use anything for tick control.

After doing some research on the non toxic last night though, I'll probably start using something.

First of all, fleas will come on to a dog over it's hind quarters, whereas ticks will come hang out by the neck. The flea collar being on the neck is not nearly as effective in that respect, but really...where do a person's hands go the most when petting dogs and cats? The neck, near the collars...where toxins are waiting for you to pick up if your pet is wearing one collar. Little children especially should not come in contact with these things.

Anyway, then I asked her what products could I suggest?

There are several options and I spent a little time googling non toxic flea control and there is a plethora of pages to choose from but here are a few examples:

We talked about a safe flea collar and there is one natural product out there I thought she said it was Safeguard, but I am still trying to find it.

I'll have to come back when I can find a link to them.

We talked about Diatomaceous earth, which she was very in favor of, and it is completely safe. You can sprinkle this powder on your pet, or anywhere...even in your gardens to prevent pests on your plants!


You can buy it fairly cheaply too. This seemed like a good website for starters...

eartheasy.com

OK I'll be back little more after I feed my fur kids, they hollering for breakfast!

[R00TS]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

whos that guy that swears by them,
and wears em on his ankles on the beach in negril

[Tulip]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

I do use flea control since fleas are common in my area. None of the home remedies including Avon's Skin So Soft never worked. I even recall garlic being pushed as a natural repellent, but if you can even get them to eat, it it didn't work either.

Since I have been using the liquid repellents (which was on a different dog when I first tried), I pretty much have not seen a flea since the turn of the century.

As for flea collars, I saw the mention of Hartz in another thread. The last time I used a flea collar on a dog, I was under 10 and it did not work at all.

I have not been in the single digit age range in a long time and I am sure there have been improvements, but I have a bad memory of their effectiveness. Also they sure did smell funny.

[Nanook]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R00TS</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> whos that guy that swears by them,
and wears em on his ankles on the beach in negril </div></div>

Yes he calls himself Mud and is from Mn. I saw it with my own eyes and I have TRIED to splain how toxic the things are to deaf ears.

Poor guy is just poisoning himself. For real.

[Nanook]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tulip</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do use flea control since fleas are common in my area. None of the home remedies including Avon's Skin So Soft never worked. I even recall garlic being pushed as a natural repellent, but if you can even get them to eat, it it didn't work either.

Since I have been using the liquid repellents (which was on a different dog when I first tried), I pretty much have not seen a flea since the turn of the century.

As for flea collars, I saw the mention of Hartz in another thread. The last time I used a flea collar on a dog, I was under 10 and it did not work at all.

I have not been in the single digit age range in a long time and I am sure there have been improvements, but I have a bad memory of their effectiveness. Also they sure did smell funny. </div></div>

Tulip it has been decades since I have smelled one but I can still smell it from memory, you are so right, they STINK! They stink of toxic for real.

Skin so soft has never worked for anything that I have noticed. our hardy northern mosquitoes scoff at the stuff. I also hate the smell.

I understand that using flea control in some areas is absolutely necessary. There are also some things a person can do in their living environment as well as the dogs spaces to help prevent them as well. We'll surly talk about that, I saw some good advice on the earth easy site.

Anyway, while we're on the subject of using SOMETHING...if you are using Advantage or Frontline, STAY AWAY FOM THE &quot;<span style="font-weight: bold">PLUS</span>&quot;.
The &quot;plus&quot;, is only unused added chemicals and do no more good and might even border on harm. My vet said the regular is just fine.

That said...to be more cost effective she did say a person could get a large size and split it among 2, or even three dogs depending on size. I mentioned to her that someone mentioned bringing the collars to Jamaica for friends and she suggested this as an alternative.

It was then that we discussed the alternatives, such as the Diatomaceous earth. This is something I am going to pick up, it seems like a miracle product good for everything!

We talked about permethrin and Pyrethin also.

To save on my fingers...

Check on this here

There is so much information on safe flea control out there let your fingers do the walking and go google non toxic flea control, or some such query for loads more info!

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

Thanks Nookie!

[Tulip]

Re: The skinny on Flea collars..

Nanook, I am using Advantage Multi, and it contains both the flea repellent and heartworm preventative. I get it from her vet and have not found it any pet stores here (ATL). I mention the fact that they don't appear to sell it in pet stores because it gives me a sense of security that the vet sells it.

I admit I like the combination of two products in one, but I also love the effectiveness even more. I do live in flea country. I have a friend who got an infestation, for lack of a better word, a few months back. It has been so long since I have even seen a flea, that I got a headache just listening to the shampooing, carpet cleanings, etc. he had to go through just to have to start all over when the new eggs hatched.

The first time I used a treatment was around 98 and it definitely did not work the same way as they do now. Basically, they just made the fleas jump off the dog and as a result onto you and anywhere else they could in the house. That was a mess! And I never want to experience it again.

Thanks for the link. I have started reading it but have not made it all the way through yet.

As a side note, Hartz flea collars must have contained something serious because I can still smell it too. Also, if I smell SSS again, I'll dry heave.



I know this is tick country too, but

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nanook</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tulip</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I do use flea control since fleas are common in my area. None of the home remedies including Avon's Skin So Soft never worked. I even recall garlic being pushed as a natural repellent, but if you can even get them to eat, it it didn't work either.

Since I have been using the liquid repellents (which was on a different dog when I first tried), I pretty much have not seen a flea since the turn of the century.

As for flea collars, I saw the mention of Hartz in another thread. The last time I used a flea collar on a dog, I was under 10 and it did not work at all.

I have not been in the single digit age range in a long time and I am sure there have been improvements, but I have a bad memory of their effectiveness. Also they sure did smell funny. </div></div>

Tulip it has been decades since I have smelled one but I can still smell it from memory, you are so right, they STINK! They stink of toxic for real.

Skin so soft has never worked for anything that I have noticed. our hardy northern mosquitoes scoff at the stuff. I also hate the smell.

I understand that using flea control in some areas is absolutely necessary. There are also some things a person can do in their living environment as well as the dogs spaces to help prevent them as well. We'll surly talk about that, I saw some good advice on the earth easy site.

Anyway, while we're on the subject of using SOMETHING...if you are using Advantage or Frontline, STAY AWAY FOM THE &quot;<span style="font-weight: bold">PLUS</span>&quot;.
The &quot;plus&quot;, is only unused added chemicals and do no more good and might even border on harm. My vet said the regular is just fine.

That said...to be more cost effective she did say a person could get a large size and split it among 2, or even three dogs depending on size. I mentioned to her that someone mentioned bringing the collars to Jamaica for friends and she suggested this as an alternative.

It was then that we discussed the alternatives, such as the Diatomaceous earth. This is something I am going to pick up, it seems like a miracle product good for everything!

We talked about permethrin and Pyrethin also.

To save on my fingers...

Check on this here

There is so much information on safe flea control out there let your fingers do the walking and go google non toxic flea control, or some such query for loads more info!


</div></div>