Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Does anyone know of any natural flea/tick prevention that WORKS? I just ordered Wondercide and hoping it'll work! It pains me to use chemicals on my baby (grew up with 2 dogs that we believe developed seizures due to their flea/tick prevention medicine).
I will add...because I forgot to include it in my above post that twelve kindly linked here...that I also supplement my dogs with garlic as a flea repellent. Here is that post: Tick season already!
If you choose to use a natural method you will have to get comfy with finding an attached/engorged tick or two occasionally since those methods are not always 100% effective. Of course, Frontline Plus is no longer 100% effective in many areas of the country and other chemical spot ons will likely eventually experience similar efficacy blips.
The occasional attached (or even engorged) tick is usually not a problem if you watch your dogs carefully and act immediately if they begin to show symptoms of TBD (tick borne disease). All three of our current dogs have tested positive for the antibody to the Lyme spirochete at one point or another. And more than once. None have ever been vaccinated against Lyme so this was certainly due to an exposure via deer tick bite. But none have ever shown symptoms. We put them on doxy as a precaution if they go positive after their most recent test was negative. That happens every few years or so.
I prefer to avoid poisoning my dogs. And the Lyme vaccine is pointless even in our tick infested area...it covers only a few of the spirochetal serovars responsible for Lyme disease and vaccine-stimulated antibodies to spirochetes don't last long anyway.
Does anyone know of any natural flea/tick prevention that WORKS? I just ordered Wondercide and hoping it'll work! It pains me to use chemicals on my baby (grew up with 2 dogs that we believe developed seizures due to their flea/tick prevention medicine).
Thanks!
I looked at the ingredients in Wondercide. Cedar, Lemongrass and Rosemary essential oils all have good insect repellent properties. But certified aromatherapists...the essential oil experts...recommend Geranium Bourbon, and to a lesser extent Geranium Egyptian, as having the strongest tick-specific repellent properties. I am guessing Wondercide will work well for mosquitoes, fleas and flies (deerflies, horseflies, blackflies) but perhaps not as well for ticks.
Ticks are tough little buggers.
I use Cedar Bug-Free spray when I am out watering my flowering pots and potted veggies in the summer evenings and the skeeters steer well clear of me so I can vouch for Cedar working in that regard. Our dogs did not like being sprayed with it though. And it is oily on their coats. Natural Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and Cats
Good luck on your natural quest!
BTW, I did a test last summer with a captured tick and my current Edens Garden Geranium essential oil (Pelargonium capitum x radens which is a Bourbon) by placing the tick on a dish and one drop of the oil close to the tick. It crawled away. I continued to push the tick near the drop and it continued to crawl away. Interesting.
This worked with my cats. I put Brewers Yeast (health food stores) in their food. It gets in the animals bloodstream and fleas would not go on them at all.
Carpets I used 20 Mule Team Borax and swept it down into the pile. That is basically a salt solution which dehydrates the larvae and eggs too.
I also use diatmatious earth. Putting it in their food will also deworm them. My cats got used to it. The dogs don't pause long enough to notice there's more than dog food there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
