TOPICAL CONSEQUENCES of FLEA and TICK PREPARATIONS
Convenient and Effective Does Not Always Mean Safe and Healthy.
Fipronil May Have "Topical Consequences"
Fleas and ticks are one of life's little annoyances. Today we
are barraged by many products
selling you the "easy and effective" solutions. Just a couple
drops along the back of your
pet and "poof", no more fleas (or ticks with some formulas).
And it's so easy and
effective.
These products usually work well, really well. We do not have
a problem with that. What
you need to know is HOW they work. It could prove to be very
hazardous not only to
your pets, but your family as well. No one knows anything
about the active ingredients in
these products.
We got our hands on the laboratory research and decided to
uncover the hidden truth
behind what really makes these products effective and why you
may think twice about this
flea prevention treatment.
This article will focus on one active ingredient some of
today's leading flea and tick
prevention products contain, called Fipronil. Fipronil is a
type of phenylpyrazol insecticide,
which works by constricting blood vessels in order to shut
down the central nervous
system (a nerve inhibitor). This results in the death of an
insect by contact and ingestion.
What we know about this ingredient
Fipronil is known to cause irritation to the eyes and skin of
lab animals, as well as causing
more serious long term problems such as loss of appetite,
failure to urinate, increased
excitability and seizures. Fipronil affects the liver,
thyroid, kidneys and even the
reproductive organs. Reproductive studies in rats over several
generations show decreased
litter size, decreased body weight in litters, decreased
fertility, delay in development and
even death of the fetus. Studies have also indicated an
increase of thyroid tumors in these
same animals.
When you read the data, Fipronil is said to not be easily
absorbed through the skin.
However, in that same data, it is documented that 45-75% of
the administered dose of
Fipronil is excreted from the animal's body through feces and
5-25% through urine.
Indicating that although these flea and tick products are not
being administered orally, your
pet is in fact absorbing these products internally and/or
ingesting it through grooming itself.
After applying this topical "insecticide" to your pet, the
chemical slowly seeps through the
oils of the fur, essentially forming a thin sticky film over
the coat of the animal that does not
wash off even after several baths and swimming. Just read the
labels on the products
themselves. They instruct you NOT to get this chemical on your
skin when applying it. In
our opinion, leaving these products on your pet makes it
unsafe to touch your dog or cat
without getting this chemical and others all over yourself,
your children and even your
furniture, leaving your family open to coming in contact with
and even ingesting this
chemical. The question begs an answer; If we must NOT get this
chemical on our skin,
what happens every time we pet, hug and kiss our animals? How
much are we absorbing?
You do not need to "wage war" on fleas and ticks with highly
toxic chemicals.
Remember, just because these treatments are odorless and
invisible does not mean they are
not harmful. Most insecticides and chemicals are slow, "silent
killers."
Above all, remember, convenient and effective does not always
mean safe and healthy.
In today's market there are thousands of natural products to
repel fleas and ticks such as
herbal (non-pesticide) collars, shampoos, powders, sprays, even
herbal dips. The level of
threat ticks pose to your pets depends on geographical
location. Check with your local vet
office. You may want to try one or more of these products
together. Think prevention and
protection.
Try this formula from The Herbal Handbook: Cut two lemons in half and placed in a large pitcher of water. Keep in a cool dark place till the lemons are just turning bad. Squeeze all liquid from the lemons back into the pitcher. Disguard the lemons. Place some of this lemon solution in a spray bottle and lightly mist your dog before going out into mosquitoe areas. AVOID spraying on or near the eyes. Safe mosquitoe deterent, inexpensive to make and wonderful lemony scent.