RAW FEEDER REFUSING FOOD

If your dog refuses to eat and is losing weight, not acting normal, not drinking water, unable to poop or pee, constantly vomiting (more than 2x's within an hour), take them to the vet ASAP! There is something else going on, it's definitely not, they're just trying to be picky eaters.

The Flirt Pole

A long history as being a conditioning tool for dogs, the flirt pole has been referenced in books as far back as the mid 1800's. It also has a long history as a conditioning tool with old time dog fighters nevertheless it has found a new and increased interest with people who love to keep their dogs in great shape. The flirt pole can be fun for any breed of dog which has any ounce of prey drive but especially with dogs of the Terrier and Working groups or any dog that is a mix of either.

The flirt pole is an outstanding tool for tiring out your dog when you don't have a lot of time or space, a small patch of grass or dirt + one flirt pole = one happy and tired dog.

Using a flirt pole as a part of your dogs daily exercise program allows the dog to use up a lot of energy while twisting and turning with quick sprints as well as working on eye and mouth coordination. It is highly important that you use common sense when working your dog with a flirt pole. An out of shape dog, one stuck in a crate or tied to a chain all day needs to be worked with a flirt pole; slowly increasing the amount of time you spend and the speed of chase. This will decrease the probability of your dog developing an injury like a blown knee or torn ligaments.

 Most dogs love to chase period so there is no need to swing the lure at the dog, but away from the dog instead. If your dog has no desire to chase, first try using a different lure, then second you must be truthful with yourself and realize that your dog just may have a low prey drive and no desire to chase.  Never think hitting the dog in a teasing manner or flicking the lure in the dogs face will make them want to chase or bite at it. It will have the opposite outcome and one that you most likely are not ready for.

To reduce wear and tear on your flirt pole you should be using it to keep the lure away from the dog, not as a tug of war toy. If and when the dog catches the lure, go with the dog or drop the pole, and don't pull against the dog turning it into a tug of war game. As far as working puppies, I recommend that you wait to at least the pup is 6 months old. The two most important things I can tell you is first remember to always finish play time with the dog always wanting more and second  don’t overdo it because they won’t be as excited to play with it the next time you pull it out.

Ivermectin 1% Heartworm Pervenative

Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic medication that is used for Heartworm prevention, and also a treatment for ear or hair mites. Ivermectin prevents or kills parasites by causing neurological damage to the parasite resulting in paralysis and ultimately the death of the parasite. Ivermectin is the active ingredient against Heartworms in Heartgard Plus, Tri-Heart Plus, and Iverhart Max. Please do NOT use Ivomec Plus, Ivomec Super, or any other products that contain additional active ingredients which may be harmful to your dog.

Giving the appropriate dosage of Ivermectin is extremely important in keeping your dog’s safe and providing adequate protection from heartworms. Here at NoVACAIN Kennels we use liquid Ivermectin (Ivomec is the brands) which is available in a 1% injectable solution for treating cattle and pigs. This is given orally to dogs and not injected or poured onto the body.

The most common recommendation you would read or hear for giving Ivermectin is 0.1 cc or ml of Ivermectin per 10 pounds of body weight which provides 37 times the amount of Ivermectin needed for heartworm prevention, and to be honest I feel as well as others that this recommended dose could be extremely dangerous for dogs over time. In high doses Ivermectin can be seriously dangerous and even fatal to dogs, especially dogs that carry the MDR1or ABCB1 mutation, although healthy dogs also can be harmed if the dosage of Ivermectin is too high. So once again its EXTREMELY important to give the proper dosage.

Here at NoVACAIN Kennels we feel comfortable giving our dogs 0.2 of a cc or ml for dogs under 50 pounds and 0.5 of a cc or ml for dogs over 50 pounds of Ivermectin orally once a month for heartworm prevention and this also has been recommended by trusted experienced vets who have been in business for more than 30 years.

Higher doses of Ivermectin up to 50 times higher than the recommended amount for Heartworm prevention can be safe to use for dogs when used properly and under guidance to treat demodectic mange on dogs but it is still not recommended for dogs with the MDR1 or ABCB1 mutation. Very high dosages may be problematic for dogs that are infected with Heartworms, and those being treated with Comfortis a monthly flea and tick preventative. It has also been said that higher doses of Ivermectin is unlikely to be more effective against the resistant strain of heartworms that has been identified in the Mississippi River Valley.

We do not recommend using Ivermectin as a common dewormer because it isn’t as effective as using Safeguard.

MDR1 or ABCB1 is typically found in breeds like Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties), Australian Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, German Shepherds, Long-haired Whippets, Silken Wind Hounds, and mutts that may be derived from these breeds

Worms-N-Dogs

I have listed a short description of the most common worms found in dogs, how these worms infect your dog, and to finalize this article I will tell you what we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels to prevent and treat these parasites that can cause a range of health problems in your dogs.

VACCINATION SCHEDULE 

Roundworms

Typically spread in and through feces or during pregnancy or nursing, the roundworm causes a serious infection in dogs and puppies. Roundworms eat the food of its host and may cause diarrhea and other symptoms and with puppies, roundworms can be fatal. Prescription and over-the-counter deworming products for dogs are very effective. If people contract roundworms, their symptoms can be even more serious than those in dogs making roundworms zoonosis which means “able to be transmitted to humans from animals”.

Hookworms

These blood sucking worms mainly live in the small intestine of dogs, literally sucking and living off of the blood of your dog. With puppies they become infected from their mothers, while adult dogs often become infected through their skin while cleaning themselves. This parasite causes weakness and malnutrition and can quickly lead to death in puppies. Normally two (2) rounds of deworming medication are very effective in eliminating the internal parasite, although some puppies may need other treatment, as well to rid these blood suckers.  Humans can also become infected with hookworms from unwashed vegetables or by walking barefoot on sand and soil.

Heartworms

The all nasty and annoying MOSQUITO are the culprits that spread heartworms to dogs through their bites. This parasite affects how the heart functions and also how the blood clots by living in the heart and arteries that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, likely to causing death if untreated. Monthly heartworm preventives are effective and expensive so here at NoVACAIN Kennels we use 1% Ivermectin monthly (for more information look up ivermectin in the search). If infected, your dog may cough, have trouble breathing, and experience other symptoms. Treatment may involve two or three injections of arsenic-based drugs, followed by at least a month of rest so it is very important to have your dog or puppy on a monthly heartworm preventative asap.

Whipworms

Living where the small and large intestines meet, the whipworm is another blood sucking parasite, that literally lives off of the blood of your dog often being picked up and infected from contaminated soil or by grooming. Most often the whipworm doesn’t cause serious blood loss or other serious symptoms unless the dog or puppy is infested by large numbers of them that are embedded in the intestine. Some heartworm preventives are also effective against whipworms, and the oral de-wormer we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels is effective at eliminating whipworms.

Tapeworms

Carried by the annoying flea dogs often get tapeworms from licking themselves and swallowing fleas. Attached to the intestine this parasite sucks up nutrients from the dog or puppies body. Made up of small segments about the size of a grain of rice; that are passed in feces, and can sometimes been seen around the dog’s butt. An injection or tablet or the wormer we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels can kill the tapeworm. People also can get infected by tapeworms, but this is not a zoonosis parasite.

The Wormer We Use At NoVACAIN Kennels

Safe-Guard (Fenbendazole) is given for 3 consecutive days in a row and is very effective in the treatment of:
Tapeworms (Taenia pisiformis)
Roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina)
Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala)
Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis)
Safe-Guard is given to your dog orally or by mixing the daily dose with a small amount of food. It is important to make sure your dog eats all of the food that has been medicated with Safe-Guard. If you feed a dry kibble you may need to moisten the dry dog food with a little warm water to help the mixing process. If worms are present or this is a newly acquired dog or puppy it is recommended to re-treat the dog or puppy in 2 weeks following the original treatment date.

Antibiotics

Just a few notes out of my journals. 

Parasite Control

A look into a few of my journals. 

Irritants and Contact Dermatitis in Dogs

Irritant contact dermatitis is caused by the direct effect of a chemical or irritant on the skin. It occurs in areas where the skin is not well protected by hair, such as the feet, chin, nose, hocks, stifles, and the undersurface of the body, including the scrotum. Irritant contact dermatitis can occur after a single exposure or repeated exposure.

Irritant contact dermatitis produces itchy red bumps and inflammation of the skin. You may notice moist, weepy spots, blisters, and crusts. The skin becomes rough and scaly and hair is lost. Excessive scratching damages the skin and sets the stage for secondary pyoderma.

Chemicals that can cause irritant dermatitis include acids and alkalis, detergents, solvents, soaps, and petroleum byproducts.

Less commonly, the skin becomes sensitized to a certain chemical and a delayed type of hypersensitivity reaction develops. This is dermatitis. This rash is indistinguishable from that of irritant contact dermatitis, but appears after repeated exposure and often spreads beyond the site of contact.

Allergic contact dermatitis can be caused by chemicals found in soaps, flea collars, shampoos, wool and synthetic fibers, leather, plastic and rubber dishes, grasses and pollens, insecticides, petrolatum, paint, carpet dyes, and rubber and wood preservatives. Chemicals used to clean your carpet are a frequent source of irritation. Neomycin, found in many topical medications, can produce allergic contact dermatitis, as can other drugs and medications.

Plastic and rubber food dish dermatitis affects the nose and lips.

Flea collar dermatitis is an allergic contact dermatitis. The signs include itching, redness, hair loss, and the development of excoriations, scabs, and crusts beneath the collar. It can be prevented to some degree by airing the collar for 24 hours and applying the collar loosely. The flea collar should fit so that you can get at least two fingers beneath the ring. However, if your dog develops flea collar dermatitis, the best course of action is not to use a flea collar.

Treatment: Consider the area of involvement and identify the chemical or skin allergen causing the problem. Prevent further exposure. Treat infected skin with a topical antibiotic ointment such as triple antibiotic. Topical and oral corticosteroids prescribed by your veterinarian can relieve itching and inflammation.

****Superficial Bacterial Folliculitis****

Cause:
Most commonly, Staphylococcus (“staph”) bacteria, usually secondary to other skin disorders such as allergies, demodicosis (mange), endocrine problems, trauma, foreign bodies, and many others.

Symptoms:
Shorthaired dogs often have patchy hair loss, tufts of hair raised above the coat surface and/or reddish or brown “staining” of white hairs.
Longhaired dogs may have more subtle symptoms, including scaly skin, dull coat, and excessive shedding. Regardless of coat type, clipping may be necessary to fully reveal the extent of the disorder.

The underlying skin lesions include bumps, pimples, crusts, or scales occurring singly, in clusters, or over large areas; reddened circular hairless areas with or without darker pigmentation in the center; scaly or crusty skin may surround the individual lesions in a circular pattern (epidermal collarettes). The degree of itchiness varies from intense to non-existent.

Treatment:
Oral antibiotics for three to four weeks or longer, depending on the response; antibacterial shampoos; antibacterial ointments or sprays. Because superficial bacterial folliculitis occurs secondary to other disorders, identification and concurrent treatment of the underlying cause are essential for successful resolution.

Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar for Pets

While Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar's healthy properties are well known for use in humans, it's also good for your pets, especially dogs!

The following is excerpted from an article by Dr. Alicia McWatters, Ph.D., C.N.C.:

"Many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and substances are available in Bragg ACV to improve the health of your dog. Bragg ACV can provide them with enzymes and important minerals, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, iron, silicon and other trace minerals. The vitamins contained in Bragg ACV are bioflavonoids (vitamin P), beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, E, B1, B2, and B6. Tannins from the crushed cell walls of fresh apples as well as malic acid, tartaric acid, propionic acid, acetic acid and pectin (fiber) are also contained in Bragg ACV. Be sure to purchase organic unfiltered, unpasteurized, naturally fermented ACV for its medicinal features. Bragg ACV ranges in color from a light golden to orange. You’ll know you’ve found the right stuff if you see sediment, referred to as the "mother of vinegar" on the bottom of the bottle. Do NOT buy white distilled vinegar, as it has none of the beneficial elements listed above.

I began using Bragg ACV as a supplement for my dogs in 1994. Some holistic health practitioners recommend that Bragg ACV be placed in a dog’s drinking water. I recommend placing it in fresh food because I believe that a dog’s drinking water should be free of additives, with the exception of an electrolyte solution or a medicinal product that is used on a short-term basis. The dosage I use is 1 tsp. for small dogs and 1 tbs. for medium-large dogs. It can also be given orally diluted in water under the guidance of a vet or holistic health practitioner.

Bragg ACV can be useful to your dog’s health in conjunction with feeding it a wide variety of foods, but should never be looked upon as a panacea. Fresh food ingredients, such as raw meat and bones, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products make up the wholeness that will effectively help your dog to achieve optimum health.

Often times one looks for the magic ingredient that will miraculously make their dog well. Whether it is an antibiotic, grapefruit seed extract, Aloe vera or milk thistle... there will always be a single popular or trendy supplement of the moment and this supplement will be promoted as the great healing agent. But, if we focus on the part rather than the whole we are not taking a holistic approach to our dog’s health."

MORE INFO ON DOGS AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Excerpt from the "About Frugal Living" website:

Vinegar for Pets and Animals, Part Two

From Pat Veretto, Your Guide to Frugal Living.

Fleas, fish and tear stains

We add apple cider vinegar to our goats water all year around. It seems to repel flies in the summer and causes the water not to freeze as fast in the winter. We only add about an eigth of a cup to each 5 gallon bucket. Some people told us that this would give the milk an "off" flavor, but we have yet to find that. Maybe it would if we were giving them white vinegar. Anyhow, the bonus is that our goats LOVE it!

For reducing swelling on a horse (or any animal), wrap the leg in a rag soaked in apple cider vinegar. Wrap in plastic and then bandage to hold it in place - leave on for 4 or more hours.

I got a new puppy just covered in fleas. The store bought flea killers were for older puppies. We used apple vinegar to dip him in and rinsed him off with water. It did the trick.

I had a completely white bulldog with black spotted skin. He had dark tear stains running from his tear duct area down. I tried a few of the tear bleaching products sold for dogs but none worked (besides being expensive). I also tried some suggested home remedies (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, etc.) and those were not effective either. A vet told me the tear stains were caused by the acidity in the dogs system and if I neutralized his system, the stains would go away.

His suggestion was to put vinegar in the dogs drinking water! He suggested putting just a "tiny" bit of vinegar in the drinking water for a few days (I interpreted that as about 1/4 of a vinegar bottles cap full) and then increase the amount of vinegar added until I was adding about a teaspoon to the drinking water each day (I would estimate his drinking water bowl to contain about 5 cups of water.) Each time I changed or added water to his bowl, I also added the vinegar. Within a few weeks, the tear stains were gone for good!

Years ago, I put vinegar in my two dogs drinking water. I had never seen a flea. Start with only a little, so they will get used to the taste. I am now doing it to my Siamese cats. No fleas. Put a tablespoon of vinegar in your dog's drinking water every day and you will no longer have those brown spots in your lawn from the dog's urine.

For flies, you can mix 1/3 Vinegar (any type but Bragg Apple Cider smells better), 1/3 water, and 1/3 Pine Sol (and scent but I like Orange). Mix in a spray bottle and it makes the greatest fly spray for horses (and other animals -- dogs, goats, etc.) as well as barn spray to keep flies down. I live in Texas where the flies are monsters and this REALLY truly works!!! The three vets I have talked about it with said it was 100% safe and the Pine Sol contains less powerful and harmful chemicals than actual fly spray! The 1,000's of horse owners that have used it (I got the recipe off a very popular horse website) have used it with no ill effects what so ever for years now. This will save you a ton of money and less yucky chemicals!

http://bragg.com/products/vinegarPets.html 

MUSCLES

FLEAS

Fleas, along with dog mange, are the classic dog skin problem. They’re parasites that jump on your dog and attempt to feed on his blood, causing all sorts of problems in the process.

These insects pose a real threat if not properly handled, and are known to even attack humans on occasion. Worse still, eradicating them is no easy task.

The articles below offer all the information you need to understand and treat this particular skin problem.

1.) Fleas On Dogs, Part One: Where, Why and How – This first article aims to help you understand more about fleas and their habits, such as their life cycles, method of attack and preferred habitats.

2.) Fleas On Dogs, Part Two: Dog Treatments – The second article will educate you on the various forms of dog medication on the market, designed to eliminate fleas and prevent them from performing any further attacks on your dog. That’s not all – it also compares the different methods and weighs their pros and cons so that you have a better understanding of the treatments available to you.

Fleas On Dogs, Part One: Where, Why, How

Fleas. Say that to anyone who has a dog and they’ll start giving you looks of horror. “Oh god!” They’ll say, clutching their furry friends as though they’ll be parted forever at any moment, “You mean my dog has them?” Cue the frenzied ruffling through their furs before they let out an audible sigh, right before the attempt to strangle you.

You might laugh at their overreaction – it’s hypothetical situation, after all – but if you have a dog of your own, you wouldn’t be laughing either, would you?

Just in case you said ‘Oh sure I still would’, well… you shouldn’t.

Here’s why.

If your dog is a walking flea population center, he will die by getting his blood sucked out of him. His veins will be empty, his tongue a slight tinge of pink, and fleas will cover his body and drink to their hearts content.

Sorry, that was a little harsh. But do you see where I’m going with this? It’s really no laughing matter. If it goes unchecked, your dog’s life will be in danger. Fortunately, most dog owners will panic and send him to a pet hospital ASAP if the severity of the situation even exceeds half of that very grim picture I just painted above, but it’s good to know just how much damage fleas can do if left unchecked.

I once watched a program on the Discovery Channel about an emergency animal clinic. Can’t remember the name of the show (If you could tell me, I would appreciate it!), but there was this case where a puppy was neglected by his owners, and there were fleas just hanging out underneath his floppy ears. It covered the whole area like a cave full of bats. To tell the truth, thinking about it now still gives me the shivers, it was insane how bad it was.

The poor little guy’s gum and tongue were – you guessed it – light pink. He was severely anemic and he needed help at once. After a good verbal lashing by the lady heading the response unit, the puppy was brought to their lab, where they started helping him by plucking out every single flea they found. Still cringing at the thought, here.

Anyway, here are some spoilers: the dog was eventually healed and he turned out perfectly fine and full of energy, so that was a great ending to the story.

You’re probably panicking about the same happening to your dog. That’s great, but perfectly unnecessary. Great because you care about your dog, and people love you for that. Unnecessary because it’s near impossible for your dog to get like that, if you spend enough time around him. Remember that in the case from TV that I described above, the owners were plainly apathetic about the dog’s life. If that’s not you, then that’s not what your dog will be like.

However, having a couple of fleas sharing real estate on your dog is still a no-go. For one thing, they’ll multiply, and fast. Even two is enough to make your dog’s daily life a living hell. You’ll need all the information you can get to combat a case of fleas, and you’ll be given an education right… now.

What’s A Flea?

In very simple terms, a flea is a tiny six-legged insect that sucks blood. There are around 2000 species of them on Earth, but the ones that love drinking dog blood are the aptly-named dog flea, and the somewhat ironically-named cat flea. These guys are pretty tough and can live where there’s no food source for months at a time, until their prey unsuspectingly walks into the area and provides them with a good meal, or a thousand.

Their infiltration methods are many, but your dog would most likely get them by having a friendly greeting with other dogs in the park, or even within the park itself. In fact, they could originate from anywhere outside your home. It’s really hard to say.

The life cycle of the flea comes in four stages: the egg, the larva, the pupa and the adult flea. The female adult fleas can lay thousands of eggs onto suitable places, where they will hatch into the larval stage and start feeding on icky things like dried blood and poop. After that, they enter the pupa stage where they will hide in tough durable cases before emerging as fully-grown adults. These pupae are so resilient that no chemical pesticides can kill them, which is the reason why adult fleas seem to persist even after a really good spray that seemed to have had the potential to eradicate all life in the area.

Finally, the adult flea emerges, ready to suck on some blood and repeat the cycle anew.

It should be noted that if you do discover fleas on your dog, they only make up 5% of the total population within the vicinity. Where’s the other 95%, you say? Oh, they’re in the vicinity. That’s why you don’t declare a Mission Accomplished when your dog is free from the bugs, because there’s more where those came from and they can’t resist joining the roving buffet.

Symptoms of Fleas on Dogs

As anyone knows, fleas suck. Not just figuratively, but literally too – they survive by ingesting the blood of their prey. When they’re done with feeding, they’ll leave a small red dot on the skin. That’s usually called a ‘flea bite’. This is pretty hard to find on dogs though, so don’t immediately rule out fleas when you don’t see any of these.

The first sign that your dog is having a skin condition can be seen from the constant scratching and biting that he does, which usually means that he’s really itchy. Apart from the itching, other symptoms include hair loss in the affected area, as well as rashes, lesions and other infections. If your dog has Flea Allergy Dermatitis, it means he’s allergic to the saliva of fleas and he’ll develop the above conditions faster, along with more pronounced effects.

That’s all well and good, but we also know that there’s a ton of dog skin problems out there that have the same symptoms, right? How do you know if it’s fleas?

Here’s what you can do to be sure: First, place your dog on something disposable or washable, like a piece of newspaper, a towel, a basin or something. Then, grab a fine-toothed comb and start running it through the fur, and against the grain. If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective), you’ll see some dark-coloured bits dropping out of the fur and onto the newspaper/towel/what-have-you.

There’s something else you can do if you want to be sure. If you spot a few dark pellets that were just dislodged from your dog’s fur, take them and place it on a piece of tissue paper, then drip a bit of water on it. Rub it against the tissue paper if you want to hasten the process. If there’s a red stain that looks suspiciously like blood, you’re right. Those things are usually called ‘flea dirt’, but what they really are is flea poop. There is a quote that goes, ‘You are what you eat’, and this is exactly what’s happening.

Now that you’ve learned where they come from and how annoying they are, let’s move on to how they should be killed, down to the last bug. Put on your war paint, friends, because we’re declaring a war on fleas.

Fleas On Dogs, Part Two: Dog Treatments

In the first of this two-part series, which can be found here, we briefly discussed the flea: their life cycles, how they jump aboard your dog in the first place and how to tell if they’re the ones making your dog miserable and itchy. That’s okay though, because in this second part we’ll be talking about how these bugs can be forcibly removed from the premises. In other words, I’m going to tell you what to do to kill those fleas and save your dog.

There are a ton of options available when deciding to treat your dog in regards to fleas. On one hand, that’s a good thing because we can choose the method we want to use. Then again, the prospect of too many choices usually forces us into undertake endless research to find out which one out of the lot is the best for our needs.

Therefore, I’m going to describe what I’ve discovered about each remedy for the rest of this article, to help you understand how each of them function, and their general performance in regards to cleaning out those fleas.

Flea Collars

Let’s start with the cheapest and most accessible option in the market: flea collars. These are worn like normal collars, and if the advertisements are true, just fasten them around the neck, and the fleas will start dying. It’s safe, easy to use, and effective too!

But is it?

There are three types of flea collars, each with a different mechanism for dealing with fleas. Collar #1 relies on the traditional way of releasing a poisonous gas, harmful only to fleas and ticks. These seem to be pretty good, but what you should be aware of is that the radius of the gas is pretty small – I would say that it probably takes care of the head and neck area rather well, but is ineffective for all other parts of the body. This is pretty helpful if you have ticks, since they usually concentrate on the head and neck regions, but useless for fleas living the life on the dog’s lower body otherwise.

Collar #2 also produces poisonous substances that can be absorbed into the fat layer of the dog, which will slowly kill the fleas. Again, it doesn’t spread down to the rest of the body other than the head and neck, so the fleas would just move out of those places and settle somewhere else. Besides, who’s to know if it’s harmless to humans, especially when there’s a toddler around? I wouldn’t know, but it doesn’t seem safe to me. I won’t comment on scattered reports about these being highly poisonous to your dog as I’m truly not sure about the effects, but try and weigh your options carefully with this one.

Collar #3 apparently uses a kind of ‘ultrasonic anti-flea wave’ to kill the bugs. I have no idea how this works, and from what I’ve read, nobody seems to take these collars seriously, so feel free to laugh at them.

I think it’s pretty clear that flea collars aren’t exactly the method of choice I would use to clear the fleas off my dog, and it’s definitely not the best by far. I guess if you’re pretty hard up for money, you could give these a try – most of them usually retail for less than $10 – but I would suggest looking for other forms of remedies. Speaking of which, it’s now time to delve into another option.

Flea Shampoo

This is pretty logical: a shampoo product that also has anti-flea benefits. Pretty good, right? Most people do agree that flea shampoos have their uses, but they start to get argumentative when it comes to how useful these are for the long term.

For the most part, a flea shampoo acts like a normal shampoo; you use the formula to wash your dog as clean as you can, and the fleas will get poisoned, die, and roll off your dog’s back or get washed away by rinsing water. Usually they’ll all be gone by the time your dog has had his bath. Success!

Ah, but here’s the catch: They kill fleas, but they don’t prevent them from coming back. It’s like chasing a seagull away from your food – they’ll leave, fly around for bit, and wait until you’re gone before they start getting at the leftovers. Similarly, the fleas on the dog would be killed and washed away, but there are always new ones looking to hop on. Remember that only 5% of the entire flea population in the area live on your dog; the rest of them are just hanging around waiting for a free spot.

This is not to say that they’re ultimately useless – flea shampoos are pretty useful! What you need to do is to follow up past the first shampooing, and prevent more fleas from landing on your dog. More about this part later, though.

And then there are the side-effects of using flea shampoos. Some people think they’re pretty harmless, while others are convinced that the chemical residue used to poison the fleas will still linger after the bath, and would pose a problem when your dog licks himself. In my opinion, if there’s residue on your dog it probably means you haven’t rinsed him well enough. Like I said, fleas can and will start to reappear if you don’t do anything else after that initial wash, so the supposed presence of residue doesn’t make sense, or they wouldn’t be able to climb aboard so soon otherwise.

But of course, the pet industry has this well covered. Here’s another one of their inventions.

Flea Dips

To me, the concept of a flea dip is pretty similar to dousing your dog in insecticide. They smell, they have strange-sounding chemicals and they obviously don’t look safe for licking. But do they prevent fleas? Oh yes, they do.

Flea dips work by coating a dog’s skin in chemicals that are harmful to fleas, killing them gradually upon contact. This sounds pretty good on paper, but not so much when it comes to sloshing chemicals all over your dog. It’s not very good for him in the long run, is it?

This is another dilemma that dog owners face – do I want to give my dog a flea dip and be reassured that they won’t come jumping back, or forgo the potentially poisonous treatment and look for another way? It pretty much depends on your opinion on the subject, and how severe the problem is.

The good thing about a flea dip is that if you really, really want fleas to get lost, you can turn up the potency as much as you want. The bad thing is, of course, the risk you take in your dog’s overall health if you decide to press on. What I recommend is a dip with one of the milder versions of the product once a week or less, and reinforce with another, less toxic method. In this case, there is such a thing as ‘too much of a good thing’.

Flea dips are meant to be used on the entire body of the dog, which makes sense – you don’t hose the kitchen down and call it a day while the rest of the house is burning down, do you? However, people are increasingly ditching this method of treatment in favour of another that’s easier to apply and more effective in the long run, which will be the last one for this article…

Topical ‘Spot-on’ Treatment

In my opinion, this is the ‘silver bullet’ of the whole anti-flea market. The spot-on treatment has seen widespread use and is highly recommended by some people, with decent sales statistics to show for it. However, others aren’t that convinced that this is the treatment of choice for fleas on dogs, and I’ll explain why.

Here’s how it works: The medicine comes in a little tube, similar to a bottle of eye-drop solution or travel-sized toothpaste. The furs of the dog are parted in order to expose the skin, and the contents – an oily liquid substance – are emptied onto a single spot on the dog, preferably on the shoulder-blades or another part where he can’t reach by licking.

The active ingredients found in the liquid will slowly be worked into the natural oil that the dog skin secretes, and the substance will slowly spread throughout the entire skin area. This substance is, of course, poisonous to fleas, and after a while those that have been on the dog soon end up dead.

Easy enough, isn’t it? You just unscrew the bottle cap, squeeze out everything on one spot, and the medicine takes care of the rest. No wonder people are scrambling to buy these once they get hit with a flea problem.

The effectiveness of this method has been vouched for by many people online. What I’ve gathered is that most prefer either Advantage® or Frontline®, two brands of spot-on remedies, and they seem to deliver results consistently on dogs that have severe cases of fleas. Therefore, it’s probably safe to say that they’re proven to be effective in getting rid of the pests.

But just how safe are they? As you can tell, this question is a majorly thorny issue. Many people have spoken out about the poisonous effects of the spot-on treatment, usually highlighting the chemical contents of the medicine as well as raising doubts about its delivery mechanism.

As a case in point, a few are rather vocal about a brand called Bio Spot®, which sells the medicine at a significantly lower price. Apparently, it’s proving to be more trouble than it’s worth, as reports have surfaced about dogs having severe reactions to the medicine after it was administered. Regardless of its validity, I personally think it’s enough to steer clear from the brand, at least.

In Conclusion…

We’ve covered at least four methods of flea treatment in this article in detail: the flea collar, the shampoo, the dip and the spot-on. We’ve gone through the pros and cons for each method, and in so doing I hope you have some idea of what to choose in regards to treating your dog.

But what did we really learn from this analysis? To tell the truth, it’s probably the fact that all methods of flea treatment carry a certain risk in them. This could be due to the nature of the remedy itself – they’re all designed to be pesticides, and their primary aim is to eradicate the bugs first and foremost. This doesn’t mean that they don’t take the dog’s health and safety into consideration, but it most definitely means that whatever rubbing or spraying on your dog isn’t exactly healthy for him.

In closing, I highly suggest that you take your time to think seriously about which method you will eventually employ. Some are more suitable in some situations than others, as well as for the severity of the problem. Whatever you choose, I hope that it’ll help with your fight against the fleas.

The next part of this series will focus on the next phase of flea treatment: Cleaning up the home and surroundings, where 95% of the little parasites live. If you want them out of your life permanently, I recommend taking notes for this one.

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