Natural tick protection

[Guardian]

I've been using this stuff around the house and yard for quite a while, and it works great.
http://www.mosquitobarrier.com

After a recent scare with Lilly I stopped using the advantix on her back and started using a diluted solution of the mosquitobarrier right on her fur (backwards) before we go walkies in the woods. The website says it's NOT for use directly on the dog, but both my vet and numerous people on-line said it's MUCH less dangerous than the chemicals...and the ticks and fleas.

No problem with vampires either ;)

 

[Clarekav]

Specking on infestations and treatments.
On Tuesday night of this week my rabbit died and it is sad and upsetting although I'm not sure how it happened. I have a few suspicions.
He had fleas and the vet give us spot on containing Ivermectin. It was in a low dose and the vet had looked up to see any reported deaths.
He said he found none.
It was on Saturday last when I applied it and the rabbit was fine Sunday his normal self. I was away Monday so I didn't see him much but Tuesday he was very inactive, wasn't eating much and remained in the corner.

That night he turned for the worst, not responding to my rubs and when he moved he was disoriented and very week.
I couldn't get him to a vet as there is no emergency vet open at night where we live. So I was with him as he died.

Anyway I looked up on Ivermectin and found that neurotoxicity can happen in resulting in disorientation, weakness, lack of appetite, seizures
among other symptoms. Most of which he had.
It was saying toxicity was rare but my rabbit was Lion haired one and I don't know if that breed was more vulnerable to the treatment.

Does anybody know anymore more about this.
I feel wronged by the vet who I though might know on this.
But to think that this treatment caused my rabbit pain has me very sad.

 

[Guardian]

Does anybody know anymore more about this.
I feel wronged by the vet who I though might know on this.
But to think that this treatment caused my rabbit pain has me very sad.

I'm so sorry you lost your bunny Clarekav

 

[Z...]

Does anybody know anymore more about this.
I feel wronged by the vet who I though might know on this.
But to think that this treatment caused my rabbit pain has me very sad.

I dont think this can be blamed on the particular vet as much as it can be blamed on the establishment. and state of veterinary medicine in general. Most of the practitioners just follow the veterinary community without any questioning or thought about ethics, same as people in other professions do.

In other words - Ivomec is commonly used by vets and accepted as the "safe" drug. It is licensed for cattle, rodents and birds. However -it is not licensed for use in cats and dogs. Nevertheless there is something called off label use;
"Veterinarians who wish to use only drugs approved for their particular species of interest thus face a huge obstacle; such drugs are rarely available. It is for this reason that legislatures have granted veterinarians the privilege of using drugs in an “off label” way; for example, in a manner that has not yet been approved for the species in question. Usually this means using human drugs in an animal species, but it may mean using a drug licensed for use in cattle in a pig or water buffalo, or licensed for use in dogs in a cat. "

Ivermectin is very potent and efficient anti-parasite drug with wide spectrum which makes it favorite choice for many vets. They use it in cats and dogs without any second thoughts. Same with rabbits and other rodents. And in most of the cases nothing goes wrong.
It can occasionally cause blindness in cats while it is strictly forbidden to use in Collies, Shelties and related breeds as for them it is 100% deadly.

Unfortunately natural remedies are completely inefficient when it comes to certain types of parasites.
There is much more safe and equally efficient drug called Selamectin which can be used on rabbits but the dose has to be very precisely determined according to the animals weight.

 

[Nienna]

Does anybody know anymore more about this.
I feel wronged by the vet who I though might know on this.
But to think that this treatment caused my rabbit pain has me very sad.

I'm so sorry you lost your bunny Clarekav

I, too, am sorry for your loss, Clarekay. My condolences.

 

[Clarekav]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I will really miss him.

I dont think this can be blamed on the particular vet as much as it can be blamed on the establishment. and state of veterinary medicine in general. Most of the practitioners just follow the veterinary community without any questioning or thought about ethics, same as people in other professions do.

In other words - Ivomec is commonly used by vets and accepted as the "safe" drug. It is licensed for cattle, rodents and birds. However -it is not licensed for use in cats and dogs. Nevertheless there is something called off label use;
"Veterinarians who wish to use only drugs approved for their particular species of interest thus face a huge obstacle; such drugs are rarely available. It is for this reason that legislatures have granted veterinarians the privilege of using drugs in an “off label” way; for example, in a manner that has not yet been approved for the species in question. Usually this means using human drugs in an animal species, but it may mean using a drug licensed for use in cattle in a pig or water buffalo, or licensed for use in dogs in
a cat. "

Sadly that does seem to be the case as looking up more on tropical treatments shows me company Rhone Merieux pushing for frontline to be recommended by veterinarians even though it is not test specifically for rabbits.
Our cat and dog has been using it for years but that's going to stop now.
Thanks Herr Eisenheim for the info it does help now that I have a better grasp of what happened.

 

[Guardian]

Thanks Herr Eisenheim for the info it does help now that I have a better grasp of what happened.

DITTO THAT!! There's about 80 lbs of furry love laying at my feet right now, and I'm 99.9% sure she wouldn't still be here if not for the advice from you and Laura

The info spreads too...I have two friends who've switched to the all raw meat diet for their dogs since they saw Lilly before, and after. I'm not exaggerating when I say she looks like a completely different dog!

 

[Z...]

My client has two dogs and this was the first summer they didn't suffer from fleas, ticks or mites - they seem to be highly susceptible to all of these and we had hard time every summer for past 4 years.
When she told me about this product back in April I immediately dismissed it as mambo jumbo - but she was insistent.

Now the summer is over, she hasn't used anything else but this product and the dogs haven't suffered a single bite. I even noticed they looked better then ever as soon as they walked into the clinic.
Not sure what to think about it but it may be worth trying. If you do try it please do report your results.

_http://www.onlynaturalpet.eu/en/Fleas-Ticks/tic-clip-against-ticks-and-fleas::1831.html

 

[Charliebox]

We shave our chow-lab down as soon as its warm to make tick checks easier. Right now I think half his weight is fur, and its starting to shed, which makes vermin checks really tough. (Plus he won't hold still, the stinker)

His favorite 'human game' is to run out through the green burr plants and become covered in them, because he knows I will make him sit there until I can comb them all out. He'll come in with a huge doggie grin like he's just won the lottery.

A friend of ours is a vet, and from what he says, you never want to shave your dog in the summer. Dogs, like humans, get sunburns and general skin irritation and drying from overexposure to the sun. You may think you are doing your dog, and in the case of ticks, yourself, a favour by shaving him/her down, but you are actually not helping him/her at all. A dog's fur is natural protection from the sun, and like the cloth used in desert climates, actually helps to cool him/her off during the summer months.

I have a goldendoolde and he picks up ticks like crazy. We had thought of shaving him down for that exact purpose, but after talking with our vet, we decided against it. They are sure hard to find, and annoying little creatures, but it's better to put the work in than to make your dog uncomfortable in the summer by shaving him/her.

Just to clarify, when I mean shave, I mean to the point that you can actually see some skin. If you are just 'trimming', that's fine, but if you should never cut it down to the point that you can see the dog's skin at all. There should be a decent layer of fur protecting his skin.

 

[Laura]

Yes, shaving dogs doesn't protect them from heat - just the opposite. What we do is brush them good with a slicker brush - back-brushing to pull out the loose hairs and a lot of the undercoat comes with it. Their coats get much lighter without any cutting. But you have to do it once a month thoroughly from Spring on through Sept.

 

[Z...]

Just to clarify, when I mean shave, I mean to the point that you can actually see some skin. If you are just 'trimming', that's fine, but if you should never cut it down to the point that you can see the dog's skin at all. There should be a decent layer of fur protecting his skin.

FWIW I think when Gimpy said 'shave - down' she meant trim not a close shave.

Regarding the link I posted, scratch everything i said, we recently found fleas on the dogs so it was rather good luck then this "bio energetic device" that protected the said dogs whole summer.

 

[Z...]

Sadly that does seem to be the case as looking up more on tropical treatments shows me company Rhone Merieux pushing for frontline to be recommended by veterinarians even though it is not test specifically for rabbits.

Sorry I missed this before, just wanted to say Frontline (Fipronil) is a big NO NO! Its nasty and often causes bad reaction in both cats and dogs, plus it is my observation that fleas have become almost completely resistant to it.

The info spreads too...I have two friends who've switched to the all raw meat diet for their dogs since they saw Lilly before, and after. I'm not exaggerating when I say she looks like a completely different dog!

Dont forget to include lots of beef fat trimmings plus fish oil one day yes one day no, for extra boost ;)

 

[Guardian]

Dont forget to include lots of beef fat trimmings plus fish oil one day yes one day no, for extra boost ;)

I've been giving her sardines in oil...is that a good source?

 

[Z...]

sardines are fine but you have to keep it regular, at least 4 times a week, therefore its easier to pop the fish oil capsule down the throat. When you give sardines skip the capsule.
As the winter is approaching it wont hurt to ask your butcher for some beef fat trimmings, your dog will go crazy for them and it will do her well. Also when giving liver its good to braise them a bit in goose fat or some nice quality lard.

 

[loreta]

Having had a lot of experience with ticks and Lyme's disease myself, I agree with Herr Eisenheim's regimen of tick control, but would like to add that there other means of safely and permanently disposing of ticks other than spirits and fire. (I have this vision of flammable alcohol and fire flashing causing a kitchen fire or something similar!) Take a big piece of heavy tape (gray sticky duct tape works great) and fold the tick up in it without breaking the tick, which could release Lyme and other bacteria into the environment, and throw the wrapped tick into a secure garbage bin. I guarantee he won't be back!
shellycheval

PS: I have seen over the years that animals on the highest quality diets and in optimum health do not usually attract as many parasites, including fleas and ticks, as will other animals.

What is very good to take out a tick is: you put oil on the tick, instantly the tick will let go his claws (?) and then you take a pliers and take out the tick without problem. I put always ticks in the toilet and bye bye.

A read somewhere that eucalyptus oil is good to repulse ticks and fleas. I put this on my dogs during summer time. It works relatively good.