Flea control: What's safe?
With flea season upon us, it's time to pull out the big guns.
Advantage? Frontline?
A new product guide aims to analyze chemicals in some of the leading brands to better help pet owners choose safe and effective flea control measures.
The Natural Resources Defense Council specifically warned against the hazards of flea and tick collars as part of its "Green Paws" campaign to help consumers find the safest flea-control products that won't put pets or children at risk.
The report warned of dangerously high levels of two carcinogenic neurotoxins on pet fur after using ordinary flea collars. The NRDC has filed a lawsuit against companies including Petsmart, Petco and Sergeants and has asked for a government ban on the use of the chemicals in flea collars.
As for the popular "top-spot" treatments most of us use, Avantage topical contains Imidacloprid, which the NRDC says is toxic to the nervous system. The "Plus" formula has Pyriproxyfen which is considered safer.
Frontline topical contains Fipronil, a possible carcinogen that is toxic to the nervous system. The "Plus" brand contains Fipronil and S-Methoprene, judged to be a safer chemical.
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About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
I used fleabusters in my former home, it was great stuff. I have no carpets now, so I do use the Frontline -- but only for part of the year, beginning in the spring through early fall, I skip putting it on the dogs through the winter months. And even in the summer I can usually go 6-7 weeks between applications. Not only are there risks with all of those chemicals (although how nice not to get any of those flea infestations!), but they're really quite expensive.
Years ago we had a terrible problem with fleas each summer. We fogged the house and gave the dogs flea baths, repeatly. For the past 10 years or so, we spray beneficial nematodes in the yard and put "flea busters" type of stuff on the carpets and it has worked out great for us. Safer products and more natural.