Fleas and worms go together, and this is the time of year when they worm their way in to your dog, or hop on board. Hedgehogs, rabbits, foxes, sheep - regular flea bags - and if your dog runs in fields inhabited by wildlife, or wildlife runs in-gardens inhabited by your dog, then he has a good chance of picking these parasites up.So how do you prevent your dog getting fleas and worms? Or how do you persuade them to leave once they've arrived?
If you're like me, you might have nipped along to the vet, or the local pet shop, and bought some insecticidal shampoo. Except, when you are asked to write an article on the subject, you are duty bound to assess what it is you're evaluating.
So I looked through my copy of the 'Compendium of Data Sheets for Veterinary Products'. This is the vets' bible: it lists the products available from members of the National Office of Animal Health in the UK (a trade association). Members of the association prepare data sheets on each of their products, stipulating contents, use, directions, and contra-indications, and this is for use by vets when recommending or prescribing products.
I have to admit, I was shocked by what I discovered. Maybe I'm wrong to be shocked? Maybe the chemicals are used in such small doses that they can't cause harm? Maybe the scientists know what they are doing?
I found a nice turquoise coloured one, with a lemon grass odour, containing Piperonyl butoxide and Pyrethrum. The Compendium doesn't tell you what the chemicals actually are, so I went to another book, "C is for Chemicals" (Green Print, London), and this is what I found:
Piperonyl butoxide is 'highly toxic if absorbed through the skin, less so if swallowed. It has been shown to cause cancer in animals, although the US Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that it is not carcinogenic (will not cause cancer) to people'.
Pyrethrum is only moderately toxic if swallowed or inhaled, but it is an irritant and may cause allergic dermatitis or asthmatic breathing to sensitive 'people'. Luckily, though, the same manufacturer sells an ointment for eczema and hot spots.
Then, whilst doing the weekly shopping, I stopped at the pet section and had a look at what Safeway had to offer. There were some jolly little flea collars - one for dogs, one for cats. Both contain a chemical called Carbaryl. So I made a note, and looked Carbaryl up when I got home.
Apparently, Carbaryl is an insecticide with several garden uses, and it's good at killing fleas, too. Just the job then?
The World Health Organisation ( WHO) lists Carbaryl as 'moderately hazardous': it is a mutagen, and it is carcinogenic and teratogenic in laboratory animals (this means it can cause mutations in cells; it can induce cancer, and it can cause birth defects when absorbed in pregnancy). Oh yes, and it is reported to be more toxic to dogs than to other animals.
Maybe those new-fangled little capsules might fit the bill? You know the ones - they protect your dog from reinfestation for up to four weeks. One of these, listed in the Compendium, contains Permethrin the WHO considers Permethrin to be 'unlikely to present a hazard in normal use'. Phew. But. . . 'the US Food and Drug Administration lists Permethrin as a possible carcinogen'.
To be safe, the manufacturers suggest (in the Compendium) that your dog shouldn't be allowed to swim for 12 hours after treatment because the product is 'extremely dangerous to fish'. People shouldn't handle the treated area on the dog for three to six hours, and treated dogs shouldn't be allowed to sleep with people, particularly children.
So we mustn't get it on our skin, or let it into the waterways, or let our children near it, but it's OK for your dog to have it inside his body for 'up to four weeks'. Actually, it kills fleas for up to four weeks - we don't know how long it remains in a dog's body.
Let's see. . . what else is there. Oh yes. Here's another one of these capsule thingies. This one contains an organophosphorus compound. According to “C is for Chemicals", organophosphates are a class of chemicals, 'some of which are considered to be the most toxic chemicals ever manufactured'.
But surely the manufacturers wouldn't use such dangerous chemicals on our dogs? Surely they use the harmless organophosphates? What is an organophosphate, anyway? 'The high acute toxicity of organophosphates stem from their action against a vital enzyme in the body that regulates the functioning of the nervous system.' Oh.
So what about flea sprays? Here's a nice environmentally friendly one: it doesn't contain CFCs, so it won't damage the ozone layer. Good selling point. What does it contain, then?
Dichlorvos. The
Rest assured, though, because the manufacturers state that the product is designed to have a high margin of safety. This is before the bit about 'if signs of toxicity appear, administer the antidote atropine sulphate at O.1-0.2mg/kg intravenously or intraperitoneally and apply artificial respiration'. Artificial respiration? It's not the way they manufacture them, you see, it's the way stupid dog owners misuse them.
And my, aren't we stupid! I admit it, I have used some of these products, or products like them, on my dogs. I'm stupid, and I'm angry. I trusted these manufacturers with my dogs' lives.
Of course, there are other ways of dealing with fleas - and worms at the same time. But, as scientists know, these products are totally untested, and there's no proof that they work. No-one's experimented with laboratory animals where these 'products' are concerned.
Take garlic as an example. I've been giving my dogs a clove of raw crushed garlic with their meals each day for nearly two years. We haven't had any flea infestations - but, of course, we don't have the benefit of science to tell us we are doing the right thing. Besides which, you can't patent garlic.
There are other natural products said to be capable of keeping fleas and worms at bay: cider apple vinegar (from the health shop); raw meaty bones (yes, yes, I know they are supposed to give dogs worms - but you can't patent bones either, so they would say that, wouldn't they?)
Those who promote the natural diet say that raw meaty bones help keep the immune system healthy, and a dog with a healthy immune system is no good to worms because, amongst other reasons, worms thrive on the mucousy toxic stuff that dogs with a poor diet accumulate in their intestines and guts.
Then there's homoeopathic remedies, and herbs that are said to combat fleas and worms. Now, as my husband, John, who is a practical sort of person, said: "But they haven't been tested on laboratory animals, either, so you don't know whether garlic or herbs, or homoeopathy, will harm your dogs."
He's got a point there. All that homoeopaths and herbalists have is their own empirical scientific wisdom, which is totally different to conventional scientific wisdom, and the dogs, cats, horses and people who believe - from their own experience - that their remedies work.
But if a chemical kills fish, doesn't kill dogs, but mustn't be allowed near people; or it's proven to cause cancer but they use it anyway, what use is the laboratory data? And when you add that small dose of killing chemical to all the other chemicals in the environment - the crop sprays, garden weed killers, disinfectants, plastics, mould treatments, and more - at what point is enough enough?
All these scientists and experts believe they are helping us to do the best for our dogs. But I can't help thinking that they sell products to make money. We want flea killers, they give us flea killers. How can we be sure, though, that they aren't inadvertently killing our dogs too? Surely, as consumers, we have the right to ask?
I implore you to take part in the Canine Health Census if you haven't already done so. Should we leave all the decisions to the experts? I'll leave you with this quote. It relates to human food, and we are only talking about dogs - they matter less than humans, don't they?:
"The dispassionate objectivity of scientists is a myth. No scientist is simply involved in the single-minded pursuit of truth, he is also engaged in the passionate pursuit of research grants and professional success. Nutritionists may wish to attack malnutrition, but they also wish to earn their living in ways they find congenial." - John Rivers; The Profession of Nutrition
Finally, if you wish to use products on your dog, be sure you know what you are using, and what the risks are. We are morally bound to make informed choices about the lives of our dogs - they don't have the choice, they simply have solutions imposed upon them. Take care, for all life is precious.for more information about the Canine Health Census.
Note - All the statements in this article have been researched by the author who holds written evidence to support the statements contained herein.
Reprinted with kind permission of
Catherine O’ Driscoll, Canine Health Concern