New puppy - a few questions
My son moved back in with us for a couple months and brought his new puppy with him. We have two adult dogs, both current on vaccinations. The puppy will have her second round of shots on Friday and...
Forum Discussion
dturm wrote:352 wrote:
You are aware that what kills the fleas kills the dog? Bluntly put. Research it!!!!!!!
I was going to let this go, but I just have to respond :)
This is a very sensational statement long on drama and short on facts. If you have research supporting your assertion, show it.
Have there been deaths reportedly associated with flea products? YES.
These terrible situations have been thoroughly investigated and fit into categories of:
1. owner error (using dog product on cats), improper dosing (using large dog dose on small dog)
2. specific product related problem (a specific Hartz product was implicated a few years ago)
3. use on a sick/debilitated animal
4. use of a product that was tampered with - specifically counterfeit product usually purchases cheaply on the internet from unknown sources.
What these sensational stories/statements fail to mention is that serious diseases ARE transmitted or spread by fleas and ticks and are a threat to people as well as your pets. Fleas and ticks are not just a nuisance.
Responses have mentioned Lyme disease, but other diseases happen as well: Bartonellosis, Erlichiosis, Rickettsial diseases (several including Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever), Meningoencephalitis, tapeworms, and most frightening to me is that there are new ones showing up that we don't know about.
One other note, in 37 years of practice I have not seen a single death from a flea/tick product; and that includes many years when the products used were not as safe as the spot ons we now have.
Reactions were not usual, but not uncommon - those being topical irritation where the spot on was applied.
BTW, advantix is labeled for use in puppies as young as 7 wks of age. Just make sure you use the appropriate size for the weight of the puppy.
Doug, DVM
I'm glad you did speak up. I can't imagine going back to the days of ineffectual flea dips, collars, and Hartz products. There are also additional products like Zodiak yard & kennel spray and Zodiak household spray that can be used in conjunction with the topical products - if done per instructions, you can completely eliminate fleas in and around your home for years.
