What is ‘sufficient’ flea/and tick prevention?

Dealing with a flea or tick infestation is a dreadful, cumbersome and expensive experience.  Therefore, it is extremely important to prevent these mini-monsters from ever entering the park.  

Unfortunately, flea collars are not effective at controlling flea and tick infestations.

• Advantix applied monthly is effective at killing and repelling.
• There have been many reports recently that parasites have developed a resistance to Frontline, rendering it ineffective.
• There are some heartworm medications such as Comfortis and Trifexis that include a drug which breaks the life cycle of fleas but not ticks.  It also does not repel them.  One of these in conjunction with a repellent is sufficient if your pet and home are free of fleas and ticks.
• A product called Program (Lufenuron) also breaks the life cycle of fleas but not ticks and has been reported to have no negative side effects.
• Capstar (Nitenpyram) kills adult fleas on your pet in 24 hours, but does not break the life cycle or address ticks.
• Brewers yeast and garlic tablets formulated for dogs is reported to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitos.  Garlic is toxic to dogs in it’s natural form, so make sure you are using a reputable product for pets.

Many of us are concerned about exposing our pets to these toxins every month.  If you do not currently have a flea or tick problem, a combination of brewers yeast and garlic, along with repellent sprays or natural spot treatments can effectively repel parasites on a healthy dog without exposing them to harmful toxins that can build up in their bloodstream (despite claims to the contrary).  Using something like Advantix intermittently in conjunction with a supplemental program may be a viable alternative to prevent an infestation and minimize exposure to the chemicals in control products.

If you do have fleas or ticks around the home, then you will have to get out the big guns.  You’ll have to kill all the adult fleas inside and outside the home, and in the car.  Because eggs can lie dormant up to a year, expect to treat those areas again.  In the meantime, use an effective product like Advantix (if you have fleas and ticks or just ticks) or Program, Comfortis, or Trifix (if you have fleas) to break the life cycle, and bathe or spray the animal or administer a Nitenpyram product like Capstar to kill adult parasites on the body.  Nitenpyram is probably preferable, as some parasites can survive baths and sprays by hiding near sensitive eyes, noses and ears that should not be soaked or sprayed.

So, if you have not seen any fleas or ticks on your pet(s), yourself or at your home for over a year, your pet(s) are not frequently scratching, and you can provide receipts or have your vet confirm a prevention program, you have ‘sufficient prevention’.

Please be advised, if other park users notice and report your pet stopping to scratch often, you may be asked to stop using the park and submit to an inspection of your pets skin and coat.  And if you see someone’s dog scratching away like mad, please mention it to the owner and report it to me, or we’ll all end up scratching away like mad!!

Thanks for understanding.