The first plastic “flea collars” for dogs were coated with toxic, yet highly ineffective pesticides. Many of these products still are sold, even though they are more toxic to animals and less effective at killing fleas than the newer-generation products. These early-generation insecticides may have contained highly toxic carbamates such as carbaryl and propoxur and/or bioaccumulating organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and tetrachlorvinphos. These products were the flea treatments of my youth and are just as dated.

Pesticide-laden (flea-killing) soaps, shampoos, dips, rinses, sprays, and powders.

There are any number of tools at our disposal for controlling flea and tick populations, but beware! Each of them offers benefits and poses risks: TYPES OF FLEA AND TICK PREVENTION PRODUCTS AVAILABLE See this article for crucial steps in getting rid of an existing infestation: Getting Rid of Fleas in the House. Note: Any approach to a flea infestation will have the best chance of success if the dog’s entire environment is addressed.

It’s wise to familiarize yourself with the active ingredients in and potential side effects of these products, so you can be alert to any signs that they are working as they should, or causing adverse reactions that warrant further action to protect your dog. There are fewer than two dozen reputable flea-control products on the market and many more disreputable ones. If, on the other hand, you’ve found fleas on your dog, or you just moved into a home with a carpet that’s literally hopping with fleas (the latter has happened to me more than once!), it makes sense to protect your dog as quickly as possible from the tiny blood-suckers. If you’ve never seen a flea on your dog or in your home, don’t introduce these pesticides or medications for no reason! What’s a responsible dog owner to do? TAKE REASONABLE ACTION AGAINST FLEASĪ middle-ground, common-sense tactic is to use one of the modern-miracle flea-control products, but only when needed, and only as minimally as you can while still preventing fleas. While the numbers of dog deaths directly attributable to these products can’t possibly be as many as alleged, it’s clear that they do sometimes cause adverse health effects and even death. I am familiar with how fleas can sharply decrease the quality of life for a dog and cause secondary health conditions such as flea allergy dermatitis and infected “hot spots.” And in the age of social media, I’ve also seen Facebook groups populated by tens of thousands of dog owners who are certain that modern flea-preventative chemicals killed their dogs. Learn more about potentially fatal tick-borne diseases on dogs. Ticks are also a very dangerous parasite to dogs and humans alike. Today’s owners may never have seen a seriously flea-infested dog (with or without tapeworms) – and just as people who have never seen a polio or tuberculosis victim may eschew vaccinations for those diseases, many people seem to regard any use of flea preventatives as dangerous and unnecessary. Fleas were as common as stars in the sky and likely as numerous. And those dogs all lived outside the thought of inviting them into the house (much less our beds) makes me itch just to think about it. But I grew up with dogs who all had teeth that were worn flat from chewing their itchy flea bites by the time they were middle-aged. My own son, who recently turned 30, grew up with a dog on his bed he’s never known a time when almost every dog had fleas. Perhaps you have to be a certain age to appreciate this point. Little, a veterinary parasitology professor at Oklahoma State University.

“It’s because we’ve taken parasites out of the equation that we’re able to have that close relationship with them,” says Dr. Quick and easy prevention of fleas and ticks (which prevents zoonotic transmission of flea-borne and tick-borne diseases, as well as internal parasites such as the tapeworm) has enabled us to bring our pets not just into our homes but also onto our sofas and beds. “The advances that the veterinary profession has made in achieving parasite control for pets has done more to support the human/animal bond – to really change at a fundamental level the way we interact with our pets – than anything since the rabies vaccine,” she says. There is a great 2015 TED talk by Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, in which she posits that modern parasite preventatives are largely responsible for bringing dogs (and cats) into our homes over the past few decades. Whole Dog Journal does not accept money for its food and product reviews. If you purchase through links on our site we may earn a commission.

Flea medication for dogs