Holistic Risks With Heartworm, Flea & Tick Treatment

By Russell Louie, Wholistic Scientist

Fortunately, the climate in Colorado is so dry and mild we do not have a mosquito and/or flea & tick problem. Our holistic vet said we only need to give preventative heartworm medications and/or flea & tick treatment if we frequently took our dog into the wooded mountain areas during the hot summer months. But many of our clients do live in a hotter, moister and more wooded area, where mosquitoes, fleas and ticks are a problem. These pet parents have used Frontline®, Bravecto®, Interceptor Plus®, Trifexis®, Seresto®, Comfortis®, Nexgard®, Heartgard® and other pharmaceutical heartworm medication and/or flea & tick treatment. Since 2002, we have helped over 1300 pets that have contracted an anemic condition called Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) or Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA). Out of those pet parents that answered our investigative questions, we found 80-90% of these anemic pets have had a recent vaccination, heartworm medication and/or flea & tick treatment prior to becoming anemic. The Morris Animal Foundation estimates:

While our informal numbers and holistic findings do not establish a scientific, causational relationship, they do point to the risks of a "smoking gun" every pet parent should be aware of. In addition to anemia and death, there are many other side effects (see Complaints list below). The following is my non-medical, holistic perspective and the questions I have, if I were to give my dog these pharmaceutical products.

Study Period Too Short

Heartworm medication and flea & tick treatment are insecticides that affect the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. Supposedly, these neurotoxins have less toxic effects on birds and mammals than insects. Some of these products work systemically through distribution in the bloodstream of the pet. One of our holistic questions is: what systemic affects do these neurotoxins have on the kidneys, liver and brain of pets, which receive this "treated" blood? Is a pharmaceutical study lasting less than 180 day (6 months) adequate to answer the long-term health ramifications for our pets?

Is a six month study adequate in determining what happens if not 100% of the insecticide is eliminated from the pet's body by the end of every dosage period? Suppose only 98% of the insecticide is eliminated every month. If one gives this to a pet for 12 consecutive months, then the pet's body may contain 24% of insecticide residue not eliminated after one year of constant usage. What ramifications does this have for small dogs under 20 pounds? We help a higher number of anemic Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Italian Greyhounds, Malteses, Shih Tzus, all types of Spaniels and all types of Terriers, than medium to large breed dogs.

Misperceived Risk of Disease Transmission

Some of these pharmaceuticals take 8 hours for fleas and 12 hours for ticks to work. This means the insect must attach to the dog, bite the dog and feed on its blood for 8-12 hours before ingesting enough active insecticide in the blood to be fatal. If the insect is a carrier of disease, this gives plenty of time for the bacteria or parasite to infiltrate the dog's bloodstream. At best, this type of pharmaceutical can only be counted on for the control of the flea & tick population on a pet but not as a preventative for disease.

Too Large Dose for Small Bodies

A recent product claimed a single dose provides 3 months "protection." While this is certainly a convenience for the pet parent, what does this mean to the pet's body? In order to last three months, the pet has to be given a larger single dose of chemicals upfront to last 90-days, instead of only 30-days. Has there been adequate studies for what this means to smaller pets under 20 pounds, to prove their little bodies may not be overloaded? Will this cause their liver and kidneys to work harder in the first 1-2 months? Can a body under 20 pounds eliminate this larger dosage in 3 months or is it better to give smaller monthly doses?

High Number of Complaints from Adverse Reactions

One product reportedly had over 8,500 complaints of adverse reactions within the first two years after it was released. That is over 11 complaints per day. These complaints could include (but not limited to):

If a holistic (natural) product had this many complaints after launching, you bet the media and pharmaceutical companies would be clamoring for a recall.

Inadequate Sampling

What if not enough sampling research (too few dogs per study, not all breeds included, etc.) has been done to uncover all the risks of using these pharmaceuticals? Is a few hundred dogs in one study enough to extrapolate all potential side effects in all breeds? It is our holistic observations that we see a greater portion of anemic herding/working dogs (Australian Shepherds, Australian Cattle dogs, Border Collies, Collies and Shetland Sheep dogs—Shelties) than other breeds. All types of Spaniels are another common breed that gets IMHA/AIHA.

If you consider all the above risks too much for your pet, consider using holistic products instead. Download a list of heartworm, flea & tick holistic resources our clients have told us about by clicking the green button below.

If your pet should unfortunately contract anemia, discover what has successfully worked for our clients' pets on the following web pages, Holistic Approach to a Deadly Condition, IMHA and AIHA: