We have been giving our 8 month old male Frontline for fleas and ticks since we got him at 8 weeks old. The vet recommended we use this every month as we live in Vermont where ticks are a big problem. I have been reading a lot of negative things about Frontline recently and am concerned about using it anymore. But I have also read negative things on K9 Advantix and Biospot. The breeder said she doesn't use any flea stuff until they have a problem and then she just gives the dogs a bath. And ticks aren't a problem where she lives so she didn't have any recommendations. So far, we haven't had any problems with it and have only found two ticks on him (he's in the woods every day). Does anyone have any advice or natural remedies they have found successful for fleas and ticks? Thank you.

It is true that most experienced Berner owners do not touch chemicals on this breed due to their extreme immune deficiency. Keep in mind that all of the regulated pesticides you mentioned above are regulated by the EPA - they are pesticides.

When you put these directly on your dog (just a few drops right?) you are counting on this pesticide to be absorbed into the skin directly and studies have shown (available on the EPA website) that these pesticides are found in the blood stream (how else do they work for a prolonged period of time). As a result, these are very dangerous and ultimately burdening the immune system.

I have never put any of this stuff on my dogs BUT I also don't live where you do - so I empathize. I know many other Berner owners in your area however and none of them use it either.

What most of us do is use natural, oil based products and carefully inspect our dogs daily. Nothing replaces careful inspection after the walk in the woods and as long as ticks are removed same day, little risk is posed. I make my own oil spray, but several people report results in using a host of different products - you are best served to google and check them out yourself, but the best tick products usually have citronella oil and/or lemongrass and/or palmarosa oil in them:

Natural Dog and Cat Flea Control at Only Natural Pet Store

Mosquito Repellent | Tick Repellent | Natural Mosquito Control by Mosquito Barrier

"The Whole Pet: Natural Flea & Tick Repellents" by Nancy Crowley, DVM

Personally, I have a lot of ticks near me too and we have rocky mountain spotted fever, although not lyme....and in my case, I pull ticks off my dogs almost daily after our hikes in the canyon. Nevertheless, I focus on supporting their immune system, feeding a healthy diet and include extra B vitamins and garlic in peak months, and check them daily using my dog hairdryer to simply part the hair and quickly check for ticks. I also use a lot of Diatamaceous Earth (chalky powder) as my ant and general pesticide at home, and can dust the dogs with this powder if going out in thick brush (see earthworks.com)

That should get you started and allow you to get off the toxic chemicals.

As an aside, the flea problem is horrendous in the southern part of the U.S. and even here dog owners that I know don't use these chemicals on a monthly basis - that is grossly excessive. If one must use it, especially if there is a bad flea infestation and one needs help breaking this cycle - one dose that allows you to get in front of the problem and then turn to healthy products to prevent future infestations is sufficient.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the advice and links. You are always so helpful! I will definitely be switching to an all natural prevention method. Is Heartgard for heart worm okay to give?

Not in my view - still a regulated pesticide and being ingested orally.

If you read up on the Heartworm preventative, you will see that legally it is not a "preventative" - it is an active pesticide that works by killing off larvae once infected. So your animal still gets infected so to speak, with the reliance that if the pesticide is maintained steadily in the body it can kill off everything faster.

Personally, I prefer to test my dogs once a year and take reasonable, healthy measures to prevent mosquitos during the year. If you live in a higher risk area (southern U.S.) then testing twice a year (spring and fall) may be in order. As long as it is detected early, it is easy to treat.

I am dismayed by the scare tactics used to cause people to use this and not treat for the condition - this is highly contrary to my experience and I have seen several heartworm cases effectively treated without harsh drugs requiring severe confinement. Every heartworm positive dog I have known has been effectively treated without incident. So for me, this is an easy choice but I believe everyone needs to become informed about the Heartworm cycle (the required temps and conditions for heartworm to be viable) and learn how to treat the condition if it arises. Knowledge is power and those who know, do not fear. Let me know if you want to learn more.

I live in the UK and our flea and tick problems are not so acute as yours in the US but we do need to treat our animals.

Ollie was never front lined or had any other chemical on him he had one clove of garlic a day and I never saw one flea or tick on him in his 41/2 years of life. We live near a nature reserve and have foxes and deer and rabbits roaming freely where we walk.

New pup will be brought up chemical free too.

Good luck with your quest and some excellent advice from BR to get you on the right track.