March 08, 2009
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Dog Care News You Can Use:
- Pesticides in Our Dogs' Products
- Your Dog's Cutest Dog Toy Picture Could Make Them OPD's Organic Dog of the Month!
News You Can Use
Pesticides in Our Dogs' Products
March is here and for many of us that means the snow is melting and the first signs of spring are beginning to bloom. For those of you that still have two more months of winter chill¡Kyou should consider moving to California! :)
Muddy paws, soaking wet grounds and walks in the freezing air will soon be a thing of the past, but with the warmer weather also come a few new challenges. Fleas, ticks and other varmints are especially annoying issues that have to be considered each spring, and making the right choices for your dog is more important than ever before!
**Quick Note**If you have yet to hear about this topic, it may be alarming and a bit scary, but armed with the right information, you and your dog will be just fine.
There are a growing number of pets which are dying from certain flea and tick treatments because they contain dangerous pesticides. Well known over the counter treatments such as Bio Spot, Hartz, Sergeants, Farnam and Bayer all contain a specific ingredient called permethrin, a synthetic neurotoxin belonging to the pyrethroid family of chemicals.
All of the above flea and tick treatments are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are available at a diverse collection of retailers. The problem is that these treatments have been linked to thousands of reported pet poisonings which has grabbed the attention of pet owners, veterinarians and regulatory agencies alike.
The manufacturers of these flea and tick treatments claim that they are generally safe and effective when used properly, but go on to state that cats and dogs with pre-existing conditions or sensitivity to certain products may have some type of reaction which could lead to illness or even death.
Statistics show that at least 1,600 pet deaths related to flea and tick treatments containing pyrethroids were reported to the EPA over the last five years. These numbers are said to be at least double that of the number of reported fatalities linked to similar flea and tick treatments NOT containing pyrethroids such as Frontline and Advantage.
Over the last five years, the EPA received a total of more than 25,000 reports of pet pesticide reactions including fatal, major, moderate and minor to pyrethroid flea and tick products.
According to a study in The Veterinary Journal in June 2008, Pyrethroid toxicity targets nerve and muscle cells in pets. The study found that application to the skin or coat can potentially cause hyperexcitability, tremors, profuse salvation and seizures which can result in brain damage and even death.
The statistics and stories of individual experiences are quite disturbing and difficult to understand. Why in the world are we using TOXIC pesticides on our beloved animals? We encourage you to do some research yourself and read the stories people have shared, stating their horrible experiences with these potentially toxic treatments.
Help us to spread the word about these flea and tick treatments containing pyrethroids. Why use anything on your dog that could potentially cause them harm when there are ample NATURAL solutions to take care of fleas and ticks.
Please click here to learn more about these natural options and inform your friends and family of this important issue.
Your Dog's Cutest Dog Toy Picture Could Make Them OPD's Organic Dog of the Month!
As the owner of Suzy, the amazing Dalmatian knows…
A picture and story about your dog could make them our next Organic Dog of the Month! Your dog’s picture will be posted to our home page and you’ll receive a gift certificate to one of our favorite online stores.
Regardless of whether your story “wins,” you have our and our readers’ thanks for your submission as it will be posted on it’s own page within our site for all to view.
Click here to read Suzy’s story (the link to her story will be at the bottom of that page) and to submit your picture and story for this month’s topic…
Your dog’s cutest dog toy picture!
Comments? Ideas? Feedback? We'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this zine and tell us what you think!