The difference between chemical and natural flea and tick products.
The season has already begun in full swing. At this moment, the conditions are ideal for ticks and fleas to breed and for the eggs to hatch. Therefore, it is advisable to protect dogs against fleas and ticks. However, there are many different products on the market, and the choice is vast. One can choose from many chemical and a few natural anti-flea products. Experience has shown that many dog lovers do not know the difference in action between these products. Therefore, in this article, you will read about the differences in action on parasites.
Fleas
Ticks
21 April '22 • 5 min reading time
Difference in Action on Fleas and Ticks
Action of chemical anti-flea products: Chemical anti-flea agents usually contain one of the following chemicals: fipronil, fluralaner, sarolaner, flumethrine, or permethrin. These substances are administered to dogs via a spray, spot-on drops, or a tablet, entering the bloodstream. A flea or tick must first bite the dog before coming into contact with these chemical agents. The flea or tick is then poisoned by this substance and dies. Fluralaner (and its sister sarolaner) acts on the nervous system of fleas and ticks (neurotoxic), and fipronil causes hyperstimulation in fleas. In both cases, the flea and tick die after ingesting the chemicals. Additionally, fleas can develop resistance to chemical products. The tick and flea must first suck blood before these substances work; they do not have a repellent effect. Action of natural anti-flea products: Most natural anti-flea agents are based on herbs and essential oils and are sprayed externally on the dog, providing a repellent effect. Fleas and ticks find the scent unpleasant, stop feeding, and subsequently starve. There are also natural anti-flea products that must be given through food, based on herbs and essential oils (fenugreek, brewer's yeast, sepiolite, thyme, echinacea, turmeric, astragalus, citronellol, citronellal). These work as repellent just like the external products but are also absorbed into the bloodstream. This means that if a flea or tick does bite the dog, it becomes blocked and can no longer lay new eggs. Thus, they do not die, but the cycle is interrupted. However, this cannot be scientifically proven, as there is currently no method to do so. Furthermore, science is always researching the active ingredient of a product. Because natural herbal mixtures, unlike chemical agents, consist of a mixture of substances, there is no single substance that can be identified as the active ingredient. Additionally, ticks and fleas do not die from natural products, but their reproduction is interrupted. Science states, "without an active ingredient, we cannot conduct research, as the substances do not have insecticidal properties on their own." Therefore, natural products cannot label this, while chemical products can.
Influence on Dog Health
As you may have read above, the effects of chemical and natural agents on fleas are very different. Chemical products kill the flea, while natural products provide a repellent effect and/or prevent fleas from reproducing. There is currently a lot of uproar in the media about chemical products. Are they harmful to the health of dogs or not? The scientific studies conducted by the pharmaceutical companies themselves say they are not, provided the correct dosage is applied. However, these chemical substances do pose health risks. The following can be read about fipronil on the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) website: “The harmfulness of fipronil has been described by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This is primarily based on animal studies. Adverse effects on the nervous system have been observed after short-term exposure in test animals. Long-term exposure to fipronil can also lead to damage to the liver, thyroid, and kidneys. Additionally, effects on the nervous system have been observed in the form of epileptic seizures. Fipronil is not a carcinogenic substance. No harmful effects of fipronil on reproduction or the unborn have been reported. From the few documented cases of poisoning in humans, such as intentional overdoses, it is known that fipronil can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and epileptic seizures. In general, these complaints resolve. With long-term exposure to fipronil, the risk of health damage increases due to the accumulation of the substance.” Many dog lovers believe that if it is not necessary, they do not want to administer chemical substances to their dog. Because the dosage of these chemical substances is very precise. Overdosing and long-term use are both risky. In addition to fipronil, the chemical insecticide fluralaner has also been in the news a lot.
Environmental Impact
You may have heard the news report that at the end of May 2018 (after the fipronil crisis in 2017), fipronil was once again found in eggs following a sample taken from a supermarket. The chicken farmer in question had treated the barn a year ago with the 'wonder drug' from Chickfriend, but then had everything cleaned. His business was approved for new chickens. How could it be that there was again a high level of fipronil in the eggs? It appears that this is due to the manure containing fipronil from the previous chickens being drawn into the soil of the pasture. The new chickens roamed there during the day and pecked at the ground in search of worms. In this way, fipronil ended up in the eggs of the new chickens. From this, one can conclude that it takes a long time for fipronil to break down in nature and that this may also impact the environment in relation to, for example, bees. This leads us to wonder what effect the feces of dogs and cats treated with fipronil or fluralaner have on the environment. If it already shows a high value in the eggs a year later in chickens, what happens to all the feces of dogs and cats in the environment?
100% protection never possible
For both chemical and natural products, 100% protection against ticks and fleas is impossible. In fact, the percentage for both is around 90%. Most natural remedies do not have a lower percentage than chemical anti-flea products. However, it is true that chemical insecticides do not have a repellent effect, while natural products do. So do not expect that your dog will have no fleas or ticks at all, as that is impossible in both cases.
Conclusion
If you use a chemical product, the flea that has already bitten your dog will die after 48 hours due to the poison it receives from the dog's blood. However, it has no repellent effect; fleas and ticks must first bite the dog before the effect takes place. Natural products do have this repellent effect. Additionally, chemical products can affect the dog's immunity, leading to various health risks and impacting the environment through waste. It is up to you to decide whether you want to burden your dog and the environment with this or choose natural protection. Keep in mind that with both chemical and natural anti-flea products, 100% protection is never possible. In both cases, there may still occasionally be a tick on the dog.
Due to laws and regulations, we are not permitted to mention related products on this website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
