# Mercola Flea/Tick collar



## spicandspan (Apr 21, 2018)

Mercola is a charlatan so I wouldn't have much confidence in anything he sells. In general, some studies find that essential oils work against pests, others say they don't. I can't speak to flea collars and how toxic they might be to the pet or the human as I've never used them for my dogs. I suspect they can't be outright dangerous or they wouldn't be allowed on the shelves. 

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/joe-mercola-quackery-pays/
Dr. Mercola: Visionary or Quack? | Chicago magazine | February 2012
https://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html


----------



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Do you use anything against fleas/ticks?


----------



## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I am not a fan of ANY kind of flea collar personally as in the past I had dogs lose hair around their necks from them!
I use no flea meds at all on Molly and have not in almost 2 years now, even though I live in S.Calif where we have fleas all year round! The only thing I can think of why she does not have fleas is that she is bathed every 7-10 days, brushed every day, eats raw food, and I vacuum frequently to keep them out of my home ( carpeted)


If you think your pup has fleas , you can check by placing him on a white sheet and combing/brushing him out.... and if you see flea excrement (little black flecks that turn red when you wet them) on the sheet ...you got fleas! Now, to get rid of them it is recommended that you bathe them in Dawn (original blue formula) letting the suds soak on him for 5 or so minutes to smother the fleas then rinse rinse rinse and rinse again! If pup has fleas you will also have to 'do' your environment as the fleas do not 'live' on the dog but in your environment....if you are not 'infested' vacuum vacuum vacuum and put a piece of a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner to kill em' 
There is also a non toxic flea spray that (I have for times when I go to my son's house that has much acreage and Molly is outdoors a lot) called 'Wondercide' but I only put it on her legs and under carriage as it makes her coat kinda greasy as it is full of natural oils. 
HOPE your pup doesn't have fleas! Good Luck!


----------



## angiefurst (May 24, 2018)

I've never use a flea collar. I do use the heart worm/flea pills and they work fine. At what age can they take the medication? I never had a problem when mine were puppies.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

"* I can't speak to flea collars and how toxic they might be to the pet or the human as I've never used them for my dogs.* *I suspect they can't be outright dangerous or they wouldn't be allowed on the shelves. *"

You need to read my post about how the Seresto collar was poisoning my dogs. I consider that outright dangerous.


----------



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Exactly zooeysmom! I don't think Rudy has fleas and those deer ticks are so small it is impossible to see them on a black dog. I've been spraying his fleecy blankets in his crate and playpen with peppermint/cedar essential oils called Triplesure. Supposed to kill both through contact without actually putting it on him. I opted for that, at least for now, because when he gets his feet wet going out in the morning dew or after rain he licks them and I don't want even those essential oils upsetting his system. Gosh I hate dumping chemicals into my pup! I'm probably what a vet would call non-compliant! Ha!


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Just because something is natural doesn’t necessarily make it safer or effective. Hemlock and poison ivy are natural. 

Peppermint is an irritant. That tingly feeling we associate with fresh and cooling is actually the cells reaction to it because they are irritated. That’s not always a good thing.


----------



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Skylar, good point! At least the spray has dissipated when I allow him to use the blankets. and I wash them at least once a week or as needed.
I'm just so averse to putting some harsh chemical on or in him if I can find something that is less harmful. He is probably my last dog. Before Rudy I had a 7 year old black lab that I had to put down due to hemangio carcinoma and a 16 year old chocolate lab had paralyzing seizures at the end. Waited a year for Rudy so I know I'm a crazy poo mom.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Charleeann67:) said:


> I'm a crazy poo mom.


Aren't we all, haha I know I am too.

Sometimes an effective chemical is better than a "natural" treatment. It may work when a natural one doesn't and it may have less side effects and contraindications. I'm making general statements here - not specific to flea treatment. You have to evaluate the whole picture. For example, I don't worry about flea treatment. I know there are fleas in my area, but we have ticks that carry Lyme disease that are teeny tiny and I would never see them on my silver minipoo and that's what I worry about and want to avoid. I treat her with Nexguard which takes care of the ticks. In addition to treating ticks it also treats fleas. If I lived somewhere where there were no ticks, I might have made a different decision.

People often don't realize that some of these "natural" treatments go through some pretty nasty chemical extraction processes to make them. Truly natural would be to throw some mint leaves on the dog bed. Or an at home solution would be to extract the oils in boiling water to make mint tea. But extracting the oils quickly and cheaply on an industrial level requires chemicals that maybe in themselves toxic and far from the nice and natural treatment that we think we are buying.


----------



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

Skylar, this is why I love this forum! Your opinion is very much appreciated and is helping me get over my avoidance of traditional tick preventatives. My physical situation is much like yours, I am not worried about fleas but am worried about deer ticks that carry lymes. I'm seeing the vet Saturday morning and we'll get little guy on something. I think I'm saying no to heartworm though. Hate to open that can of "worms" as a topic, but what do you do about heartworm? Another reason I've put this off is he was having poop issues but now that we're getting very close to a full transition over to Orijen Puppy and all is well in that department I feel confident to go with the preventatives, at least the tick one.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Charleeann67:) said:


> Skylar, this is why I love this forum! Your opinion is very much appreciated and is helping me get over my avoidance of traditional tick preventatives. My physical situation is much like yours, I am not worried about fleas but am worried about deer ticks that carry lymes. I'm seeing the vet Saturday morning and we'll get little guy on something. I think I'm saying no to heartworm though. Hate to open that can of "worms" as a topic, but what do you do about heartworm? Another reason I've put this off is he was having poop issues but now that we're getting very close to a full transition over to Orijen Puppy and all is well in that department I feel confident to go with the preventatives, at least the tick one.


Charleeann67, I'm glad you appreciate what I wrote. I'm a scientist and sometimes it really gets to me when people want "natural" treatments because it sounds so safe and close to nature when really it's a marketing term and has little to do with nature and can be detrimental, especially if you cling to it instead of something effective. 

Each part of the country has different challenges for dogs and what works in my neck of the woods may not in your area. The best advice is to follow the consensus of what vets are prescribing in your area. I do treat for heartworm as well with Heartguard. Heartworm can kill a dog, and treating for it is a long process.


----------



## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I also use heartgard for prevention of heartworms, and nexgard for fleas/ticks. I've used it for 7 years without any issues. Renn is now taking it also. I've seen many a dog suffer with heart worm and its really sad when they are treated. But I live in an area where we have it all so I follow what my vet says as he sees it everyday in his practice.


----------



## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

I see some preventatives are topical and some are oral. What would work for ticks and heartworm for a 7# 3month old?


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Ask your vet. These parasites have mutated over in different areas so some treatments that work in the Northeast may not work in California and vice versa.


----------



## Marchie's Mom (Nov 18, 2016)

spicandspan said:


> Mercola is a charlatan
> 
> If you are not familiar with Mercola's work, I wouldn't quote one source and give him such a label. He does a lot of good work--can't speak to all of his work--and he IS a businessman supreme. But he also takes the time to analyze studies of nutrients and is usually on the cutting edge of calling out sources of toxicity that the Pharmaceutical and Agriculture industries try to hide from consumers.


----------



## spicandspan (Apr 21, 2018)

zooeysmom said:


> "* I can't speak to flea collars and how toxic they might be to the pet or the human as I've never used them for my dogs.* *I suspect they can't be outright dangerous or they wouldn't be allowed on the shelves. *"
> 
> You need to read my post about how the Seresto collar was poisoning my dogs. I consider that outright dangerous.


That sounds horrible! What happened?


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Here's the thread, ****: http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle...e-probably-being-poisoned-seresto-collar.html


----------



## spicandspan (Apr 21, 2018)

I'm well familiar with Mercola actually. What is good about him is not unique (encouraging healthier diet and exercise etc) and what is unique about him is not good. He makes a fortune selling tanning beds and overpriced supplements, he discourages vaccination, and he opposes mammography and dental amalgams.

Here are a few more sources: 

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/9-reasons-to-completely-ignore-joseph-mercola-and-natural-news/
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola
https://www.thecut.com/2015/03/23-more-things-dr-mercola-has-said-cause-cancer.html
https://www.theringer.com/2017/1/5/16041098/dr-joseph-mercola-natural-health-website-bc1ac5e6ebc


----------



## spicandspan (Apr 21, 2018)

Thank you Zooeysmom! I hope your dogs are feeling better now. I'll definitely think twice before using any flea collar.


----------



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

spicandspan said:


> Thank you Zooeysmom! I hope your dogs are feeling better now. I'll definitely think twice before using any flea collar.


Thank you--they are so much better!


----------

