WARNING!!! Are you reading the labels on your pet's food, treats, preventatives and supplements.

Preventive medications have become big business in the veterinary field. Products sold as preventions for fleas, ticks, heartworms and other parasites are being touted as “necessary and required” by many in the pet and veterinary field. A variety of products ranging from once a month oral “treats” to topical applications are being prescribed for every pet. It seems to be the standard in today’s toolbox of pet healthcare but is it really safe or necessary?

The companies that produce and sell these products present their “safe and effective” claims to veterinarians, technicians, and pet professionals. However, a quick review of the inserts and warning labels indicate something else. If they are “safe,” why do they need these extensive inserts with small print? How many people actually read them? Have you ever gone beyond those initial warnings to see what has been reported?

After using one of these products, have you ever noticed that your pet doesn’t seem right after only a few days? When you ask the facility that recommended the product about this, were you told it’s nothing to worry about?

The truth is that ALL these drugs are dangerous. They ALL alter the pets’ immune system and their blood chemistry. Many also disrupt the digestion process which is why many pets have appetite issues after administration of the products. After all, you must realize that these are all synthetic poisons. Synthetics are foreign to the body, therefore confusing the immune system. The body does not know how to handle them and therefore stores them in tissue. That is why the insert says it may cause seizures, liver or kidney issues, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and more. Allergies, scratching and itching are also directly caused by the absorption of these toxic products. Every month that we continue this protocol with our pets, their body becomes more toxic and less able to fight other health challenges.

In addition to the adverse events already cited, complaints to the FDA and the EPA, “did not work” is also a regular complaint. If these products are ineffective, unreliable and cause health and immune problems, why would we put our pets through this stress?

Before the advent of these so called “preventive” drugs, our pets survived and thrived. We as responsible owners checked our pets regularly for parasites, treating only when they were present and administered natural products as this was all that we had available. These natural products are still effective and safe. Herbal sprays, powders and shampoos took care of fleas and ticks. Natural vermicides like black walnut powder and wormwood eliminated intestinal and blood parasites like heartworms.

Let’s not forget the effects of GMOs in our foods and products. Scientific research has recently linked foods that come from genetically modified seeds to an increase in cancer, severe viral infections and damage to the protective immune system, including many types of allergies and food and sensitivities.

Modern medicine uses chemistry to bring us convenience while nature has provided solutions forever. While it might be easier to pop a pill once a month, do you really want your pets to deal with the side effects and health challenges caused by these products? It is up to you, their caretaker to read the labels, the inserts, try to use foods that are not genetically modified and do the research to find a balanced approach to keeping your pet healthy.