berocca Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I am really hoping that I don't jinx myself with this and Im finding every bit of wood to knock on as I type I have never had a flea problem on any of my dogs despite them being exposed fairly regularly. I'm trying to work out why this may be so that I can hopefully advise my mother and help her with her flea problem. Info on my dogs: - I don't use any sort of flea prevention (frontline etc) on my dogs for most of the year, I use it for tick prevention during high-tick season as my dogs go through the bush to go swimming. - My dogs are fed an entirely raw meat/bones/organs diet and until recently it was from a supplier that used no preservatives at all (I had about an hour to portion it and freeze it or it started to go brown). Info on exposure: - Many of the dogs that I bring in straight from the pound have fleas. I treat them immediately but there is still about 24hours that my dogs would be around them while they are still fleaish. - I take them to visit my sister's dogs all the time as my mum lives about a minute away from me. Both dogs are covered in fleas, my mother has fleabombed the place, tried every medication and spray available but cannot get rid of them. Despite the amount of time my dogs spend there they have never picked up any fleas. - They train 5 days a week and have comps etc where they meet all sorts of strange dogs, as well as running around the offleash area. - When Delta was about 16wks old my housemates mini foxies moved in. Both dogs were covered in fleas most of the time and Delta was around them 24/7 but she never got them. - Cody went with me to property-sit my aunts house a few years ago. Her dogs had fleas and Cody ran through the bush with them all day but never actually got any in the 3 weeks that we were there. Someone suggested to me that it could be the raw diet. That perhaps the fleas are attracted to the preservatives in processed food. No idea if that has any merit to it but that is the only real difference I can find between my dogs and my sister's (and housemate's for that matter). Anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 In my experience healthy dogs are more resistant to parasites. Does raw feeding help? I can't prove it, but I can say that we haven't had any fleas for the last 2 years either, and when exposed to flea ridden conditions my dogs don't seem to have any "stick" to them. Other things that help are keeping the dogs and their environment clean. I have several dogs that are allergic to fleabites, so if we were to get them as we did years ago I would be notified quite quickly I am really hoping that I don't jinx myself with this and Im finding every bit of wood to knock on as I type I have never had a flea problem on any of my dogs despite them being exposed fairly regularly. I'm trying to work out why this may be so that I can hopefully advise my mother and help her with her flea problem. Info on my dogs: - I don't use any sort of flea prevention (frontline etc) on my dogs for most of the year, I use it for tick prevention during high-tick season as my dogs go through the bush to go swimming. - My dogs are fed an entirely raw meat/bones/organs diet and until recently it was from a supplier that used no preservatives at all (I had about an hour to portion it and freeze it or it started to go brown). Info on exposure: - Many of the dogs that I bring in straight from the pound have fleas. I treat them immediately but there is still about 24hours that my dogs would be around them while they are still fleaish. - I take them to visit my sister's dogs all the time as my mum lives about a minute away from me. Both dogs are covered in fleas, my mother has fleabombed the place, tried every medication and spray available but cannot get rid of them. Despite the amount of time my dogs spend there they have never picked up any fleas. - They train 5 days a week and have comps etc where they meet all sorts of strange dogs, as well as running around the offleash area. - When Delta was about 16wks old my housemates mini foxies moved in. Both dogs were covered in fleas most of the time and Delta was around them 24/7 but she never got them. - Cody went with me to property-sit my aunts house a few years ago. Her dogs had fleas and Cody ran through the bush with them all day but never actually got any in the 3 weeks that we were there. Someone suggested to me that it could be the raw diet. That perhaps the fleas are attracted to the preservatives in processed food. No idea if that has any merit to it but that is the only real difference I can find between my dogs and my sister's (and housemate's for that matter). Anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pammyd Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I have read that the raw diet makes the blood more acidic and the fleas dont like it Touch wood I dont use anything and friends dogs have picked up ticks but Ben has been fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sluj Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 What about the vegetation around your home? Certain plants (such as eucalyptus and marigold) are supposed to be repellent to many insects. If your dogs are brushing up against them on a regular basis, it could also act as a natural flea preventative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berocca Posted July 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 Hmm, I have eucalyptus in my current house but none in any of my other houses. My mum has quite a few eucalyptus trees in her yard and my aunts property was full of them. Living in Australia means we kinda have them everywhere This is a pretty common flea area though so I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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