If you are like us and you operate on a ‘natural first’ approach to health, your flea and tick prevention plan for your pets probably makes you wince. We don’t like ticks – and especially don’t like the diseases they can carry – but we definitely don’t like using toxins on our pets either. Chemical flea and tick prevention is a last resort that’s become unfortunately almost an imperative for animals who are active outdoors in New England.

Pick Your Poison – Carefully

For years after opening our first store, we wouldn’t sell chemical flea prevention at all. If that sounds radical, in the early 2000’s it was a lot easier to protect your pets naturally. According the CDC, from 2004 to 2019 the number of tickborne disease cases doubled. Lyme is the most prevalent, but also ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, are common in the Northeastern US throughout the year now.  As a result we no longer recommend an only-natural prevention plan to customers in the Northeast. If your pet or family can’t tolerate chemical flea and tick prevention, read on – we have solutions for you too. 

Say you are ready to use the most reliable chemical preventatives – they are powerful but remember that none of them is 100% effective solo. Think in layers of protection. Spray yourselves and your pets with a 100% natural flea and tick repellant (see below for our picks) when you head out to the trail, beach or grass – which means pretty much anywhere except maybe an indoor mall.  Monitor for ticks while you are out and do a tick check when you back home. If you can, shed all clothing when you return home and put it into your dryer for 30 minutes at high heat. And when bathing your dog, use a natural flea and tick shampoo/conditioner (see below).  If you follow these steps you will minimize the risk to your pets and your family safely.

Chemical Flea and Tick Prevention

Many pet parents in areas with a high tick presence tell us that the Seresto Collar, available for dogs or cats, is the most reliable for tick prevention.  It starts killing fleas in 24 hours and ticks in 48 hours, it has the highest tick kill rate, it’s waterproof, and the pesiticide works for 8 months.  In June 2022 a congressional report was issued by the Committee on Oversight and Reform claiming that the collar is related to numerous incidents of adverse reactions, including death. In the report, Seresto maker Elanco responds that it is not proven that the collar is the cause in the reported incidents.  I’ve made clear above my stance on chemicals – we wouldn’t use or sell them if we didn’t feel we had to based on prevalence of ticks, and the risk of tickborne disease. Until it’s clear that we have reliable information on its safety, I’m recommending other options over the Seresto collar.

The ‘top spot’ preventatives require application once/month (you can often stretch it to 6 weeks) between the shoulder blades. For years we have carried Frontline for Dogs and Frontline for Cats, or Advantix for dogs without any reported side effects.  Both Frontline and Advantix for Dogs kills fleas as well as ticks in all stages, nymph through adult. Frontline for cats kills all life stages of the flea and tick.  For homes with cats as well as dogs, avoid Advantix because it is not safe for cats. With a multi-pet household there’s a risk you could confuse the two, or your cat could come in contact with it…and why take the chance if you don’t have to. Always, always: wash your hands after application, and avoid touching the area where you applied it for at least 24 hours. Always monitor your pet for adverse reactions the first 24 hours after administering any treatment, and always time the treatments so that you are not administering heartworm for instance on the same day as your flea and tick. Leave a few days between to give your pet’s body and immune system a chance to recover.

Natural Flea and Tick Prevention

For completely natural prevention, you really have to think holistically.  Because you aren’t using the chemicals, it’s even more important that you build up an arsenal of protection. And yes, nutrition plays a role (see below).  Natural flea and tick prevention products we love include shampoos like Skout’s Honor Max Strength Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs – it kills ticks, fleas and their larvae.  Bathing too often can dry out the skin and coat, so once every two weeks should be plenty.  For continuous natural repelling, use Earth Animal Flea & Tick Dog Collar for Dogs or Earth Animal Flea & Tick Spot On Treatment for Dogs.

For cats, we recommend Earth Animal Flea & Tick Cat Collar to help repel pets continuously for 3 months. If you prefer a monthly treatment with not collar, use Earth Animal Flea & Tick Spot On Treatment for Cats.  Like Frontline for instance, it comes in a snap-open dropper that you squeeze onto the skin between the shoulder blades.

But wait – your natural arsenal is not complete yet.  Powerful plant-based sprays we love include Skout’s Honor Flea & Tick Dog + Home Spray and Wondercide Flea and Tick Spray Pets + Home – great products that not only kill fleas and ticks and their larvae, but also repels mosquitoes and a number of other pests. We also love Earth Animal Herbal Bug Spray. All of these sprays use cedarwood oil and peppermint oil – powerful essential oils that pests downright hate.  Use them generously; you can’t overdo it.  Bonus – they smell GREAT.  And the essential oils are naturally moisturizing and help nourish dry skin and coat.  Safe on humans as well as pets. For cats, best to spray onto hands and then rub into fur. To treat the area around your house, use Skout’s Honor Flea & Tick Yard Spray.  Each time you treat your yard, it deters pets for two weeks in an area about 5000 square feet.

Flea Combs and Tick Removal

Essential for every household: an effective tick remover like the Tick Key, and a flea comb with a good grip.  Flea combs have very tight teeth – so tight that they’ll catch not just fleas but flea ‘dirt’, aka dried blood from flea bites, tiny black specks that signal the presence of fleas. Check for ticks first thoroughly so that you don’t accidentally pass the flea comb over an attached tick. Removing a tick is not hard, you just have to have a little patience and the right tool. Place the hole of the Tick Key over the attached tick, pull gently to place the tick in the narrow end, and slowly pull. 

The Importance of Diet in Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks are parasites, and parasites are opportunistic – they seek the easiest path to a meal – and that means that weaker animals are their first choice. The better the diet is, the healthier your pet’s immune system – and that makes them less attractive to parasites. So, if you are wondering if that premium all natural food, plus supplements like probiotics for immune and gut health, and fish oil to keep the skin and coat healthy (remember their skin is the largest organ in their body and the most important barrier to pests) are worth the cost – YES, they are.  Feed your pets as well as you can reasonably afford to…they will be better equipped to survive and thrive, no matter what they are exposed to, or what adventures they get into.