Ticks and your Goldendoodle

The season is upon us for ticks and you own a Goldendoodle. Here is some important information that you need to know if you are a Goldendoodle owner. Topical flea and tick treatments can cause your Goldendoodle to have seizures and they can be fatal for your hybrid when used over time.

 It is not known why these topical treatments are causing these issues, we just know that we’ve heard enough reports over the years from Goldendoodle owners, to be concerned. Although US EPA has approved Advantage II for all dogs and there are other treatments such as Kanine Advantix II, we recommend that all Goldendoodle owners use caution.

Advantage has a new ingredient that will kill fleas at all life stages. The medication claims it will prevent flea infestations before they begin. But the doodle owner must weigh the risks considering the fact topical flea and tick treatments can kill their dog. Kanine Advantix II claims it is a superior topical protection medication that protects against fleas, ticks, biting flies, lice and mosquitoes (which carry Heartworm disease and West Nile Virus). But at what cost ? Both of these medications are expensive and consider the cost if either of these topical medications cause your Goldendoodle to go into a seizure and you must take him or her to your vet ? Parasite protection IS important, but there are other options.

A Goldendoodle owner must take into consideration where they live. For young puppies, we recommend a human “lice” shampoo because it has low pyrithin level and it’s safe. We use it all the time for our young Goldendoodle puppies. “Equate” lice shampoo usually only costs $ 6 for a large bottle and the Goldendoodle owner simply follows the instructions on the bottle. It is safe to use on their puppy and it will protect their doodle baby from fleas and ticks for approximately 2 weeks. This medicated shampoo will bind to their Goldendoodle puppy’s hair strands and it is safer than any topical flea or tick treatment on the market.

“Equate” lice shampoo is cheaper as well. The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends that you administer a monthly preventative flea medication all year round for your canine, but this council doesn’t do any fact finding with regards to the Goldendoodle dog or their issues when it comes to seizures and topical flea or tick treatments. We heard from Goldendoodle owners from all around the United States who had issues with their hybrids and they purchased their doodles from a wide variety of breeders. This issues affects the dog, in general. I suspect it has something to do with the pyrithin level and the fact it is a toxin that does distribute itself throughout the dog’s internal organs.

Common sense should prevail that if we were to spread a topical toxin on our skin, it would cause our skin to burn, itch and eventually over time cause internal organ failure or damage. Flea and tick season usually last for about four months out of the year, depending upon where you live. Lyme disease is a real threat to Goldendoodles. If you reside in an area where Lyme disease is a possible issue, your veterinarian should provide your Goldendoodle a vaccination for this disease. In areas such as Florida, tick season is year round. Usually September is the worst month for fleas, but we use a once a month tablet called “comfortis”. This tablet prevents fleas from being an issue for our adult dogs. As your Goldendoodle puppy gets closer to six months of age, you can consider talking with your veterinarian about using a safe flea/tick dip rather than a topical flea treatment. What I have personally come to find is that you will have to use common sense and caution.

Many veterinarians are not aware that topical flea and tick treatments are causing seizure issues for Goldendoodles, so they sell their clients these treatments. Later down the road, the client’s doodle will have a seizure and then the breeder receives a call due to the dog having a seizure. We have written about the issue before and this information is on our website at http://www.goldendoodleworld.com ; We just want all Goldendoodle owners to be aware of the fact that topical flea and tick treatments are not safe for the Goldendoodle dog regardless of where you have purchased your doodle. We suspect it is from the dog being sensitive to the pyrithin levels in the medication. We are not the only breeder who is hearing about this issue and it doesn’t matter where you have purchased your doodle. Used these topical treatments with extreme caution. What you should do if you believe your Goldendoodle is having an allergic reaction Parasites are annoying and they carry a wide variety of diseases but if you place a topical flea and tick treatment on your Goldendoodle, your dog could have a much bigger problem. He or she can have a seizure and die. Topical flea/tick treatments can cause your Goldendoodle’s skin to burn and itch. These treatments can cause an allergic reaction within minutes of touching the skin. It is critical that doodle owners understand the dangers and risks their hybrids face if they place these medications on their Goldendoodles.

Here is what you should know if your suspect your doodle is having an allergic reaction:

 1. Immediately wash the topical treatment off of your Goldendoodle

2. Check your Goldendoodle’s skin for redness.

 3. Watch your Goldendoodle for signs of toxicity such as strange behavior, glazed eyes, foaming at the mouth, biting at the skin.

4. Call your veterinarian or immediately take your Goldendoodle to your vet.

There are alternatives to using chemicals when trying to get rid of ticks and fleas! There is a non toxic borate crystal salt that dissolves the waxy protective coating on fleas, eggs the larvae. It is called “Fleago”. There is another non toxic treatment for your yard called “Flea control Nematodes”. Nematodes help control fleas for the outdoor areas where your dogs hang out.

 I will bet that most Goldendoodle owners did not realize that a simple bath using ANY shampoo that  lathers  will drown a flea! It is hard to believe, but it is true.

I have owned dogs for as long as I can remember. Since moving here to North Carolina and becoming a breeder in 1996, I have never used one single DOG shampoo. I actually use human shampoo on my dogs. I prefer to use human shampoo on my Goldendoodles along with a small amount of conditioner because of the fact USDA regulates the ingredients for human products better than what is sold for animals of any kind. Never use shampoo near the face of your Goldendoodle. Always shampoo from the back of the head and down. A simple cloth with water will clean your doodle’s face. At any rate, lathering your Goldendoodle’s coat and leaving the shampoo on your Goldendoodle for at least five minutes before rinsing will also help remove fleas.

Ticks are another matter. You will need to use alcohol to soak a tick and then use tweezers to carefully and gently remove a tick. Simple shampoo will not “control” fleas or ticks, but they certainly will help remove them as you are bathing your Goldendoodle. Blow drying your Goldendoodle right after the bath, will also help “remove” fleas too. As a Goldendoodle owner, a flea and tick issue must be controlled if you have an infestation. Bathing and blow drying will only help remove them. A bath is just a quick solution. If you have carpet, the issue will be that underneath the carpet there is padding. Eggs have been more than likely laid deep into the padding. Therefore the doodle owner will need to more than likely spray the entire home for a day and your entire family will have to plan an outing while your home goes through a major “treatment” altogether, if this becomes a heavy issue. Ticks can be a major issue if you let it get out of hand. As a Goldendoodle owner you want to stay on top of things and not let it get to this point. Just be aware that your Goldendoodle can be sensitive to topical flea and tick treatments which can cause major seizure issues and use caution.

 *This article is copyright protected by its author Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World, April 8, 2011. No portion of this article may be copied, published or redistributed without written permission by its originating author, Dee Gerrish of Goldendoodle World.

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