Is diet a major defence heading into flea and tick season?
That’s right… Spring is on its way so now is the time to start thinking about flea and tick season.
How can we make our dog less attractive to fleas and ticks? Diet is a good place to start. If you examine a flea infestation where multiple dogs live together there will be individual dogs that carry more fleas than the others. When this is the case, fleas will favour being hosted by the individual with the weakest immunity. There are multiple factors playing a part in a dog’s immune system but the single most important and practical measure to address is diet. Feeding your dog with fresh, whole unadulterated foods to help build their immune response.
When your dog is vital and healthy on the inside, they will be a less attractive host to parasites. Integrative wellness veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker emphasises that there are important enzymes for immunity, only found in fresh living unadulterated species-appropriate foods. This type of diet will maximise benefit with the nutrients your dog is receiving. If it is not possible to feed your dog on a living diet, you may be able to add in, or swap a portion of dry food for raw food to help boost their resistance to pests.
Dr. Becker also refers to B vitamins (founds in foods such as fish, beef liver and chicken) as playing a part in repelling parasites but she steers away from giving them in the form of synthetic supplements and doesn’t recommend brewer’s yeast because it can contribute to yeast problems or allergies in some dogs.
Dr. Becker believes garlic is in fact safe to feed to dogs provided it is fresh and is given at a medicinal level. She explains that the medicinal properties of garlic only last about 8 hours from the time fresh garlic has been minced or chopped and suggests adding a little to your dog’s food daily during flea and tick season. Dr. Becker recommends no more than one quarter teaspoon of freshly prepared garlic for every 6Kg of dog. The active compound after being digested ends up on your pet’s skin making the dog a lot less appetizing to parasites.
Please speak to your veterinarian about your dog’s individual dietary requirements plus flea and tick prevention.
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)