In spring also come ticks..........
The 8-legged parasite becomes active from 10 degrees outside (the larval stage has only 3 pairs of legs). And here in France, it quickly gets above 10 degrees.
Ticks, which are arachnids, need a blood meal to develop. Their own weight can therefore be multiplied by a hundred.
It's mainly the common wood tick, Ixodes ricinus, that seeks its victims among our pets and doesn't even stop at humans. It's not so much the amount of blood it sucks in as the pathogens it can transmit that make it such a fearsome parasite.
The pharmaceutical industry is using heavy artillery to combat this little parasite. Synthetic pyrethroid neurotoxic agents (permethrin, flumethrin or deltamethrin) are often used in dogs. These active substances open the sodium channels in the membrane of the parasite's nerve cells, leading to overstimulation and ultimately death.
In dogs, on the other hand, neurotoxins only spread over the entire surface of the skin and do not cross the cutaneous barrier. So much for theory. In practice, repeated reports indicate that these substances can cause neurological disorders such as tremors, staggering when walking and even epileptic seizures. A high price to pay for supposed safety.
Is there a natural treatment to protect your faithful four-legged friend?
Ticks settle on the grass and climb into the bushes to wait for their potential victims. To do this, they can climb up to a meter and a half high.
Ticks have a special sensory organ on their front legs: Haller's organ. It enables them to detect the odeurs of their victims: carbon dioxide from exhaled air, sweat, secreted substances such as ammonia or butanoic acid (butyric acid). They betray the presence of a host to the tick, even at a distance of several meters.
This is where many natural remedies come in handy. Coconut oil or garlic (in moderation - see my article on garlic for that!) are used externally and internally to try and undermine this olfactory recognition. Black cumin essential oil is also said to have a repellent effect on ticks. Other substances not only modify the skin environment and offer some protection against ticks, they also ensure a beautiful, shiny coat.
In the Para-Z-Pellets product (for dogs), in collaboration with Dr Jutta Ziegler from Austria, we rely on a product which combines several of these components and which has already proved its worth. As well as brewer's yeast and various plants, it contains cistus. As well as having anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, this traditional remedy is also known to protect against ticks. Our own experience with our dogs and cats over the past year has confirmed this.
Para-Z-Pellets (for dogs), Aka-Free (for dogs), Aka-Horse (for horses), black cumin oil (for dogs and horses), ATV lotion (for dogs and horses), ATV powder (for dogs, cats and horses), Tick Less by Vital Herbs and Tic Borne are just some of the products that have given good results. Collars made with EM beads also help to control ticks, as ticks do not like the vibrations of EM beads.
No product can guarantee 100% protection. Given that transmission of the disease generally occurs between 12 and 24 hours after the tick has attached itself, it is always advisable to check the dog for unwanted travellers after each walk and remove it. We can look forward to the summer, as the wood tick does not tolerate sunlight, as it dries out. Its main season is therefore spring and autumn.
If you have a horse suffering from piroplasmosis, don't hesitate to contact us. There are many good natural solutions, but each animal is an individual and there is almost never a single solution for all animals.
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