Clover's thread got me wondering about if this is really considered part of the necessary repertoire of dog ownership? Mia is just over 2 now and has never been treated for fleas (or at least not since I got her). I have never seen any sign of fleas at all and tbh my vet has never really mentioned it or suggested it to me . Have I just been lucky and am being an irresponsible owner by not taking this preventative measure? I naively have it at the back of my mind that it is not really a big risk but I suppose with her going to daycare 5 days a week and mingling with lots of dogs that this is not really true! I faithfully worm her every 3 months which I feel is necessary but I guess I've been put off the idea of flea prevention because a lot of the treatments seem to be very harsh chemicals and I don't really want to expose her to any chemicals if she doesn't have to be.

What are your thoughts?

Tummel gets a clove of garlic every 2 weeks, 2 cloves in the summer....as you know I live on a farm and we've yet to see a flea or tick in him. I could give him more garlic if I thought I needed to but i haven't yet

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I only use flea treatment in the summer months when we are doing dog shows.

I don't see the point of using flea treatment if you haven't got a problem and agree with you about harsh chemicals.

I use garlic tablets from Dorwest Herbs and garlic flea spray.

I think in the 13 years I have had Jasper and Cloud I think I de flea'ed them about 5 times at the most ....... I never had an issue with fleas or ticks with either of them ....... however when we got Skye she was riddled with them and so first day we had her she had flea shampoo wash and frontline ...... four weeks later another frontline and I have flea sprayed my house three time (for precaution more than any visible sign of fleas) and I did give Jasper a frontline the day Skye arrived, again for preventative reasons. Skye is still a very itchy dog but I check her everyday (sometimes more than once) and I have yet to find any fleas ....... I spoke to the vet and she suggested because she was so infected it maybe habit that she is still scratching ..... I will however continue with frontline with Skye as I feel she will be the sort of dog that will attract the little buggers

ETA: we also spend a lot of time in a farm environment !!

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Every month pretty much from bathing in flea shampoo, applying flea treatment to washing bedding etc

If I don't I get infested very easily, generally people who don't have cats that go out won't see fleas.

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The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

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I never use flea treatments anymore, they get small amounts of garlic several times a week
in the 8 years i've had Tammy she had fleas once when she was young and that was purely because i used to take her to a friends house who had cats forever covered in fleas, at the time i didn't know any better so just used the spot on stuff, but i would never put that stuff on my dogs now.

After that time i didn't ever use anything and she didn't have a single flea for years, until just last year i noticed a couple so i started giving garlic , sprayed her with a tea tree oil spray, sprinkled diatomaceous earth around the house and did lots of hoovering and washing of beds etc. which all worked brilliantly and after a week or two they was all gone and her skin had recovered (no more bites or scabs and no itching) and from then on i've just continued with the garlic a few times a week

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Dougie is 19 months old now and have not treated for fleas at all, he's not had them either. Previous dog never had fleas either and I only treated say once a year when I remembered. Decided never to use preventative on Dougie as want to keep to any chemicals to the bare minimum - I view it like preventative treatment of nits on children, I wouldn't do that so don't do it to my dog.

I have heard people say they only have problems if they have cats too as for some reason cats pick up fleas more. Don't know if thats true as never had a cat

can I ask do you crush the garlic into the food or give whole to chew on ????? Not that I suspect a dog would chew on a raw garlic clove but its worth asking the question in case

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Very very rarely! Definately not as often as the manufacturers recommend.

Millie was (I Think!) last fleaed before she went in Kennels in Mid July. I feel the chemicals used are very harsh and she has never had fleas. I always have the treatment in the house so if we needed it its there - I just dont believe she needs it every 6-8 weeks as recommended.

As for Wormer she is wormed twice a year - Again maybe we have been lucky she has never had wormsm or anythign nasty confused:

So if not fleaing reg makes you a bad dog owner then im a terrible one

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I think most crush it into food yea i make little 'fish cubes' out of tinned sardines and mackeral and put various things in (dorwest keepers mix, turmeric, plaqueoff etc) and garlic and then freeze them, they get one cube a day with some DE and yogurt, cos i can't mix stuff like that into a lump of meat on a bone
But you can just mix it into anything really

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