Many dog owners believe giving their pet flea and tick medication every month is the responsible thing to do.
"It's always best to be preventative.It's better to prevent than to treat," said Dr. Samantha Cavender a local veterinarian
In some cases that may be true.
"Any dog traveling out of state hiking or camping in the foothills or McCall probably a good idea to have a flea or tick preventative," explained Cavender
But did you ever ask yourself, how do those pesticides that have warnings against human contact right on the box, and kill insects by disrupting their nervous system or other methods, not harm your dog?
" I don't know if I have a good answer for that to be honest," said Cavender
"It really makes very little sense. The EPA recognizes these pesticides are toxic. Those labels are required by law," said Miriam Rotkin-Ellman of The Natural Resources Defense Council.
The natural resources defense council says the evidence is mounting that spot on pesticides are at least unnecessary and at most harmful.
"These chemicals are designed to kill. These pesticides, many of them are not only toxic to insects, they're also toxic to us," said Rotkin-Ellman
In 2010, the EPA received so many complaints about adverse reactions to spot-on pesticides, they issued new guidelines.And many chemicals that were considered harmless in the past, have been removed after reports of pet deaths.
"We have worked for the past decade or more to get most of the toxic chemicals off the market," said Rotkin-Ellman
But what about all those dogs that use the products with no apparent problem?
"Pets react differently to different to different drugs. So every pet is different and sometimes we may not know until a reaction happens, unfortunately," said Cavender.
The question is, are you willing to take the chance with your furry family member.
