Having scared myself rigid after reading reports about the consequences of using certain chemicals (vaccines, worm, tick & flea repellents) on and in my dogs, I am seriously considering alternatives now. I wonder if anyone here uses homeopathic nosodes on their dogs or if not, what do you use? What alternative treatments do you use on your dogs for flea/tick/worm treaments etc.

I only use what I absolutely have to, but I would never use nothing if it were needed.  Is my motto.

Vaccines - I only give DHP, no lepto.  I give 2 jabs to puppies at 9 and 17wks, then titer test at 20wks+ or just do a 1st year booster of DHP only again.  If I get worried when a dog gets older and want to check, I'd do a titer.

Worming - I use Wormcount mostly, but maybe once a year or two, I will worm with Panacur or Drontal + in case there's anything Wormcount missed. 

Fleas - I don't use anything preventative, just give Capstar and Programme if I actually see a flea.

Ticks - I've lived in a few different places and this depends on where you live and on the dog concerned.  If a hairy dog or in a place where they will get ticks daily, then I would use a tick preventative.  Either the Scalibor collar or Bravecto.  I know Bravecto has safety concerns but that is offset by the fact that it only affects the dog treated and not all the people in the house (unlike collars or spot-ons).  In lower tick density areas, I choose exercise locations carefully in the summer, I give Billy No Mates and use Wondercide spray and I have a tick twister to remove ticks with.

I only do.puppy vaccines excluding  lepto

For worms I use worm count westlab or Feclab and only treat if worms present  fleas the same .I only treat if we have fleas.
As we seem to dont seem have to big problem with ticks I check the animals
And remove as necessary .
So far this has worked well for us

FWIW We have puppies vaccinated against what's there to be used according to the protocol our vet advises.
We worm, from 2 weeks, until most go to their new homes with a full worming history, when done, and with what.   Those we keep we only worm if we see worms although if the puppy worming has produced worms, we might worm again at around 3 months.
I use Capstar IF I find fleas and most often, flea/tick collars, launder and spray home as needed.
So far so good here, with ticks.

I don't believe in using unnecessary chemicals but I do believe in vaccinating and boostering.  Ours are now on a 3 years boostering schedule other than for Lepto.   We don't booster after they are over 7 years.

MamaBas...please can you tell me why you dont vaccinate against lepto, is there a problem with this vaccine? Thanks

Remember that people generally only go online to complain about something, and not praise them! The vast majority of dogs have no ill-effects from vaccines or any other treatments, so their owners never go online to say so! Also remember that even the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons advises conventinal vaccination "Where there is no medical contraindication, immunisation should be carried out in the normal way using the conventional tested and approved vaccines."

Boostering is annual for lepto (because immunity to bacterial infections is short-lived) but 3 years for Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus, because they're viruses and protection lasts longer.

> MamaBas...please can you tell me why you dont vaccinate against lepto, is there a problem with this vaccine? Thanks

Sorry, that reads wrong - I don't have Lepto on a 3-yearly schedule because apparently it dips during a 12 month period and needs boostering annually.    Fact is, as said, I don't booster after around 7 years of age, and only did, for Lepto, when we had rats around as they carry Lepto.

Just like to point out not all rats carry leptospirosis & not all leptospirosis carrying rats carry the serovars that the vaccine has been developed for

I'd like to add to what Ann says, that vets in North America do not give the lepto jab unless the client specifically requests it.  And they have just as much lepto as we do, over there.  If you take your little 8 week old pup to the vet in North America, he or she will get DHP - Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvo.  Possible Parainfluenza.  But not Lepto. 

So either all their puppies and dogs are dropping dead like flies - which they are not - or the vast majority of our dogs are needlessly vaccinated using a vaccine which has the highest incidence of side effects.

And if you said to your American vet 'Please, I'd really like to give this lepto jab I've heard about from elsewhere [because the vet themselves would not have promoted it] I'm worried about lepto in my area' then the vet will say 'Ok, but you have to come back later to get it - because it can't be given as early as 8 weeks and it can't be given alongside these other vaccines - since it is a bacterial vaccine. It has to be given after the initial vaccine course is finished - a few weeks after the last dose of DHP so as not to overburden your puppy's immune system.'  Come back at 14 weeks and we will give you the first lepto vaccine.

So - go figure.

Even according to the WSAVA, with the lepto vaccination:  "Vaccination should be restricted to use in geographical areas where a risk of exposure has been established or for dogs whose lifestyle places them at risk."  Everywhere throughout the UK does not fall into that category IMO.  If it did, we would have dogs dropping around us everywhere from confirmed lepto - since it has to be repeated annually to be effective and since the vast majority of dog owners in the UK do not repeat vaccinations annually.

Anyone wanting more info should join the FB group 'Nobivac Lepto 4 - Our experiences'.....

> Just like to point out not all rats carry leptospirosis

Agreed (of course!) but at that time, we had quite a few around, and I wasn't prepared to take the risk.   None of the Lepto shots my now two has had, was Lepto 4 btw.

Again what works for one, may not work for another in terms of what you are happy to be doing for your animals.  Each to their own!

>Even according to the WSAVA, with the lepto vaccination:  "Vaccination should be restricted to use in geographical areas where a risk of exposure has been established or for dogs whose lifestyle places them at risk."  Everywhere throughout the UK does not fall into that category IMO.

The WSAVA considers that the whole of the UK does fall into that category.

None of the Lepto shots my now two has had, was Lepto 4 btw.

Lepto 2 allegedly covers 2 serovars, 1 of which is exceptionally rare in UK. Lepto 4 allegedly covers 4 serovars of which 1 fairly commonly found in the UK, the rest are extremely rare in UK. The Lepto components are all killed.

Of course like any vaccine, only healthy dogs should be given them. Any dog that has any pre existing medical conditions(Arthritis, epilepsy, IBS, etc)should never receive any vaccinations.

>The WSAVA considers that the whole of the UK does fall into that category.

Where does it say that?  It doesn't.  The WSAVA isn't there to tell people what diseases are endemic in their countries.  That's the role of environmental health departments worldwide.

Lepto vaccine is a killer you only need to read about the cases on the FB page.