This season has been such a beautiful, lush one, with what seems like perfect growing conditions! The only problem is that it has also been the perfect growing conditions for predatory insects, like mosquitoes and fleas.
My personal experience, since we have had dogs that travel outside and then back indoors, proves that the best non-chemical way to guard the house against flea problems is to vacuum daily, and then steam the carpets/furniture weekly. (Steam kills fleas in every stage. Note: I do not mean using a steaming carpet cleaner, but a steamer. You could use a steaming iron if it won’t hurt your carpet. Check in an out-of-the-way spot first! What I do know is that if you shoot a strong burst of steam at a flea, she will not walk away!)
But we have not had time for this protocol. We have used Neem spray for their bedding, but they do not limit themselves to the bed, alas.
And no, our dogs are not on monthly flea protection. We have agreed that it’s safer for them to risk a few flea bites than to have a constant toxic assault on their system. However, our older dog, Mr. Darcy, has not been as resilient this year due to his age, and I was getting worried about him. (Yes, he is named for Jane Austin’s hero in Pride and Prejudice. His black and white coloring and regal bearing make it appear as if he wears a tuxedo every day.)
Without knowing our situation, but correctly identifying the flea-supportive weather this year, a loving friend of ours offered us a package of spot-on (monthly) flea treatment. She had an older dog who had been struggling with fleas, and wanted to help others in the same situation. Because we were very worried about Mr. Darcy, I took it as provision from God, and we accepted the help.
We ended up giving it to both of our dogs, and I am glad we did. It illustrated the error of a one-size-fits-all medical approach. For while our other dog was fine–acting as if nothing had happened at all except for fewer fleas–Mr. Darcy immediately went down-hill.
I thought he had lost too much blood, or was having an allergic reaction to the flea bites. He became very lethargic, and began to get picky about his food. (This is definitely not his normal mode!)
After a few hours, he wasn’t interested in getting up off his bed to go out. Again, this is not typical. We were successful in getting him up and out, but he wasn’t really interested in food, and ended up only drinking a little milk before he went to sleep.
The next morning, he wouldn’t get up at all, and barely opened his eyes. I tempted him with his favorite treat, and he just moved his nose away. Tony had to lift him into a standing position and help him down the stairs to go outside, but once up, his gait was trembly, and he leaned against the fence almost as if he thought he was going to fall over.
Mr. Darcy had survived hemorrhagic gastroenteritis a few years ago, so that was my next thought, but he didn’t have any of the other symptoms for that. We checked vitals: No fever, but his heart was very slow, like one beat every 4 seconds. He seemed to be constantly heaving, his stomach muscles clinching every few minutes. When he came back inside and rested, his paws began to twitch, almost as if he were dreaming of running.
Obviously, he wasn’t suffering from blood loss, or toxic flea bites. Then I remembered the flea treatment, active ingredient: fipronil. I researched “fipronil antidote” right away and found on several veterinary sites the warning that there is NO ANTIDOTE. Fipronil suppresses the neurotransmitter, GABA.1 GABA has a calming effect on the body, and is formed from glutamate, which has the opposite effect.2
So if the body has less or no GABA, the stimulated muscles continue contracting indefinitely. Overstimulation leads to exhaustion, and that is the deadly mechanism by which fipronil works. The insect dies of exhaustion or cardiac arrest or something along those lines. (Fipronil is suspected to have caused the collapse of the honeybee colonies in France a few years back because bees are so susceptible to it.)3
Fipronil is not supposed to affect mammals because the GluCl receptor doesn’t exist in mammals. The problem with some dog breeds is that they convert the fipronil into an even more lethal chemical, desulfinylfipronil, which does affect mammals.4 There are specific breeds that are more susceptible than others, and fipronil is not recommended for those, or for older dogs, like our beloved Mr. Darcy.5
The phrase “no antidote” was circling in my mind, while I kept an eye on him. He was clearly exhausted, and nauseated, and possibly having little seizures. He wasn’t paying attention to us, just lying full-out-flat on the floor.
We gathered around and put our hands on him and prayed. I was begging God for help. We have been through a lot with Mr. Darcy, and God has saved his life before this. After we prayed, I felt calmer, and also more determined. We had discovered the mode of action of the pesticide, so what could we use to counter it? What induced calm in the body?
Tony began to research nutritional therapies that supported GABA, and found several: green tea (EGCG), magnolia bark, feverfew, lemon balm, skullcap, and valerian root. Lots of stuff, and even exercise increases GABA. But would it be strong enough and in time? While he was looking those things up, I prayed again for direction.
Suddenly, I remembered CBD oil; someone had just talked to me at length about its healing properties for autoimmune disease. But would it work to increase GABA? I sat down to research, and moments later I had the answer: Yes! CBD oil increases GABA!6
Never in a million years did I think I would be entering a dispensary; but in a few minutes, there I was, going through the procedure of registering to purchase the product. While I waited, I looked up the dose, and found an adventurous vet had a web page devoted the the medical use of CBD for pets.7 We worked out the dosage for Mr. Darcy was about 2 drops.
Tony put the drops into about a tablespoon of water and used a dropper to feed it to Mr. Darcy. We watched, but didn’t have long to wait. His eyes opened and he seemed to be THERE in about 5 minutes. A short while later, he accepted a bowl of bone broth, then soon after, another bowl. By the evening, he was able to stand, and we didn’t have to lift him.
It took him about two days of resting (and a total of four doses, or 8 drops of CBD) to get well, but by the morning of the third day, he was up before I was, standing at the door, ready to go out! All the weird symptoms had vanished, and he was back to his old flea-bitten self. (So the fleas were no longer deterred, either.)
We can work with fleas.
We praise God for the way he brought the thought of the CBD oil to my mind, and allowed me to find enough supporting evidence to feel confident to try it. Yes, Mr. Darcy is old; he’s skinny and gray. But he’s our own Mr. Darcy–the best dog in the world–and God gave him back to us. We are so thankful for His mercy!
WHY on EARTH did all of this happen? I believe God allowed it so that we would discover a very good antidote to fipronil–CBD oil–and then share it with others. If you have a dog, write this down and share it with all of your dog-owning friends! It might save a dog’s life, and an owner’s heartbreak. Read the labels before you treat your dog with anything, and if something happens to your dog, or any other mammal with fipronil (rabbits are very susceptible to fipronil poisoning, for example), try CBD oil. Maybe put a small bottle in your poison control kit?
And to our lovely friend–it’s all for the good! Bless you for your kind heart, and know that this is part of God’s overall plan to bless all of us. Thank you!
1 https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2686&Itemid=2991
2 https://www.projectcbd.org/taking-it-slow-gaba
3 https://phys.org/news/2018-12-fipronil-massive-honeybee-die-off-france.html
4 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/fipronil
5 https://www.vetinfo.com/side-effects-fipronil-frontline-dogs.html
6 https://www.projectcbd.org/taking-it-slow-gaba
7 https://www.innovetpet.com/pages/cbd-dosage-calculator
The wikipedia article about fipronil has a lot of good information and lots of links!
The Fullers Four 