Rescue Journal

enquiring mind, awake and asking here....

Carol · Jul 29, 2007

last month we used up the last of the donated advantage for flea control...we use it may-nov during the flea season and collect it over the winter months when people are done with their flea control for the year too. i bought 8 boxes of large dog advantage that we can titrate the doses on for cats, bunnies, teeny/or giant dogs. it is the most cost effective way to go.

8 boxes at $ 90 a box...ouch, that's more than $700 for just one month!...sigh, that's a couple of surgeries or a month and a half of barn meds for the sick guys in there. bloody blood sucking fleas man. bad enough that they are a total purposeless species of parasite but they are an expensive useless species too. i wonder...do they actually have some value or purpose that i am missing? are they someone that i should have respect for but don't?

even the mosquitos who drive me insane, feed the frogs, and the spiders, and the bats and the fish. but are fleas even in the food chain anywhere or do they just merrily torment defenseless animals for absolutely no good reason at all, except i guess to survive and breed more?

i am a big one for saying that all life has value. and really, fleas probably value their lives as much as i value mine. but does anyone know, do they ever give anything back? or are they just blood sucking takers every moment of their lives?

enquiring minds want to know...at least i do.

Comments

Dana

Have you considered ordering on-line? You save a bunch of money that way - the same amount of Advantage ordered from http://www.1800petmeds.com/ is $520 plus approx $20 shipping. With the current exchange rate that's only $575. Even if you have to pay to get it across the border you'll still save money.

Carol

2 fleas..2 months...22 TRILLION descendants..holy freaking cow batman????

Lol

Carol you are not the only one to have this question... I googled " Purpose of the flea " so if your mind is still enquiring... check ths out

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf492742.tip.html

Gosh I love Google.

wendy

There is fleas trained for cicuses? that is about the only use I know for them; been sooo bad the last couple of weeks with the humidity. Nothing else but Advantage works and dang its pricy hey?

Christine

Carol, have you investigated garlic, or other methods of homeopathy for flea control? Stella's just are garlic, always has been, and has never had a flea. Her breeder had never had a flea problem either (only using garlic). It's not a choice for everyone, but maybe worth investigating for cost control?
Apparently eucalyptus oil as well?? I'm not sure. My mom's dog can't have flea control products she she uses a combination of essential oils, and hasn't had a problem.
Just an idea is all. And I know it's not an idea for everyone! Good Luck!

Jean

Perhaps we have to ask ourselves if everything living has to have a purpose to have value? Why do things have to benefit something to exist? Do we humans benefit the environment? That's arguable, when you look at all the damage we cause - pollution, global warming, depletion of non-renewable resources, etc. But we have a right to exist. Maybe the flea is just the same.