Animal Health Issues: Natural Pest Control

*Immune System: Problems and Support*	*Allergies/Eyes, Ears and Skin*	*Bloat*
*Cancer*	*First Aid*	*Incontinence*
*Miscellaneous*	*Natural Pest Control*	Heartworms and Other Parasites

Natural shampoos, powders, and collars are effective in ridding your pet of fleas, but reinfestation will occur without eliminating all stages of the life cycle in your home and yard. Thoroughly treating high traffic areas and locations where you pet spends any time, especially shaded, protected areas, is critical. Bedding should be washed and dried in high heat. Mop, vacuum and treat the basement, garage and laundry room. Discard the vacuum bag every time you vacuum since hundreds of eggs may have been picked up during cleaning. A coordinated program can seem like a lot of work initially, but be persistent and consistent. Breaking the flea cycle does not have to be a long drawn out process if you treat the pet, house and yard at the same time.

The Immune System If the animal’s immune system is not functioning optimally, if they’re taking medicine for a health issue, if they are eating poor quality kibble, if they have digestive problems and do not absorb nutrients properly, then they may not have an immune system healthy enough to repel internal parasites, skin bacteria (such as Staph, which is always present but can get out of control when the immune system is weakened and the fleas bite them, the staph can erupt at the bite site), fleas, ticks and other insect predators naturally. My dogs, being fed a raw food diet, have few problems with these pests, even though they abound in Texas. And I do not use flea and tick products on them.

Flea Free/Fly Free My best and easiest suggestion is to feed your dog, cat, horse or bird an all natural supplement called Flea Free (or Fly Free for horses and large animals) from www.allnaturalfleafree.com 800-361-7344. Saves you the time and trouble of amassing a number of separate supplements, and the stuff works! They guarantee it to work or your money back. It makes their skin distasteful to fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and biting flies. This is the first line of defense and the most important one to incorporate. If you make your pet unattractive to these parasites, they aren’t going to be interested in using your pet as a feeding site.

Garlic Boosting the immune system is crucial to helping your pet defend itself naturally. Adding garlic to a dog's diet is one way – either fresh cloves (for a very small dog, ¼ clove per day; for a large dog, 1 to 2 small cloves a day). I add garlic powder or fresh garlic to their meat/veggie mix when I’m making it. Some say that garlic powder is useless for this purpose because it has been overprocessed, but I use it more than fresh garlic and it seems to work just as well. Opt for fresh if you can. You can purchase a jar of minced garlic at the store, packed in water or olive oil, or you can make your own. Just mince the cloves, then pour enough olive oil in a glass jar to cover them. Keep in the pantry, not exposed to light. The olive oil is good for the animal too (contains certain essential fatty acids). There are also preformulated garlic products -- www.springtimeinc.com makes a garlic product for dogs that I’ve heard great things about.

From Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats: “Garlic helps to eliminate worms, strengthen digestion and beneficially stimulate the digestive tract. Use it to promote intestinal health. It is also indicated for animals that have been on a high meat or fish diet, and those that tend to be overweight or suffer hip pain from arthritis or dysplasia. Include fresh grated garlic with each meal, use ½ to 3 cloves, depending on the animal’s size.” [p. 87] For your dog, you can purchase minced garlic in olive oil at the grocery store, to save having to mince it yourself. The olive oil is also good for the animal, as it contains certain essential fatty acids. Note that cats should not be fed raw garlic as it can cause a dangerous form of anemia. For more information on adding Kyolic Liquid Aged Garlic Extract (not toxic to cats) to your pet's diet, see http://www.wholecat.com/articles/fleas.htm.

For garlic, add 1/2 minced clove per day to a small dog's meals, for a large dog 1-2 whole minced cloves. Garlic has antibacterial properties as well and is a good immune system enhancer. Digestive enzymes, specifically papaya and pineapple (bromelain) also help fight parasites by irritating and/or dissolving their outer coating, along with aiding digestion. However, if you have a chronic, long standing, and/or severe infestation, it may be best to use a conventional wormer to eradicate the parasites (for many, the damage they cause is worse than the practice of using a chemical to kill them). Then put the animal on one of these natural wormers/preventatives as maintenance.

Apple Cider Vinegar In their book, The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog, Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM, note that “Apples contain a large amount of potassium plus phosphorus, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, fluorine, silicon, and many trace minerals. . . . ACV (apple cider vinegar) is credited with killing bacteria outright. . . .” Depending on the size of the dog, add 1/4 teaspoon (toy dogs) to 3 tablespoons (dogs over 50 lbs) total per day to their meals.

Itchy skin is a sign that the skin is too alkaline in nature. Fleas and ticks do not find acidic skin desirable to live on, hence the importance of maintaining a slightly acidic body (for dogs, the normal skin pH range is 6.2-6.5). You can use straight ACV as an after-bath rinse; before going out into the country; and on beginning hot spots. If the skin is already broken, dilute the ACV 1:1 with water so it doesn’t sting and spray it onto the skin (test on a small area first, just to be sure it doesn’t sting). If the dog has a thick coat, work it into the coat so it reaches the skin.

As an ear rinse, use several drops of the 1:1 dilution weekly to help alleviate chronic ear infections.

These health conditions and others (including sore joints and the beginnings of arthritis), often indicate a potassium deficiency, so ACV is a cheap way to help improve your animal’s health. If giving ACV orally, purchase a product with the “mother” (apple fiber particles) in it, not the kind you buy at the grocery store. A good brand is Bragg’s, which can be found at health food stores. If applying topically, the grocery store products are fine.

Diatomaceous Earth This is microscopic skeletons of sea creatures which have been ground up. They nick the exoskeleton of fleas, ticks and other pests, which causes them to dehydrate and die. They do the same thing to intestinal parasites. It is a safe product to use around, in and on pets (see caution about them sniffing the carpets in the next paragraph). For the lawn (non-food grade) version, visit www.naturalanimal.com

You can purchase the food grade product, for internal and external use, from Wolf Creek Ranch, http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/index.html One woman on a chatlist I'm a member of said she gives a daily dose of 1 tsp. to dogs and cats under 30 lbs, 1 Tbl. to dogs over 30 lbs. The silica content is great for fur and coat. When dusted on a pet with fleas, it kills the fleas by dehydrating them within 72 hours. Added to your morning orange juice or other drink, it's a great source of calcium (ask your health food store or the folks at the link provided for more information). DE can also be sprinkled on your carpets and worked in. The food grade product is a heavier weight than the swimming pool grade (see lawn care, below), so it doesn't create dust clouds. But you still want to be careful that your pets aren't sniffing the carpets and inhaling this stuff. For more information and to order, contact Julie at wolfcreek1@earthlink.net.

Other Supplements Several items which can be used to keep the body healthy and therefore repel parasites are vitamin A in Cod Liver Oil, as well as parsley, garlic (do not feed to cats), and ground pumpkin seeds. See more suggestions below. For internal parasites, see suggestions below, plus you can order an all natural worming supplement from http://www.naturalrearing.com/CATALOGUE/addsupp4.htm, which is supposed to be fabulous. One woman found this to be successful not only for internal parasites, but for external parasites as well when taken internally.

Natural Flea and Tick Repellents See Lemon Juice Rinse, below, and Apple Cider Vinegar, above. There are also a number of herbal and essential oil based products available on the market today which are just as easy to use, and these include sprinkles, sprays and collars.

Shampoos, Collars, Sprays, etc. The makers of Flea Free/Fly Free offer other natural pest control products including shampoo, carpet and yard treatments, and as well they have a natural spray for people that repels biting insects. Check out their site at www.allnaturafleafree.com, or call 800-361-7344.

Natural Animal Health Products, Inc. offers a natural pet care line and chemical free home and yard care line. www.naturalanimal.com 800-274-7387.

Essential oils (such as Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Tea Tree Oil, and others) can be very effective. Note that cats are extremely sensitive to essential oils, and Tea Tree Oil should never be used on cats. It is vital that the oils be properly diluted; using them full strength can be toxic. For a "recipe" for making herbal collar/wraps using essential oils, see http://www.jeannerose.net/articles/herbal_insect_repellents.html. I am a distributor for Young Living Essential Oils, the highest quality oils available, so please contact me at kat@katberard.com to order. See also my Essential Oils page.

According to CJ Puotinen's book, The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, she notes that tick repelling oils are rose geranium, palmarosa or opopanax oil; citronella repels mosquitoes; black walnut repels flies and fleas; and rosemary, like lavender and clove, is an all-purpose repellent. Dr. Stephen Blake wrote on his newsletter that lavender, peppermint, rosemary and sage can be used against flies; peppermint, lemongrass, spearmint, and lavender against fleas; and lavender, lemongrass, sage and thyme for ticks.

Essential Oil Blend: A woman recommended 2 tablespoons of almond oil, 10-25 drops of rose geranium oil, 10 drops of eucalyptus oil, 10 drops of lavender oil. Dab a small amount on the collar or on the back of the neck about once a week or so. She said you can also use 1 cup of water and 20 drops of lavender oil for mosquitoes but found that the almond oil mixture is best.

Removing Ticks with Tea Tree Oil: tick removal is much easier when you apply Tea Tree Oil (2 drops on the tick) because the tick shrinks and the legs/mouth retract from the body of the animal, hence it dehydrates and falls off without leaving a nasty lump. NOTE: DO NOT USE TTO ON CATS.

Lemon Juice Rinse (natural skin tonic/flea repellent) From Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats: “Then animal herbalist Juliette de Bairacli-Levy recommends this lemon skin tonic, which many of my clients successfully use on their pets for a general skin toner, parasite repellent and treatment for mange. Thinly slice a large whole lemon, including the peel. Add it to 1 pint of near-boiling water and let it steep overnight. The next day, sponge the solution onto the animal’s skin and let it dry. You can use this daily for severe skin problems involving fleas. It is a source of natural flea-killing substances like d-limonene and other healing ingredients found in the whole lemon.” [p. 102] This must be kept refrigerated. Stir well before applying

A modified recipe from a woman on a chatlist: add to the lemon in the stepping water a tablespoon of crushed rosemary leaves (or a 6 inch sprig of fresh). Let it steep overnight; strain through cheesecloth (be sure to squeeze the lemon/rinds over the cheesecloth too) and pour into a large spray bottle, keep in the refrigerator. Shake well before applying. She says the d-lemeone in this spray along with the rosemary oil will give your dog a beautiful shiny coat and keep fleas and other bugs away .. including mosquitoes, so you get extra heartworm protection. She also adds a few drops of oil of geranium to the mix.

Calendula Infusion Place approximately one cup of dried calendula (wild marigold) blossoms (available at most health food stores or herb shops) in a one quart glass container with lid; a canning jar would be ideal. Cover with naturally fermented raw apple cider vinegar. Be sure to add enough ACV that it covers the dried blossoms plus about an additional inch of liquid. Cover tightly and let stand undisturbed for two weeks. At the end of the two week period strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth. Rebottle the strained infusion and store in the refrigerator for future use. Don't worry if there are small particles of the calendula blossoms in the liquid. When you are ready to use the infusion (when mosquito, flea and tick season arrives) mix one part infusion with ten parts of spring water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on your animal, taking care to avoid the eyes. One woman claims "A 50/50 solution of the original infusion and spring water also works wonders on hot-spots and is a good general skin tonic."

Avon's Skin-So-Soft At the website of The Dollar Stretcher (http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980625b.cfm) you’ll find an interesting list of natural insect repellents for yourself, your plants and your yard. At Angela’s Avon http://www.angelfire.com/on3/yangela/sss.html, you’ll find a very extensive list of uses for Avon Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil (the version without the sunscreen) for your dogs and cats, yourself, your household and your automobile. Well worth checking out.

Using a Common Personal Hygiene Product See Nel Liquorman’s booklet, well worth purchasing! This is a natural and totally inexpensive way to resist those pesky critters and avoid costly and dangerous chemical products sold by vets and pet stores. http://www.liquorman.net/keepfleasoff/

Mint Mouthwash And here’s another tip for ridding dogs of ticks, from Lani Miner: "I had a tick invasion last year that lasted three weeks. l tore my hair out trying to kill literally thousands of ticks that were crawling everywhere in my kennels, dog room, landscaping, etc. I tried sprays, dips, drops, everything. I went through many bottles of expensive stuff and nothing worked! Removing the attached ticks gave me the heebie-jeebie-creepies! I had run out of ideas. In desperation I grabbed a bottle of mint mouthwash to disinfect some tick bite sites on one of the dogs and sprayed it on some that were crawling. They stopped! They had died instantly! It was awful! It was horrible! It was a miracle! I sprayed it everywhere in the dogs' crate room and ticks boiled out of the cracks and crevices and instantly DIED! I sprayed it in the kennels and in the wooden dog houses and all the ticks instantly DIED! I sprayed it on the dogs and the ticks literally fell off dead. A friend of mine went through the same thing this spring and I told her about the mouthwash trick. She sprayed every dog and all around the house and later swept up thousands of dead ticks. The stuff works!! It also repels mosquitoes and biting flies!! It's a great crate cleaner, too. I spray it around my ex-pens at shows and it keeps flies and mosquitoes away. So far, every bug I've sprayed with it has died instantly. I'm talking about the cheap MINT mouthwash from the dollar store!!! I just left it on. The small amount of alcohol evaporates completely but the mint residue stays and repels further attack as long as there's a minty odor lingering. Dogs don't like the taste of mint and don't seem eager to lick at it. I found zero side effects unlike so-called safe sprays containing piperonyl butoxide http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pbogen.pdf#search='piperonyl.'”

RX for Fleas www.fleabusters.com 800-666-3532. Fleabusters Rx for Fleas is a unique natural alternative to liquid pesticides and flea control foggers. Their chemical free flea treatment powder cannot fail because it kills the fleas physically rather than with chemicals. Therefore fleas cannot build up immunity to the product, RX for Fleas. You can purchase and apply the product yourself, or Fleabusters' flea service treatment has service centers around the world.

Flea Free/Fly Free Products Besides the Flea Free/Fly Free food supplement (see above), they offer other natural pest control products including shampoo, carpet and yard treatments, and as well they have a natural spray for people that repels biting insects. www.allnaturafleafree.com 800-361-7344.

Natural Animal Health Products, Inc. They offer a natural pet care line and chemical free home and yard care line. www.naturalanimal.com 800-274-7387.

Natural Lawn and Garden Pest Control Use landscaping and patio plants which help repel certain bugs such as mosquitoes (like citronella plants and Marigolds). Search the Internet and you’ll find many websites which offer naturally based products which are effective against all sorts of insects and lawn critters. A friend uses a product called Cedarcide (you want the finely ground version) and sprinkles it on her lawn and around the foundation to repel ants and fleas. She said it works for several months, then you need to reapply because it breaks down over time. Using this or a similar product is cheaper and safer than chemical lawn treatments. For this and other cedar based products, see http://www.cedarcide.com. They provide store locations in your area which carry the products.

Also, consider applying beneficial nematodes to your lawn and garden. See Applied Bio Pest’s website for detailed information on product quality, storage, etc. They have gone to great lengths to provide consumers with complete information to consider in choosing the proper nematode product. http://www.abpwholesale.com. Here's another site with good information http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/nemas.html. Be sure that any nematode package you buy has been kept in a refrigerator/cooler by the seller, and the product should be used immediately. A friend says the best one available is the blue square sponge (I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know the name, or if it is one of ABP’s products). Soak the sponge in a gallon of water, pour into a gallon sprayer, shake well and apply to the lawn. She said you can get two soakings out of the square even though the instructions say just one.

Diatomaceous earth is another choice; it can help keep flies and other pests under control. For this application, the swimming pool grade is fine. It has been heat treated (unlike human grade DE) so it is basically like tiny shards of glass that cut the soft exoskeleton on larva and other soft bodied insects. Sprinkle it over the whole lawn, and especially where water tends to collect (or where the ground is damp). It's also great painted on the trunks of fruit trees to keep ants off. Breathing the dust can be harmful so be sure to sprinkle it on calm days, and keep your animals inside (or for outdoor animals, upwind) while you're doing this. You can order diatomaceous earth from www.naturalanimal.com (see under Diatomaceous earth section above.)

Plant Pennyroyal, Marigolds and purple Basil around areas where you like to sit, to help repel insects.

The makers of Flea Free/Fly Free offer other natural pest control products including shampoo, carpet and yard treatments, and as well they have a natural spray for people that repels biting insects. www.allnaturafleafree.com 800-361-7344.

Natural Animal Health Products, Inc. offers a natural pet care line and chemical free home and yard care line. www.naturalanimal.com 800-274-7387.