How to Avoid Pest Infestation, Naturally

I do not use prescription or chemical flea and tick control. I live in South Florida, one of the ‘riskiest’ places for fleas and ticks, year round.

In the “puppy packs” that I received from my vet when I got Louis and adopted Ella, there it was, Frontline, with pamphlets to emphasize the importance of flea and tick control and the havoc that these pests can wreak on a dog’s health. Those scare tactics work. I was scared - so scared that I gave Louis an application of the stuff right after his puppy checkup, 48 hours after he arrived at his new home.

I hated the toxic smell and the oily residue it left on Louis’ coat. I hated that he fervently scratched at the application area for the next month. The packaging said to avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing and wash my hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the product.

OK, so am I just not supposed to touch my beloved puppy???

This is a pesticide. Would you apply a pesticide to your own skin???? Didn’t think so. I tossed the next month’s application in the trash. It wasn’t easy. I was blatantly ignoring a veterinarian’s advice. What kind of mom ignores a doctor’s advice? Ultimately, I felt I had to trust my gut instinct. This was a few months before my holistic education began, and often this is the type of event that leads pet owners down a holistic path.

Flea and tick prevention is not easy. It is a struggle for every pet owner, especially in warmer climates and during the summer when it is most fun to be outdoors with your pal. The truth is, I meet people all the time who tell me, “I use (insert choice of prescription pesticide here), every month like my vet said too, but Fluffy still has fleas and ticks!

Yeah, these products don’t completely protect your pets. Stinks, but its just another myth in the million dollar industry of dogs, flea and ticks. So, before I get into the health ramifications of applying a pesticide monthly directly to Fluffy’s skin, let me please say that even if you choose to use a veterinarian prescribed or over the counter flea and tick pesticide, you still have your work cut out for you. Nothing is as foolproof as being a proactive pet owner.

Owning a dog is a lot of work. Bearing in mind that my dogs weigh in together at a total of maybe 14 pounds, I am respectful of those who choose to parent Louis and Ella’s large breed cousins. Big dogs are awesome! But, they also need a lot more time invested in controlling fleas and ticks. Make sure you are ready for the commitment the dogs you own require, be they big, tiny, hairy or hairless, its a lot of work.

Since abandoning the standard flea and tick prevention route, I have taken on a routine that has kept my pups relatively problem free.

First off, please note that fleas and ticks are far more likely to infest the immune deficient pet. Your pet is likely to be immune deficient if he is eating a commercially prepared, chemical laden diet, if he is subject to routine vaccination, if he is in poor mental health or is neglected in any way. Unfortunately, any one of these descriptions are true of most pets. Flea and tick infestations are indicative of immune and vitamin deficiency and any infestation should be ample warning that your pet has an underlying health problem that will continue to progress without care.

The first step is nutrition. Feeding a whole diet that is fresh, natural and chemical free is the beginning. These products are beginning to become increasingly present in retail venues, making them easier to obtain then ever. Don’t rely on the packaging to tell you that the food is natural, look at the ingredients. Are their real meats and vegetables instead of byproducts and wheat gluten? Read up on animal nutrition. Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats contains the gold standard in what to look for as far as feeding your pet. It is easy to understand for beginners and is extremely valuable in easily understanding natural pet health. He also offers insight into raw feeding and is conscientious while describing the risks and rewards.

I am a raw feeder. The immunity benefits of raw feeding have been tremendous for my dogs. In addition, I use supplements catered to their specific needs. I use an enzyme supplement, so the dog’s derive the maximum health benefits from their food. I use a high quality cod liver oil to promote skin and coat health, but the real benefit of the oil are the vitamins A & D that promote immunity and overall well being. I also use an all around natural immunity booster called DMG. In addition, supplements such as garlic or yeast that make the blood of your pet unpalatable to pests. Don’t forget to stay calm and happy in your own life, as your stress and struggles are obvious to your dog and when he picks up on that and is subjected to it in extremes or over a long period of time, his immunity will be compromised. Dogs are exceptionally tuned into their pack or family. Louis had a tick hop on him (removed promptly, before he began feasting), had some diarrhea and a sore on his ear while I was in the thick of my illness. He had taken on my stress and fears, resulting in compromised immune function. Louis’ doctor’s prescription was for me to practice relaxation and meditation techniques with Louis in the room or on my lap. All that was unwell has resolved, for us both! Simple and inexpensive!

The second step to a flea free friend is frequent bathing. I aim for twice a week and up to four times a week in hot weather, more often if anything buggy has arrived. I know people say over washing dogs can lead to dry skin, but with proper nutrition and a gentle shampoo and good conditioner that contains skin soothing ingredients, I have not had any problems. A serious scrub with warm water kills fleas, removes their eggs and often reveals ticks that have latched on. If I see a flea or tick on one of my dogs, we head straight for the shower. I am not going to lie - sometimes its a pain to do this, but imagine the fleas or ticks in your bed at night or crawling onto your skin while you give your dog hugs and affection. That is enough to motivate me to get scrub happy. If thats still not enough, check out that gross picture of the flea I included. Eww.

If you are not using any homeopathic remedies, and you are having serious and consistent problems controlling the issue, you can use a product containing essential oils that are unfriendly to fleas and ticks. Some of these may include tea tree oil, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, cedarwood, sage or citronella. There are others I know I have left out. Do not apply essential oils directly to your pet. They are extremely concentrated and a few drops in the shampoo do the trick. If you are unfamiliar with these products, there are plenty of pre-formulated natural shampoos that contain these oils. If you wash frequently, please alternate essential oil containing shampoos with gentler natural shampoos to avoid skin irritation.

My next step is going to seriously make you think I am completely neurotic. Each night before bed, I comb both dogs out with a flea comb. Everywhere. Leave no ear unturned and no paw unlifted. Examine your fur kid as often as possible, even if in the context of playtime or belly rubs, poke around and make sure he is flea free. Make sure to diligently check in areas that are warmer, like the sensitive and vulnerable ears, his adorable belly, around his tail and the inside or outside of his thighs. These are common places for pests to take up residence.

Some of my holistic minded friends use natural repellent sprays before each trip outside that contain essential oils that make the dog undesirable to pests. This is another great option for big and or really hairy dogs. Spritz ‘em down! Again, if you are using any homeopathic remedies, your practitioner or guide will advise against this, as essential oils may disrupt the remedy’s process of stimulating natural healing.

Do not use essential oils or the suggested supplements on cats. They have very different nutrition and flea and tick needs - there are plenty of great natural cat rearing resources on the internet and at your bookstore.
This is the advice I dole out to dog owners. In sunny south Florida, with regular walks and romps through the park, I have found three ticks on Louis over a period of 8 months. Only one of them had attached and begun to burrow, and this was during the period while I was transitioning his diet. The other two were just hanging out, pretty bummed that they hopped on a guy who was to healthy and untasty to snack on!

I have yet to have a flea infestation. I have found “flea dirt” (bits of dried blood from flea excretion), so he has been bitten, but they didn’t hang around. A good week of daily scrubs deterred the problem.

Finally, frequent vacuuming and cleaning of carpets, floors, upholstered furnishings and all bedding will kill anything that fell off your pet. One flea on your dog can mean about thirty fleas are in the house. Sick! Be conscious of using non-toxic cleaning products to eliminate unnecessary exposure to chemicals which may compromise his and your immune system.

I realize this is all very time consuming. Assuming responsibility for a pet means a huge lifestyle change. As with children, we are the ones responsible for our pet’s health and well being. Its not easy being covered in fur! All kinds of things can get hidden in there.

There is plenty more to say on the subject and I will be following up with information about why fleas and ticks are dangerous, the health risks associated with these icky creatures and the risks associated with the standard pesticide pest controls. Fleas and ticks needn’t keep our dogs from enjoying a fulfilling outdoor life.

Responsible pet ownership is multi-faceted and each dog has his or her own unique set of needs. Getting to know your pet is ultimately the best thing you can do, know his needs, moods, likes and dislikes. Each dog, like us is an individual and when treated as such, its a safe bet that at the end of your leash is a dog brimming with vitality, spirit and health.

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The adorable doggie nose. It sniffs, snuffs and snores. It contains forty times the scent receptors then the human nose. This incredible sense is how our pups learn much about the world we have them live in. You and I learn about our world visually, we see, we react to what we see and take it from there.

Our dogs, on the other hand, learn as much as we learn through sight by the use of their extraordinary sense of smell. The part of our pup’s brains that processes these smells is also highly developed. According to research, it seems that dogs can differentiate between two major types of scents when tracking a smell;  a smell in the air from something or someone that has recently been in the area and scents in the ground, which remain trackable for a longer period of time.

In spite of their innate ability to smell things, doing it as a job is actually very taxing for dogs. Dogs who are bred for this purpose, scent hounds for instance, have an even more highly developed sniffer, originally used for hunting purposes. We are used to seeing dogs trained to sniff out contraband in airports, border control and in crime investigation. These pups are trained to recognize specific scents such as narcotics, firearms, or agriculture products and are familiarized with the circumstances and situations under which they will work.

Even with all of their natural talent, only 1 out of every 10 dogs that is submitted to Canada’s Detector Dog Services Unit for training will be accepted into the training program to become a certified Detector Dog.

Search and Rescue dogs use airscenting, tracking and trailing as a primary means of assisting authorities in missing persons scenarios or crime solving cases. Countries around the world work with dogs for this purpose. Their routine success ensures that the mighty few who pass rigorous training live out their lives working hard with plenty of rewards, playtime and affection to keep them motivated.

Bearing all of that in mind, its no wonder that our pups spend a great deal of time sniffing, even if it isn’t professional! They can tell on their walk who has been there before, four or two-legged, if a dog was male or female, neutered or natural and they can smell a bitch in heat for miles away!
That is how they understand the world, that is how they know us, their pack. It is why they are underfoot or trying to climb all over us while we eat or cook something tasty.

For such a highly developed organ, the nose requires relatively little care from our end. Usually, it is cool and moist, the mucous secretion from inside the nose coats it and makes it more sensitive to odors (i.e. the scent ’sticks’ to the wetness).

When sleeping, the doggie nose is often warm and dry and perfect for kissing. Given that this is how our dogs experience the world, it is important to give scent a great deal of thought in our interaction with them.

I always like to think of Trusty, the old Bloodhound who has lost his sense of smell from Lady and the Tramp when thinking of a dog’s nose. He always tries to share tidbits from his “Grandpappy, Old Reliable,” a first rate tracker, but Trusty can’t quite recollect if he has mentioned Old Reliable, or what Old Reliable used to say!

When it counts, Trusty’s sense of smell saves Tramp’s life.

The truth is, any of our dogs would do the same for us.

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Let me start this post by saying, I had no intention of having a two dog home in the immediate future. Louis Reginald, my precious Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is my heart, my soul-pup, my life.

In addition, as previously written, I am struggling with a mystery illness that has kept me bedridden for the past three weeks and counting. I have specialists working me up weekly, answers to come.

Being that I am ill, dropping pounds mysteriously and can’t stay awake for more then a few active hours… any sane person knows it is not ideal timing for bringing a new life into our family.

That changed when I was alerted to a tiny mixed breed pup at my local Animal Services, awaiting immediate euthanasia. The pup, weighing in at 2 1/4 pounds at approximately four and a half months of age had been dumped with her litter mates at Animal Services. The rest of the litter either passed away or had been adopted out.

This little one had not found a forever home for a number of reasons: she actively displayed signs of aggression, teeth baring, nipping and biting; she suffered from a variety of nutritional defects, the most life threatening, hypoglycemia and a hacking cough.

Listed as a Yorkie mix, she looks more like a little dwarflike pixie then a dog. Guinea pigs are larger then this dog. Part of her tail is missing, we aren’t sure how that happened, suffice to say, she has more of a little nub then a tail. She is expected to grow to an adult weight of 3-4 pounds, should she survive.

I believed I could save her. Its narcissistic, I know, to think I would be the one to make a difference. So, believing in the power of nutrition, homeopathy and love, I signed paperwork relieving Animal Services of any health or behavior responsibilities.

Covered in the feces she had been living in, the animal smelled horrible, of antiseptic, metal cages, feces, urine and vomit. She proceeded to puke all over me throughout the car ride home. I imagined my husband’s reaction to my bringing home this sickly animal. I started to get nervous.

We stopped at a local vet, I had a complete blood count done and a fecal float to rule out parasites. Miraculously, malnutrition was the only thing we found.

After walking in the door at my home, Louis excitedly greeted the terrified pup while my husband and I discussed the days events.

Together, we washed her in our bathroom sink, trimmed away the hair stained from feces and urine and her newly made over face stared back up at us as Louis looked on.

She remained un-named for the first five days, as her future was uncertain. I gradually started her on a strict regimen of raw feeding, pro-biotics, vitamin supplements and immunity boosters.

Louis was careful with her, providing a place for her to snuggle up and rest and a playmate when she was up for it. She copied him, started to use the piddle pads and started sitting politely.

The cough started to fade. Her once wobbly legs were now supporting mad dashes around our apartment and even beginning leash training!

All of a sudden, she started acting with affection toward my husband and I, snuggling close, enthusiastically wagging her tail nub and even providing the occasional kiss.

Over the next week, her personality started to shine through the trauma of her puppyhood. Playful and affectionate, she hops around the apartment, looking for tidbits to eat and toys to play with. She and Louis’ play became more and more familiar, affectionate and companion like.

It looked like we had indeed, saved her. We are still working to stabilize her completely, but things were going well. We named her Ella and bestowed the middle name ‘Bean’ because of her tiny size.

Yesterday, it all almost unraveled. She was vomiting up rancid materials in amounts the size of her tiny body. She couldn’t stand on her own, she would collapse under the weight of herself, her eyes glazed over, her breathing was slow and inconsistent, her heart was pounding. She refused food or water.

My husband and I took shifts, using a plastic dropper to deliver water down her throat to keep her hydrated. I concocted a mix of sugar and water to keep her from going into hypoglycemic shock. She continued to vomit. We both really thought we were going to lose her. I was frantically reading through every book I have on canine health to try and find solutions, but they all recommended exactly what we were doing.

Slowly, she settled. we continued to deliver water and sugar to her through the dropper. She slept, we kept our hands on her tummy, monitoring her heart beat and breathing. She seemed to have stabilized.

I offered her a small dinner of chicken and she eagerly ate. This morning, we woke to Louis and our little Ella Bean playing rambunctiously. I offered her breakfast, she ate like normal and returned to her previously uneventful schedule of napping and playing.

She made it through yesterday. Her presence in our home has become indispensable. Louis and Ella play and snuggle, we all love and care for her. We will work through whatever comes our way.

Even though, much like me, she is a little bit traumatized, a little unhealthy, a little unstable and a little too skinny, she is a part of our family.

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Ethoxyquin.

Truthfully, I cannot pronouce this word unless I am looking directly at it and read it very slowly.

What is ethoxyquin?

It is a preservative used by commercially prepared dog foods. In an internet search, I found it to be a major ingredient in five major brands of pet foods. Even some of these brands purported to be ‘natural’ and ‘premium’ contain ethoxyquin.

Ethoxyquin is a fat preservative and one of the most controversial of all the preservatives used in pet foods. In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) requested that pet food companies voluntarily lower the amount of ethoxyquin used in pet foods.

Technically speaking, ethoxyquin is a carcinogen, and it is also marketed as a pesticide. Even if the ingredient listing does not include the word ethoxyquin, it could still be present, due to loopholes in ingredient listing practices and the fact that it could already have been present in the ingredients prior to the preparation of the kibble or canned food, so the manufacturer technically didn’t add the chemical to the product.

Originally approved by the FDA as a grain preservative for animal feed for livestock being raised for food, it would have been used in an animal’s life for no longer then two years. The effects over the lifetime of a pet fed with a food containing ethoxyquin were not evaluated.

Complications in pets exposed to ethoxyquin may include kidney carcinogenesis; possibility of raised incidence of stomach tumors, raised risk of bladder carcinogenesis; and increased risk of colon tumors. The Department of Agriculture lists ethoxyquin as a pesticide.

Iams’ website dedicates a page to the safety of ethoxyquin, click here to visit. Hmmmm…..

Other preservatives to be aware of are BHA and BHT. Both are antioxidents that prevent oxygen from oxidizing fats and oils, preventing spoilage. BHA has been linked to squamous-cell carcinomas in stomachs of rats and hamsters. BHT is thought to cause urinary bladder carcinogenesis and it is being investigated as a catalyst for thyroid carcinogenesis.

Imagine you feed your dog a food with these ingredients according to the label instructions over the course of his lifetime. A 20 pound dog would eat about 12 pounds of carcinogenic preservatives in a year’s time.

Pet foods that are marketed as ‘all natural’ use natural stabilizers and preservatives, resulting in a shorter shelf life and a ‘use by’ date printed on the packaging. This seems to make sense!

Simply put, if a human food can expire, we eat it by the expiration date to maintain our health. If a human food lacks an expiration date, that food is pretty suspect as far as its health factor!

Expiration dates are not as profitable for the pet food industry, so preservatives that allow pet food to sit on shelves for years without turning rancid are a solution for the manufacturers to ensure the profitability of their product.

With major chains like Petco now carrying product lines like Halo for Pets (see Holistic Pet Care goes Mainstream with Ellen), it is becoming increasingly affordable and convenient to feed your pet products that are all natural with expiration dates and human grade ingredients.

Get the 411 on the preservatives in your pet’s food before you end up dialing 911. Avoiding carcinogens in pet food is something we as pet owners can, and should, all get behind!

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Through my pals over at Woof Patrol, I learned about this very, very important cause, Citizens for Pets in Condos. I realize this isn’t a pressing issue on most people’s minds, but it is an important problem, and one that citizens can influence Florida legislation on.

In my recent post True Love, I talked about the positive impact pets have on our lives. In spite of a pup’s capability to truly save lives, many people are denied this right because of irrational housing regulations. It is all too common that apartments, condos, homeowner’s associations, co-ops and senior housing deny their tenants the right to have a pet in their own home.

Responsible pet owners clean up after their pets, keep their pets clean and flea free, and train them to be positive members of their communities. Housing associations would be more efficient if they were to focus on individual complaints about those few irresponsible owners then to place a ban on pets altogether.

Organizations such as Woof Patrol and Citizens for Pets in Condos put the emphasis on the owner’s role in where our pets can and should be welcomed. That is where the emphasis belongs.

Responsible pet ownership is vital and includes training, cleaning up after your pets, high quality nutrition and well thought out medical care as well as love and affection. The reason many people feel their pets are their ‘fur babies’ is not out of foolish sentiment. It is because they recognize that the weight of responsibility in having a canine companion is accepting that they, the pet parent, are responsible for everything to do with their living, breathing companion. The majority of pet owners agree with this mentality. We shouldn’t be penalized for the irresponsibility of selfish pet owners.

Please take a moment and sign the petition to make this an obsolete issue. Too many pets are euthanized because they do not have homes or are removed from of a loving home because they are not allowed on the homeowner’s premises. The more homes that can legally house pets, the better shot these innocent pets have at a long, happy life.

Please take a moment, sign the petition and visit this worthy organization’s site at www.petsincondos.org

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In my post, Holistic Pet Care Goes Mainstream with Ellen, there was mention that there would be an increased retail presence for Halo Purely for Pets holistic health care products.

Today it was announced via press release that the major national chain Petco will be carrying the brand! Halo products will be available at over 900 Petco locations across the United States, making holistic health care affordable and available to the general public!

Supporting the product launch, Petco is offering a 20% discount on Halo products. Halo makes natural, human grade foods, supplements and pet care products.

I know I’ll be heading to Petco to take advantage of the sale and support holistic pet care going mainstream!!

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A California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would make it illegal to drive with lapdogs on the laps of drivers. Before the collective ‘no duh‘ resounds from you, readers, please know, it is increasingly common to see this take place. I myself, admit to being guilty on a few lazy occasions, justifying a short drive as reason enough not to strap Louis in.

Regardless of whether the bill passes in California, and similar legislation is introduced in other states, it is worth taking a good sniff around the issue.

Not only is it distracting having that wriggly puppy on your lap, (who can resist some kisses at the stoplight?) it is dangerous. Dogs move around, climb up, down and every which way and even the most well behaved dog, in the event of an accident, is a projectile loose in the car, likely resulting in serious injury for your beloved.

Beyond having a dog on your lap, just having your dog loose in the car subjects Fido to the same risks.

So what to do?

There is the obvious route - crating your pet for car rides, which probably means keeping a second crate on standby just for driving, but it works. There are also car seats and safety restraint options at all different price points and designed to appeal to your individual aesthetic.

Available at G.W. Little, there are a few car seat options in a variety of sizes, colors and prices in addition to the Seatbelt Safety Harness, which not only uses a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for display purposes, but, was put through actual crash test development (meeting the same standards as a child safety seats).

I myself use Louis’ Puppia soft harness, loop it through the seatbelt, similar to the seatbelt safety harness described above. Not safety tested, but it keeps him belted firmly in place. My little charmer just lays down once belted in, falls asleep and proceeds to snore and drool on the seat, combining cuteness and safety!

Being that I claim to be such a responsible dog owner, it is probably about time to slap down a few bucks for something officially meant to do the job. Dog owners, like me, can find gear meant for this at most pet stores, making it convenient and economical to think ahead and make this a standard practice in traveling with our pets.

So regardless of the legality of how we travel with our pets, lets look at the issue from the perspective of keeping our beloved family members safe. We would think it insane to travel in a car with a human baby that isn’t properly restrained, so lets do the same for our furry babies.

Travel safely!!

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I just read a story about a chihuahua, whose paragliding owner strapped his pup to his chest, surviving their crash into a tree. Stuck over 100 feet in the air, the dog’s owner called the police from his cell phone to request help.

After being stuck up there for about five hours, the duo were rescued and, luckily, no one was worse for the wear.

Being that I am not the type to understand what would compel someone to paraglide in general,  I am less inclined to understand the logic in bringing one’s dog with them on this journey.

Let’s leave our innocent pets out of our innate human desire to destroy ourselves.

Common sense, please!!

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I have always liked Ellen Degeneres, she is totally funny and in a world of superficial celebrity, a great deal of Ellen’s appeal is that one could imagine her to be a genuine person in addition to her fame.

When the whole Iggy/adopted dog/ custody scandal went down late last year, Ellen publicly admitted that she had made an error, then used the incident to talk about the merit of animal rescue. She handled an unpleasant and out of control situation with more grace then most regular folks or celebs could muster. On Friday, it was announced that she would be partnering with Halo Purely For Pets.

This February, a repackaged Halo was released in stores with an expanded product line. Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host and comedian, has become a part owner of the brand. What does this mean for Halo?

I have written about the merit of Halo products in the past, (see The Better to Hear You With), as I credit Louis’ newly healthy ears in large part to their Natural Herbal Ear Wash.

Halo has great, holistic products that I really like. Their Chicken Liv’ A Littles treats are one hundred percent freeze dried chicken breast (pure protein and no fillers! And perfect for us BARFers) and Louis will seriously do just about anything when he sees the box. I credit a huge move forward in his house training skills to the almighty Liv A Little.

Launched in 1986, as a small company based out of Florida, Andi Brown created their most famous product, Spot’s Stew. After looking at the label of her current ‘premium’ pet food, Ms. Brown realized what many of us have come to recognize years and many food recalls later; commercially prepared pet foods are chock full of by-products, fillers, corn and chemicals. Born out of a desire to heal her suffering cat, after much research she created an alternative to the commercially prepared food she had been feeding her ill pets.

Based on a holistic, natural approach, their products have come to be a reliable source for natural grooming products, treats and food for our pets and non of their products have been involved in the recalls.

Besides celebrity endorsement, Ellen does plan on having her presence felt in the product line, down the road. (See her interview with Parade magazine.)

Ideally this partnership will continue to bring to light the importance of proper nutrition and holistic care for our four legged family members. Re-educating the pet owning consumer is the single most difficult task holistic pet care companies face as they stare down a billion dollar pet food industry that has ingrained itself into our society through misinformation and ad campaigns.

Pet owners must open their minds and their hearts to brands that genuinely do have the health of our pets at heart. Ideally, Ellen’s involvement and the expansion of Halo will result in a greater retail presence, challenging lesser brands of pet products to adhere to higher standards and ingredients.

Wishing you holistic health!

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