 |
 |
 |
Natural Flea Treatment
“Use Natural Flea Treatments and Avoid a Potentially Fatal Situation for You and Your Pet”
Fleas and Ticks can carry an assortment of diseases, with some of this diseases being more serious than others. Illnesses range from Tapeworm to Lyme disease, to Tick Paralysis. We treat our pets because we love them, and we want them in good health. But sadly, many of the over the counter flea treatments can actually make our pets sick, and some of them have even killed. Risks can be minimized, but not completely eliminated, fortunately, natural flea and tick treatments do exist.
My kids begged me for months before I let them bring home their first kitten. I hadn’t had any pets since I was a child, so when my kids cat brought home fleas, I didn’t really know what to do. So I did what I always do. I got online and started checking out my treatment options. It occurred to me that a lot of the treatments out there are nothing more than man-made chemical pesticides. Wanting better for my kids best friend, I began to dig a little deeper. I discovered that in the spring of 2009 the EPA formed a panel of expert Veterinarians to investigate a spike in reported pet incidents. The EPA had concluded that most incidents were minor, but there were also reports of deaths and other “major incidents.” The most frequently affected organ systems were the nervous, gastrointestinal, and the dermal. The EPA also found that a good portion of the problem was with the dosing. There wasn’t a great enough difference in doses as you moved from one breed to another. Another common problem was the exposure of cats to dog products. Cats can be harmed by dog products, and even though there are warning labels for this, the EPA concluded they weren’t doing their job. Most alarming though, was their conclusion that their currently required safety testing does not accurately predict the toxicity seen in reported incidents.
After I came across the EPA article, I wanted to get a better feel for how big of a problem this really was. I found out that it was a way more common that most of us would like to believe. After all, these over the counter flea treatments are incredibly common. But, that's because enough people haven’t come forward. And, similar to Big Tobacco, the manufacturers of these products would much rather you didn’t find out. The owners of injured pets need to step forward, and some of them already have. Entire websites have been built to inform the public. My heart goes out to Josh at HartzVictims.org. Josh almost lost his cat back in 2002. She had fallen victim to Hart’s Advanced Care Flea and Tick Drops. Josh's vet was able to save his friend, but others have not been so lucky. His site now serves as a sounding board for Hartz victims across the globe.
After reading the EPA Report, and paying a visit to HartzVictims.org, I began searching for a safer alternative. I found a couple of natural occurring alternatives, and both of them have worked well for me in the past. If you’ve ever caught an episode of Billy the Exterminator you’ve probably heard of this first one, it’s Pyrethrin. The other one is Diatomaceousearth, a type of fossilized algae that resembles chalk dust. Both products should be available at your local lawn-and-garden shops. To treat with either of these two products, simply give your home a good scrubbing and vacuuming. Dispose of the Vacuum cleaner bag to eliminate the possibility of new fleas or ticks hatching, and wash any bedding (yours and the cat’s/dog’s.) When the cleaning is done, you just need to sprinkle the Pyrethrin or Diatomaceousearth on your pets bedding, your carpets and floors, and then work it in with a broom. This should keep the fleas and ticks away. In my case, I had to do one last bombing of my home to get rid of existing fleas, but after that the Pyrethrin and the Diatomaceousearth have kept us flea and tick free ever since.
Flea and Tick treatment is essential, for you and your companion. But manmade treatments can be harmful or fatal, so use natural products like Diatomaceus Earth or a Cedar Oil Spray whenever possible. If your pet has already been harmed, please report the incident to the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.