December 15, 2007 | Health, Essential oils
I put a lot of effort into keeping my family as natural as possible. Most of our food is natural, most of our personal products are natural and I clean with all natural products. I know there are a lot of others out there that do the same. But, what about our four legged family members (or two legged if you live in Australia and are lucky enough to own a kangaroo… I’m envious)? We would like to get a puppy when we find a place with a big yard so I figured I should start doing some research now.
Fleas tend to be a big problem here in Georgia but before you reach for that flea spray, shampoo, powder or collar maybe we should thoroughly check them out first. Pesticides of ANY kind are designed to kill living things. Even though only a small amount is needed to kill off something as small as a flea, these pesticides can still do damage to our four legged friends. A report done in 2000 by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that hundreds, if not thousands, of pets have been poisoned by the pesticides in the pet products that were intended to keep them safe. The even bigger issue is the effect these pesticides can have on those of us of the two legged variety (no, not the kangaroo, the HUMAN). The NRDC report called attention to the poisoning risks faced by pet care workers like veterinary assistants and groomers. One survey found that people who work with pesticides used on pets are two-and-a-half times more likely to have health related problems than other workers. One of the popular flea medications you can get from your vet is applied by putting a liquid in between your animals shoulder blades. Once that liquid is applied you cannot let your kids touch the animal for 24 hours. The way this medication works is it doesn’t kill the fleas but it damages their reproductive organs so they cannot reproduce. That just isn’t something I want to have in my house!
So, what can we do about those pesky fleas? Here are a few ideas: Most people treat for fleas year round. Instead of subjecting your pets to year round treatments find out when flea season is in your area and start preventative measures right before it starts or at the first sight of a flea. For dogs: Slice up a lemon (skin and all) and pour one pint of nearly boiling water over it. Let sit overnight. Strain the liquid and pour into a spray bottle. Spritz your dog generously and rub it in. Citrus oil kills and repels fleas. You can use this solution on pet bedding, too. For cats: Since they don’t like citrus scent or being sprayed, try this recipe: mix one ounce pennyroyal oil with 18 ounces of water and sponge it onto your cat, massaging it in. You can use this mixture on dogs as well. (NOTE: Pennyroyal can be toxic to animals in high concentrations, so be sure to always dilute it. Pregnant women should NOT use pennyroyal.) Cedar filled bedding is also a great flea repellant but the scent does fade after a while so renew the scent with cedar oil drops. Cedar blocks can also be placed throughout the house to help with fleas indoors. They also dislike the scent of lavender, mint, rosemary, and sweet woodruff, so you can use sachets of these herbs in furniture, too. For some more information on this topic and some great products check out Nature’s Pet. Don’t forget, not only will these tips keep your pets safe and healthy but it will keep the kids that love them safe and healthy too!
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Victoria E says:
Thank you so much for this post! My cat, even while being a 100% indoor pet, has gotten fleas somehow. For the past 3 months, we have been cleaning the apartment and spray those nasty, Hartz home sprays, trying to get rid of them. We had him professional groomed and they all left, but they ended up coming back (guess we didn’t get them all here at home). Finding a natural solution is really important and I plan on taking your advice immediately.
On another note, Whole Foods has a simple vinegar and water mix that is supposed to help keep fleas at bay in the home as well: “Pour one ounce of vinegar for six ounces of water in spray bottle. Spray carpets, rugs and floors to get rid of the adult fleas. (Test the carpet in an inconspicuous area to ensure the vinegar does not harm your carpet.) Wait one week and then spray again to get rid of the offspring.”
December 15th, 2007 at 10:14 pmAllie’s Answers » Blog Archive » What’s Going On says:
[…] Broomhuggers tackles fleas the healthy way. […]
December 20th, 2007 at 12:33 pmJoy says:
It’s absolutely amazing! Wal-mart now carries an ‘all-natural’ flea remedy. The main ingredients are clove oil, rosemary oil, cinnamon oil, and peppermint oil. After I treated my cat, the whole room smelled like Christmas when I got home. They also carry a flea spray that has most of the same ingredients. The directions are just like the other topical flea remedies, part the hair from the back of the neck to just between the shoulder blades and apply. The price is competitive (within about $0.50) with the chemical flea treatments too!
And as far as whether not it works, the jury is still out. Immediately after I treated him, he didn’t scratch for about 2 days. Then I saw him scratching again, and not knowing whether it was old bites or not, I sprayed the flea spray all over him, and now my goal is to vinegar the entire house. I’ll give it some more time, but I don’t mind using the oils at all, they smell so good!
December 21st, 2007 at 10:27 ammudlark says:
Thanks for the shopping news, Joy! I’d heard about Walmart’s steps toward the greener side, and this is great confirmation!
One more idea for your bag of tricks… Add Borax to your laundry - it’s a natural laundry booster with the added bonus of repelling critters. I wouldn’t sprinkle any on the floor though - your four legged friends could get a tummy ache from ingesting it.
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:32 pmJeana says:
Thanks for the added tips and tricks everybody!
December 23rd, 2007 at 12:29 am