Each year at the start of flea season, pet owners begin to dip, spray, shampoo,
powder, and collar their dogs and cats with potent pesticides in an effort to
kill fleas. Soon new fleas appear, inviting another round of flea-killing
poisons. This continual toxic exposure depresses the immune system, lowering the
animal’s resistance. Because fleas are attracted to animals with weakened immune
systems, these pets become a more attractive target as the season wears on.
A better approach is to remove fleas and their eggs without poisons,
while building your pet’s resistance. Any supplement that improves immune system
function will also improve flea resistance. Natural flea control takes some
consistent effort over time, but it is ultimately far more successful than the
chemical route. You will be rewarded with a healthier, happier pet that is
naturally resistant to fleas and other parasites.
Use a Flea Comb to
Test for Fleas
Not every itchy animal has fleas! Many pets that start
scratching in warm weather, especially dogs, have seasonally triggered skin
allergies that can be helped with special allergy foods and digestive enzymes.
To check for the presence of fleas, comb around the groin area and the base of
the tail. A flea comb has very finely spaced teeth to capture live fleas and the
tiny egg sacs that cling to your pet’s hair. Even if you don’t see any fleas,
you may find flea dirt, black specks of digested blood that fleas excrete on
your pet. Flea dirt indicates a flea problem, and will leave a red trail as it
disssolves in a glass of water.
Step 1: Treat Your Indoor
Environment
In all stages of their life cycle, fleas spend most of
their time off their animal host. They hide in carpeting, bedding, upholstery,
and floor cracks, jumping back on their host periodically to suck blood and lay
eggs. The eggs eventually fall off near your animal's favorite pathways and
sleeping places, where they hatch out as larvae. Even if you get rid of all the
fleas on your dog or cat, your house remains a reservoir of new fleas. They must
be eliminated from your animal and your indoor environment simultaneously to
avoid reinfestation. Here are some tried and true suggestions for non-toxic flea
control.
Fleago is a fine crystal borate powder that kills fleas,
larvae, and eggs through a mechanical process of abrasion. The microscopic edges
of the crystals scratch the exterior coating of the fleas, causing leakage of
body fluids and death by dehydration. Unlike conventional poisons, fleas cannot
become immune to Fleago’s effects. The crystals are simple to apply, migrating
down into carpet fibers, flooring, and upholstery, where they are virtually
undetectable. You can even treat your car for total protection. The inert
mineral salts in Fleago are not toxic to people, pets, or plants. Allow two to
three weeks for fleas to completely disappear.
Insect growth regulators
(IGR’s) can prevent a flea infestation from starting. Not a poison or a
pesitcide, an IGR is a chemical compound that blocks the insect’s hormonal
activity and prevents flea larvae from maturing to adulthood. The IGR
Methoprene, also known by the trade name, Precor, can be mixed as an odorless
water-based spray and applied everywhere indoors where fleas might reside.
Precor is invisible, nontoxic, and remains effective for four to seven months.
Pyrethrum powder has been used for decades to kill fleas and other pests
indoors. Sprinkle in your house and in your vacuum bag to kill hatching larvae,
or use as a flea powder directly on your pet.
Step 2: Remove Fleas
From Your Pet Without Poisons
Never use a chemical pesticide directly
on your pet’s body. These toxins are easily absorbed through the skin, or
ingested when animals lick themselves. Chemical flea collars are very dangerous,
radiating nerve poisons that pass into your system as well as your pet’s.
Fortunately, Mother Nature has provided us with several natural substances that
can eliminate fleas safely. Erigeron is a rare herb that contains limonene, a
natural botanical insecticide that dissolves the shell of the flea without
harming skin cells. You can find erigeron in our FleaBane Spray, Shampoo and
Intensive Treatment. Two other flea remedies from nature include pyrethrum,
powdered chrysanthemum petals, and citrus oils and extracts, another source of
limonene.
While you are waiting for your preventive methods to kick in,
here are some things you can do about the fleas you see crawling and jumping.
Combing is the best first step for cats and dogs. It removes live fleas, dirt,
and eggs, and lets you know how bad the problem is. Shampooing drowns fleas, and
washes away the skin flakes that attract more fleas. You may shampoo up to once
a week if necessary, but be careful to choose a non-drying shampoo to protect
the beneficial oils building up on the skin. If your pet’s skin is very damaged,
dilute the shampoo with an equal amount of aloe vera. A sulfur-containing
shampoo will also help repel fleas and sooth itchy skin. Thorough vacuuming will
pick up fleas and eggs, and washing bedding in a hot washer or dryer will kill
any eggs that might otherwise hatch.
In between shampooing (or instead
of, in the case of most cats) use a non-toxic spray or powder. Spread the fur to
get down to the skin and apply. Treat as often as necessary, even daily if
desired. Flea comb before or afterwards, and keep a count of the fleas you find.
As their numbers diminish, you’ll know that your efforts are paying off.
Step 3: Make Your Pet Too Healthy for Fleas
Even if you
could eradicate every flea in your immediate environment, more will eventually
appear to reinfest your home. Ultimately, the way to solve your pet’s flea
problem for the long term is to make him an unappealing host. Have you ever
noticed that one animal in a household will be covered in fleas, while another
will have just one? That is because fleas do not flock to all animals equally.
They are programmed by nature to avoid healthy animals, and attack the weakest
and most vulnerable. Low vitality and poor immune function attracts fleas. A
strong, vital life force repels them.
Skin condition is an important
factor in flea control. Your pet’s first line of defense is supple, unbroken
skin. The natural oils in healthy skin plug up fleas’ breathing holes,
suffocating them. When skin is dry and flaky, it provides a perfect breeding
ground for new fleas. Two keys to flea prevention are improving the quality of
your pet’s food, and adding a sulfur-containing food supplement to repel fleas.
Water-soluble sulfur is absorbed through the intestines and chemically converted
to hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sufide molecules are released through the
pores of the skin, and because they are heavier than air, remain at the skin’s
surface, enveloping your pet in an invisible sulfur shield.
Body Guardis
a food supplement that has proven effective with our customers for many years.
In addition to repelling fleas with sulfur, it nourishes skin and coat and
boosts the immune system.
For serious flea problems and fleabite
allergies, give your pet Enzymes Plus, our digestive enzyme and trace mineral
combination, at the same time as Body Guard. They work together for even more
effectiveness against fleas. Results will be visible in two to six weeks,
depending on your pet’s age, health, and size. Use both supplements year round
to improve overall health and prevent fleas gaining a toehold at the beginning
of each new flea season!
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