Sunday, November 1, 2009

Getting Rid of Fleas And Ticks The Natural Way

By Catherine V. Testaratti

Pesky parasites known as fleas have troubled us all for many years. We all worry about the effects of those nasty chemical treatments available over the counter. Well, worry no more; read on to see our natural and friendly flea and tick treatments.

Wanting to keep your pet happy and healthy is something we all strive for. Keeping our children safe and healthy is also a concern. Chemical flea treatments are something we have all heard can be harmful to both our pets and kids.

First on our list is something as common as brewers yeast. Mix a little of that with a small amount of garlic in your dogs food to act as a natural repellent. Do not use the garlic for cats because garlic and onions are toxic for cats. Another option is to squeeze lemon or orange juice on your pet's fur and massage it into their fur for a citrus smelling repellent.

When you give your dog a bath, notice that the fleas will fall off? Using liquid dish soap with a citrus base and a regular brushing will keep the flea problem under control. Fleas do not take hold of the hair shaft so these solutions are relatively easy.

If your home has carpeted flooring, then it's best to remember that you must vacuum regularly. There is a worm called a beneficial nematode, which is different than the worms that cause heart worms, and they feed off the larva of fleas. These can be put in your yard to control fleas outside.

To protect your pest from ticks, you can do one simple thing to make it more difficult for the ticks. They live in wooded areas in tall grass and are not able to grab onto the hair of your dog. A good thing to do is take your old T-shirt to cover the dog's body and belly, socks like leg warmers for his or her legs, acting as a deterrent.

While this will not completely protect your dog, it's a preventative measure that surely can't hurt. As we mentioned earlier, the ticks have nothing to latch onto so something is better than nothing. And just think of the looks you will get when you are taking your precious pooch out for his daily exercise.

Ticks carry hazardous bacteria so it's very important that we do all we can to keep ticks from your pets. Use rose geranium oil to curb the ticks by putting it around the interior of the dog's collar and it acts as a natural repellent. Do not us this treatment for your cats due to their likelihood of having a severe reaction to essential oils.

Now that you have a few alternate means of combating fleas and ticks, you can feel confident that your pets will remain bug-free throughout the year. Summer time is a particularly hard time where fleas and ticks are concerned so keep your pet happy and critter free by using these safe and environment friendly tricks. Just remember that proper removal of ticks is essential.

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