This Really Bites: Flea Season is Back in Full Force by Brad Kerr, DVM
It happens every year like clockwork,
so no one should be surprised to find him or herself dealing with flea control problems once again. Fleas cause more discomfort than any other pet parasite. There are 2,200 known flea species worldwide. The great majority of flea problems in pets are caused by infestations of Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea. This is not a reason to blame cats for the fleas on your dog, cat fleas just happen to be more successful at getting on pets and surviving our efforts to eliminate them than other species of fleas. Many people are interested in natural flea control. Numerous options exist, including essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus, pennyroyal and others), brewers yeast, garlic, vitamin B1, apple cider vinegar, etc. Unfortunately, not all of these options are safe for pets, and most of them are only moderately effective at best. Essential oils, applied topically, are useful as repellants, but pets are likely to groom these oils off their coat and ingest them, leading to toxicity to liver or kidneys either rapidly, or after accumulation in the system. According to Dr. R.M. Clemmons, neurologist at University of Florida at Gainsville, most studies have shown Brewer’s yeast and garlic to be ineffective in controlling or repelling fleas and ticks. Eucalyptus , when used orally in amounts commonly found in foods, has the GRAS status ( Generally Recognized As Safe). Eucalyptus is used to treat infections, fever, and as an expectorant for coughing. At safe levels for oral ingestion, it is not known to be effective in controlling fleas.
Dog Caviar Is your dog an elitist? If so, he might enjoy Power Patties from Dr. Harvey’s. Okay, so it’s not really a treat for doggy snobs, but it is an “elite” treat! You could call this the “caviar” of the dog world, but you probably wouldn’t want to eat it yourself. Power Patties are made with tripe. Is tripe some exotic type of food such as caviar? Kind of, well, not really. Tripe is the stomach lining and stomach contents of cattle. As gross as it may sound, it’s actually a very healthy treat for dogs. Tripe is considered to be one of the most complete foods for carnivores, is easily digestible and includes vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, usable protein and essential fatty acids. To us, it smells like fish food, but to the office canines it must have smelled like heaven because from the moment we brought the box of Power Patties into the office, they couldn’t keep their noses out of it! www.drharveys.com
More recently, environmental control of fleas in the yard has been addressed by using Nematodes (a type of roundworm that will not infect humans or pets) in the yard. These are available at garden supply stores and are totally safe. They will help keep flea populations down in the outside environment around your home. Using a combined approach to control fleas works best. Daily flea combing is a safe, non- toxic method that requires only time and patience. Keep a small bowl of hot, sudsy water to dunk the comb in, trapping the fleas, which can then be flushed down the toilet. Flea traps are also useful in reducing indoor flea populations- some include a light to attract the fleas and a water trap or sticky material similar to fly paper to trap them. Daily vacuuming of the house is also helpful. One good trick for killing fleas in the vacuum is to put a 3 inch piece of flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag (otherwise, flea collars are pretty much useless). There are safe products for use in the house, such as Flea Maxx, which contains boron powder. This works best when areas to be treated are carpeted. Cleaning pet bedding frequently is also essential in keeping flea populations down. Finally, many pet owners resort to using any of the various oral or topical veterinary or over the counter flea control products. Most of these are safe for most pets, however, over the counter varieties are toxic and can be overdosed, especially in cats. Several of the topical products are very effective but can’t eliminate fleas in the environment, which is why effective flea control must involve controlling fleas on the pet, in the house, and in the outdoor areas the pet frequents. Anything less just does not get the job done. Dr. Brad Kerr is a native of Indiana and a 1987 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. His interest in acupuncture stems from knowing a war veteran who could only control pain from his injuries by getting acupuncture treatments. Dr. Kerr became certified in veterinary acupuncture in 2002 and completed training in Chinese Herbal Medicine in 2005. He currently co-owns Wellspring Holistic Veterinary Care along with his wife, Dr. Betsy Burbank.
www.doglivingmagazine.com
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