b'Natural Flea and Tick Control An Ounce of PreventionFleas and TicksYUK!I get itchy just thinking about them.So, I can just imagine what is happening to ourdogs and how they feel when they have fleas or ticksagain, YUK! By Dr. Timothy Hodge, DVMSeriously, fleas are a nuisance at the least and life threat- and oral usage should show some improvement in one toening at the worst. Fleas cause our dogs to be itchy; they two days. Outdoor application can include the lawn, soilcarry parasites (tapeworms) and cause infections (plague, and vegetation around the house.bartonella, the bacteria that causes cat scratch disease, etc). BoricAcidPowder (FleaBusters,orMule TeamFleas also cause flea allergy dermatitis, can cause a worsen- Borax are examples). The powders are to be applied to theing of the condition of a dog that has other allergies and can carpet, furniture, cracks and crevices of the home. Boriccause anemia. Fleas affecting our pets also impact our bond acid powders are very safe and helpful in elimination of awith them, on an emotional and psychological level. flea infested home.However, their effectiveness does takeTicks can also cause anemia, transmit disease such as time and diligence. Boric Acid Powders work by dehydra-Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and many tion of the flea larva and by contamination of the foodother infectious organisms. These can be very deadly to our the flea larva eat in their environment.dogs and cause serious illness. And for a third time: YUK!ThepowderisplacedonthecarpetorcracksandWhenitcomestofleaandticktreatmentand crevices and worked into the fibers and areas of interest.control/prevention, we have to think about the pet, the home Normalvacuumingcanberesumedin24to48hours.andtheyard/outdoorenvironment. Thisisathree-prong Remove the bag and dispose out of the home. If a canisterapproach that is necessary to keep these parasites at bay.vacuum is used, dump the canister into a plastic bag, sealIn my opinion, prevention or control of these parasites and dispose of outside the home. Follow the directions onis much better and easier than treatment when infestations the product you use for replication.occur. There are many great and safe medications to kill Do not use directly on the pet, and be sure to clean upfleas and ticks when they are already on the pet and prevent any spills. infestation if newly exposed. There are also home and yard EssentialOilsorEssentialOilBasedProductsproducts and companies to treat the areas to kill these pests There are many essential oils that have activity against fleasand prevent them from reemerging. Many people are look- and ticks (and other insects). Also, there are new productsing to natural or safer options so lets discuss a few of these. coming to the market every day that contain essential oilsKeep in mind, not all options will work for all pets and for parasite control. However, some essential oils can beenvironments. Do your research to find what may work toxic or cause side effects. It is best to use 100% certifiedbest for you, your pet and your home/yard.pure, tested grade essential oils. Cedar, peppermint, lemon-DiatomaceousEarth Diatomsaretinyaquatic grass, lavender, geranium, are just a few oils that have para-microorganism and diatomaceous earth is composed of the site activity. Personally, I use doTerra TerraShield or makefossilizedremainsofthesediatoms,whichhavebeen my own sprays or flea bombs. Look for pet safe formulasground into a fine powder. These work to damage the outer and dont be shy about contacting the manufacturers. skeleton of the fleas/ticks causing dehydration and death. Bathing and flea combingIf you have the time andDiatomaceous earth products can be applied topically patience, bathing with a safe soap such as castile soap orto the pet as a pesticide treatment and can be applied to the Dawn Dish Detergent and frequent flea combing, can beenvironment as a premise control product. Always read the very helpful in removing the pests from the pet.product label.Nematodes Insect-destroyingnematodescanbeDiatomaceousearthrequiresdirectcontactwiththe applied to the lawn as a spray and do not affect people, pets,parasites, so ideal application includes penetration of the or plants. These microscopic, worm-like organisms live indust bath to the level of the skin. For premise control, the soil and kill insects by entering their bodies, feeding onapply to localized and exterior infested areas such as base- tissue,andreleasingharmfulbacteria.Whentheyhaveboards,crevices,doorframes,etc.Outdoorapplication eatenalltheycanoftheinsect,thenematodesleavetoshould include the lawn and vegetation around the home.search for other prey. They cannot move far (only an inchOutdoorapplicationwillworkimmediately. Topical or two) and die if they find no other insects. 72THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'