Non-Toxic Pest Management for Your Companion Animals – Part 1
As we approach the season when fleas and ticks become more common in the Mid-Atlantic United States, it’s important to review some of our recommended products that can help prevent an infestation and keep your pets safe and free from pests. In this series, we’ll be discussing preventive solutions for dogs and cats. This is Part 1 of the series, which focuses on solutions for your furry friends.
There are three staples which we encourage everyone to have on hand to help eradicate pests should they land on your companions and both are simple and non-toxic.
Earth Animal Nature’s Prevention Flea & Tick Daily Internal Powder for Dogs & Cats which effectively builds immunity and combats fleas and ticks from the inside out. We have used this powder for years and it contains essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that support your animals immune system and keeps them healthy. And, they make the odor and taste of the blood undesirable to fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. This makes your pet less of a target for these insects because the blood isn’t attractive to them any longer.
- Diatomaceous Earth (food-grade) can be dusted directly into your pet’s fur and used on bedding, carpeting and other areas in the house and in the exterior entryways where you may have fleas and ticks. When an insect comes into contact with diatomaceous earth their exoskeleton gets cut up and the insect dies of dehydration.
- Keep a good flea comb on hand to comb their fur and check for critters as well.
- Kleen Green is an amazing enzymatic cleaner that can be used both on your pets and in your home. This is an organic blend that is specifically designed to assist in removing and eliminating dirt, germs, bacteria, odors and pests including bed bugs, lice, scabies, crabs, fleas, mites and more, naturally!
- You can use it throughout your home and it kills both adult fleas and their eggs, plus mites and many other pests that can not only live on your animals but hide in crevices throughout the home. We have made solutions which we have poured over our dogs and let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes, then rinsed and all of the fleas were killed.
In terms of tick protection throughout the season, there are some great devices on the market that work using ultrasonic pulses that are imperceptible to humans and pets, but interfere with the ability of the parasites to orient themselves, thus keeping them away from your pet.
Tickless® technology underwent rigorous testing and was proven effective by a clinical study at the School of Veterinary Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the University of Camerino, Italy. It is safe to use even for young, elderly, ill, or pregnant dogs.
There are a number of non-toxic squeeze ons for dogs and cats as well, instead of using the spot ons which have heavy chemicals and may not be safe to use on some animals. Earth Animal and Alzoo both make squeeze-ons and infused collars to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitos.
There are also a number of sprays available using Cedar Oil and /or other essential oils that can be used before heading out for hiking or play, and also can be used in the home around bedding and other pet areas which act as highly effective and safe repellents.
Come into the store or give us a call and we can help you decide on which product is right for your companion animal. If you are not sure if a product is right for your animal, consult your veterinarian for further advice and suggestions.