One of the drawbacks of pet ownership is dealing with parasites and their effect on your pet. Two common parasites, fleas and ticks, are responsible for both diseases and irritation for your pet. You can find a number of commercial products to treat for and prevent fleas and ticks, but these can be expensive, and are generally full of toxins. If you prefer to take a homeopathic approach, you can choose from several options.
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Tick and Flea Treatment
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Ticks are small parasites that are responsible for transmitting a number of illnesses, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Since ticks are opportunistic, not many preventatives exist. Topical treatments are available, usually in combination with a flea treatment, but these contain toxins. De Flea is a natural, commercial product available at pet supply stores that can be used after your pet has been exposed to fleas. When you bathe your pet in De Flea, it weakens the outer shell of the parasites' bodies and causes their inner organs to become saturated with liquid, quickly killing them. The other option is to bathe your pet fairly often. It usually takes about 30 minutes for a tick to attach itself to its host, so bathing should shake loose any unattached ticks. If bathing more often is not an option, you can inspect your pets thoroughly once they return inside. If you find a tick, you can remove the tick using a tick spoon. These are small devices that look like spoons with a small cut in them. You slide the spoon under the tick and gently pry it up. This will remove the whole tick and allow you to dispose of it.
Flea-Preventing Foods
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There are a number of foods you can feed your pet to help combat flea infestations. For example, fleas are often repelled by garlic. When your pet ingests garlic, it makes them taste like it. You can also put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into your pet's water daily. Fleas do not like the taste of the vinegar and it will help repel them. Another simple food change is to switch to a high-quality pet food, which you can find at your local pet store or vet's office. This will help boost your pet's immune system, making it easier to fight flea infestation. According to All the Best Pet Care, a low immune system makes your pet more prone to flea infestations (Resources 1). Before making any additions or changes to your pet's diet, however, discuss your pet's specific nutritional needs with your vet.
Herbal Remedies
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Several herbs, including yellow dock, rosemary, fennel, and eucalyptus, are known to repel fleas, according to Natural Dog Healing (Resources 2). Sprinkling a mixture of equal parts of each of these herbs in dried form over your pet's fur twice a week will help repel fleas. If you prefer not to make your own, look for pre-made powders at your local pet store.
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