Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (24 page)

Make regular checks of the feet, ears, eyes, and vagina or penis sheath to detect and remove foxtails and other plant stickers before they penetrate the skin’s surface and cause harm, requiring removal by your veterinarian. If you live in a hot climate, it’s also a good idea to have your dog’s coat thinned by a professional groomer.

Bathing also plays a major role in pet grooming. It is one of the safest and most effective ways to control fleas, which are killed by the soap and water. But don’t bathe your pets too often, because bathing can dry the skin. Unless your adult dog is unusually dirty, a bath every month or two is plenty. In the case of a bad flea infestation, skin problems, or discharges, however, you may want to bathe the animal every week. If you do, be sure to use a gentle shampoo that will not strip all the natural oils from the hair.

Cats don’t need frequent bathing since they generally do a good job of it by themselves. But if your cat has problems with bad skin or fleas, you can bathe it monthly; otherwise, once or twice a year is adequate.

Select a good-quality castile soap or a natural shampoo. Don’t use hair conditioners, sulphur-tar shampoos, shampoos containing dandruff suppressors, or any other chemical medication. Avoid pet shampoos that contain synthetic insecticides (
Common Ingredients in Flea-Control Products
), unless the safer approaches described below have not been successful. If fleas are a problem, look for a natural pet shampoo containing flea- and insect-repellent herbs. Some contain d-limonene, a natural extract from citrus fruits that will kill fleas with minimal side effects and are suitable for use with dogs. Or you can make your own insect-repellent shampoo by adding a few drops of essential oil of pennyroyal or eucalyptus to a bottle of natural shampoo or castile soap. (Do not apply these oils directly to the skin. They are too irritating.)

Some pets resist bathing. If yours is one of these, be gentle and speak in soft, reassuring tones throughout the experience. Remove the collar and lower your pet into a laundry tub, bathtub, or sink as you gradually fill it with comfortably lukewarm water. Wet and lather up your pet’s neck first, to trap any fleas that might try to escape toward your pet’s head. Shampoo the entire body and rinse lightly, using either a spray attachment or a container of lukewarm water. Then shampoo a second time, working the lather well into the skin and letting it stay on for five minutes or as long as your friend will allow. This assures the most complete treatment of fleas. Meanwhile, you can comb out and drown any critters making their way toward high ground.

Then rinse your animal thoroughly. It’s nice to follow this plain-water rinse with a
vinegar-water rinse (1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 pint warm water). It removes soap residue and helps prevent dandruff. Pour on the solution, rubbing throughout the fur. Then rinse again with plain water.

At this point you might like to try this homemade herbal rinse.

ROSEMARY CONDITIONER

Rosemary tea, used by Anitra Frazier, author of
The New Natural Cat
, makes an excellent conditioner that promotes a glossy coat and helps to repel fleas.

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
  
• 1 pint boiling water
  

Combine and steep for 10 minutes, covered. Strain and cool to body temperature. Pour it over your pet after the final rinse. Rub in and towel dry without further rinsing.

When you’re finished with the bath, use several towels to blot off excess water. Then let your pet do what comes naturally, shaking and licking off more of the water. Make sure she has a warm place to dry off.

For pets that just won’t put up with water baths, try this simple dry shampoo.

Place ½ to 1-cup bran, oatmeal, or cornmeal on a cookie sheet. Put the oven on low for 5 minutes to warm the grain. Removing a little at a time, so that the rest stays warm but not too hot, rub the grain into the fur with a towel. Concentrate on the greasy, dirty areas. Then brush these areas thoroughly to get the grain out.

Finally, here’s a spot remover that will help you get rid of grease spots in your pet’s fur between baths, especially those spots that cats get on their heads from prowling under cars. Rub a few drops of Murphy Oil Soap and a small amount of warm water onto the greasy spots. Then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

FLEA CONTROL: BEYOND TOXIC CHEMICALS

Now we come to fleas, the bane of many a beast. Fortunately, there are safe alternatives to the toxic chemicals often used for controlling these pesky little creatures on your pet and in your home. And that’s important, because the worst environmental pollutants that threaten pets are surely the poisons that well-meaning owners regularly dip, spray, powder, collar, and shampoo directly onto and into their flea-bitten companions.

The labels of most flea products bear such odd cautions as “Avoid contact with skin.” (I’ve never been able to figure out why it’s all right to thoroughly drench a pet with something that’s too nasty for humans to touch briefly and then wash off afterward. Skin is skin, after all.) In any case, animals and veterinary technicians alike are often poisoned from the application of insecticides and even from the “inert” ingredients in flea-control products, both of which are absorbed
through the skin and by inhalation. In addition, pets may lick these compounds off while grooming, and we may pick them up while stroking our animals. Some flea collars and powders are so potent that they produce extreme skin irritations and permanent hair loss on pets.

The net effect of all this poisoning is to make the fleas stronger and ourselves weaker. Because fleas reproduce so rapidly, those that survive flea-control products are the ones that have developed resistance to insecticides. This is especially a problem in places like California and Florida, where warm winters facilitate year-round flea breeding.

It is a common observation among veterinarians that the animals in poorest health attract the most fleas. So the problem is not just the presence of fleas. It’s that we have weakened our pets to the point where fleas can take advantage of them. Moreover, our excessive use of vaccines, antibiotics, and cortisone-like drugs has created severe allergy problems so that many pets cannot tolerate fleas at all.

What’s in all these flea-control products, anyway? Pet, house, and garden products all contain one or more classes of insecticides, many of which are nerve poisons.
Common Ingredients in Flea-Control Products
lists some of the more common pet insecticides, both synthetic and natural. Most of these, especially the organophosphates and carbamates, have caused poisonings as the result of misuse or overdose, particularly in young or sick dogs and in cats. These symptoms are noted in the chart; however, I think that there are also more subtle delayed effects that we do not yet fully understand. For example, some studies show that organophosphates can cause permanent nerve damage to humans, including burning, tingling, and weakness in the legs and arms, starting 8 to 14 days after exposure.

LABELS REVEAL LETHAL LEVELS

Individual labels are a guide to the product’s relative danger. The terms below signify the ingested amount that would kill an adult human.

Other dangerous chemicals sometimes found in pet products include:
sodium arsenite,
boric acid, benzethonium chloride, napthalene
(used in mothballs),
oil of anise,
para-cymene (xylene), pine tar
and
sodium cresylate
. Others considered less toxic but still dangerous include:
benzene hexacholoride, chloranil, 
DDD, dimethyl phthalate, depentene,
and
menthols
.

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The best approach to controlling fleas is to start with the least toxic and most natural choices, resorting to stronger measures only if reasonable control is not achieved. As a prerequisite to any flea-control program, I recommend building up your animal’s health and resistance as much as possible through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Along with that, it’s important to practice thorough sanitation and cleaning.

Understanding the life cycle of the flea makes it clear why cleaning is so important. Adult fleas live about three to four months. During that time they are steadily laying tiny white eggs on your pet that look like dandruff or salt crystals. Flea eggs hatch out into larvae that live in the cracks and crevices of rugs, upholstery, blankets, floors, sand, earth, and the like.

Because these tiny larvae cannot jump or travel very far (less than an inch), they feed on the black specks of dried blood (“flea dirt”) that fall off along with the eggs during grooming and scratching. After one to two weeks, the larvae go through a cocoon stage (pupa). A week or two later, they hatch out as small fleas that hop onto the nearest warm body passing by (usually your pet—sometimes you!), bite it for a meal of blood, and then start the whole process all over again. This cycle takes anywhere from 2 to 20 weeks, depending on the temperature of the house or environment. During summer—flea season—the entire cycle is usually just 2 weeks long. That’s why fleas increase so rapidly at that time.

The bad news is that, no matter how many adult fleas you manage to kill, numerous future fleas are developing in the environment simultaneously. The good news is that these eggs, larvae, pupa, and the flea dirt they feed upon can be sucked up by a vacuum cleaner or washed away in the laundry. And because the developing fleas are so immobile, they are most concentrated wherever your pet sleeps, so you know where to focus your efforts.

Your important ally in the battle against fleas is cleanliness, both for your pet and your home, particularly in your pet’s sleeping areas. Regular cleaning interrupts the life cycles of the fleas and greatly cuts down on the number of adult fleas that end up on your pet, especially if you act before flea season begins. So start your program with these nontoxic steps.

Steam clean your carpets at the onset of
flea season (or whenever you begin your flea-control program).
Though it is somewhat expensive, steam cleaning is effective in killing flea eggs.

Thoroughly vacuum and clean floors and
furniture at least once a week to pick up flea
eggs, larvae, and pupae.
Concentrate on areas where your pet sleeps and use an attachment to reach into crevices and corners and under heavy furniture. If there is a heavy
infestation, you may want to put a flea collar (or part of a flea collar) in the vacuum bag to kill any adult fleas that get sucked up and might crawl away. Or else immediately dispose of the bag or its contents because it can provide a warm, moist, food-filled environment for developing eggs and larvae. Mop vinyl floors.

Launder your pet’s bedding in hot, soapy
water at least once a week.
Dry on maximum heat. Heat will kill all stages of flea life, including the eggs. Remember that flea eggs are very slippery and easily fall off bedding or blankets. So carefully roll bedclothes up to keep all the flea eggs contained on the way to the washing machine.

Bathe the animal with a natural flea-control
shampoo.
Use a nontoxic shampoo as recommended above, such as one containing d-limonene (dogs only).

Use a flea comb to trap and kill fleas that
are on your pet.
Most pet stores carry special fine-toothed combs that trap fleas for easy disposal. Make a regular habit of flea-combing your pet while you watch TV or talk on the phone. Depending on the degree of infestation and the time of year, this might be daily (at the onset of the flea season), weekly, or monthly.

Gently but thoroughly comb as many areas as your pet will allow, especially around the head, neck, back, and hindquarters. As you trap the little buggers, pull them off the comb and plunge them into a container of hot, soapy water (or dip the comb and pull the flea off underwater). Cover your lap with an old towel to catch extra clumps of hair and flea dirt and to wipe the comb off as you work.

When you’re finished, flush the soapy water and fleas down the toilet.

If your pet goes outdoors, follow these steps as well.

Mow and water your lawn regularly.
Short grass allows sunlight to penetrate and warm the soil, which kills larvae. Watering drowns the developing fleas.

Encourage ants.
Perhaps I should say “do not discourage ants.” They love to eat flea eggs and larvae. This is another reason not to use pesticides that kill all the insects in your yard.

“Sterilize” bare-earth sleeping spots.
If your pet likes to sleep or hang out in a certain bare or sandy area, occasionally cover the spot with a heavy black plastic sheet on a hot, sunny day. Rake up any dead leaves and other debris first. The heat that builds up under the plastic does an excellent job of killing fleas and larvae. Of course, this is not appropriate to use where you want to preserve live grass or plants.

Apply agricultural lime on grassy or moist
areas.
This helps to dry out the fleas. Rake up any dead leaves and grassy debris first.

Along with the above steps, you might try these methods to repel fleas that may try to jump back on your pet, especially those harder-to-kill ones hanging out in the backyard.