With more and more people foregoing parenthood, we have seen a dramatic up tick in the rise of the “Doggy Parent.” This has led to an increased intensity in which the manufacturers of flea and tick medication manufacturers flog their wares. Of course, every major industry has its lobbyists and the pet medicine racket is no different.
The result has been that people, more and more, have come under the impression that their dogs and cats need a whole cabinet of medications just to live normal dog and cat lives. Sadly, we are over medicating our dogs and cats severely. We flea and tick proof them even when they live exclusively indoors.
The unfortunate result is animals getting sick from the poisonous substances that we are covering them with. Many people are so trusting of vets and manufacturers that when products cause medical problems they assume that it’s just an allergy or some other constitutional weakness. But this is not the case. The truth is that good health is the standard and the norm of both people and animals that are not overly exposed to toxic substances like flea poison.
Of course, it is more than reasonable to want to protect your pets and your home from nasty unwanted blood-sucking pests like fleas, ticks, and mites. But we think it’s fair to say that a dose of moderation is called for here. So we’ve put together a few tips that you can use to protect your pets and your home from fleas, ticks and other vermin without going overboard.
A number of these will require some extra work on your part, but we think that’s preferable to the heartbreak of learning that your best friend has a dangerous autoimmune disease and must take a regimen of expensive pills.
A great first step is to go non-toxic. There are many products available that use natural substances which do not harm people or animals in the least- but are highly repellent to insects. Essential oils are a good example. These are made from substances that plants and trees use to repel the bugs that want to eat them. In their concentrated form, they are quite potent.
Second, comes regular grooming. Learning to properly groom your pet is a nice way to express your love for them and bond with them at the same time. With time and practice, your pet may learn to enjoy the attention and while they may not fully appreciate being clean, they will feel better when they are.
Third, the necessity of cleaning is unavoidable. You should wash or clean your pet’s bed and sleeping areas regularly. Pet hair and dander are major attractions for mites, fleas, and other pests.
Also, it’s important to make sure their eating area is well kept up. The crumbs from pet kibble tend to gather in small crevices and form a crust. When this hidden buildup is exposed to moisture it becomes a rotting, encrusted, and smelly attraction to things that like to live on and bite our animals. One simple solution is to place their dishes in a large flat plastic tub. This will catch all the errant crumbs and make cleanup easy, even if rover tips his food over.
Don’t forget about the yard. Introduce beneficial bugs to your yard like ladybugs and nematodes. These little creatures will eat all kinds of pests like flea larvae and ticks. You can put them in the bushes and in the grass where your pets romp and play. Within a couple of life cycles, you can have a strong bug-based bug barrier to the creatures that prey on your pets.
Double check those labels that say “natural.” Marketers are very good at manipulating language to make you think you’re getting something you’re not while avoiding false advertisement lawsuits. Remember, scientifically speaking, everything is natural otherwise it wouldn’t exist. That means you can get a product that seems non-toxic because it is made from something natural, but is actually quite unhealthy. Also, a lot of products that are truly “natural” may not do the job you want.
Finally, it’s up to you to research not only the products on offer but the substances they are made from as well. If you put the extra effort into understanding what you’re putting on your dogs and cats, you’ll stand the best chance of keeping them pest free safely.
~ Health Scams Exposed
