Flea and Tick Season

[Aaltrude]

By Dr Karen Becker
May 04 2012

Well, the good news for many of us across the U.S. is we had a mild winter with above-average temperatures and not a lot of snow. The bad news is warm winter weather means an early and heavy bug season, specifically for fleas and ticks. These pests are surfacing from their dormant life cycles sooner rather than later this year. In fact, many veterinarians are predicting a 2012 flea and tick season that will be the worst in a decade. And it's already underway in some parts of the country.
No Need to Panic
Widespread panic is more or less what the sellers of chemical pest preventives would like to see as a result of an early and heavy flea and tick season this year. But before you start having nightmares about massive flea infestations or blood-bloated ticks all over your dog -- which could easily prompt you to run out and buy every chemical pest agent you can find – take a deep breath. Everything you need to do to control pests on your pet this year falls into these three easy-to-remember categories:

Read more: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/04/flea-and-tick-control-tips-for-pets.aspx?np=true

[Reesacat]

I didn't know this:
"Don't waste your money on garlic in pill form or brewer's yeast pills. The B vitamins found in brewer's yeast responsible for boosting the immune system can be naturally delivered by feeding your pet a meat based, living food diet. I don't recommend feeding allergenic brewer's yeast to pets.

Powdered garlic or garlic in tablet form has lost the medicinal component, Allicin, found in fresh garlic. Garlic pills can be dangerous to pets."

I used to feed those brewer's yeast/garlic tablets to my kittehs......won't do it any more. I do use Diatomaceous Earth for the outdoor feral kittehs and it works great. I sprinkle it on the carpet in the Heated Cat Palace (I put in a new piece of aired-out carpet 2 times a year) every time I put it in.

Thank you Aaltrude for a great article!

[Aaltrude]

We are fortunate that ticks do not seem to be a problem where we live and have never had a problem with fleas with the breed of dog we have. Once when I had a dog of another breed as well as one of the current breed during a major flea outbreak, the other dog was black with fleas and required intensive intervention to get rid of them while the current breed never showed any sign of a single flea.

[worldover]

I have found since feeding a balanced raw diet has made the biggest difference. This year I have not even had to use Food-Grade DE or Cedarcide products. Cedarcide has 2 products that are effective, 1-Best Yet Spray (use on self, pets & inside house) & 2-PCO for the yard. Cedar oil based products.

[Islander]

Dump the contents of your vacuum as soon as you're finished and get them out of the house. Ha, given the price of vacuum cleaner bags, not bloody likely!

I also like her advice about my yard. Clearly none of her clients live in the country! Lots of debris for my cats to get into...and I think they stalk mice in the woodpile! Still, they are flea- and tick-free.

[Julieanne]

I don't have pets, but I do react very badly to ticks. Last one I had on the ankle, my lower leg went red, swelled up to the knee and was weeping from the site for days. I had to wear a bandage. Antihistamine had no effect.

Islander, I know what you mean about the price of bags. But I find you can empty them, mostly - just takes a few minutes to keep shaking into the rubbish bin.

[mellowsong]

My dogs have never had a flea since I switched to a no grain food and that was 5 years ago. I know this is an old post but was just re-reading some of this and wanted to comment on the garlic. If the garlic has been freeze dried, the allicin and other compounds are still active. It is best to take an enteric coated form of garlic if supplementing as the acidity of the stomach can prevent the conversion to allicin. The intestines have a much higher pH and more allicin will be produced/absorbed.

[bormal]

I am revisiting an old post here to ask if there is anything new that anybody has used to keep the ticks away. They seem particularly bad this year and I have pulled off 3 from both of my girls (one a deer tick yesterday) and 3 off me since the beginning of April. The three on me were just crawling around looking for a place to attach- hope they can attach nicely to the inside of the toilet bowl..

Has anyone tried the tick spray that Dr. Becker sells on this page?
What do you guys use to remove them? I have had various success in doing this, sometimes leaving the head in and resulting in a nasty infection.
Thanks in advance for your responses

[Islander]

If the tick has attached, I read that dropping a blob of liquid soap on it and leaving it for a few minutes will allow you to remove the beastie, head 'n' all. Never having had a tick, I can't vouch for this. I also found this posted to Facebook: http://www.ehow.com/way_5608181_homemade-tick-repellent-recipe.html.

[Julieanne]

I kill them first with a drop of methylated spirits or kerosine. Some swear by Vaseline. I don't pull them out till I know they are well and truly dead!

[Reesacat]

I found the liquid soap bit on Facebook — no source so I don't know how accurate this is:
Tick Removal

A nurse discovered a safe, easy way to remove ticks where
they automatically withdraw themselves when you follow her
simple instructions. Read this one as it could save you from
some major problems.

Spring is here and the ticks will soon be showing their heads.
Here is a good way to get them off you, your children,
or your pets. Give it a try.

A School Nurse has written the info below--good enough
to share--and it really works!

"I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best
way to remove a tick. This is great because it works in
those places where it's sometimes difficult to get to with
tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of
dark hair, etc."

"Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick
with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few
seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be
stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.

This technique has worked every time I've used it
(and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic
for the patient and easier for me.."

Also, if you just pull a tick off, their heads sometimes break off
and are left under the skin so this is much safer. Be aware

also that a tick with a white speck on its back is a Deer
Tick, these can cause Tick Fever so check yourself and
your family good if you see any of these!

"Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this
would be damaging in any way.
Please pass on. Everyone needs this helpful hint.

[Julieanne]

Does she mean actual soap or liquid detergent I wonder?

[Reesacat]

I'd probably use concentrated liquid soap like Dr. Bronners and see if it works in case I would get any soap on my skin.