Porky and Buddy Pet Health – Less Toxic Ways To Deal With Fleas

Dear Porky and Buddy,
Last week you talked about flea and tick prevention, but, to be honest, you sounded like a couple of shills for the pet chemical industry. Aren’t there safe and effective ways to control those little buggers without resorting to deadly chemicals? If I sound like one of those tree-huggers, well that would be me, but I would also like to be able to hug my flea and tick free pets without exposing myself  (let alone what it does to my pets) to a bunch of chemicals that I have no idea whether they are safe.
Naomi

Dear Naomi,
Congratulation on being an official tree-hugger. We all need more of you. And more trees. But to answer your question, yes there are effective ways to prevent flea and tick infestations on a cat or dog that are non-toxic (or at least less toxic).

The first line of defense is not chemical at all.

You can prevent a lot of problems if you just groom your pets regularly. Common soap and water will kill adult fleas. In addition, comb your animal’s fur with a fine-tooth flea comb, and dunk any that you find into a container of sudsy water. Regular daily grooming will also remove ticks, in many cases before they have a chance to do a lot of damage.

Wash your pet’s bedding weekly in hot, soapy water, and vacuum and wipe down pet-frequented surfaces often, including behind and underneath furniture and between couch cushions. You may have to do this daily to get fleas under control and you may have to bring in a professional steam cleaner if it’s really severe.

And you may still end up with fleas and ticks, especially if your pets go outside where there are other animals.

The Natural Resources Defense Council has a website called greenpaws.org that we like a lot.

There you can find comprehensive information about all flea and tick treatments, everything from naturally occurring oils (some of which are actually also toxic) to the most deadly carcinogens, with clear explanations of their effectiveness, appropriate use and dangers.

Remember that if live in an area where Lyme disease or any other of the tick-borne diseases have been found, you need to be especially wary of ticks.

They are more than just a nuisance – they can be dangerous.

So you may have to resort to chemicals to protect yourself and your pets, but greenpaws.org will give you good advice about what to use and how to use it safely.

And as always, ask your vet about her take on these safety issues, too.

Just remember, if we didn’t have summer we would not have fleas and ticks (or trees) but what fun would that be?

The Oswego County Humane Society provides spay/neuter services and assistance, fostering and adoption of animals in urgent need, humane education programs, and information and referrals to animal lovers throughout Oswego County.

Located at 110 W. Second St., Oswego, NY.

Phone: (315) 207-1070.

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.oswegohumane.org

Because People and Pets Are Good for Each Other.

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