Also, published in July, 1995, issue of my newsletter called Animal Tales
was an article about fleas. My first ever article about fleas — a common problem that really doesn't need to be a problem.
Fleas are a common problem that all too many of our four legged
companions can do without.
Typically speaking, when a dog or cat has a flea problem, we as
guardians of dogs and cats prepare for battle with the blood sucking parasite we
call the flea. The use of flea sprays, flea shampoos, and flea collars make the
foundation of the arsenal used to kill fleas. Further action can be taken by
spraying the house with insecticides. Veterinarians also have up to date
information on how to control the spiny, strong legged fleas using modern
technology. But what good does all of this do? Does it solve the flea problem?
Can it have adverse effects on our companion's health? Can we solve the flea
problem using non–invasive methods that attack the problem rather than the
symptom?
About two years ago, when I was at a flea market (no pun
intended), I met this lady who was a Native Canadian from a band that borders
the B.C., Alaska and Yukon border. Out of curiosity, I asked how her forefathers
survived in conditions where black flies and mosquitoes lived in such great
numbers without getting bit to death or going insane from all the little
creatures buzzing around their head?
Anyone who has been in the bush up north during the summer
months probably knows why I asked this question. Hoping to find some miracle
remedy to get rid of the black flies and mosquitoes, I was surprised with her
response. She stated that her forefathers never had a problem. She went on to
say that the bug problem is a basically a result of modern pollution and damage
to the environment.
Most people are not aware that fleas, like many insects,
parasites, bacteria, plant life and other bugs build resistance over a period of
time to the use of chemicals. Thus this explains why many people still
experience a flea problem after spraying or shampooing with insecticides. True,
many times the problem is alleviated for a while, but when the problem comes
back, it's now worse than ever and harder to deal with. So where does this
leave us? Back where we started with yet another flea problem.
What should you do? Well, if you go to your veterinarian, your
animal friend will probably receive a cortisone shot. Cortisone does nothing
except provide symptomatic relief of the problem. Cortisone which can interfere
with the body's ability to absorb vitamin A and C; can cause a potassium
deficiency, and may lead to liver and/or kidney problems is no solution.
Also, before we forget, what does the use of chemical pesticides
do to our companions?
The answer is simple, if the label states for external use only
and should not be exposed to your skin, what on earth are we doing using these
kind of products on our animals?
Flea sprays, shampoos, collars and so on do more damage to our
dogs and cats than to actually solving the flea problem, and we wonder why so
many dogs and cats suffer from kidney and liver problems; or suffer from chronic
disease.
The good news is we can't worry about what has been done in
the past. We should focus on the present. We're never going to get rid of all
the fleas in the world, and truthfully it would be sad if we did. Fleas and
other parasites serve a role in Mother Nature's scheme of thing. So what
should we do?
We should be glad in an uncanny way that our companion has
fleas. Fleas are a sign of a problem. We should not look at fleas as being the
problem. True, fleas can pass tapeworms (healthy animals should not get
tapeworms) into the system of our animals and can even cause anemia, but
ultimately they are our friends because they're letting us know that our
companions are not healthy.
An unhealthy system has a low immune system and lacks vitamins
and minerals. Thus, really the problem is an unhealthy body with the symptom
being a flea infestation.
To treat the problem we must solve the malnutrition. Contrary to
popular belief, commercial pet foods are not complete, if they were, we
wouldn't be seeing so many cases of chronic disease in dogs and cats today.
Commercial pet foods may contain unnecessary preservatives and
lack real nutrition. Since 90% of disease is nutritionally related, the goal of
every dog or cat guardian should be to feed a quick and simple homemade diet
that contains maximum nutrition and is natural.
A homemade diet simulates what dogs and cats would get in the
wild, does not take long to prepare and is extremely affordable, especially when
you consider veterinarian bills become virtually non–existent as now the animal
is amazingly healthy.
Before feeding a ridiculously simple homemade diet, you
should learn how to make the food properly. When we begin to understand animal
nutrition we realize that fleas (and other problems like ringworm) are a
definite sign that body is lacking sulfur in the cells of the body. The good
news is when we begin feeding a homemade diet with maximum nutrition, we put
sulfur into the cells.
To compliment a good natural diet, we should also be bathing the
dog (sometimes cats depending on their temperament) with a good all–natural
shampoo. Whichever shampoo you use, make sure it does not dry the skin and yet
still removes dead skin cells. The removal of dead skin cells is important as
fleas enjoy living in an unhealthy environment. The shampoo should contain no
artificial colourings or fragrances either.
Many people use products that contain citronella, tea tree oil,
pennyroyal, eucalyptus, lavender, and cedar wood to name a few; however, all of
these products, although natural, are not recommended for the use on dogs and
cats. A dog or cat has a sense of smell 1000 times more powerful than a
human's and thus we must be extra cautious with the products we use.
When a person's companion has a flea problem, the first thing
I tell them is to switch the diet to a natural one. Then to help heal hot spots
and soothe the skin we may use a topical neem tree lotion and to it, we can add
extra essential oil of neem for extra benefit.
In conclusion, fleas are not the problem. The problem is a poor
diet and a low immune system.
Use a flea comb instead of chemical pesticides and chemical
shampoos and begin feeding a natural diet. Feed a good variety of foods to
ensure your companion's diet is complete and balanced. No dog, cat, or human
could survive eating the same food every day of his or her life.
Homemade food helps creates amazingly healthy animals that do
not experience the problems of dogs and cats on commercial pet foods.