Replied By Sloan (T-town, Al) on 06/02/2013

Also, Diatomaceous Earth is a great product if used properly. Readers need to learn of ALL the precautions on how to properly administer as a pet/home flea prevention method. Using it on carpet gives easy access to the pet's eye causing severe irritation and harmful damage. Since their face is constantly inches from the carpet, breathing the stuff in will happen. This can cause severe lung irritation.

I buy FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous. I use it as a de-wormer for my pets. But this "food grade" is HUMAN food grade and I use it as a supplement for myself (no, not as a de-wormer lol). It has great benefits for us, just research it before you use it, but is does some remarkable things.

When I use it in my carpets, I don't use enough to make a dust when I walk. I do it when my pets are out of the house (outside on porch or getting groomed, at the vets). I don't let them back in until it is settled in the carpet and wiped up, off the counters and floors.

When bought packaged as a human supplement (high grade, pure DE), the package clearly states "Keep from eyes and DO NOT BREATHE". This applies to our animals too. I would recommend not applying it directly on their skin, as some may suggest.

When using natural oils, again be sure to get food grade, high quality essential oils. DO NOT apply it directly to their skin, as they have a different PH than we do, and they often cause severe skin irritation. Even we humans use carrier oils when applying it directly to their skin.

Again, a cat's liver can often not handle many of the essential oil and have a hard time processing them. Their liver is just not as strong as we seem to think. AND YES! They do absorb the oils through their skin, which eventually gets processed by their liver. WE HUMAN DO THIS TOO. Anything that is absorbed by the skin gets processed by our organs. Skin is the largest organ we have. Nicotine patches work by being absorbed through the skin. Normal flea treatment works like this. After it is absorbed, it gets into the blood stream and viola! It's in. So do your research. There are conflicting reports when it comes to your pets ability to handle essential oils.

So be careful what you put on your animals.

I know I sound like a downer, but I'm just trying to inform people to do their research and decide for themselves. When there are conflicting reports, one needs to take precautions.

Fleas are a pain. I know. I have 5 long haired cats and a dog. It's a constant struggle. So far, there is no one answer. Good luck to you all.

Replied By Mark (Exeter, Uk) on 04/13/2014

Replied By Mark (Exeter, United Kingdom) on 11/09/2015

http://www.naturalnews.com/021935_pet_health_veterinary_medicine.html

Pet health is now in rapid decline

The result of all this is that our dogs and cats are sicker than ever. Ask any vet who's been practicing for more than ten years: They've never seen such an increase in the rate of liver disease, nervous system disorders, cancers and diabetes. Ever wonder why?

Replied By Mark (Exeter, United Kingdom) on 11/09/2015

THE DOCTOR OF NATURAL PET CARE ND, Ph.D. AKA ........'THE EXPERT'

Garlic, the Facts,

by Lisa S. Newman, ND, Ph.D.

Since 1982, Dr. Newman has been a world renowned pioneer in the field of natural pet care. The author of nine books."

"When it comes to your pet's health, do you want to follow facts or fears? Unfortunately, garlic has come under attack. This is primarily as a result of garlic's close cousin onion's reputation for triggering hemolytic or "Heinz factor" anemia (where circulating red blood cells burst) through its high concentration of thiosulphate. With onions, a single generous serving can cause this reaction. Garlic simply DOES NOT CONTAIN THE SAME CONCENTRATION of this compound! In fact, it is barely traceable and readily excreted (not stored in the body).

Despite this fact, garlic is falling victim to mass hysteria spread through the internet. Yes, there are 51,174 sites devoted to warning about the "toxicity" of garlic, this hysteria has even prompted the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to place a warning on garlic although there is little scientific data to back this claim other than the fact that thiosulphate is also found in garlic. Yet, there are also over 400,000 sites still proclaiming its benefits, many of them from reputable holistic veterinarians who have widely used garlic in their practice for many years! How can an herb suddenly turn so bad?!

There is no doubt that onion, due to its concentration of thiosulphate, will cause Heinz factor anemia. In addition, as stated by Wendy Wallner, DVM, "Onions are only one of the substances which can cause Heinz body anemia. Other substances such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and benzocaine-containing topical preparations can also cause Heinz body anemia in the dog." The latter probably accounts for many cases as it is prevalent in creams often recommended for allergy-suffering pets due to its ability to numb the itch. It is absorbed through the skin and builds up in the blood stream. This other substance is likely to have been involved in cases where garlic was suspect.

For centuries, as long as humans have been using herbs, garlic has been a primary remedy turned to in a majority of cases. For as long as people have been using garlic, they have also been feeding it to their animal companions. Its properties have proven far reaching, easy on the body and safe to use. In the past fifty years, during the rebirth of holistic medicine in the United States, garlic has been in the forefront. Every text that I have researched on herbal health which mentions pet care has recommended it, especially for its incredible anti-parasitic and anti-septic properties. In my own experience, garlic has also benefited pets with cancer, diabetes, liver, heart and kidney disease, uncontrollable staph infections and a host of other conditions, as well as been a staple in my recommended preventative protocols. It has been widely used by hundreds of thousands of pet owners with no reported negative side-effects - except its effect on their animal's breath - until now.

This is the point;

garlic has suddenly become a "suspect, " not proven the culprit.

Do not let mass hysteria determine a holistic care program for your dog or cat. Follow hundreds of years of "proven use" rather than recent "suspicions" in regards to this miracle herb, as garlic is known to be. As with anything, do use garlic in reasonable doses, and do know that you can trust history over hysteria. ------

Replied By Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 11/10/2015

Replied By Om (Hope, Bc Canada) on 11/10/2015

Just to thank you, Mark, for your post. You said it and yet, people still believe and trust the veterinarian association. Health is a business and disease is desired for profit.

Let us hope these days be shortened.

Namaste, Om

Replied By Samantha (Nc) on 10/27/2016

Replied By Anja (Netherlands) on 10/09/2017

Garlic is 100% safe as long as you don't feed one garlic (like 15 cloves) to a Chihuahua or so ;-) My dogs get garlic, they are both small sized dogs, and they get half a clove per meal, twice a day.

Against flees and ticks I prepare an oil, with the cloves of 1 organic garlic, chopped, some ginger cloves, and about 1/8 of the bottle with AVC, then fill it up with (organic) sunflower oil (you can use any oil of course), let this stand for 24 to 48 hours, shake every few hours.

When ready, simply add a few drops to your hands and massage it in the coat of your dog, that is enough to keep any flee and/or tick away for at least 24 hours. Repeat daily!

I never have flees or ticks or other nasty small beasts that hunt my dogs. This recipe is great for cats too. I wouldn't try it on your canary or parakeet, but even for rabits and of course for horses (use more than a few drop, I'd say a hand full of oil), any animal that can get flees/ticks!