Get your carpets treated with a special anti-flea mineral salt. There have been some developments in safe flea control. My clients report success with a service that applies or sells relatively nontoxic mineral salts for treating carpets. (Fleabusters is the company recommended.) Effective for up to a year, the products safely kill fleas and their developing forms over a few week's time.
Once or twice a year, sprinkle natural, unrefined diatomaceous earth along walls, under furniture, and in cracks and crevices that you cannot access with a vacuum. This product, which resembles chalky rock, is really the fossilized remains of one-celled algae. Though direct skin contact is harmless to pets and people, it is bad news for many insects and their larvae, including fleas. The fine particles in the earth kill insects by attacking the waxy coating that covers their external skeletons. The insects then dry out and die.
I do not recommend using diatomaceous earth frequently or directly on your animal -- mostly because of the irritating dust that can be breathed in by both of you. It is also messy. Be careful about breathing it in. Wear a dust mask when applying. It is not toxic, but inhaling even the natural, unrefined form of this dust can irritate the nasal passages.
Important: Do not use the type of diatomaceous earth that is sold for swimming pool filters. It has been very finely ground, and the tiny particles can be breathed into the lungs and cause chronic inflammation. Use a spray or powder containing pyrethrins or natural pyrethrum. These are the least toxic of all the insecticides used on pets, and they are found in both conventional and natural flea-control products. For a more lasting effect, use a microencapsulated product, which is perhaps labeled "slow release." Repeat the applications as you simultaneously use the carpet treatment system or diatomaceous earth. This will help kill both adult fleas and developing fleas at the same time.
Reprinted from: Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M, Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn (September 2005;$18.95US/$25.95CAN; 1-57954-973-X) Copyright © 2005 Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D., and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com
Authors
Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M, Ph.D., opened the Animal Natural Health Center, a clinic offering only holistic animal care, in 1985. Recently retired from practice, he teaches post-graduate courses in homeopathic medicine to veterinarians. Susan Hubble Pitcairn was a major contributor to the first two editions of this book. As the third edition goes to press, she is splitting her time between artistic pursuits and the support of positive social change. For more information, please visit www.drpitcairn.com
Watch the About.com Cats site for a review of the book in the near future.
