I make all my own dog food, biscuits and pellets and would be very grateful if anyone could advise me on what to use to de-worm and also keep my dogs safe from ticks and fleas naturally. My local vet does not have any advice and believes that natural remedies don't work. I would like to believe she is incorrect.
Belinda-Lee Seagreen, by email
Well, your vet could be right, and if my dogs ever have fleas I do treat them - but it happens very very rarely. Many folk swear by brewers' yeast and garlic to repel fleas; you could also try a product like Dyna-Mite, which is a rinse containing natural repellent oils. But quite honestly, if you feed your dogs a good natural diet (not sure about those biscuits!) imo they are less likely to fall foul of fleas. Ticks are far more difficult, some dogs just seem more attractive to them than others, and some years there are just more of them around. Best advice I reckon is just to get them off as soon as you see them - the O'tom is very good.
ReplyDeleteWorms are more difficult I think. I have been trying a homoeopathic worming compound from Nelsons. If I ever saw any evidence of worms though, I would use a chemical wormer.
So perhaps best practice is just to keep a sharp eye out, and use chemicals if it's really necessary.
When I got my new puppy earlier this year I intended to give her garlic and other remedies but then my vet warned me about about lungworm, the larvae of which is carried by slugs and snails.
ReplyDeleteThe lungworms hatch out in the lungs of the dog and by the the time the symptoms show, he said, the damage to the dog has been done.
I happen to live near one of the lungworm "hotspots" (which include Croydon, New Maldon, Wimbledon, Devon, Cornwall and the Gower Peninsula) so I took his advice and put my dog on Advocate. I wish there was something more "natural" to give her that would kill this worm - maybe there is but I don't know about it.
I thought better safe than sorry.
Julia Lewis
Yes, lungworm certainly does seem to be more prevalent now. You have to weigh up the risks and make your decision based on that, as Julia has done. Something to be aware of though - apparently you shouldn't use Advocate on collies.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the flea part of your question there is this Electronic Dog Flea Controller http://www.dfordog.co.uk/acatalog/dog_first_aid.html#a110
ReplyDeleteThe Flea Controller is a small weatherproof device which emits harmless ultrasonic pulses intolerable to ticks and fleas, repelling them from your pet and its close surroundings (basket/bed). The sounds emitted are perfectly safe for humans and pets. The unit can remove existing fleas and ticks as well as preventing further infestation. Parasites cannot build a resistance to its ultrasonic sounds. Noticeable results within two weeks of continued use. No chemicals or toxins. Conveniently attaches to your pets collar. Range 15 square meters.
- Safe for puppies, kittens, pregnant or older pets
- Lasts up to one whole year
- Non Toxic
- Efficient
- Convenient
- No chemicals or odours
I worm (if needed) using pumpkin seeds and stilton cheese. A half cup of pumpkin seeds in their food, scours the gut ( like a chemical wormer but without the nasties!) then once they've pooed, give about 3-4oz of ripe stilton. This puts back the good bacteria into the gut. As for fleas, well i've never treated for fleas. I don't think putting chemicals on the dog 'just in case' does them any good. If they did get fleas, i'd use a spray of lavender, geranium, tea tree and eucalyptus oils and water, its easy to make at home, but never put oils directly on the dog, always mix with water.
ReplyDeleteI don't use any kind of chemicals on my dogs, they get a natural diet and are the picture of health, i do what works for them
I have been using a 100% natural product called 'Ruggle-It'. Its a shampoo and an Oil that you apply to the skin.
ReplyDeleteI have found it really effective on my Parsons Terrier, so much so I have stopped using the conventional flea treatments.
Through the summer I did not get one tick on her which was great as there are a lot of deer in the fields where I walk and I was always concerned about Lymes disease.
There is also some interesting info about feeds etc. on the website www.karenruggles.co.uk
We have been using Neem products on our cats and dogs for some years now and find it very effective (and natural which is the real bonus) at killing fleas and repelling ticks, mites and flies.
ReplyDeleteThe smell used to put a lot of people off using Neem but the products we use smell lovely - the Pet Guard Spray which we use to keep the ticks at bay smells of lemon balm and we also use to it to keep the flies away from us and our tent when we are camping. We don't use this product on the cats because of the essential oils - we use neat neem oil in their ears fortnightly (such a small amount that the smell is no issue).
For flea infestations we used to stick the dogs in the bath and use the Neem Mite Shampoo which efficiently killed the fleas without killing our dogs! Because it's made with soap nut instead of SLS (sodium laurel sulphate) the skin doesn't dry out or get inflamed from irritation. We have found that the neem products soothe the skin and alleviate allergic responses too.
I'm not passionate about neem because I stock it. I stock it because I'm passionate about it - I try to keep my dog's lives as natural possible, having one dog who is sensitive to chemicals and another who has recovered from two different cancers so what goes onto her or into her matters.
Both of the dogs love their daily neem dog treats which protect them against internal parasites without harming any of the beneficial gut flora and fauna.
It is possible to use natural products for parasite problems. They may need more frequent application but I'd rather this than have a dog whose immune system is compromised from using the toxic spot ons which seem to be the treatment of preference by the professionals.
I would suggest grapefruit seed extract as a natural de-wormer. I use five drops a day in my Corgis' food, but the dose would obviously depend on the size of your dog.
ReplyDeleteGrapefruit seed extract is proven to get rid of bacteria and fungi, and is good for colds and stomach upsets. You have to be careful not to get it close to the eyes, though.
I order mine from the US but I'm sure you could get some in the UK online.
Ros Walters, canine nutritionist