We’ve used Frontline or Advantix to keep fleas off of our dogs for years. But, lately, neither seemed to be keeping away the fleas like they used to. So, we decided to try out alternatives.
You may have read, like we did, about Diatomaceous Earth for flea control. Some recommend feeding it — food grade quality only! — to dogs. Some recommend using it as a flea powder. Some recommend both.
We started the vitamins because a few of them are older dogs and we want to give them something in addition to their regular food and treats to help keep them healthy as they get older. Terra is over 15, and Lilly and Maggy and are over 11. We also added the daily vitamins because we read the increasing Vitamin B1 might help get rid of fleas.
If you have a pet, having a spray bottle filled with half water and half vinegar, is great for cleaning. But apple cider vinegar has a lot of other possible uses too.
SANTA BARBARA, California (PRNewswire) — Apple cider vinegar seems to be seeing a resurgence in popularity when it comes to uses for pets.
Recent studies published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health show that apple cider vinegar is an antioxidant and helps fight infection, and can reduce dangerous plaque in blood vessels and increase HDL (‘good cholesterol’) levels in animals.
Equine Wellness Magazine has reported that horse owners regularly use apple cider vinegar as a natural insect repellent, for skin infections, as a digestive aid, and to battle thrush and other hoof problems.
Pet owners widely report online and elsewhere that apple cider vinegar is effective as a topical flea treatment, and in fighting ear and skin infections.*
“Apple cider vinegar, which was used by Hippocrates in about 400 B.C. to treat his patients, has long been a trusted health product,” said Dr. Patricia Bragg, CEO of Bragg Live Food Products, an international organic health company. “It’s now becoming clear that it has an amazing array of benefits for animals, as well. We’ve talked to hundreds of pet owners who say that it also helps with their pet’s digestion, arthritis, mange, teeth and nails, urinary tract infections and conjunctivitis.”
Bragg added that, with the increasing dangers of ‘superbugs’ or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, people are looking for alternative methods of protecting their pet’s health.
The search for alternative health products for humans and animals has intensified as deadly bacteria strains quickly evolve and become resistant to antibiotics.
“If no action is taken today, by 2050, almost all current antibiotics will be ineffective in preventing and treating diseases,” according to the World Health Organization. The majority of antibiotics in the U.S. and elsewhere is given to cattle and poultry.
“Studies have long shown that caring for pets reduces stress hormones and heart disease in their owners, and now, in a wonderful turnaround, pet owners are discovering new ways of returning the favor to the pets they love,” Bragg said.
*APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO ANIMALS ONLY AS DIRECTED BY VETERINARIANS OR OTHER HEALTH EXPERTS.
We remember being in the emergency room at a veterinary clinic a few years back with our pet and hearing that a dog in another examination room was going to need expensive surgery because it had eaten acorns from the owners’ backyard and was pretty sick.
Although we were there because one of our dogs had bitten the other on the head in a scrap over the water bowl, we remembering thinking we were glad that at least our pet didn’t do that. Ours just needed a shunt and some stitches. (Although our other dog did require doggie Prozac for awhile.)
Anyway, we always warn people around this time of year if they have dogs AND acorn trees in their backyard of what can happen.
And we aren’t newbies when it comes to pet safety. Like most people, we know chocolate is not good for dogs or cats. (While you might think that cats couldn’t care less about chocolate, we used to have a cat who loved KitKat bars and would desperately try to get a hold of them.)
Click below to consent to the use of the cookie technology provided by vi (video intelligence AG) to personalize content and advertising. For more info please access vi's website.
