Naturopathic Approach to Parasites

Let’s take a holistic, naturopathic approach to fleas and ticks now and let’s begin with the foundation and cornerstone of true prevention – Good Health.

Species Specific Nutrition

Good, proper nutrition from foods appropriate for the species (carnivore) can strengthen and boost the immune system by providing the proper nutrients and keeping the body’s natural electrical energy/frequencies functioning at optimal levels.

The food you feed your pets should provide all of the nutritional components which are necessary for all the organs and systems of a healthy body to perform in harmonious unison. A truly healthy and properly functioning body does an amazing job at preventing dis-ease and healing itself. However, it requires the energies and nutrients of a species appropriate diet to be healthy in the first place. In terms of finding the proper diet for our companions, this means learning to look beyond our own needs, opinions, and agendas to address the natural needs of the animals that we are responsible for by feeding and raising them according to their species and nature. Dogs are carnivores and need to be fed accordingly for optimal health.

Probiotics and Enzymes

Probiotics and digestive enzymes are highly recommended to aid the animal’s immune system come into balance. By assisting the transport of nutrients through the body and aiding in the breakdown and removal of waste products, probiotics and digestive enzymes help alleviate allergy symptoms brought on by lack of proper nutrition and toxic overload.

EPA/DHA

Wild Salmon or fish Oil (beware of farmed fish containing GMOs, antibiotics, etc. in them), contains linolenic acid, which is broken down into the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). When the immune system is activated by infection or injury, inflammation occurs, which can be evident by redness, swelling or pain. EPA and DHA fatty acids found in wild fish oil can modify the immune system response by decreasing inflammation.

Ditch the toxic chemicals

A great weapon in the battle with fleas is the inexpensive Flea Comb. Combing though the hair down near the skin, removing and killing the adults (by drowning them in soapy water) can prevent a lot of future fleas being hatched. However, flea combing is best done on dogs with short hair and not a lot of undercoat. In that instance, bathing the dog and leaving the chemical free shampoo on the dog for up to 15 minutes before rinsing – suffocates the fleas.

Raise the bioenergetic/vibrational frequencies of the body

Another option for deterring fleas and ticks is an Easy Défense Flea & Tick Tag, which simply hangs on your pet’s collar and uses a revolutionary approach to repelling insects using the bioenergetic field around your pet.

Whether the parasites are: fleas, ticks, intestinal worms or even heartworms, they are all naturally attracted to animals with low bioenergetic frequencies. You see, parasites do have a purpose in life, they are nature’s way of cleaning up dirty/toxic blood.

If the immune system and the organs that house it are weak and/or compromised, clogged with toxins, the body is going to have a lower over-all energy/vibrational frequency than a strong, vital immune system vibrates at.

An animal with a strong immune system and high vibrational frequencies will naturally be unattractive to microbes, parasites, etc. Just a fact.

Strong immune systems and higher vibrational frequencies are brought about and maintained with adherence to the laws of nature which include but are not limited to proper, raw, species appropriate nutrition.

If you have a companion animal that is not truly thriving and is fighting off dis-ease as well as parasites at the same time, you may want to use an Easy Defense Flea & Tick Tag or Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils to assist in raising the animal’s frequencies faster and aid in maintaining wellness while you transition them to a healthy, natural lifestyle.

For addressing fleas and/or ticks once they are already setting up house on your pet, I recommend DE (diatomaceous earth) , dried organically grown herbs or essential oil blends that can be misted on to the dog’s coat. See natural flea and tick recommendations HERE

A great weapon in the battle with fleas is the inexpensive Flea Comb. Combing though the hair down near the skin, removing and killing the adults (by drowning them in soapy water) can prevent a lot of future fleas being hatched. However, flea combing is best done on dogs with short hair and not a lot of undercoat. In that instance, bathing the dog and leaving the chemical free shampoo on the dog for up to 15 minutes before rinsing suffocates the fleas.

Another option for deterring fleas and ticks is an EasyDefense Flea Tag, which simply hangs on your pet’s collar and uses a revolutionary approach to repelling insects using the bioenergetic field around your pet.

Whether the parasites are: fleas, ticks, intestinal worms or even heartworms, they are all naturally attracted to animals with low bioenergetic frequencies. You see, parasites actually do have a purpose in life, they are nature’s way of cleaning up dirty/toxic blood.

If the immune system and the organs that house it are weak and/or compromised, clogged with toxins, the body is going to have a lower over-all energy/vibrational frequency than a strong, vital immune system vibrates at.

An animal with a strong immune system and high vibrational frequencies will naturally be unattractive to microbes, parasites, etc. Just a fact.

Strong immune systems and higher vibrational frequencies are brought about and maintained with adherence to the laws of nature which include but are not limited to proper, raw, species appropriate nutrition.

If you have a companion animal that is not truly thriving and is fighting off dis-ease as well as parasites at the same time, you may want to use an Easy Defense Flea Tag or Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils to assist in raising the animal’s frequencies faster and aid in maintaining wellness while you transition them to a healthy, natural lifestyle.

For addressing fleas and/or ticks once they are already setting up house on your pet, I recommend DE (diatomaceous earth) and/or dried organically grown herbs or essential oil blends that can be misted on to the dog’s coat. See natural flea and tick recommendations HERE

Treating the Home

Vacuuming the carpets and washing the bare, hard floors often and daily (with a chemical/toxin free cleaner) during the height of flea season is the one of the least toxic way to control fleas in the house. This will remove most of the adults, and some eggs and larvae. Vacuum a fair amount of DE or the Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy * up into the vacuum bag to kill any fleas in the bag, and ALWAYS remove the bag and discard it in a sealed plastic bag after use. It is said that flea eggs hatch every three days under the proper conditions so it is a good idea to vacuum at least every three days if not daily.

*Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy, discussed above is for use on your pets OR it can also be used on carpeting, on pet bedding, on furniture and on even around the base boards of hard floors. It is a very fine powder similar in consistency to talcum powder, so it gets into cracks and crevices on hardwood and linoleum floors easily. It acts more quickly than boric acid products – a difference in the flea population can be noticeable in 24 to 48 hours.

Salt

Any kind of very fine salt. Just sprinkle a thin layer on to and if possible down into the nap of your carpets with a broom or dry scrub brush. Also sprinkle it around base boards and under furniture and dog beds. Leave it on and in your carpet for at least 24 hours, if your home is infested, I would leave on for a few days and then vacuum it up. You will see dead fleas in your vacuum canister!

Boric acid products

20 Mule Team Borax, Fleabusters and Fleago, work in a similar fashion to the diatomaceous earth by dehydrating the fleas. They may take up to 2 weeks or longer for results to be noticeable but they do work!

Treating the Yard

Rake up any leaves and keep the grass cut short. Watering can help drown the larvae as well. A majority of the fleas and larvae will be within 50 feet of your companion’s favorite spot to rest, so focus on those areas.

Encourage a natural environment in your yard. Spiders, ants, ground beetles, frogs, lizards and snakes all EAT fleas. All of these animals are natural predators of fleas. A home surrounded by these animals with heavily wooded yards, for example; is likely to have fewer fleas than a home that does not. Many of these predators eat flea eggs as well, which decreases the flea population before the fleas are even born. If chemicals are used to kill these flea predators, especially spiders and ants, then expect the flea population to dramatically increase.

DE – Diatomaceous Earth

DE contains Diatoms which are one celled microscopic algae whose walls consist of two parts and contain a mineral called silica. Under a very strong microscope, diatoms have very sharp edges. When a flea, ant, spider, etc comes into contact with the remaining sharp edges of the diatoms, they lacerate the waxy exoskeleton of the bug and the powder DE (diatomaceous earth) absorbs the body fluids causing death by dehydration.

NOTE: Be sure to use only food grade DE. The kind used in swimming pool and pond filters is too highly refined and can be dangerous to breathe or ingest.

Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy which contains DE can also be used out of doors and applied to grass and around the premier of fences to kill fleas in the yard by sprinkling the dry powder around or applying with a hose sprayer.

Beneficial Nematodes

Beneficial nematodes are a flea parasite (mother nature always has a balancing mechanism). They are tiny little bugs that prey on both adult fleas and larvae, which may be purchased at a local nursery or greenhouse and are another great way to control fleas in the yard.

Essential Oils

Plants produce essential oils as their own survival technique to deter bugs. Therapeutic grade essential oils* are all natural, mild and will leave your dog’s coat healthy and vibrant while working at a cellular level to enhance the immune system. For centuries, they have been used in a variety of ways to deter fleas, ticks and other biting insects. Essential oils are nature’s own God given gifts that aid in warding off the unwanted hitchhikers of the insect world.

Remember, flea, tick or any pest and parasite problems do not stem from the presence of the parasite themselves but rather, from health related and environmental circumstances which enable them to thrive and reproduce. All parasites are opportunists, preying on the weak and unhealthy whose immune systems are not balanced and functioning at full capacity. Dry flaky skin, constant shedding, scratching, chewing on itself-reveals a general susceptibility in the animal’s immune system which in turn, provides the perfect environment for parasites.

The presence of fleas (and/or any parasite) should be viewed as an indicator of an animal’s overall, general health. Yes, you read that right … Parasites in general, and fleas in particular, are most attracted to the weak, unhealthy, or very young animal whose immune system is not functioning properly. The long-term solution to a flea problem is quite simply to reduce your pet’s susceptibility to fleas by improving his/her health.

~Dr. Jeannie Thomason