Expert: Dr. Christina Chambreau - 12/7/2009

Question
Hello. I am currently using advantage multi for my 1 year old maltipoo. This medicine is really expensive. Do you know of any alternatives that are almost the eqivalent to advantage multi. Maybe something that I can purchase over the counter? Thanks  

Answer
You may not be happy with my answer, Brittany. I do not recommend any of the flea/tick meds, so I cannot actually tell you the different prices of the different meds. You could just go to pet Smart or go on line and compare prices.
Now, you may like this answer. You can save a lot of money by not using these toxic chemicals at all, and using more gentle and less expensive options to build up the health of your dog so he/she never attracts fleas, and if a few hop on during a walk, you can flea comb them off and your dog will be healthy enough to not develop an allergy.

since you seem concerned with money, I wanted to suggest the following. There are many ways you can find money to treat your cherished animals. Some veterinarians will be willing to barter with you. What skills do you have? Can you clean their parking lot, sidewalk, clinic? Are you a bookkeeper or accountant? Are you great with the internet and able to help them build a web site? Could you get new clients for them? Call the veterinarian of your choice, preferably an integrative one, ask to speak with the veterinarian and tell her that you would like to build up credit for future problems. Even if your animals are not ill yet you do not have much money, do this for the future. Purchase pet insurance.  You can also save significant money by following the following holistic approaches - do not vaccinate and find local sources of free food ingredients. This will take some time and research, then will be easy and inexpensive.

When I only had my conventional veterinary training, I prescribed flea and tick chemicals, lots of vaccines, commercial foods and did not think about the health consequences to the animals, people or the planet. The holistic philosophy has taught me that there is an underlying vibrational imbalance that causes most problems (even attracting fleas) and the healing goal is to resolve that imbalance. Now that the multitude of holistic modalities is available, I can tell you to never give up. Try one after the other, and record the changes with each.

Please go to my web site and sign up for the newsletter - www.ChristinaChambreau.com. On the products page, there are many great supplements which may help your animals be healthier.

7 KEYS TO HEALTHY ANIMALS
1. Know the current level of health. Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find that other things we thought were normal go away, so we can use these clues to know that animals are not healthy yet.  Your goal is for your animal to have great energy, no doggy odor, no hairball vomiting, little shedding, a glowing coat and many more. Below is a complete list of these signs (Early Warning Signs of Illness). In young animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start exploring new options for lifestyle or treatment.  Buy the Healthy Animal's Journal (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com) so you can see how these early warning symptoms and obvious ill symptoms change over time.  It will be available by October in an e-book version and by Jan 2010 a version for horses will be available.

2. Feed the best. What are the best diets for people or animals -- the most processed or the freshest, most organic?  The best ingredients should be the most consciously raised - local, organic vegetables, free ranging protein sources. Dogs and cats have ripping and tearing teeth, bone crunching teeth, no digestive juices in the mouth, jaws that do not chew, a stomach full of acid where the food sits for 4-12 hours and a very short transit time in the intestines. Dogs and cats do not pull out a knife to de-bone their prey and do not pull out matches to light a fire to cook their meat and vegetables. Therefore the best diet for dogs and cats is raw meat including raw bones, pureed raw and cooked vegetables and a few supplements (Calcium if no bones are eaten is critical). Grains are not good for most animals, but if there are none of the early warning signs (see below) and no illnesses, you can feed some grains, preferably the higher protein ones. Start as young kittens and puppies or at whatever age you read this (Brighthaven.org, a cat sanctuary switches 16 years old and older cats to raw meat diet and some have lived to 27 and 30). Second best is same quality, but cooked.  Even grocery store quality meat and vegetables are much better than most processed foods. Processed foods are an effort for the food industry to use up its waste products except for a few companies with great motives (and even they sometimes get bad or inferior ingredients). Processed foods are also a problem for the environment - they are not sustainable. Every animal needs and wants a different combination at different times in their lives, just as we do. With any food, observe each of your animals for the effect that food has on them. NEVER feed DRY food to cats - even as treats. You can now buy many commercial raw  meat diets. You must research them as well. Ask where the ingredients are raised? Are chemicals used? Are the chickens, beef, pork, etc raised in humane ways, out in the sun to get the Vitamin D in the meat, etc?

3. Vaccinate the least. In my opinion, vaccines have caused more harm to animals than anything else we have done. Do you get measles, mumps and polio every year of your life? Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals.  On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later for distemper and Parvo so I recommend just a few baby shots and NO more. While Rabies is also a viral disease, you must follow the law and vaccinate every 3 years. To help prevent damage from the Rabies vaccine, or any others that are accidentally given, do the following. First, learn Reiki (see Below) and hold the vaccine syringe in your hand until the "draw" is gone, then Reiki the injection site once you are in car, then Reiki the whole animals daily until they do not "draw". If you have not yet learned Reiki, use the contacts below to have it done for your animal after the vaccine. For two weeks before and two weeks after, give the totally safe Vaccine Detox, a flower essence from Spirit Essences (get a discount at www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php). Then use the Early Warning signs, below, to see if further holistic treatment is needed if any of them appear or worsen. The AVMA, veterinary colleges, AAHA, FPA and other leaders say 3 years is the best for all other vaccines, so certainly do not do yearly for anything (unless there is a Leptospirosis outbreak in your area, then email me for guidance). Please do not let the need to put your dog in a kennel force you to poison your dog with extra vaccines unless it is an emergency. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including diabetes, cushings disease, addisons, allergies and even cancer. A wonderful list serve on vaccines, their harm and alternatives is at yahoo groups. To register, go to jstsayno2vaccs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

4. Use the fewest chemicals, remembering that there are chemicals in vaccines. Each animal is an individual and will respond differently to heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. Some are very sensitive to chemicals used in the yard or the house and in vaccines - they will become profoundly ill. Others will be triggered by these chemicals to just not have full health.  Chemicals in foods can cause allergic type reactions, so again feeding a fresh diet from local ingredients will be best. Healthy yards have lots of weeds. House cleaners can be made from foods and microfibril cloths clean like a charm. Healthy animals never get fleas and ticks

5. Understand how animals become ill and how they heal. First there is an energetic imbalance (they are just not right), then functional (the dog is itchy), then inflamed (skin is red, infected, swollen and hot) and finally tissue changes (thick, black skin). Results of any treatment can be no change, amelioration (current symptoms disappear with no other improvements, then return), suppression (current symptoms disappear and they become more ill) or a cure (everything about the animal to begins to improve, especially the overall energy level.)  
Keeping a journal is critical to determine what treatments are helping problems to become less frequent and less severe. You can stand firm with what you feel is working even if your professional disagrees and change approaches when needed.
Www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com is a great one to use and e-version will soon be available.  

6. Learn different healing approaches. There are so many different ways to stimulate your healing that you never need to give up trying. Flower essences, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, Reiki and chiropractic are a few. Classes are found through your health food store, by phone or on-line. I teach many classes around the country and my web site lists classes taught by others as well.

7. Select the best healers for each animal's health team. Most people want a veterinarian (preferably integrative) and an energy healer. You decide what needs to be tried next for your animal. When you realize the animal is not improving – seek different care. Use conventional veterinarians for diagnosis and emergency treatment, or if other methods are not working. Again, integrative veterinarians (see below) will be able to do both, and have the philosophical understanding of the vibrational causes of illness.


FIND A HEALER
I strongly recommend finding an integrative veterinarian with whom to work. This is a person trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion can live a long and healthy life after recovering from this current problem. There are good ones and great ones, and a few homeopathic veterinarians will consult by phone or email. Go to www.VetAdviceLine.com and read the article in the library about selecting and working with a holistic veterinarian. There are other great articles there, as well.
You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:
1. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: www.IVAS.org & www.TCVM.com
2. Homeopathic veterinarians (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): www.theAVH.org Their conferences are open to lay people, too, and we offer an introductory class before the conference.
3. Chiropractor - www.animalchiropractic.org
4. Wide range of other treatments: www.AHVMA.org, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
If you wish to consult with me by telephone, go to my website and read about my practice.

There are also lots of practitioners and approaches that are used by trained people that you can find by searching the Internet.

YOU BE THE HEALER  
I also strongly recommend getting some training in understanding the wide range of approaches to health so you can be in charge of what you choose for treatments for your animals. You can learn Reiki (which can take the "bad" out of vaccines and any needed drugs, or even make food healthier), massage, HTA, TTouch, acupressure, flower essence therapy, aromatherapy, all of which are 100% safe to use for any problems (see REIKI below). There are many more approaches you can do to help heal your animals with some training since they need to be used more carefully - homeopathy, herbal medicine, Chinese herbs. In addition to classes (see below), there are many very good list serves filled with people experienced with not vaccinating and feeding raw meat diets. Go to yahoogroups.com and look for “Just say no 2 vaccs” and “Raw Paws”. As with human health approaches, there are many different opinions, so you need to experiment and see what makes your animals more or less healthy. Keeping a journal can help you decide what is working and what is not working (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com).

www.ChristinaChambreau.com has a listing of courses taught by her and others that may help you. I am doing teleseminars and will expand to Webinars in the future. If you want to organize a webinar for me and get people in your area of the country to attend I would love to do that for you. You can do searches online for the many other classes and lectures available. Go to www.theAVH.org for classes every November as part of the annual conference.  People come from around the world for this.

Healthy Animal Update is an emailed newsletter that is occasionally sent out – to sign up – go to www.ChristinaChambreau.com. While there check out classes and products.
Good Health and looking forward to seeing you/hearing you in some of my classes.
Dr. Chambreau


REIKI:
From the book, Healthy Animal's Journal - "Reiki: Personally, I think every person who lives with or works with animals must know at least Level I Reiki. The practitioner places her hands upon the animal (or it can be done from a distance as some animals are too sensitive for direct touch) with the intent for healing to occur. The energy flows through the healer into the animal. This is based on directly applying Chi (energy) to rebalance the energy field so it no longer needs to produce the physical symptoms. It is a very good adjunct to any healing modality, especially to relieve pain and inflammation. It also "takes the bad out of" things. By doing Reiki on smelly water in restaurants I have been able to drink sweet tasting and smelling water. Use Reiki anytime that you must give injections, vaccines, drugs, flea or heartworm drugs, or other substances with potential toxicity. Do you work in a grooming salon, or kennel, or veterinary clinic, or barn or anywhere animals are being seen? Use your Reiki on any treatments to be given and to calm the animals. People have reported getting animals to eat by doing Reiki on their food.  http://www.reiki.org  . Get a free treatment at www.interdimensionalhealing.com. Great information on Reiki - http://www.reikicourse.orgKathleen Prasad is a wonderful teacher and works with my favorite sanctuary and holistic education center, BrightHaven www.brighthaven.org . Kathleen leads a free monthly telechat for anyone trained in Reiki and using it with animals. http://www.animalreikisource.com/ If you cannot find a Reiki Class near you (same class for people and animals as it connects you through an "attunement" to the healing energy of the universe, making you a channel of healing), three groups offer long distance, free, attunements. http://theholisticcare.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13 http://www.freereikiattunement.com   Another group that offers Reiki attunements, classes and training on-line www.ReikiBlessings.com and animal classes, too www.animalhealers.homestead.com/  A Reiki Class will be part of the PGFFD summer health classes in June in Bowie, www.HomeopathicAnimalCare.org


LISTS SERVES TO HELP YOU LEARN TO FEED THE BEST
I do not personally know all of these, so use your common sense.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DogHealth/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarnivoreFeed-Supplier/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dogmentor/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RawChat/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeniorRawFeeding/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawbreeder/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RawPup/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BasicRaw/

And if you are really stuck on a specific issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawissues/

There is also a list of lists where other raw feeding lists can be found.  Many are breed specific, location specific or subject specific.

http://www.barfers.com/barflists.html


EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF ILLNESS FOR DOGS AND CATS

1.   Is your companion really healthy?
2.   Can you tell if the treatment you selected is deeply curing?
3.   Can your companion be healthier than you realize?
YES - read on and evaluate your animal for true health.

Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance, made worse from poor diet and vaccination.  They are rarely acute diseases (except injuries). Therefore, you may find that the problem does not clear up as you expect or it recurs. If so, you are dealing with an underlying predisposition to illness, and these clues to underlying ill health will help you select a remedy and monitor the results.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find that certain other "NORMAL" things go away, too.  Do not be satisfied until most of the following symptoms are gone.  In young, apparently healthy animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start treatment. This is only the beginning of a list - as more animals are cured we will find new levels of health. Tracking these is easy when you use the Healthy Animal's Journal by Dr. Christina Chambreau (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com)

SKIN: doggy smell; attracts fleas a lot; dry, oily, lack-luster coat;
excessive shedding; not grooming,    ear problems - waxy, oily, itchy, recurrent mites; eye discharge, tearing, or matter in corner of eyes; raised third eyelid; spots appearing on iris; "freckles" appearing on face; whiskers falling out; fragile, thickened, distorted claws that are painful or sensitive to trim.
BEHAVIOR: Fears(of loud noises, thunder, wind, people, animals, life); too timid; too rough or aggressive (even at play); too hard to train; barks too much and too long; suspicious nature; biting    when petted too long; hysteria when restrained; clumsy; indolent; licking or sucking things or people too much; not using litter box or not covering stool.
DIGESTIVE: Bad breath; tarter accumulation; loss of teeth; poor appetite; craving weird things(rubber    bands, plastic, dirt, cat litter, paper, dogs eating dog or cat stools, rocks, sticks...); sensitivity to milk;    thirst - a super healthy cat on non dry food will drink at most once a week; red gum line; vomiting often, even hairballs more than a few times a year; mucous on stools; tendency to diarrhea with least    change of diet; obesity;  anal gland problems; recurrent parasites.
STIFFNESS when getting up, early hip dysplasia; tires easily in hot or cold weather; can no longer jump up on counters, or go up or down steps.
TEMPERATURE: Low grade fevers - Normal for healthy cats and dogs is
100-101.5.
AGE & REPRODUCTION: Should live a long life (Shepards 17 years, Danes 12, cats 24). should be able    conceive easily, deliver normally, and not pass on "genetic breed" problems.


FINALLY FLEA FREE FOREVER
Is it possible?
Flea Report – Non-toxic flea treatments and prevention
Dr. Christina Chambreau  
HealThyAnimals@aol.com
www.christinachambreau.com
410-771-4968


Fleas, fleas, fleas! What is one to do to help our animals and ourselves not be miserable from fleas? In spite of all the chemicals we use that may cause as much harm to our pets and the earth, fleas persist.  They adapt to each new chemical we use against them. They are multiplying because our animals are getting weaker and they, like all predators, seek out the weakest in an area. Have you noticed that some animals in a house or area are beset with fleas and others are never bothered? Our goal is to find ways to have fleas not be a problem, even if a few appear in our lives. First, let’s learn about the life of a flea.

Flea life cycle  
First, imagine an iceberg.  What you can see above the water are the live fleas you see on your animal, on you or in the house.  Adult fleas must spend most of their time on the animals or people since they need to eat a phenomenal amount of blood – a female eats 10-20 times her body weight while she lays thousands of eggs during her 100 day life.  To suck the thick blood, they spit into the place where they bite to dilute the blood enough to suck into the throat. The saliva is what causes the severe allergic reactions. The fleas biting and walking around can cause some of the itching, but most is the allergic reaction to the flea saliva. Killing one female flea can prevent thousands of baby fleas. (I wonder about our karma in killing the fleas.) Flea eggs are very small, round, whitish and slippery, falling to the ground, especially where the animals spend the most time.  They need humidity and warmth to hatch and can lay dormant for years.  What many people think are flea eggs on their pets are really flea feces. The flea’s stool is black from digested blood, and when moist it turns red.  An animal with a large number of fleas may turn the bath water red from all the melting flea dirt. Don’t panic.

The next stage is the most vulnerable, the larvae. They must eat or they die and have no hard shells or cocoons to protect them. The safest place for them is dark and moist, so they tend to live at the bottom of the carpet fibers or grass stalks, in corners or closets, or under cushions.

Weeks to several months later the larvae spin cocoons which are virtually impregnable and can survive up to a year.  Vibration, heat and moisture seem to trigger the next stage to emerge from the cocoon and they can jump onto a host within minutes to begin the cycle again.

Now, you have a choice. The easiest is to apply a chemical to your pets on a regular basis fleas or not, being careful not to touch it yourself.   Many animals are treated this way and the results are varied. Some never get fleas – maybe there are no fleas in their area. Some become very ill from the treatment. Sometimes the chemicals do not work.  Or you can try the holistic approach described below. While it may be slower, your animal will be healthier overall unless the fleas are winning.  Remember that the presence of fleas indicates an animal who is not completely healthy, another reason to not use chemical preventives. If you see fleas – you need to work on the overall health. If you are inundated with fleas and you or your animals are just miserable, use a conventional product (consult your local veterinarian to see what products they are not currently resistant to) for a short while and work to re-build health.

******EARLY WARNING SYSTEM: Use a flea comb regularly to detect the fleas or flea feces (B.M.): dark black, gritty (red when wet) tiny debris.  You will often see the flea debris before the fleas themselves.  On dogs, you will find it on the back, just in front of the base of the tail. Cats will have it both at the tail base and behind their ears.
The fleas can be found anywhere. On dogs or cats, the area with thin hair on the abdomen will let you see them scurry around.  Often they congregate around the neck of cats.
  Buy a great flea comb with the teeth super close together. Buy several so they are in easy reach wherever you and you animals are sitting. Your local holistic pet store should have a good one.  The following are a few flea killing methods that work when combing. Fleas are very quick, so either squish them on the comb or swish the comb in a cup of soapy water or alcohol then wipe onto a cloth that is wet with soap or alcohol. Some people have an alcohol or soapy wet piece of cloth to put right on the comb so the flea does not jump off before you get it to the bowl of soapy water.

******The presence of fleas is usually a reflection of the underlying health or lack of health of your pet.  A very healthy pet on a great diet is unlikely to get fleas. The best way to prevent fleas is to IMPROVE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM of your pet through nutrition, exercise, no or minimal(none after first year except rabies) vaccines and holistic treatment.  By not using “monthly fleas treatments” you will have another clue to the health of your animal(s) since the presence of fleas indicates a weaker system.  

******If fleas do appear in your house or on one of your animals, the KEY to eliminating them is to TREAT THE ENVIRONMENT and the animal at the same time, and repeat treatments as needed to break the life cycle of the fleas. Even in apartments!

******Learn more and laugh loudly by ordering the funniest and most informative book I have ever seen on fleas – Flea Control: A Holistic and Humorous Approach.  Sex, Romance, Intrigue and Practical ways to kill Fleas!  Chip Sammons. Order it at (www.ChristinaChambreau.com/books.php)

****Sometimes the best diet and environmental care fails.  Holistic treatment with homeopathy, Chinese medicine or intuitive healing may be needed to achieve the health level where fleas will not be attracted to your animals.  There is no reliable homeopathic "magic flea remedy", as some claim. Finally, if all fails and you have consulted with good holistic veterinarians or you have family emergencies – use the chemicals. Using the chemicals occasionally (every few years) should not seriously undermine the health of your animals or your family (unless an individual is very susceptible to those chemicals).  Be sure to treat the environment along with the animal and follow the directions carefully.

HOW TO ELIMINATE OR PREVENT FLEAS

1. OUTDOORS: Most outside treatments, even diatomaceous earth, may harm good insects as well as fleas. A wonderful product is made from dehydrated nematodes, that you mix with water and spray on your yard. They eat only flea larvae, so don't upset the normal flora of your yard. There are now many versions of this popular product. Many stores carry one of the brands of nematode sprays and give you directions for local application times. It can be purchased at www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products then click on Gardens alive, or order directly from www.gardensalive.com, www.whiskers.com, or www.petsage.com.  Because the nematodes only eat the flea larvae, it is a wonderful way to prevent fleas from coming near your home.  Your dog could still pick up fleas (if not healthy) when on walks or visiting other people.  If your cats roam beyond your yard and are not healthy they can bring home fleas.  Even so, the fleas in the areas where your animals spend the most time can help decrease the number of fleas in your house.  If you have acres of yard, then spray those areas where your animals spend the most time. Remember, fleas can hitch rides into your home on your clothes, too. Follow the guidelines for the nematode sprays as they are not effective in certain environmental conditions and need to be reapplied depending on the moisture.

2. HOUSE:  This is absolutely key, since this is where fleas hang out when not on you or your animals.  If fleas are on your animals, the eggs are in your house. Vacuum daily and carefully.  Keep 1T borax (or diatomaceous earth or Borate powder) in your vacuum bag so the eggs you vacuum up do not hatch and crawl back out. Or discard bag with each use (not as good for environment).  The best if you have problems with fleas is to use a water canister vacuum.
  
Call the Flea Busters Company.  Many areas of the country have this franchise.  They give a year guarantee, use a borate type powder, which is very safe and non-toxic that dehydrates the fleas.  To find the one near you, call 800-666-3532.

Purchase the Flea Busters borate or ones from other companies and apply it yourself. Some even have year guarantees when you apply it.   Health food or pet stores and of course the internet carry these products.

Sprinkle diatomaceous earth (from organic gardening places or natural pet companies) around the house, let sit 12 hours or so and then vacuum. Repeat frequently. Or sprinkle POW or other powdered pyrethrum flowers and vacuum in 3 days. This may be good at entrances to your house.   You can also mist flower essences (more later on these) around the house and even out into the yard.  After vacuuming you can put the DE in the cracks between floor boards, worked deep into carpets and in any area where your animals are not sniffing and lying and playing – best not to leave loose powder.

Flea traps are miraculous when they work. I have never figured out why they only work in some houses and not others.   To see where the fleas are in your house and to help kill them, put bowls of soapy water on the floor at night with a light shining on them.  Be sure it is in an area where your pet won't drink the soapy water.

3. MOST IMPORTANT IS YOUR ANIMAL: The goal is for your pet to have maximum health. The key to true health and a great immune system is a great diet and keeping track of any health problems, especially the early warning signs of ill health (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com). For most animals a diet of raw meat and fresh foods in the right proportions is ideal. Some are healthier with cooked meat from great free range sources of meat.  Next best is natural pet food, supplemented with fresh food.

Well, now you know your companion is not healthy because there are fleas and flea dirt! Now what can you do to build health to eliminate these insects?
   a. Some SUPPLEMENTS can help make your pet unpalatable to fleas: Nutritional Yeast (1 teaspoon for a cat or small dog up to 3 Tablespoons for a big dog), (yeast can be detrimental to some animals), garlic (1 4 cloves by size), or capsules.  There are several commercial products that include yeast, garlic & more. These can be a regular part of preventing fleas and improving overall health.
   b. Exercising and grooming and flea combing daily or more is also critical.
   c. Baths can be given whenever you see much flea dirt (or fleas). Many are formulated with herbs or essential oils and sold as “flea shampoos”.  Often any good quality non medicated shampoo, lathered up well and left on 10   15 minutes will remove fleas. Flea comb while it sits. Apply the shampoo to a dry dog for better effect. Rinse two to three times. Be sure to always check for any residual fleas or flea dirt after your pet is dry and remove it, or you will think you are re infested when you check the next few days.  On cats who do not like baths, you can spend the time to remove all fleas and flea dirt just with a flea comb.  Do not use tea tree oil on cats.
   d. Many TOPICAL products are now available.  Do not rely solely on sprays or powders. Always be at home after treating with a spray, powder or after bath rinse as some animals are more sensitive to even herbal treatments.  I now do NOT recommend ever using tea tree or tea tree products on cats.  Do not use very smelly products if your pet is being homeopathically treated.  Many veterinarians now suggest never using essential oils on cats. I feel they can be safe if carefully used and the cat monitored for a few hours for any problems.
   ***Remember that anything put on your pet can be absorbed into its body.***
Powders:  Use pyrethrum products made from 100% chrysanthemum flowers, herbs, essential oils, nutritional yeast or diatomaceous earth.
Sprays: Many brands and recipes – www.arknaturals.com, www.animalessentials.com

Rinses: Rosemary tea. Lemon rinse: (Put a whole scraped lemon in a pint of boiling water, boil 20 min and sit over night.  Strain and use.

Natural/herbal collars: (these seem better on cats). I have never found collars – herbal or chemical to prevent fleas. Some people do find them “magical”.

Flower Essences: - Many companies carry combinations of flower essences that are completely safe, can be used internally and topically to prevent and encourage fleas and ticks to leave the animal or house or yard. Your intent to have the fleas leave without you needing to kill them will make these essences much more effective.  I have used Flee Free (Green Hope Farms) for years. I have misted it directly onto my cats or put one drop on my hands then rubbed the etheric body, misted in the house or out of doors, with the request that the fleas leave my area. Also I have given it orally, one drop straight, or if your animal does not like that, diluted 1-2 drops in 1/4C water and given a few drops a day, or put into a separate bowl of drinking water or in the food. Over the years I have had 100% success with my own cats when I start it after seeing one or two fleas. Others have had mixed results.  It lessens the number of ticks, but does not eliminate them all. Go to www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php for my favorite two (Spirit Essences and Green Hope Essences), and if they do not work, try: http://www.anaflora.com http://www.nmessences.com (New Millennium), www.ashitherapy.com.
 
Essential Oils: I suggest mixing 1-5 drops of one or more of the following oils into 1T olive oil and 1 C water, shake and spray on your dog.  Many cats do not do well with oils.  Geranium (good for ticks, too), lemongrass, lavender, basil, cedar wood and peppermint are know to be effective against bugs of all types. www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php has a great company, Forever Green that has wonderful essential oils.


If your pet is bringing in a lot of fleas from outdoors, you can spray a light mist of the above natural flea sprays, or lightly dust on powder, or spritz with a flower essence or essential oil before walks to prevent the fleas from jumping on your pet.  Always check when they come back in the house with flea comb. Prepare ahead of time for when you are traveling, since other areas may be loaded with fleas.

Recommendations from other holistic veterinarians
Cheryl Schwartz, a wonderful teacher of Chinese medical approach for animals wrote the wonderful book Four Paws Five Directions – A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs. “Holistic practitioners believe that an individual animal has to be in a vulnerable or susceptible condition to have a flea allergy.” Note that she does not say that just attracting fleas indicates weakness. She describes what kind of an energy imbalance in the Chinese perspective (blood deficiency of the liver or kidney, with heat and wind) causes the allergic reaction. She recommends a healthy diet that includes garlic, carrots, and cabbage. Controlling fleas can be helped with regular vacuuming and “various borax type powders”. Topically she suggests cedar, tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, citronella essential oils. (www.pulseparty.com/132195 has great organic essential oils).

Don Hamilton is one of the leading homeopathic veterinarians, can be consulted by phone and wrote Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs. He agrees there are no easy answers to flea prevention.  “The most important measure you can take is…to strengthen the overall health of the animals…good food, lots of love, and minimal stress.” He says that 99% of cat fleas and 90% of dog fleas are Ctenocephalides felis. Pulex irritans is next on dogs, then Ctenocephalides canis is last.

Dr. Hamilton recommends diligence to eliminate fleas from our lives. Using a vacuum clear with a “beater bar” can often trigger the larva to emerge from the cocoon making it vulnerable to your desiccating treatments. He recommends shampoos and agrees with me that you need not use chemicals – any shampoo, lathered well and left on for 10-15 minutes kills the fleas and washes the eggs down the drain. Herbal rinses can repel fleas (while on a walk or while eliminating them from your house and yard) and good ones are lavender, eucalyptus and pennyroyal for dogs. Lemon rinse is good for dogs and cats. “Black walnut leaves and cedar shavings can be used in the bedding to repel fleas.” Diatomaceous earth can be used on the animal and in the house. “Supplements such as brewer’s years and garlic help 20-25% of animals…” He does not recommend ultrasonic collars, chemical topical or oral products, citrus products (he has seen several cats poisoned), flea collars, dips, other chemicals. For the house he recommends cleanliness – vacuuming a lot, using boron compounds (Twenty Mule Team Borax needs to be applied every few months), diatomaceous earth and natural pyrethrins (as a last resort). “There is little homeopathy has to offer for flea control other than constitutional treatment to improve health and resistance to fleas.”

The bible of holistic animal care, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Pitcairn and Hubble has similar information about fleas. He gives great explanations of the toxicity of many flea products.  He reminds us to launder your pet’s bedding weekly. Ants love to eat flea eggs and larvae, so do not kill your ants. If your dog hangs out on a bare dirt area, occasionally cover the area with a heavy black plastic sheet on a sunny day to heat kill the larvae. If lime would be good for your grass, it can also dehydrate the flea larvae. Twice a year sprinkle safe diatomaceous earth along walls, under furniture and in cracks and crevices that are hard to reach with the vacuum. (I would add under seat cushions and in closets).

Anitra Frazier, in The New Natural Cat suggests making rosemary tea by steeping fresh or dried rosemary in water.

Environmental effect of Frontline: Effects on Wildlife: Fipronil is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates, highly toxic to bees, and highly toxic to upland game birds, but is almost non-toxic to waterfowl and other bird species. Fipronil is excreted in rats via the feces (45-75%) and urine (5-25%) (NPTN 1997).