Flea and Tick Collars

[Guest guest]

Flea and Tick Collars

by Annie Berthold-Bond, Care2.com Producer, Green Living Channels

Simple Solution

While flea collars seem tempting to use, read the ingredients carefully and

check the chemicals for safety at Scorecard, the Environmental Defense Fund´s

database of chemicals. According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC),

ingredients on some flea collars are carcinogens, neurotoxins, or both. An

effective and natural collar can be made using repellent essential oils.

Choose an absorbent collar for your pet, such as the widely available

heavy-duty woven nylon collars. The collar will absorb essential oils, an no

additional collar is needed. Essential oils that repel fleas and ticks include

citronella, rosemary, and rose geranium. Buy only 100 percent pure essential

oils, and using an eyedropper, put just one or two drops on the collar. Repeat

each week. Some animals are very sensitive to the strong smell of essential

oils, so start with just one drop and increase to two if they seem to tolerate

the smell. If ticks are the biggest problem, use rose geranium; for fleas

choose citronella if for a dog, but not for cats.

Caution

Pennyroyal shouldn't be used around pets, especially pregnant pets.

Cats are sensitive to citrus, so avoid citronella. Make sure not to get

the essential oil in the pet´s eyes or directly on their skin. Helpful Hints

For more on flea infestations, see the Everyday Solution "Flea Free!"

Give dogs up to 2 cloves of garlic a day. Disguise the cloves in food they can´ t refuse. The odor the pet emits after eating garlic repels fleas and ticks.

(Garlic is not safe for cats.)

Many of the essential oils recommended above also repel black flies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.~ Albert Einstein ~

 

Check Out My Groups:

 

Everything Natural

http://health./

Everything Magick

EverythingMagick/

 

 

 

--

 

 

Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.4/319 - Release 4/19/2006