[Susan]

He may have dry skin & need a replenishing shampoo & conditioner, when he scratches look straight away where he is scratching, sometimes it can just be 1 little flea & some dogs have reactions to flea bites…

[Susan]

Hi, Omayra has ur little man been fleaed? as that is probably causing his itch, a nice bath & a good flea product like frontline should keep the fleas away Frontline make a really good spray, I dont know if it can be used on pups u’d have to check..food allergies are rare especially a 3month old pup, only around 5% of dogs will suffer food allergies, some may be intolarant to certain foods, & have food intolarences also look at the Fat% on ur treats alot of treats are high in fat & you can only give a few treats a day as they can cause diarrhea & muchy poo.. its best to use ur dogs daily kibble (Blue Buffalo) as a treat when training…..make sure you keep up with his worming….sounds like u are both sharing ur little boy so make sure that you both arent giving treats at different times & just use some of his kibble as a treat…
Someone else will have to help with the Raw as my boy is on kibble & home cooked chicken & pumkin..sounds like ur little boy has a loving caring home..

[Shawna]

Excellent info losul!!

Reminds me — Dori – from memory you aren’t using flea/tick meds any longer but if you are still giving heartworm I would stop that (for now at least) and ask for a rabies exemption. If memory serves you aren’t doing rabies any longer but just in case my memory isn’t serving me well. 🙂 You give filtered water too right?

[losul]

Dori, most of what I have read strongly suggests that transitional cell carcinoma in the urinary tract is possibly entirely environmental and in canines it’s suggested that’s it’s suspected causal agents may be certain flea control products and cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide is ironically used as a chemotheraphy and autoimuune disorder agent. There are other predisposing factors such as repeated urinary infections, dogs required to hold their urine for lengthy periods, etc.

Causes
Flea-control products (organophosphates and carbamate) and cyclophosphamide.

http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cancer/c_dg_urinary_carcinoma

[Akari_32]

You guys may recall, my moms dog, Bentley, is always itchy. Right now, his back half is almost completely bald, and his skin is bright red. No matter what we do, what foods he’s on, what protein and carb sources the food has or doesn’t have, fleas or no fleas (obviously we strive for no fleas, but we have some sort of freakish super fleas around here, and he’s so small he’s like a flea magnet in the grass). It just doesn’t matter. We yell at him for scratch so much that he actually goes and hides so he can scratch. Crafty little terrier… Lol

He also smells. Doesn’t matter of he just had a bath or not. He’s stinky. I think it’s a yeast thing?

I’m 99% sure most of it has to do with seasonal allergies, as he gets much better in the winter, and almost all his hair grows back by the time is warms up again for spring.

I always hear of these stories of these dogs that are doing terrible on any kibble, no matter what kind it is, and then they are put on raw and all their problems go away, or are greatly reduced to the point where they can actually be dogs again.

Does anyone have tips on how I can do an extremely cheap raw diet? And is it cheaper to go with a RMB base and not supplement calcium, or to do mostly muscle meat and supplement the calcium, etc associated with bones? Money is defiantly an issue, but we can’t have this freakish Chinese crested/poodle/terrier Frankenstein love child looking thing. There is a Save-A-Lot near the house, which I know would help with the cost, but I’m not sure the quality of their meats. We usually shop at Publix or SAMs Club for meat, depending on what we need. We also have Winn Dixie. I know they do great deals on meat, as well.

He’s about 8 pounds, very active (so fat isn’t too much of a problem), and loves him a good raw bone (I’ve given him chicken necks, pig knuckles, a few others before).

And back on the supplement thing again, is it possible to feed raw with no supplements? What supplements are some cost effective ones?

I’d love to hear of some of your recipes and weekly meal plans and such, as well 🙂

[Naturella]

Hello, everyone! So, I made it to Bulgaria safe and sound and so did most of my stuff. Luggage was too heavy so one of the NutriSources (Lamb) had to stay. But everything else made it through TSA just fine. 🙂

The shelter in my hometown needs a lot of help with personnel and money for it. They currently have 2 full-time vets who also work as social media managers and donation managers, and also 5 staff who work as caretakers for the 500 dogs and 40 cats in there plus as drivers to pick up animals upon signals from the society. It is hard, but you can clearly see that they love what they do. At least the city pays for the food so the animals are all plentifully fed with some Greek brand (Cracky?). I doubt it is very good though. They did like the food I took and decided to keep it mostly for the little pups who have the highest mortality rate due to lack of isolation space for their shots to help build immunity. My city and country have a low pet care culture and in the whole city only 3 people foster, which is how the shelter ensures isolation time for the little ones. The animals are all spayed/neutered, chipped, de-wormed, and flea/tick treated when available for adoption plus they are free to adopt. So all they need is a good home with love, food, water, and walks. And still people toss their dogs in the streets daily and they end up in the shelter.

They also need crates, dog houses, collars/leashes/chains, blankets/towels/rags/rugs, and toys. Glad I could bring some toys, a collar and harness, and I also went through some old clothes at my parents’ house and took them too. Then I saw how many dogs there are and realized that I had brought basically nothing although they seemed happy for it.

Anywho, I just thought I’d update you all on the outcome of the endeavor.

[Akari_32]

As you guys know, I’m always on the look-out for quality products that are easy on any budget. I’ve been looking for a good flea med for several months now that isn’t topical, and have continually stumbled across one brand that got rave reviews, over and over: Little City Dogs.

With an almost nonexistent budget, I need something that works the first time, keeps working, and is safe for the animal I’m using it on, and the other animals and humans it comes into contact with. Hows that for fun?

I actually found Little City Dogs on Amazon. The only bad reviews were from people who didn’t understand how it worked, which is by killing flea eggs. So after much looking into it, I decided I’d give it a try, and will be starting it tomorrow. Haley is on Trifexis, and probably always will be until I find a cheap source of ivermectin to do the heart worm thing by myself (I may see how this stuff works, and then take her off Trifexis and do this and HeartGuard, though). Bentley is currently on K9 Advantage II. Dweezle and Alec are on nothing. So this Little City Dogs stuff is for them. I figure the combination of the fleas biting Haley and Bentley will kill a good number of them, and then whatever fleas bite Alec and Dweezle will lay eggs that are not viable and can’t hatch, and then they’ll go bite Haley or Bentley and die anyways. Or something like that, at least. I also have Diatomaceous Earth that I’ll treat the yard with if it ever stops raining long enough, and I’ll be doing the house this weekend.

I’ll take a few months to see if this really works, but I’ll keep you all updated. It’s just a generic of Program, which kills the eggs. Keeps new generations from hatching. It doesn’t out right kill the fleas (though they do make a generic of Capstar that can be given daily to kill existing fleas).

Heres the website: http://littlecitydogs.com/
And the Amazon Store: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_pet-supplies?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Little+City+Dogs&node=2619533011

The website is actually cheaper. They also have other goodies on the website, like ivermectin, wormers, and even reptile and fish meds. I’m considering taking the DIY ivermectin route. I really, really am… lol

[Cyndi]

From being on this site and reading what others have posted about dogs with seizures, you should try and eliminate as many toxins in your home as you possible can AND please, get your dog off beneful. Any kind of air freshners, cleaning sprays, flea products, etc. can all contribute to seizures. Hopefully BCnut will see this and respond, because I’ve learned alot from her advice to other people. As for food, I’m sure someone can give you some good options. I feed my dog a balanced raw diet, which is the very best you could do for your dog, but it’s not right for everyone.

Just curious, why don’t you want to order online? It is so convenient and you have access to so many good foods. Most of the 5 star foods on this site can be easily ordered online. What about Freshpet Vital? Have you looked into that. That is a 5 star food that you can buy at most Petsmarts or Walmart and it’s 100 times better than Beneful. I feed that to my dog occasionally and she loves it. I also use cage free fresh chicken eggs or sardines as toppers.

[Raffaele C]

I’ve been wanting to try alternate methods for preventing fleas/ticks for quite some time now but had a lot of difficulty finding reliable information. I didn’t even think that I could ask for some advice on these forums but then I came across the Off Topic. I did read through a few threads on here already about this but I was hoping to get a clearer and specifc recommendation for a natural flea/tick prevention program (specific product links, times of year, etc). Both my small dogs are on Frontline and are due for another dosage so I am hoping to try something new soon.

I’m really nervous about making this transition so I want to make sure I do it right. Can anyone help offer some advice?

[Christine B]

I am new to this site and I am not sure if this is the correct topic area, but I am hoping so. My girlfriend almost hit a dog on a road just before Christmas ’13 and picked her up and brought her home, after trying to locate an owner, I volunteered to take her and picked her up on Christmas Day. She was boney, dirty and full of flea’s. After cleaning her up, and doing some bonding and behavior correction (she was tearing my kitchen garbage up like crazy, poor thing), I took her to the Vet. The Vet approx., her age at 13 yrs old, deaf as a doorknob, cloudy older dog eyes and one ear is malformed, she has very few teeth. The latter is why I am here. She CANNOT eat hard/semi hard food, she refuses to eat the canned food and I have tried so many different brand’s I could donate to a pet shelter! I have left food in the bowl for an entire day and she still refuses it. I have been cutting up lunch meat, boiled eggs and small bits of chicken, pork chops, ground beef. I have come across something she seems to enjoy, Royal Canine Starter Mousse for mother an baby dogs. I’ve searched the web for a senior mousse to no avail. Anyone know whether any pet food manufacturer produces a mousse for senior canines?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Christine B.

[Shasta220]

I’ve only skimmed through the posts, so I’m sorry if I’m butting in lol!

Our lab used to be on Dog Chow as well. She always suffered mildly from otitis (skin and ear infections). It eventually got so far out of hand. The poor girl was covered in gross raw patches. We put a sweater on her and a cone, but that was just preventing her from scratching, and not helping her feel better. Took her to the vet and they gave us tons of medications (they were really very little help. They just said “well, she has an allergy to food, environment, or fleas. It’s your job to find out which one, not mine!”)

I knew as soon as we ran out of those meds, then she’d be back in itchville. So I found DFA and then got her on a food without corn, wheat, or soy. In all her 12 years, I have never seen her NOT shake her head constantly and rub the ears after I clean them out. She stopped stinking, her fur grew back, she never scratched again, and now her ears are soft and she lets us pet them! Before, her ears were waxy and gross, and if we even touched them, it’d send her into an itching spree…

She also gets a raw egg, fish oil, and coconut oil daily (she gets a bit under 1tbsp, she’s 70lb. She was getting a bit over a tbsp, but then she refused to eat the oil. I dropped it for a few days, then offered her less, and she ate it all). I’m trying a grain free food with her right now, just to see if it’ll help with her dandruff. It’s very mild dandruff, so if the GF doesn’t help, I’m not worried at all.

So that’s my success story of a very similar situation 🙂

she’s pretty rotational with the kibbles. Let’s see, she’s successfully been on Dog Lovers Gold, Pure Balance GF, Diamond Naturals, Wenaewe, Paramount GF, and one or two others, can’t remember off the top. Right now she’s on the pure balance GF – I’ll probably move to NutriSource GF when this bag is empty. I tried her on NutriSource grain-inclusive…I don’t know if it was coincidence or what, but she broke out horribly (I might try it again in the future, as she’s been on worse foods without a problem)

[Nicole V]

Hi mah4angel! Ugh, I can totally relate to the flea frustration…I live in Orange County and I also have to battle fleas naturally. My terrier mix is very sensitive to chemicals and would get pretty sick when I applied spot-on flea treatments. Once I read how dangerous they can be, I decided to take a different approach. Here’s some of the products I use for flea control, with web addys to purchase them. The following is cut & pasted from an email that I sent to a friend earlier this month…hope it helps you!

Diatomaceous earth (food grade) – I make a dry shampoo with this stuff (2 parts DE to 1 part corn starch stored in a glass jar) and rub it into the fur around the base of Cookie’s tail and around her neck and ears after her bath. From my own experience, DE is very effective against existing fleas.

Cedar spray – This can be sprayed onto a slicker brush and combed into a dog’s fur, if your dog is not sensitive to strong smells. Cookie is sensitive to everything, and was “depressed” after I applied this to her. She also acts “depressed” when the groomer sprays dog cologne on her, so it’s just her being a weirdo, and not an issue with the product. We sprayed some on the beagle and he was fine. It helps repel and even kill fleas and mosquitoes. It also can be sprayed around the home. I spray it on my screens and on the front door threshold. It smells like a campfire, so that’s the only downside.
CedarCide Original Pest Repellent Spray

Herbal collar – I got this for Cookie to wear outdoors only…it can be stored in a Ziploc to maintain potency. It’s pretty much just an extra repellent and it actually smells pretty nice.
Natural Research People Herbal Collar with Cedar

Neem spray – This is just to help relieve any general itchiness, and also works as a mild repellent. I may spray this on her legs and tummy before a hike or visit to the dog park. She doesn’t get “depressed” when I put this on her. Mostly I just got this to use on myself. 🙂
DERMagic Organic Shampoo Bars for Dogs

Apple cider vinegar – This is the method my students’ families use for their pets, and they swear by it! They mix it with water (50/50 ratio) and spray it on their dogs to kill and repel fleas. I haven’t tried this yet because I’m sure Cookie will hate it.

Vacuum and washer/dryer – This is my most hated method, but I have a strong feeling that it’s helping a lot. I vacuum at least 1-2 per week, and wash all bedding and blankets every week. Boo…it sucks.

[Bobby dog]

Coco oil is great to use topically as well. I use it on my cat’s dry skin and used it last summer on my dog’s flea bites. Hopefully we won’t have a flea problem this year. Here’s a few links to some more info on coco oil and its uses:

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_11/features/alternative-treatments-updated_20861-1.html?pg=3

[Christina K]

He only had fleas the one time. My parent’s back yard turned into a swamp after their neighbors drained out their pool. That’s when the fleas (and turtles!!) took over the yard. Chance is living with me now, so I don’t think they’ll be a big problem.

The price isn’t really a concern for me any more. My boyfriend offered to buy the food and he told me to get good food, regardless of the price. Dog Chow is certainly worst of the worst according to the reviews.

Okay, I’ll try the elimination diet first. I fed him just chicken this morning, because that’s all I had other than a little bit of leftover Dog Chow. He was thrilled, so hopefully he doesn’t have any intolerance to it. It looks like I’ll need to get some anchovies, sardines, and salmon meal type ingredients to be sure that he’s not allergic to the fish before making him eat the Holistic food.

Do you know what I can get THK beams?

[Susan]

I just read ur later post, you’ll need to get rid of his fleas buy a flea product either Comfortis this is tablet that Ive heard is really good for fleas, giving monthly but make sure its given with food & you know his correct weight or I use Frontline that you put on the back of their neck but I dont have a flea problem only when we go for walks at the park & fleas jump onto Patches legs…also the Dog chow is problably full of grap not good for a itchy dog, will make him itch more..Ive read on this site that a few people buy Pure Balance or Rachel Ray sold at Walmart these kibble are better then the real cheap kibbles also 4Health sold at tractor supply.. maybe someone else knows of a good cheaper kibble that they use….Im in Australia & we dont have alot of ur good cheaper kibbles over here.. Good-luck

[Christina K]

I might have to try that elimination diet. He’s just on Dog Chow right now, because he was living with my parents and their 3 other dogs. I really want to get him on a healthier diet. I started pouring a multivitamin on top of this food the other day. I thought he was going to take off my hands to get more of it.

I also got Chance some fruit based treats, but I’ll definitely be picking up those Honest Kitchen’s Beams. I saw the worst case of fleas on him too. He was far more affected by the fleas than the other 3 dogs. Hopefully the fish and coconut oils will help rid him of his remaining wounds.

Thank you so much for the advice. At least now I can narrow down to fish-based foods. I think that will help him a lot. My goal now is to get him out of that cone.

[Naturella]

The best thing for you to do is to see what you feed him now (maybe let us know), and then do an elimination diet – I think it’s something like cooking a basic homemade chicken and rice diet and slowly adding other ingredients from the food he is currently on to see if he reacts to one or more of them. But some of the pros on here could maybe able to better explain how to do an elimination diet.

Some more common allergens are various grains, corn, sometimes chicken or another protein, sometimes peas or tomatoes (or tomato pomace), sometimes yeast. So doing an elimination will help you know what to avoid in a food and it will make it easier for us to know what to recommend.

As for skin/coat issues, fish oil and coconut oil do some miracles. Also fish-based foods and treats. For my dog who had the worst case the vet has seen of fleas and wounds and hair falling out when he was found and taken to a vet, The Honest Kitchen’s Beams (dried fish skins to be given as chews/treats) did some miracles and then a teaspoon of coconut oil every other day continually enhances this miracle and his skin is nice and healthy and his coat is as soft and shiny as ever, I love it. No trace of wounds or missing hair – he is double-coated and his coat is very thick, soft, shiny on top and healthy. 🙂 He is also on mostly a fish-based food now so that probably helps too.

But as for pet dander – sometimes the above measures may help, sometimes not – the dog may just be genetically predisposed to extra dander. But it’s worth a shot to see if you can help it some too.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Also check out Springtime garlic tablets or granules. Several regular posters on this site recommend as a holistic way to prevent fleas. Good luck!

[Naturella]

Hey! I think there was a threat on holistic ways to end fleas:

/forums/topic/heartworm-hookworm-tapeworm-roundworm-and-fleatick-prevention/

Also this:
/forums/topic/does-anybody-use-de/
And:
/forums/topic/anyone-in-the-market-for-food-grade-de/

So, you can look into these products: Diatomaceous Earth, or Cedarcide Best Yet. Good luck!!! 🙂

[mah4angel]

So, first of all, hi! I haven’t posted in here for a while. Life has been crazy. I moved to LA, got a new job, etc. Louie is doing GREAT on his homemade raw diet.
But now I’m pretty sure he has fleas. I say “pretty sure” but, he has fleas.
He started slowly but surely scratching a little bit more every day when we moved from Salinas, CA (central/northern coast of California- relatively cool, mild weather) to LA in January. He usually hits his hindquarters, paws, underbelly, and less so his face. I’ve been checking him for fleas periodically for a while now and hadn’t found anything. And then all of a sudden summer hit and his scratching got completely out of control very very suddenly. He’s scratching more now than not and EVERYWHERE. And then last night I found one TINY little bug near the hip of one of his hind legs. It was about the size of a spec of dirt, about the size of lice, actually and it scurried away when I parted his fur. Then I found another bug, bigger, about the size of one of those tiny flies but elongated. Friggin’ flea…
I’ve been bathing him with Dr. Harvey’s flea and tick shampoo and rotating between ONPS Herbal Defense Oil and Richard Organics Flea and Tick Spray and I’m so disheartened that my poor baby has fleas 🙁 How do I get rid of them holistically? How much do I have to worry about an infestation in my house?? What do I do for my poor Louie?

[Wanda F]

When we received our first bag of Orijen, last Friday, you could tell it was an amazing kibble before even opening the bag. It is very dense, you can smell the freshness and Brewer LOVES it. I mixed Orijen with Nutrisca for a couple days and he found a way to eat around the Nutrisca. Because of the high protein content I’ve been integrating it rather slowly, (a couple cups a day) but he still developed loose stool after 2 days and I am still giving him a reasonable meal with raw ingredients, not mixing. So why the loose stools??? Who knows.
And…he’s still scratching and licking!…I don’t believe this is a food allergy; I think it’s a skin allergy. When I picked up his flea and tick meds. at the vet. she told me to try Benadryl. Any comments on that? I truly hate giving my dog more medication. Are there any natural products that actually work? I’ve tried herbal flea control, he hated it and it didn’t work very well. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

[Naturella]

Awwwwh, Bobby dog! 😀 Your comments make me so happy!!! 😀 I do think he has come a long way since being covered in fleas and wounds and having bald spots and having an infected cherry eye (which is now also gone through surgery). I really can’t wait until I have the financial ability to do the same for another pooch and then foster one or two (but not more – gotta start saving up for human babies soon too, lol! 😉 ) Thank you also for following Bruno’s story closely and for all you say! I know you are a wonderful mom to Bobby and the cats as well! :)))

And what is this ABC diet for kibble feeders thing? I will have to go back into the cat food recommendations thread and check it out!

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! I had a big long post written out last night but my computer decided it didn’t want to internet any more. Basically, we don’t think he has a UTI, we are leaning more toward the flea dirt catching moisture in the bathroom, since it’s the only place we’ve seen any blood on the floor. Vet still wants a urine sample, and told me to try packing peanuts in a clean litter box. Just gotta to buy a cheap litter box now lol But I’m glad I paid for the office visit, rather than siting around worrying if he had one or not. It sure beats the $100+ if he did!

Mom bought him a nice cat tree last night for $112 at PetSmart (they’re all on sale!!). We split it, actually. I’d been asking her if we could build one, and by the time we have all the stuff and work put into it, $112 seems fair not to have to plan and cut stuff :p

I also picked up 34 cans of Wellness Complete Health Grain free (Beef and Chicken, Turkey, and Chicken flavors). I’m surprised to see these have considerably less carbs than most of the CORE. I emailed wellness and asked for the as fed carb values of the cans, and was amazed at how high some of the COREs are! Anyways, for $19.93, I got 17 days of food. I’d have paid that for Friskies, just about, so for a couple more dollars than Friskies, I think I did good! Details will be in my coupon thread 😉

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/8D0B0028-2AEA-4F7B-B32C-9DA4F67DB879_zpsmqhhrhzu.jpg

I also got his food all planned out for the next 29 1/2 days. I think I need something else to do with my life LOL Just wait till I use my Sheba coupons! I get to rearrange them all again!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/1E8FB0A6-BCA1-4977-9495-8319E653DCC4_zpshfzmoysb.jpg

[Tina]

Each dip that he went through he got worst. He would loose over 80% of his hair, his skin would turn red and he would become very lethargic after. Now his hair seems a little better but not like it should. He still has bald spots and is itchy all the time. I thought it was fleas so I got some flea prevention and put it on him but shortly after he got even more itchy then before. Right now he’s on Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult and I’m changing him to Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Grain Free.

[USA]

Hi Tina L,

Demodectic Mange is definitely related to the immune system. It is believed that all dogs have the mites but they are kept in check by a healthy immune system. Your dog may have a late blooming immune system or there may be other things going on.

I would recommend you feed him the best food you can. Take a look at the 5 star foods on the review part of this website. Try to stay below 25% carbs which is still a lot but it is hard to find dry foods with less carbs. Canned foods can be found with less carbs and if you are able to feed a large dog only canned food then that would be a good option. If you want to look a little deeper into the quality of the foods you might want to join the Editors Choice section here. There is a yearly fee but it goes more in depth into the dog food companies on the list. The better his diet, they better he will do with everything life throws at him.

The pills for the itching might have been a prednisone type drug which stops itching by SUPPRESSING the immune system! This is counter productive to BUILDING up the immune system to control the mites that cause Demodectic Mange!

I agree with you on limiting vaccines, flea control and any other toxic meds although at some point if his mange becomes wide spread and he is in constant distress you might have to seek the least toxic alternative. I would suggest you supplement his diet with digestive enzymes to make sure he is absorbing all the nutrients in his food, probiotics to help strengthen his immune system, omega 3’s to help with inflammation and turmeric as an antioxidant.

Good Luck with your pup!!!

[Susan]

Did you have a skin scrapping to see if it was mites or yeast infection, it should of went away if it was mites & treated properly be now, my friends white staffy was real bad, real red skin & hairless in the end, she was put on vet prescription diets that didnt help, in the end she was put on Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal this helped her & she looks beautiful know…Holistic Select have a grainfree puppy Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal but it has potatoes in it…. they have just released a new grainfree called ‘Deboned Turkey & Lentils recipe’ that has NO Potatoes..Its worth a try or the Adult Health Anchovys Sardines & salmon meal.. you have to also treat the outside..I bath Patch every 5-7 days with Medicated Malaseb shampoo & I use a hyrocortisone cream as I dont like medications.. The best is an elimination diet that way u’ll know what makes him scratch, he may not have food allergies, he may suffer from eviornment allergies, or flea allergies, have you googled ‘Atopic dematitis in dogs’..also keep a diary, write when he’s real itchy, what foods he was eating at the time & over the years u’ll start to see a pattern, patch has seasonal allergies worst summer & the end of summer Autumn..also he may need an Anthisimine Patch was put on Iramine 8mg tablets theyre a dog anthisimine not human..maybe find a new vet, I see one vet for Patches skin then the other vet for Patches tummy & bowel they are both in the same surgury but sometimes some vets specialise more in certain areas, well thats what Ive found, Sue’s better with Patches skin & Johnathan is excellent when it comes to Gastro & stomach problems..Give the Holistic Select a try http://www.holisticselect.com

[Akari_32]

I’m sure it’s not flea dirt. It’s like blood dried to the floor. Even if it isn’t blood, and he doesn’t have a UTI or anything like that, I’d like the vet to check out his tail. That greasy stud tail is getting old lol

I forgot about the empty litter box idea! I have a couple laying around. Maybe I’ll lock him in the bathroom (wow, this cats gets locked in the bathroom a lot LOL) with one and see what happens.

[Bobby dog]

Marie: For ticks you use it like a flea powder

Akari:
I used to buy Shoo Flea by the Natural Vet, really liked it but just didn’t fit into the budget anymore. The main ingredient in Shoo Flea is food grade DE and it is scented with a capsule of herbs and essential oils. I began using plain food grade DE several years ago as a flea powder and for treating pet beds, floors etc with good results. Keep in mind it does not kill them immediately.

I have seen warnings about DE clogging vacuums, it has never happened to me. I just make sure I take their bedding outside to shake them out then throw them in the washer. I have only had to use DE on the floors in my basement so I swept the floor well before vacuuming.

Be careful not to inhale the dust or let your pets inhale the dust.

I have never fed it to my cats or dogs.

The one drawback I found using it as a flea powder is that it can dry their skin. I always use organic unrefined coco oil as a food supplement when using it. Fish oil would probably be a good choice also. I use CVS 1000 mg fish oil capsules for Bobby and the cats. The good thing about coco oil is it can be applied externally. As a flea deterrent I had the best luck using coco oil applied directly to the skin, but it can be messy for your furniture. Coco oil does very well at soothing skin irritations like flea bites. I apply DE first, then coco oil if needed in certain areas. I used coco oil daily on Bobby last summer. Hopefully I won’t have to treat flea bites this year because his yeasty smell is gone and his skin is healthy since I have improved his diet. So far so good!

Good thing I checked the links I saved on DE, some of them no longer existed.

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.vetinfo.com/using-diatomaceous-earth-to-worm-pets.html
http://www.diatomaceousearth.com/?gclid=CJ2Dt8S5p74CFaQF7Aod5g4AcA
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html&sa=U&ei=9l5xU7PaKPLHsATEvYCQCA&ved=0CB0QFjAA&sig2=DCYxeQKLHzMoXm6BYZtcxw&usg=AFQjCNHLDmVU6sLMs22UbzqWxC0OnCzAVw

[Bobby dog]

That’s true about the flea dirt droppings. It is mostly just dried blood. If they drop in a moist area it could look like blood drops. Either way, a trip to the Vet is a good idea to make sure if he is ill it does not escalate to a $1,000 plus Vet bill.

One of my senior kitties I took for a check-up last month ended up getting a bladder tap because I wanted them to test his urine. If I did not know what the Vet was doing, I would never have known, the cat didn’t flinch. Unbelievable because it creeped me out when the Vet told me how he could get a urine sample from him right away.

[jakes mom]

BobbyDog, that’s right, put an empty litter box out and hope he’ll use it then you can pour the urine into a plastic margarine cup or something. The vet can do a bladder tap if necessary (not as bad for the cat as it sounds) but hopefully Akari or the vet can just get a sample. It may not be an actual UTI, might be cystitis from crystals. Some cats just can’t tolerate the dry food, screws with the urine PH and causes trouble. Akari, what kind of little blood specs are you taking about? How’s the flea problem? Are you sure it’s not little specs of flea dirt that’s falling off when he sits in one place for a while? Flea dirt (poop) is pretty much blood so will leave red spots. Just a thought. Bobby dog, haven’t tried yogurt or kefir yet, will let you know.

[Tina]

Yes, at 5 months old he was diagnosed with demodectic mange. My vet gave me GOODWINOL OINTMENT to rub on the bald spots and a midaban dip 1 every 3 weeks. We were given some pills to help itching which gave him bad, runny poop.

My vet has said nothing about food, immune system or anything else. My vet did say that I can keep him on Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin or Purina.

All the information that I looked up on the internet says that I shouldn’t give him any vaccinations, flea or tick control or any medication at all. I’ve already read that he needs to be on a carbohydrate free or at least a grain free food with high protein and antioxidants.

[Akari_32]

Thanks Cyndi! That’s one of the sites I found. Glad I found a good one!

Marie, I think it’s the same for ticks as it is for fleas. Just rub it in to the fur.

[Akari_32]

This is a SUPER deal! 50lb, tiny bit if tax, and free shipping! About $18 all said and done. Awwwww yeah!

http://svalshop.com/p/1600829/Perma-Guard%20Diatomaceous%20Earth%20DE%20Food%20Grade%2050%20lb%20bag-%252d%252d-36LNO002KZGKK898.html

And on that note, what’s the dosage per pound (or however many pounds– 5, 10, whatever) when giving orally to dogs and cats, and what does it do when given orally? Acts as a dewormer, right? And then externally and around the house is for fleas and bugs and stuff, I know that. Can’t wait to see how this works on our resident fire ant population! Not to mention the fleeeeeeeeas @.@

Also, this link says something about plants. Is it a sort of fertilizer for plants, as well? Or just more pest control?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Akari_32.

[NectarMom]

I don’t use flea or tick products and I haven’t ever had a reason to but I do have a Chihuahua that is allergic to insect bites and I was wondered if this product would help her in any way or should I not bother? If she has a reaction I have to inject her with Benedryl but I worry when I am not home and if she has a reaction so I give her 1/2 a benedryl tablet every 12 hrs.

[jakes mom]

Akari I think a lot of flea meds can cause problems with hair loss. I used advantage on my cats a few years ago and most of them were fine but one had a little bald spot on the back of her neck where the drops were put on. It will just come back by itself, now that the collar is off, don’t worry about it.
Bobby dog and C4C, thanks, Jake is cute little guy. Wish I had a camera to post a pic like Akari does. He’s shaped more like a beagle but has the thin droopy skin and ears of the basset. Mostly black like a basset, white belly and legs and his front legs kind of turn in like a basset too. I bought sardines, broccoli, turkey necks (first time) and more hearts/gizzards tonite. Now just need to do a little research on calories to figure out how much I need to decrease his dry before I do an ABC week.

[Bobby dog]

Jakes mom:
Jake must have the best floppy ears. I can’t even imagine two better breeds with nice floppy ears. 🙂

Today was Bobby’s egg day! He does love egg day.

Hey Akari:
I love the Bentley snuggle pic! Poor baby, we used a flea collar on my childhood dog. I never used one for my JRT because many years ago consumers were warned about the possible side effects of some flea collars. Some brands use questionable chemicals. The before and after pictures are pretty telling, you did the right thing by taking it off immediately. They do have herbal flea collars on the Only Natural Pet Website.

I have never heard of stud tail before.

My suggestion on the fur loss would be to look into a probiotic. I was going to wait to update you guys, but here’s my update on feeding my hyperthyroid kitty a probiotic. I started giving him about 2T/day of kefir beginning April 11. He has dry skin which can be a side effect of his daily meds. I have treated his dry skin both internally and externally with organic unrefined coco oil. During the winter it got a little out of hand because of the heat and him staying indoors most of the time. I took him to the Vet, we discussed treatment options. I opted for antibiotics and medicated creme; it helped.

I also started researching possible home remedies other than coco oil. This led me to probiotics. I found info stating when a cat’s gut is in a weakened state probiotics is needed. Antibiotics can contribute to a weakened gut because it kills beneficial bacteria living there. He was also treated prior to the fall with antibiotics for a cut that got infected; this also could have contributed to what he is experiencing with his skin and fur now. A few signs of a weak gut include skin and fur conditions. So I decided to try kefir since I could drink it and I could give it to Bobby and Archie too. Long story short (I know, too late), it’s been almost a month and his skin and fur has improved a great deal. He now has peach fuzz growing on the several bald spots he was licking. The skin is not red and irritated looking, it is healing. I even took pictures at the start of my kefir trial. It really made a difference although he is not eating it as willingly as he was before.

I have been slowly researching probiotics for cats; I just haven’t come up with any recommendations for a human grade one that I could mix in his food or how much to dose. Since Archie has shown such an improvement in his fur and skin, I want to start giving it to my other senior kitty whose fur is not as full as it used to be. He just had a check-up recently, including blood work, and everything came back excellent. The one thing that I think may have affected his fur is at the start of the fall he had a cold and he was prescribed a round of antibiotics. His gut may still be out of whack, IDK. This kitty wants nothing to do with kefir so that is also why I need to find a probiotic other than kefir for him.

Maybe the chemicals from the flea collar put a strain on Kitty’s system internally, IDK just a thought. That’s my kefir and kitty story so far.

Another option for treating pets with fleas is using food grade dematiaceous earth as a flea powder for your kitty; it is inexpensive. Many people use it on their animals both internally and externally for parasites. It does not kill fleas immediately; it damages their exoskeleton which causes their death. You can also use it on floors, bedding, or anything else your pet may use to kill fleas. I feed it to my horses and I also use it as a flea powder. You can find a lot of info about DE and using it on your pets on the Internet.

[Akari_32]

Ok, so a little thing I noticed…. You guys may remember me saying I got a flea collar for the cat a while back. Well, I took it off about a week ago. It hit me that his face wasn’t as fluffy as it used to be, and that he was really scratching at the collar a lot. After a closer look, he also has a scab on the side of his neck, and a bald ring where the collar sat.

Here’s a picture from before the collar:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/2A46772B-40BA-4DE5-890C-83F400CFB78C_zpsqi1schna.jpg

And a week after having it off.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/936C75A6-780A-4AB7-B825-C59A53124255_zpsmjcb3zu5.jpg

And here’s his neck

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/323CF7A5-64CB-4808-BECB-C08A9B425C3E_zpsj9r1n2hx.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/D41C9CB8-B722-4C7E-827B-8021E998B5EA_zpsilnetf6c.jpg

And him snuggling on the couch with Bentley 🙂 (you can also see his neck his bald here)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/F3BB3F31-18E7-46A4-9B5B-E3DF56ECA471_zps6vyuo6um.jpg

I did some googling and it seems this is a pretty common problem. Some cats have even died from these collars! Why are they still selling these?? Is there anything I can do to help the fur grow back?

Anyway, I’ve been doing brewers yeast and garlic pills every day for the fleas for the last week or so (when ever they came in the mail, I took the collar off and started those instead). Whatever fleas are on him are sluggish and don’t seem too happy, so maybe it’s working? Even if it’s not doing anything for fleas, it’s helping his greasy tail, which I figured out is called stud tail and can get pretty nasty when not treated.

[Susan]

When I got my boy over 1 year ago, he had real bad skin problems, no hair around his neck & his front & back right legs, it looked like he was tied up & a rope had cut into his legs where he’d pull, the neck was a mystery, 1 vet said it was from one of those real thick studded leather collars, another vet said it was from a choker chain collar, also he had real thin hair on the top of his head, no hair around tail base, looked like flea allergy, vet put him on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic kibble, back then I didnt know much about kibble 2 months after being on the R/C Patch became real ill, he wasnt playing, kept licking & licking his mouth, burping, diarrhea, I asked for a Pancreatitis test but it came back all good, then I changed vets as where I go there’s about 5-6 vets, the vet I was seeing at the time wouldnt change Hypoallergenic kibble, being a prescription diet I need the vet to change so one of the ladys behind the counter said to see the American vet called Sue she is more of a holistic vet what I like, she changed the R/C vet diet to Hills Z/D, I took the Z/D home & read all the ingredients & wouldnt give it to Patch & took it back & got my $100 back, then she put Patch on Eukanuba Intestinal.. I read all the ingredients & cause he was having real bad diarrhea the Intestinal is guaranteed to stop diarrhea within 2-3days probably the corn but corn is the only bad ingredient this rest is good chicken & turkey & limited ingredients.. out of the 3 vet prescription diets I found that the Eukanuba is the best, & its the only one that has helped Patch being a low residue kibble it gave Patches stomach a rest but I believe the stupid Royal Canin made Patch ill, whatever was in it R/C. Finally found out 2 months ago Patch has Pancreatitis & needs a low fat diet the R/C Hypoallergenic was 19 % crude fat so that would of brought on the Pancreatitis..It did help his skin but I think any good food would of helped his skin…
People believe in their vets & think that they know best, its sad especially when ur animal is so sick you think that ur dog is getting the best food at the time…

[weezerweeks]

I went to my vet today and I kinda got the idea he didn’t want me to give my 7.3 lb yorkie bug off garlic. I only give him 1/4 chewable tablet a day. I was only going to do it during summer for fleas because I will not give him comfort is,frontline, etc. He’s afraid he might get anemia. What do u think?

[USA]

Currently I make dog treats and I am a canine massage therapist and I make essential oil based flea products for dogs and cats. I used to be a groomer. My expectations for using a dremel where high. It does not cause as many nail bleeds as a nail clipper but if you press hard and keep going the nail can still bleed. However, it vibrates the nail and this can be a problem. So here is my mini guide to nail clipping.

Heavy Grit Nail File – Puppies and any super sensitive dog can benefit from a nail file. First you begin to associate good things with your dog letting you handle their feet. Treats, toys, love, whatever is a high value reward for YOUR dog. Stay below their freak-out threshold. This means that if your dog freaks out the minute you get close to their foot you stay just outside that threshold and reward. You slowly move closer and closer to the foot each time stopping just before they reach their freak-out threshold and you reward. If you go too far just stop for the day and continue tomorrow.

Once you can handle the foot without a reaction you touch the file to the nail and if everything is still good you give a stroke and so on. This requires patience and determination but you will soon be filing your dog’s nails. If you file your dogs nails regularly you will not have to do anything else.

Nail Clipper – Only use pliers type clippers or scissor type clippers. Guillotine style clippers have a cutter on only one side and are much more likely to crush or pinch a nail. Any nail clipper you use MUST be super sharp. As soon as they begin to dull throw them away and get a new one! If your dog’s nails are very long and there is a nice chunk of nail that you can cut without hitting the quick then DO NOT use a grinder. Grinding large amounts of a nail are usually more upsetting to a dog than one quick clip. When clipping a nail don’t softly squeeze the clipper. One firm squeeze and your through. A firm squeeze IS the way to go. If your dog has dark colored nails and you can’t see the quick, cut small slivers and look at the nail from the bottom where you just cut. As you get close to the quick you will begin to see what looks like a black dot in the center of the bottom of the nail. This is the vein canal and you are getting close to the quick and you have gone far enough. In light colored nails the vein canal will show as a pink dot. If the nails are still touching the floor at this point you should cut a sliver a week until you get the nails just above the floor. Each time you cut a nail close to the quick the quick recedes a little and in a week you can cut another sliver. If you wait two weeks or more then the quick is right back where it was and you will not be able to get the nail any shorter than the last time.

Dremel – Good for finishing any nail to remove the sharp edges or to slightly shorten a nail. If there is long hair you can slide your free hand under the hair and pull it back. Long hair can get wrapped around a dremel and upset you and your dog!!!

Walking on concrete helps any dogs nails and with enough walking some dogs never need their nails cut. Dewclaws never touch the ground so they must ALWAYS be checked!

Dang, that might be the longest post I ever wrote!

[Akari_32]

S’posed to be good for fleas (also has garlic in it) and skin and coat.

[jakes mom]

Akari, I would be very careful about ordering flea meds over the web. Lots of imitations and fakes out there and who knows about the active ingredients and their concentrations. Cats are so sensitive to chemicals! I got Capstar at PetSuppliesPlus. You could still give him a dose or 2 while waiting for the preventative to kick in. I don’t use preventatives any more since I moved from the country and all the cats are strictly indoor. I’d go with one that kills all stages so you’re covered when eggs already laid on pets or in the house hatch.
Bobby dog, maybe Bobby has a little GSP in him, they have a blue /gray/brownish coat too and that would account for the bird obsession! lol! He might be OK with a whole chicken back instead of a half. I cut mine in half longways because it seemed kind of big for Jake but you can see what you think when you open them. I imagine every package will be different depending on the chicken and the butcher, lol!

[Bobby dog]

Wow, I wish my cats hated Whitefish!!! If he never eats it, he won’t like it! lol

I don’t know anything about the flea med you found. My suggestion is to look up the active ingredients and research them to see if they are effective or have any reported side effects you need to be aware of.

I hope your mom listens to you about Bentley’s HW/flea med. She may need to get him a blood test to check for HW since he hasn’t had any protection for three months. Keep putting the bug in her ear. Maybe she/you can pick up the Frontline Plus or PetArmor from Wal-Mart to at least keep the fleas at bay in the mean time. 🙂

[Akari_32]

I weighed him again tonight and he’s up a pound. I’m not sure if it was the scale being stupid at some point (i changed the batteries tonight because every time I stood on it I got a different weight!) or what. I’ll weigh him every few days until my cancelled order is worked out.

I think I’m actually gunna try this instead, though.

It’s also sold at Sears, but it’s much cheaper on Amazon. I’ll be getting the $19.49 one. It’s the same seller, just the one linked has an option for free shipping at $35. I read the reviews and the bad reviews are from people that don’t understand how it works. They were expecting something that killed adult fleas and kept them away when really what this does is kill young fleas and eggs. And I think it makes the adult fleas infertile, basically. But I’ve been looking at a bunch of flea stuff tonight, so maybe not LOL Don’t feel like looking. I also told mom she needed to get Bentley back on his Trifexis. The poor guy looks like he’s been swimming in fleas.

[jakes mom]

Akari, I used Capstar years ago, it worked really well. But if I remember correctly it’s not a preventative, it just kills adult fleas and used mostly for an infestation. You’d still need Program or something monthly.
Bobby dog, Jake is a beagle basset mix. He’s 9 1/2 years old, 30ish pounds. He’s the only dog I have left, lost my other 2 in the past year and a half, one to heart failure at 13yo and the other to lymphoma last fall when he was 11. Hoping these changes will help keep Jake with me a lot longer. I’ll give him another hunk of chicken tomorrow, see how he does second time around. Seems like a couple of the cats have changed their minds about the liver, or maybe just not interested tonite. Who knows with them, right?

[Akari_32]

Our dogs have fleas from the neighbors dogs. They used to have like 8 dogs in their yard, and about 6 or 8 people living in their 2 bed 1 bath house, as well as several cats! So all of our pest problems are from them. The cat does have a flea collar, and he’s considerably better than Bentley is (Bentley is not currently on anything for fleas– he hasn’t had his Trifexis in about 4 months. I’m not paying for that dogs get bills or food anymore!), but I’d like to be flea free, especially if I’m moving out in the summer like I’m planning on. We used to have ticks. I’m glad it’s “just” fleas now! (Even though there’s a lot of them….)

[Bobby dog]

Naturella:
You never know how an animal will react to a med. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual and make a note of it to see if there is a pattern that develops. That is one way to determine if Sentinel does not agree with him.

I am sure you can find a map (I haven’t looked) of flea seasons for the area you live in somewhere on the Internet. Maybe someone will be able to direct you in the right direction for a map on this forum. 🙂

I would also check with my Vet about the flea season in your area. For example, I would not have thought about changing how/what I administered for HW & flea protection without the discussion I had with my Vet. I have horses I am aware of the immunities that are being seen in parasites with worm meds for horses, but I thought I had it covered for Bobby. So I am very glad I had the wellness visit with my Vet to keep up to date on the parasite battles for cats and dogs in my area. After discussing your concerns with your Vet and researching further on the Internet, I am sure you will be able to make an informed decision as to the best preventatives for your precious puppy.

I have to write I have found ticks crawling on me after taking a walk through the woods even after the first few frosts in my area; it’s strange. I still feel uncomfortable administering a med that contains flea prevention year round when he does not need it year round. So I will continue looking into other meds. I may not find anything that fits the bill any better, but at least I will know either way.

[Naturella]

Dori, yeah, I am in Kennesaw – not sure where you are, but probably not too far. And thanks – so it is coming up then… Well, I guess that will put Sentinel to the test. I really wouldn’t mind trying Cedarcide if Bruno has any additional flea problems… Sounds the least chemicalized.

[Naturella]

Bobby dog, thanks so much for the extensive response and your experience.
Bruno seemed ok on Trifexis, but on Sentinel now, he is a tad bit itchier. Now… I am not sure, if it is because he’s getting a tiny bit of grain in his food (although he’s had it before, HHE Original), or because of Sentinel. It is not too much itchiness, so I’m not very worried.

I still wonder which is better – topical chemicals for fleas or internal ones (through the pills)?

I saw that Cedarcide Best Yet only has 2 ingredients, so I may actually try that as well. What is considered flea season? The warm months? That’s like 3/4 of the year here in GA, lol. But I have only seen one flea on Bruno so far since we’ve had him since July of last year. So Trifexis did work well on him… Hope Sentinel does too!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Naturella:
I recently switched to Sentinel Spectrum at the beginning of the month. I was using Iverhart Max (ivermectin/pyrantel) and Frontline plus during flea season. I also did not give heartworm meds during the winter months. The beginning of this month I took Bobby in for his 3 year Rabies, reg exam, did bloodwork to check for heartworms, and checked his stool for worms. Everything came back negative.

My Vet asked me to consider changing my HW preventative and the routine I follow for dosing it. She said there were allot more cases of tick born illnesses in our area that were previously only seen in the southern states and my HW/flea med choices were not the best anymore due to possible immunities in some parasites.

I tried Trifexis the first year I had Bobby and he still had issues with fleas. I stopped using it after 2 mos. My reasoning being that he was being exposed to a chemical for flea prevention that did not seem to work so I switched to Iverhart and tackled fleas with Front Line Plus and regular baths during flea season. Also, there were allot of reports of adverse reactions in dogs using Trifexis that scared me so the decision to discontinue it was easy.

I only bought one dose of the Sentinel to make sure Bobby was okay using it and he seems fine with it. I will now make that his HW preventative and will be administering it year round. There is a risk of illness using any HW preventative and that does scare me. I will still keep looking for other alternatives, but for now Sentinel seems to fit the bill.

The Vet Tech also gave me info on another topical for fleas Activyl. I think it may be a fairly new product. IDK My Vet did not mention anything about it during our discussion so I am not sure what her clientel has experienced with the product.