Natural Green
Natural Green
Natural, Green Approaches to Flea Control for Dogs
Owning a dog as a pet means that you, as the owner, will have to contend with the flea problem. Owners of cats have a similar problem, but there is a difference between dog fleas and cat fleas, the latter do not infest dogs. Actually, each type of flea (dog fleas vs. cat fleas) will only invade its specific host, ignoring the other. We'll be concerned with only fleas that invade dogs, specifically fleas like the Ctenocephalides cannis, the Ukulele or Leaping Flea.
Flea Life Cycle
The flea's life cycle is typically four months in duration. A female flea lays her eggs on a dog and some of those eggs will stay within the fur and others may fall onto the grounds in and around your home. As soon as the eggs hatch, the cycle begins all over again. Fleas are almost blind, but have incredible spring in their legs and get around quite easily, like your yard. In just 30 days, 10 female fleas under ideal conditions can multiply to over a quarter million different life stages.
Your Yard, a Flea's Kingdom
Typically, fleas that are not currently on your pet will abound within your yard or any open field. Assuming that your dog is completely without lfea, they will be picked up by your dog in your yard or anywhere outside when your dog runs around.
There are sprays for your yard, such as Flea Away as well as other treatments which will help to eliminate them. Of course, fleas are relentless pests and this is an ongoing process. Dogs can pick up fleas from almost anywhere, other dogs, other yards, parks, etc. So obviously spraying your yard will help, but not eliminate the problem unless your dog stays permanently within the confines of your home and its environs. Of course, fleas are not bound by fences and can enter the yard from anywhere. Therefore, it behooves the dog owner to continually treat his yard.
Dog's Health
The overall health of your dog is very important. Fleas prefer dogs that are not eating well, sickly and weak as they prefer easy targets. If you keep your dog healthy, the problem may exist, but not be quite as virulent if your pet were unhealthy. Frequent brushing and using a flea comb should be a regular part of your flea control regimen. Also, if the problem continues, trips to the Vet may be a necessity.
Flea Medications, the Good and the Bad
There are certainly medications which would be termed, systemic approaches for flea control. Whether pills or drops placed on the dog's skin, they are designed to enter your dog's blood stream and combat the flea problem from the inside. They are generally effective, although rather expensive. These treatments enter your dog's body and act almost as chemo therapy. Ultimately, for some dogs, these preparations have caused internal sickness. Some dogs tolerate them, but your pet may not. To be on the safe side, check with a veterinarian that practices naturist medicine before using such drugs.
A Natural Approach is Essential
A safer approach relies on natural, topical methodologies for flea control, such as essential oils: tea tree oil, etc. applied directly to your pet's fur. What are essential oils? They are the extract of organic products, derived from the skin, bark and leaves of plants. The only problem, with some of these, particularly tea tree oil is that the odor of the oil is sometimes unpleasant. There are other essential oils that are a bit more human friendly, in terms of their fragrance. For instance, there are: orange oil, cedar oil or lavender oil.
Orange oil is extremely toxic to virtually all insects literally dissolving the carapace of the insect. Not only does it kill them, but it melts there carapace instantly killing tics or fleas. Both cedar and lavender oils act as flea and insect repellent and may be used by humans, as well.
The only problem with essential oils is that the do not readily combine with water. A more effective approach is to use oils that have been naturally surfacted, i.e., already combined with water. There are several products available that contain essential oils and d-limonine (from orange oil), and are much more easily sprayed and smell pleasant and are very effective. To find out more information about natural flea and odor control, contact us at info@ orangedogproduct.com or visit our web site at http://www.orangedogproducts.com
About the Author
Al Fleming is a noted enviromnetalist and manufacturer of environmentally friendly green products for pet care. Located in Northern Canada, with offices in Florida, Mr. Fleming continually searches and develops products for a green appraoch to living. His web site is http://www.orangedogproducts.com
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Soap Nuts - the Only Truly 100% Natural, Green and Organic Detergent, Cleanser and Soap Available - Anywhere
It simply doesn't get more "green" than soap nuts. However, we must first clarify how soap nuts "green" and “organic” relate to each other in the context of this article. So, green - what is "green" anyway? Not that many single words are nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs. But "green" has become all of them. Personally I don't even like using the terms due to their many various and often vague, ambiguous definitions. fyi: I counted 24 definitions in Word's dictionary for green. The vast majority of them had nothing to do with the color at all. As far as “organic” it is not nearly as bad, but it means VERY different things to different people.
IMPORTANT: I am purposely writing to the person of average knowledge regarding these terms. I am NOT talking of certification and the like. This article also has nothing whatsoever to do with the plethora of other meanings of green or organic. Let's please just keep it simple.
Hence, for the purpose of this article, I am defining "green" and “organic” combined to mean: Provided or produced by Mother Nature and completely void of alteration or manipulation by man.
Nope, that's NOT a definition from the dictionary, and I’ll probably still get some heat for using organic in this. BUT the fact is that is what the terms mean is something very close to MY definition to many (if not most) of the average people I speak every single day - particularly when it comes to natural detergents, other household cleaners, skin care products, etc. As the founder of NaturOli and one of the largest sellers of soap nuts in the US and Canada – that’s a LOT of people. So again, for the purpose of this article, the definition works great. Yes, man harvests soap nuts, removes their seeds, allows them to dry and packs them, but man does NOTHING to alter soap nuts from their pure and 100% natural state. Man only facilitates getting them from the tree to your door. Nothing more.
Soap nuts are a 100% totally natural, green, organic cleaning product that is entirely and completely void of any man-made substances. Period. By my definition it is right on target. The supposedly "green" detergents and cleansers all over the market all have additives - many, many additives. Relative to the purity of the soap nut they are chemical soups. They have been formulated (which says it all). Some are better than others, but nonetheless they are not 100% pure. Mother Nature has NOT handed down these other products on a silver platter for us to use - AS IS. She did so with soap nuts. ONLY soap nuts in their RAW form are totally natural, green and organic. The soap that soap nuts produce is completely pure and natural. It contains ZERO additives. No other detergent, cleanser or soap anywhere in the world can make that claim. End of story.
So, if you want a highly EFFECTIVE, truly natural, "green" and “organic” detergent, cleanser or soap by the definition I provided above - soap nuts are your answer. Your ONLY answer. I intentionally use "effective" because there are other genuinely natural ways to clean, but none clean as well as saponin (the natural active ingredient in the soapberry / soap nut). You can beat your laundry on rocks in a river or stream and they will become cleaner, but let's get realistic in regards to what we want. We know that saponin is hypoallergenic, biodegradable, anti-fungal and antimicrobial. It is a highly effective surfactant making it a great detergent/cleanser/soap. It is all this - and is still 100% natural, green and organic.
If you are having issues with the products you use, try soap nuts as an alternative. Many people suffer from eczema, psoriasis, and a myriad of irritating skin conditions. Many of these conditions have been linked through clinical studies directly to the chemicals and additives man has used in the production of detergents, cleansers and soaps.
I have personally heard SO many people tell me that since using soap nuts previous irritating skin conditions are gone - totally GONE! Eczema and rosacea sufferers have reported dramatic improvements. I have documented only ONE case where a gentleman actually developed a minor rash from saponin. He even did a skin patch test to be sure that was what caused it. There are always people that will be allergic to something. But only ONE known case out of thousands of soap nut users! Interestingly, he and his family STILL use soap nuts for they believe soap nuts remain the better alternative to today's commercial detergents. Incredible.
Odds are that 99+% of people suffering from skin irritations caused by the commercial products (even the "SUPPOSEDLY" green, natural detergents, cleansers and soaps) they've been using will benefit greatly from using soap nuts. There is an EXCELLENT chance soap nuts may be the ticket to living far more comfortable lives. If you change to soap nuts (and go totally green in doing so) and you find relief, don't thank me. I'm just a messenger. Thank Mother Nature for soap nuts. Soap nuts are HER 100% natural, "green" and "organic" gift for us all.
About the Author
Founder of NaturOli, a respected formulator of natural skin care products, soaps, detergents, and cleansers, plus distributor of soap nuts. Corporate mission: Setting New and Higher Standards Today.