by Renee Aufdermauer | Dec 5, 2024 | Featured, Uncategorized
Our pets bring joy, companionship, and a sense of well-being to our lives, playing a key role in our overall wellness. Whether it’s a wagging tail greeting us at the door or the soothing purr of a cat, pets help reduce stress and enhance our happiness. However, when fleas invade their space—and ours—it can quickly become a source of stress and frustration. Fleas not only irritate our pets, causing itching and discomfort, but they can also become a nuisance for the entire household. Taking proactive steps to manage fleas helps ensure that the wellness our pets provide is not overshadowed by the challenges these tiny pests bring.
While fleas can be a challenge, there are effective, budget-friendly, and non-toxic ways to tackle the problem. Fleas not only discomfort pets but can also impact human health and the home environment. Thankfully, with consistent effort and the right approach, you can control fleas without resorting to expensive or harmful treatments, keeping your pets and your home a haven of wellness.
Understanding Fleas and Their Lifecycle
Fleas are small but tenacious insects that thrive in warm, humid environments. They go through a complex life cycle with several stages, including eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Each stage can resist typical insecticides, which is why it’s important to address fleas at all stages of their life cycle to fully eliminate them. According to the CDC’s guidelines on flea control, a comprehensive four-step process is the most effective way to manage a flea infestation.
The Process to Manage Fleas in Your Home
Sanitation:
Thorough cleaning is the first and most important step in controlling fleas. Fleas and their eggs can hide in pet bedding, rugs, carpets, and even along the edges of walls. To break the flea life cycle, wash all bedding, rugs, and pet bedding in hot water, then vacuum thoroughly, including floors, carpets, and areas along walls. Sweep hard floors and vacuum often to pick up any stray fleas or eggs. This helps to reduce the flea population in your home without relying on toxic chemicals.
Pet Treatment:
It’s essential that every pet in the household is treated. Start by bathing your pets with soap and water to gently kill adult fleas. After the bath, use a flea comb to remove any remaining fleas, paying close attention to the face, neck, and area in front of the tail. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian to choose the best non-toxic flea treatment for your pets. There are many natural flea treatments available that don’t contain harsh chemicals, and your vet can guide you on the safest options.
Home Treatment:
Home treatment should begin at the same time as pet treatment to ensure that the flea life cycle is disrupted. While commercial pest control applicators can provide professional help, there are also natural home treatments available, like diatomaceous earth (food grade), which can be sprinkled around areas where fleas tend to hide.
Follow-Up:
Fleas are tough and resistant to insecticides at various stages of their life cycle. To fully eliminate fleas, you’ll need to follow up with additional treatments. The CDC recommends that you apply two or more follow-up treatments within 5-10 days after the initial treatment. Continue regular vacuuming and cleaning during this period to pick up any remaining eggs and juvenile fleas that might have been missed in earlier treatments.
Fleas are a common challenge for pet owners, but with the right approach, you can manage them without relying on expensive or toxic products. By following the CDC’s four-step process and integrating natural flea control methods, you can protect both your pets and your family from these pesky insects. Regular cleaning, pet treatments, home interventions, and follow-up care are essential to breaking the flea life cycle and keeping your home flea-free.
For more information visit: https://www.cdc.gov/fleas/section-name/index.html
For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Apr 11, 2024 | Being Well, Featured, Move Well, Uncategorized
We love our pets. We also love our beautiful coastal gardens. Sadly, sometimes, the most stunning things in our gardens can be toxic to our beloved pets. So, how do we protect our pets and still maintain a gorgeous landscape. Depending on your pets’ needs and habits, we can eliminate many of the toxic plants they may come in contact with. Here are a few common plants to avoid.
First to consider is Narcissus (Daffodils). These pretty seasonal flowers brighten up an early spring garden. Many see them as a sign that wet stormy coastal weather is ending and warmer, drier days are upon us. However, even in small amounts, the flowers can cause symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.
Many of us love rhubarb pie and the rhubarb plant grows well in coastal climates. The stalks produce malic acid which is beneficial for people with acne, fibromyalgia, dry skin, and fatigue. The leaves are a different story. Even in small amounts the leaves can be lethal. They can cause gastrointestinal distress, breathing problems, and internal bleeding.
The flowers from Digitalis (foxglove) contain cardiac glycosides used in modern medicine. Accidental ingestion can be fatal. Dizziness vomiting, irregular heartbeat, delirium, hallucinations, and death can occur if accidentally ingested.
Hemlock is another plant highly toxic to pets. The entire plant, especially the roots, are poisonous. They can be found growing wild along stream banks and ditches. Symptoms vary after ingestion, ranging from nausea, vomiting, and salivation to convulsions, coma and ultimately death.
Finally, Hedra (English Ivy) is a common culprit of poisoning. These evergreen woody vines are extremely invasive and can easily climb up trees, fences, and buildings. The berries of these plants look like blueberries but that is where the similarity ends. If eaten, they can cause burning in the mouth and throat and gastrointestinal distress.
Before discussing pet-safe plants there is one additional plant of concern. Locally, Creeping Buttercups grow prolifically. They are opportunistic and will grow anyway they can take root. Gone unaddressed they will completely take over a garden. It is important to take note of these especially because often they grow in lawns. Many domestic animals eat grass to aid in digestion. The fresh sap of this plant is highly irritating to skin and mucous membranes. If ingested it can cause gastrointestinal irritation, colic, diarrhea, nephritis and in severe cases, paralysis of the central nervous system. The best way to prevent the spread of these is to dig and pull them up by the roots before they go to seed.
Even though there are a number of plants of concern, not to worry, there are many plants and flowers that add beauty to a garden and maintain a safe environment for your pet. Consider planting a pet friendly lawn. You can purchase seeds from a variety of places that sell lawn seed advertised as pet safe and pet friendly. Careful research will help you decide which seed is right for your pet and the area where you live.
Also, there are many herbs that your pet might enjoy snacking on while they improve your landscape. Try planting herbs like sage, rosemary, thyme, dill, fennel or basil. They smell terrific, are a nice addition to dips and sauces, and your pets will also appreciate them.
Many annuals are colorful and safe for your pets. Among them are petunias, fuchsias, sunflowers, camellia, snapdragons, and nasturtiums. All these plants come in a variety of shades, shapes and colors. Because of our mild coastal temperatures, they often winter over, and we can enjoy them over again the next year.
There are also a variety of perennials that are equally gorgeous and pet friendly. They include dahlias, hollyhock, and black eyes susans. These will add the brilliance that makes every garden pop with color year after year.
There is much to consider when designing a pet friendly landscape. It is best to do thorough research before planting. There are a wide variety of choices to meet your and your pet’s needs. If you need help determining what is safe and unsafe for your garden, please feel free to contact your local OSU extension office at 503-842-3433 or contact us through our web site at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook
You can also contact the Tillamook County Master Gardeners Association for help. Reach them through the OSU extension office, their website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ or find them on Facebook. There are many resources available to assist you in creating a beautiful and safe garden for you and your pet.
Written by: Alice St. Clare, OSU Master Gardener
