Hey everyone,

Wanted to poll the expertise of the Leerburg forums and see if anyone can help me with an ongoing flea problem with my Cally (10 month old GSD bitch). I am not too keen with putting insecticides on my dog, so I am looking for only ALL NATURAL remedies. Some info...

-We are stationed in Key West, Florida and the climate is perfect for nuisances such as fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, etc.
-I have cedar bedding stuffed into pillowcase protectors in her crate all along the floor. She spends every night in it. In fact she smells like cedar chips...my fiancee says she smells like a gerbil.
-She gets two Holistic Animal Care Daily Garlic Tabs each day (and actually looks forward to them as treats...she works great for that little pill).
-Her diet is mostly Orijen Large Breed Puppy, with the occasional raw turkey neck or chicken heart. We will be going RAW when my enlistment is up in August and I have more time in my day.

Her infestation isn't that bad, but recently I have been noticing her scratching herself more and I have found a few of the little buggers beneath her hair. Any help or information this esteemed board can give me would be greatly appreciated by both myself and the little alligator.

Thanks,
Sean

i think diatomaceaous earth is for fleas

Sue,

Is that a food supplement or something I want to rub into her coat?

Thanks,
Sean

para clear,sold at leerburg,says for fleas

no,you dust it on pet and bedding,i got it in case of ants

if it gets all out horrible and you go with the pestacide,give milk thistle to clean liver 1 cap or 2 a day for a week,same with heartworm meds,my natural vet told me so

Sue,

Thank you. I will be buying the powder today online...fingers crossed. Does it dry out the dog's skin at all?

Sue,

One last question on the Para Clear...reading the blurb after the product, it looks like I *could* dust the crate and bedding, the dog herself, and also supplement it into her food. Is this recommended?

Sean

I used DE to fix a flea problem in our cabin. The warnings on the box say not to let pets/animals ingest it, supposedly dangerous.

Actually, I have the Para Clear, Azmira brand they sell at LB and it is 100% food grade so it is entirely non toxic or harmful.
In fact the label says you can use it internally for a natural remedy for worms and parasites. Also for any type of flea or tick infestation.

There are other brands of Diatomaceous earth that are not food grade and are very harmful, so maybe that is the type you were using. I would just recommend the food grade kind to eliminate any troubles.