Pennyroyal for Fleas
Natural or organic flea control remedies are not necessarily safer than veterinarian-prescribed medicines. Pennyroyal, often thought effective as a flea control, actually puts dogs and cats in danger. According to Colorado State University, topical application or ingestion of pennyroyal essential oil or tea made from the leaves could have fatal results to animals or humans. Medline Plus agrees that pennyroyal is unsafe and adds there is not enough evidence to rate its effectiveness. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pennyroyal
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A member of the mint family, pennyroyal prefers dry soil. It has a mintlike odor and grows between 6 and 12 inches tall. The leaves have a narrow shape on a branching plant. In summer, blue flowers appear on the plant. While the essential oil is the most toxic, use of any form of the plant around animals for flea control is not recommended.
Natural Flea Control
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The most effective and safe natural flea control method is prevention and a vacuum cleaner. Frequent vacuuming can remove up to 95 percent of flea eggs, while also removing some larvae and adults. Wash pet bedding on a regular schedule. Outside, keep weeds down and prevent pets from roaming in weed-infested areas. Don't allow sand or gravel piles to remain in your yard. A special flea comb available at pet stores can remove fleas from your pet if used regularly.
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Prescription Flea Control
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Unlike pennyroyal, flea-control products available from your veterinarian have safety and effectiveness testing. Imidacloprid, an insecticide applied once a month to the skin of the pet, kills 98 to 100 percent of adult fleas within 24 hours. An insect development inhibitor called Lufenuron works by interrupting the flea life cycle. It consists of a tablet once a month and has been found very safe for dogs, cats and humans.
Considerations
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Keeping fleas under control is an important health measure for both people and pets. Fleas can transmit diseases, including tapeworm and in rare cases bubonic plague. Fleas cause skin irritation in both pets and humans. But given the health concern and irritation of fleas, pennyroyal is not safe or effective enough to make it worth using in flea control. You should always talk to your veterinarian before treating pets with any type of remedy, as danger can lurk in even innocuous-seeming herbs. For example, essential oils including pennyroyal may contain salicylates which can cause poisoning in cats.
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References
- Photo Credit puppy image by Karol Grzegorek from Fotolia.com
