posted July 19, 2001 12:47 AM            

Pedro and Michelle Rivera live on the rural outskirts of Madison, WI. Far from the city lights, fast-food drive-through restaurants and bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, they share 65 acres with three spirited cats and four playful dogs. These critters bound in and out the front and back doors frequently during the day, all year long.

"None of our pets have fleas. Not a single one," declares Michelle Rivera, a licensed massage therapist and herbalist. "They have been flea-free for years."

What's their secret? A constant, all-out chemical warfare assault of flea dips, bombs, sprays and topical medications? Far from it. The Riveras attack fleas safely and naturally.

Some of their natural flea-busting tactics include homemade meals, vitamin and mineral supplements, specific herbs and itty-bitty yard residents known as nematodes.

"We've found that the No. 1 method to control fleas is proper nutrition," says Dr. Pedro Rivera, DVM, a holistic veterinarian. Fleas are parasites that tend to live on unhealthy animals with low immune systems. "If an animal is healthy, it has a strong immune system and it won't harbor parasites."

Together, the Riveras operate the Healing Oasis Wellness Center that teaches alternative and natural therapies to practicing veterinarians. They practice what they teach at the center every day on their forever-expanding pack of pets.

Chow time at the Riveras features homemade meals high in protein-packed raw meats as well as vitamin C and fresh garlic supplements. All pets don't eat the same foods or take the same supplements because the Riveras recognize that dogs and cats don't share the same nutritional needs or physiological make-ups. For instance, dogs can easily devour lots of garlic, but too much garlic can upset a cat's stomach.

"We urge people to cook for their pets, but to consult their holistic veterinarian first before doing so," says Michelle Rivera. "A store-bought bag of food containing high quality protein and not containing meat byproducts or chemicals is much better than an improperly made homemade meal."

Fighting fleas naturally and holistically provides peace of mind in knowing that you and your pet are free from exposure to toxic chemicals. Like the Riveras, Mary Wulff-Tilford and husband, Gregory Tilford, both herbalists, rely on Mother Nature to prevent a flea infestation at their three-pet home in mountainous Conner, MT.

They regularly sprinkle borate powder into the crevices of their couches and chairs. Two to three times a year, they stock their yard with shipments of flea larvae-eating nematodes that are available by mail order or directly from some pet or garden stores. They add brewer's yeast and fresh garlic to their pets' food bowls as well as essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 and Omega-6. They brew tea made from freshly picked and chopped chrysanthemums and serve it as a liquid treat or flea rinse. They spray their window screens with a bottle of distilled water containing several drops of bitter orange essential oil (fleas hate citrus scents).

"Treating the entire environment, inside and outside, is critical," adds Mary Wulff-Tilford. "People think that fleas spend most their time on animals, but they don't. They leap, feed, and leave and spend most of their time in the carpets, couches, and floors."

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Arden Moore was a contributing writer for two books, DogSpeak (Rodale Press, 1999) and PetSpeak (Rodale Press, 1999). She is a member of Dog Writers Association of America and Cat Writers Association of America. She is currently a writer and editor who shares her Seal Beach, California home with three dog-like cats. A contributing editor to Dog Fancy magazine and Pets: Part of the Family magazine, she also regularly contributes to PETsMART.com, Cat Fancy magazine, and Veterinary Practice News.

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Information and advice contained in this section is for your consideration only. Please consult your veterinarian before implementing a Natural Health/Holistic treatment program for your pet.

posted July 19, 2001 10:13 AM            

And it's from Madison, WI! I'm going to move there later this year, most likely! Good to know I won't get fleas.

posted July 19, 2001 01:13 PM              

But what was sooo cool was that he would lay his *ball* on the ground and then start to rub his body all over it ... he's soooo smart and he always smelled so good!

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"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
"What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

posted July 19, 2001 05:52 PM              

This is verrrry 'spooky'

Thank you Rand..er UNI-VERSE!!

posted July 19, 2001 07:23 PM              

*ask (think) and you shall recieve*

don't you just LOVE that?

YIVY~ please do be careful what you ask for!

~princess

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"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
"What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

posted August 04, 2001 08:20 PM              

Anyhow, he brought a sick kitten into our household of two other cats.

Our cats got really sick, with an extremely bad cold. I was extremely worried about them, because most animals, as I've seen anyhow, don't recover as easily as humans do. But I think it could be what was mentioned up above- a lower ability to cope with 'stuff'.

anyhow, My mom started giving them garlic pills. Two per cat per day. I think they were 500 mg's each. Anyhow, my cats got better, and I'm so happy they did

posted March 19, 2004 10:26 PM            

Please don't use Advantage or any of those other topical substances on your pets!!! All of those are toxic!

After losing several pets to different illnesses, I learned not to use Advantage as well as other toxins on my pets.

Our dogs hadn't really had fleas for quite some time. We started feeding Innova about a year ago and supplement with Missing Link and Seacure.

posted June 15, 2005 07:21 PM              

I dont want to spray "bug spray" on my dog as im sure its not healthy for them. BUT the mosquitoes are BAD this year. They sit outside my front door just waiting for that door to open.I literally clean like 15 of em off Carrera's (the dog)head before she comes back inside. Its wild! I havent seen the sketers like this! Here at least.

posted November 08, 2005 11:10 AM            

I just started her on Seacure again. Will start trying garlic.

posted December 12, 2018 01:12 PM            

Good Stuff on this string!