Getting rid of fleas can be a very difficult and expensive mission. The only way to properly get rid of a flea infestation in your home and on your pets is to understand the flea cycle. Using a multi module approach to killing the flea population will make sure you do not have any more flea problems.

A good plan should be formed to remove fleas from your home in the most cost effectively manner. This can be orchestrated by simply understanding how fleas breed and where they live. Also, you must understand how the medications work that are responsible for eliminating them.

Fleas lay eggs that pupate in the environment for up to several months. The adult female flea can lay up to 2000 eggs with in her 50 life span. Once the fleas hatch they must feed on a blood meal within 72 hours or they will die. Since a single clutch of flea eggs can survive months without hatching it is important that cleaning is repeated every couple of weeks.

The multi-modal approach should include:

* Cleaning your home
* Medicating your pets
* Using flea birth control

Cleaning your home:

* Remove and wash all bedding and rugs that where your pets sleep.
* Vacuum your home thoroughly, this activates the eggs to hatch and removes fleas in hard to reach areas
* Spray outdoor areas in your yard with flea killer
* Clean up your backyard by removing weeds and areas of high vegetation where your pets like to sleep

Medicate your pets:

1. Fast acting flea killer- Give as needed. Any time fleas are noticed or if your pet visits flea infested areas such as dog parks. There are some very safe over the counter flea medications that kill all fleas on your pet within 4 hours.
2. Long term flea preventative- These are usually placed topically on your pets once a month to provide 30 days of protection from adult flea bites. They often kill the fleas before they even have a chance to bite your pets, which helps to stop FAD.
3. Flea birth control- Given once monthly as a tablet to stop flea from being able to reproduce. Very good for heavily infested flea areas and for helping to control outside populations.

Using this method of flea control year round will save you lots of money in the long run. Hiring a professional exterminator can be very expensive and is often ineffective if proper flea control is not used on our pets. If one flea is noticed than you can be sure that there are 10 X as many in the environment. When buying flea medications always make sure that the brand is veterinary approved and it is made especially for the species being treated ie: cats or dogs. A good way to save on veterinary costs is to purchase the flea medications from the internet.

Visit PetVetWisdom.com to find vet recommended Flea Medications. We have researched and found the lowest online providers for these medications. We also provide direct links to specific medications for the safety of your pets.

Petvetwisdom was created by veterinarians to help our pet owners save money on veterinary care and find information on common diseases. We have veterinarians on staff to answer any pet questions via email for no charge.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Michael_Fredrick_DVM

We live in challenging times and external stressors abound. The economy, the news, even the upcoming holidays all present a source of stress for people. It’s been long proven that owning a pet has beneficial effects on our health. Studies have shown that even a few minutes of petting your cat or dog can lower your blood pressure and release endorphins that put you in a better mood. Pets are the greatest source of stress relief and masters at showing us not only how to relax, but how to live in the moment without worrying about the future.

So we know that our pets help us be less stressed. But did you know that your stress can make your pets sick?

People and pets often mirror each others’ physical and emotional states. Animals are natural healers and sometimes take on their person’s problems, often in an attempt to heal them. This happens because of the deep bond shared between a pet and his or her person. Because of the shared energy in such a close relationship, energetic imbalances are shared as well.

Unfortunately stress has the same detrimental effect on our pets’ bodies at it does on ours. Since pets are so sensitive to our emotions, they can become sick as a result of our stress.

Dr. Fern Crist, of The Cat Hospital of Fairfax, says: “As a veterinarian, I frequently see cats who are urinating outside the litterbox. While this undesirable behavior may be caused by a variety of medical problems, it can also be caused or exacerbated by stress. It may be the cat’s stress, such as having a new cat to adjust to in the house; but it can just as easily be the owner’s stress. The emotional turmoil brought on by such difficulties as household financial problems, frequent job travel, marital differences, new babies, and home remodeling can affect our cats in very tangible ways. Our stress can induce undesirable behaviors in our cats, such as inappropriate urination. More importantly, our stress can also influence the development of actual physical illness in our cats as well as in ourselves. As responsible owners, we sometimes need to take a good look at ourselves when we ask why our pets are having problems. Stress relief for pet owners won’t solve every pet health problem, but can go a long way toward alleviating many of them.”

All of this shows us that stress relief is not only important for our own health and well-being, it’s also good for our pets. Reiki can help relieve stress in people and pets. To prevent your stress from affecting your pets, come for a treatment for yourself. If you find that your pets are already affected by your stress, joint treatments for people and their pets can often be beneficial.

Ingrid King is a Reiki Master Practitioner and owner of Healing Hands. Healing Hands provides Reiki for pets and people. Healing Hands also publishes periodic newsletters on alternative health topics for pets and people. For more information, and to subscribe to the Healing Hands newsletter, please visit http://www.pethealing.net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ingrid_King

Feeding your pet the healthiest diet entails providing the highest quality, organic diet available. Going organic may seem to be more costly but the benefits outweigh the cost.
Organic diets help your dog or cat throughout their lives. They live longer, stay healthier, and are much more energetic and spirited. The food you feed your pet has a direct connection to their wellness and longevity. Providing organic meals leads to shinier coats with fewer skin ailments, not as many bowel movements, less odor, and lower incidents of digestive problems. In the long term organic foods have been proven to prevent cancer, muscle degeneration, obesity, coronary disease, arteriosclerosis, lung and heart diseases and premature aging. An organic diet can also lessen the likelihood of diabetes. A high quality healthy diet can also boost your pet”s immune system saving you costly veterinarian bills.

I, personally, have seen the benefits of organic food for my pets. My ten year old dog used to suffer from severe allergies causing sneezing, runny nose, and skin ailments. He also, limped around and had very low energy. He literally went from one soft spot to the next. The vet told me it was just age and arthritis and gave me some pills. Soon after, our visit I began researching dog food and found that my dog’s food affected him as much as my food affected me. I then decided to try an organic pet food to see if it would help with his symptoms. I searched the web until I found a high quality organic dog food and I started him on it right away. I saw a difference in only two weeks. He had a shinier coat, his allergies were improving, and he was much more energetic. After a few months he became as lively as a five year old, bounding around and playful. He now spends his day playing with my three year old dog and the children. Oh, and I took him off his medicines.

Another benefit you can reap from serving organic pet food is not worrying each time you purchase dog or cat food whether the food will make your pet ill. Certified Organic food or “human grade” are terms certified by the FDA to only use organic ingredients, be free of hormones, antibiotics and to be free from cruelty to animals. (www.fda.gov) Words such as: all natural, wholesome, holistic, and organic (not certified organic) are examples of descriptions not regulated by the FDA.

The next time you go to purchase pet food just remember why your pet should go organic and then find a high quality certified organic dog or cat food that fits your needs.

Copyright © 2008 Debra Guevara All Rights Reserved

Debra Guevara, Owner http://www.petfoodfreebies.com
Visit my website for your free sample of organic pet food.
Visit my blog My Pet Notes @ http://mypetnotes.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Guevara

Debra Guevara – EzineArticles Expert Author