Holistic Pet Remedies

holisticpetThe first time I crossed paths with Dr. Stephen Blake, I was, by all accounts, quite desperate. My beloved 4-year-old golden retriever, Buster, had just been diagnosed with cutaneous lymphoma and given a death sentence.

 

“Weeks, maybe months to live,” the vets said.

So I turned to Dr. Blake, a holistic veterinary consultant from San Diego, as a last resort.

He did not disappoint.

Buster went on to live another four happy and healthy years thanks to nothing but homeopathic remedies, nutritional aids, aromatherapy and a few other cutting-edge additions. As for me, I became a convert to holistic healthcare for my dog. That meant, among other things, that I would no longer use chemically based flea and tick preparations. Period.

It was an act of faith that I did not take lightly. At first I was afraid that I might be hurting my dogs by not following the standard protocol. But as time went on, it became the norm. I became a most unlikely upstart and used only the natural remedies prescribed by Dr. Blake. Many of my well-meaning friends thought I was nuts.

So, it was with a mixture of outrage and “I told you so!” that I watched the report on ABC-TV’s World News. “Are over-the-counter flea and tick preparations making your pet sick?” asked a stern-faced Charles Gibson.

I was all ears.

Thanks to ABC-TV and the Center for Public Integrity—a non-profit organization dedicated to the production of original, responsible, investigative journalism—the truth was out at long last: In 2008 alone, 44,000 severe reactions including seizures, disorientation and illness to spot-on flea and tick preparations were reported in dogs and cats. More than 1,200 animal deaths were reported—a 53 percent increase in just one year.

Although the manufacturers of such products claim “possible user error” for these adverse reactions, the question Dr. Blake has been asking for decades remains: “If you have to wear gloves when applying a product, how can it possibly be safe for animals? After it’s on, are you going to wear gloves every time you pet your dog?” he asks. “And what about the safety of your children?”

If anyone knows about such dangers, it’s Blake himself. In 1980 he became severely ill—poisoned—from these topical anti-flea and tick medications. In order to survive, he concluded that he had only two choices: Find another, more natural way to treat his patients, or find another career.

Since beginning his holistic practice, Blake has been adamant that pet owners never use spot-on products, especially on animals that already have compromised immune systems.

“Holistic healthcare works with the body,” he says, “not against it. We need to build up the system so the body can put energy into repairing itself, not fighting off the medicine that’s supposed to help it.”

You can learn more about Dr. Blake’s approach to natural healthcare by visiting his Web site at www.Thepetwhisperer.com. He has kindly shared his flea and tick preparation.

Dr. Blake’s all-natural flea and tick solution:

  • One drop each of the following Essential Oils per ounce of water:
  • Lemon Lemongrass RC (A young living essential oils combination of four different eucalyptus species, pine, lavender, cypress, spruce, myrtle, marjoram and peppermint)
  • Place all into a sprayer bottle and spray on dry dogs and cats any time they are in a flea, tick or mosquito-infested area.


Dr. Blake’s Tick Remedy

  • For ticks alone, use one drop each of these essential oils per ounce of water:
  • Lavender Lemongrass Sage Thyme
  • Spray onto dogs and cats every day while in tick-infested areas.

Share your natural pet remedies in the comments section below or send us at note

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