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U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the Lyme vaccine.
Primary treatment for all tick-borne diseases is the antibiotic doxycycline, taken as prescribed for three to four weeks. Using special tests after treat- ment will show if the disease is gone.
Tick Control
Ticks are tough. Daily grooming and combing to search for ticks remains the best non-medical treatment. Because we have found no truly holistic alterna- tive with the desired effect, I do advise topical tick control rub-on products like Frontline and collars like Preventic. Be aware that veterinary versions of such products are both safer and more effec- tive than retail brands. Risk versus benefit to health is
always the rule in considering the best route to take. The best advice for an individual animal will come from the family’s holistic veterinarian.
Mark D. Newkirk holds a veterinary medicines directorate degree and is the owner and director of Margate Animal Hospital and Alternative Care Center, in Margate, NJ. Phone consultations are available at 609-823-3031. For more information, visit
AlternativeVet.com.
NATURAL FLEA PREVENTION and Treatment by Mary Rodriguez
Fleas are pests that can infest our pets, homes and yards. While many pet own- ers become frustrated trying to elimi- nate fleas without using toxic chemi- cals and pesticides that can also harm humans, there are natural, safe ways to help control these pesky parasites dur- ing the summer months.
Bathe Your Pet Lather and soak your pet for three to five minutes, once a week, with sham- poos that contain tea tree, eucalyptus or neem oil. While the animal is still soaking, mix up a natural preventive blend of a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil added to a quart of water. After
rinsing, rub the blend directly onto your pet to keep fleas away after the bath.
Treat Your Home Vacuum regularly to help keep the flea population from spreading, even if you have wood floors—fleas often hide in floor cracks. For carpeting, sprinkle Borax onto the carpet and let it sit for 48 hours; then vacuum thoroughly, es- pecially around floorboards and under beds.
Use Herbal Aids To keep fleas out of your bed, put sprigs of mint under the mattress. If you do re- ceive a fleabite, simply rub a few drops
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