- Birds
- Could I Be Allergic to My Best Friend?
- Be Kind to Animals Week®
- PetSmart Brannon Crossing Grand Opening
- Cats
- PetSmart Brannon Crossing Grand Opening
- Be Kind to Animals Week®
- Introducing Dog First Aid and Cat First Aid
- Dogs
- I Can Do What with My Dog's Hair?
- THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET RUFF AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK
- Introducing Dog First Aid and Cat First Aid
- Fish
- Freshwater Fish Aquarium Basics
- PetSmart Brannon Crossing Grand Opening
- Be Kind to Animals Week®
- Horses
- Which is Worse: Fleas or the Chemicals We Use to Rid Our Pets of Fleas?
- Equine Abuse Investigation Seminar
- Endurance riding team receives grant from the kentucky horse council
- Local News
- Adopt A Shelter Cat Month at the Lexington Humane Society
- Paws for President: Where Pets Get a Vote!
- Kicking & sreaming: a day with the trainer sponsored by kentucky horse council
Which is Worse: Fleas or the Chemicals We Use to Rid Our Pets of Fleas?
04/27/2008 - By Will Mahoney, Owner of Thrive Organics LLC
For your pet's sake, if not your own, think before you spray him down with chemicals that aren't safe enough for yourself. After all, shouldn't you treat your best friend like he is your best friend?
Most veterinarians recommend that you use Frontline® or an equivalent to guard your pet and it is marketed as being totally safe. However when you apply it to your furry friend, you are warned not to let it contact your skin and to wash thoroughly afterward. Of course, keep in mind this chemical you are applying to your pet is totally safe. This alarming discovery led to my quest for more research related to the problems of pest control with our pets. Conversations with veterinarians revealed a dramatic increase in tumors and eye problems as the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers became more widespread. The veterinarians always made that cause-and-effect connection between the chemicals and animal health issues without any prompting. It was obvious to them so why shouldn't it be to you?
So, after a few months of experimentation, Organic Bug Spray’s Horse, Pet & Livestock Spray (HPL) was born. As time went on, it was discovered that many of the insecticidal essential oils used in HPL actually penetrate the hair fibers of animals, increasing repellent effects over time. Initial treatments need to happen every few days, but soon can stretch to every 2-3 weeks. Frontline® and flea collars can be discontinued, reducing harmful chemical exposure.
What if I spray my yard instead of my pet; is that safer? Let me share with you my answer to that question. My wife and I had always felt like an all-you-can-eat buffets for mosquitoes and other insects, but after our kids were being eaten, we decided it was time for desperate measures…a call to a pest control company.
A day later, an entomologist arrived to survey the yard and give us a quote. For $80, he could spray the yard with a chemical that would get rid of these "pests" for a while. As a side note, he mentioned that they would have to warn the neighbors two houses on each side of the possibility of “chemical drift” and that the kids shouldn’t be in the yard for at least 48 hours, all the while reassuring us that the treatment was perfectly safe.
After a quick “no thanks” to that offer, we started to search for a better solution. We discovered that there were several natural ways to protect against biting insects and even garden pests…and that no one in the Lexington area was providing that service. Unhappy at his job, Will decided to take the plunge and formed Thrive Organics. The garage became a laboratory and friends became lab rats.
We are living proof that "going organic" does work, it is much safer, and really is comparable to the cost of using standard chemicals. For your pet's sake, if not your own, think before you spray him down with chemicals that aren't safe enough for yourself. After all, shouldn't you treat your best friend like he is your best friend?
To learn more about organic solutions, the dangers of chemicals, or to purchase repellent or other organic products for yourself or your pets, you can visit www.OrganicBugSpray.com or call 877-OBSpray (877-627-7729).
