11/20/2009: Dal from Lake Los Angeles, Ca writes: "also my doctor of homeopathy suggested to use dry walnut leaves, place under the bed in the room, it kills all fleas and mites"

[YEA]  04/14/2007: Lynn from Pottsville, PA USA writes: "BACK IN THE 1970'S I USED A VETERINARIAN WHO SPECIALIZED MAINLY IN CATS AND ALSO DID RESEARCH ON CATS AND THEIR DISEASES, ETC. I HAD 12 CATS AT THE TIME AND HE WAS A GREAT BELIEVER IN NATRUAL WHENEVER POSSIBLE. HE RECOMMENDED I USE MINERAL OIL IN EACH OF THE CATS EARS CLEANINING THEM DAILY. IT WORKED SPLENDIDLY. THIS VET LEFT HIS VETERINARIAN BUSINESS IN THE 80'S AND WENT INTO FULL TIME RESEARCH. WHAT I LEARNED FROM HIM HAS SAVED ME MUCH EXPENSE AND HAS BEEN INVALUANLE OVER THE YEARS."

11/20/2009: Dal from Lake Los Angeles, Ca writes: "also my doctor of homeopathy suggested to use dry walnut leaves, place under the bed in the room, it kills all fleas and mites"

11/20/2009: Sophie from Friday Harbor, Wa writes: "Call me ignorant, but Revolution doesn't always work and it's extremely expensive (speaking from experience). Also, why would I poison my kittie's entire body just to kill ear mites? Much too dangerous...."

[YEA]  04/16/2008: Tim from Winters, California writes: "While trying to find out more about tea-tree oil's medicinal applications, I came upon the threads on Earth Clinic about ear infections in pet animals. I was disturbed and alarmed by the degree of inaccurate and incorrect information I encountered. Particularly of concern were the readers' comments soliciting unapproved and off-label uses of unknown parasite control products, especially in exotics.

A basic issue is the prevalence of ear mites. While very common in cats, it is virtually nonexistent in dogs under most circumstances. The people posting comments about the pros and cons of various treatment protocols for ear mites in dogs are most likely not even dealing with mites. And treating ear mites in cats these days is extremely simple and not worthy of prolonged discussion; a one-time (two at most) application of feline Revolution or Advantage Multi for cats should eliminate the pests. While a good product for flea control, Frontline is probably completely ineffective against mites.

I would recommend that this site be refereed by a competent veterinarian who embraces integrated (Eastern and Western) responsible practice.

Respectfully,

Tim Krasnansky DVM

Berryessa Veterinary Services
Winters, CA 95694
(530) 795-6090
BerryessaVet.com"

[NAY]  04/19/2008: Stella from USA writes: "re: Feline Mite Remedies. My feline had a scary seizure type reaction from a single dose of Revolution. I will never use it again. It is not worth losing my friend over, especially when there are safer methods for prevention and eradication."

05/01/2008: M. R. from Odessa, Missouri writes: "I appreciate the vet comments on 4/16. There are several items available like Revolution. Milbe-mite is one. I have one indoor/outdoor cat and 8 barn cats. Revolution, Advantage, and Milbe-mite range in price from $20+. I cannot afford these things. So I welcome affordable alternatives. Does any one have info about what to do about a kitten while treating the other cats?"

11/20/2009: Sophie from Friday Harbor, Wa writes: "Call me ignorant, but Revolution doesn't always work and it's extremely expensive (speaking from experience). Also, why would I poison my kittie's entire body just to kill ear mites? Much too dangerous...."

One more thing, I found a product, cranberry and papaya digestive supplement with beneficial bacteria. It's also pretty inexpensive (less than $10 for a 16oz bottle) when compared to vet visits, etc. After we're done with what we bought at the grocery we'll be giving this a try, as it's considerably cheaper."

Her sister had also been vaccinated but had been given the new three yearly vaccination and a nasal delivered vaccination and did not display any side effects."

So, thanks a million for sharing this miracle of information. In our society of information overload, why is this not even known to Veterinarians? Now I can keep my cat and my budget intact."

My 4 year old pit/lab mix has a noticeable increase in her appetite over the last several weeks to two months. She is also slightly overweight (although this isn't new) and has a decreased interest in activity, though not to the point of being lethargic. She still likes to play ball, but not with the same vigor. It didn't concern me at first, but lately I've been taking notice and thought I'd check out this site for any holistic remedies before contacting my vet. There wasn't a clear remedy in the hypothyroid section, and I'm hoping there is something I can try to help with this issue, rather than resorting to pharmaceuticals.

Thanks in advance for any info!!
Jenn and Luca"

[YEA]  11/19/2009: Tj from Muncie, In writes: "My 8 year old dog has arthritis in his lower back. I think I have tried every product out there to relieve his discomfort. I found this post and tried coconut oil; it worked great! Within a few days he was walking better. Within a week he was no longer falling down when the other dogs bump into him. He does still have some difficulty getting up when he lies down, but his overall mobility has improved drastically. I can't wait for his next appointment with the holistic vet to find out what he says about the improvement.

Rather than use liquid coconut oil, I found extra virgin coconut oil capsules. The dosage for an adult human is four capsules a day. I'm giving my 90 pound dog 3-4 capsules a day. He actually thinks they're treats and eats them as such. No muss, no fuss!

Thanks for this wonderful suggestion!"

[YEA]  04/05/2007: Beverly from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO writes: "By January of 2006, my nine years old Shar Pei senior dog, suffered from severe arthritis with bad hips and almost non existent front elbows. The vets suggested I put him to sleep for he needed both front and rear wheels to stay mobile. Being an individual that doesn't take "impossible" for an answer I did my own research. I got on the wonderful library highway of the web, and found this Earth Clinic website with natural remedies and cures. After only two weeks, with one tablespoon per 50 pounds of organic extra virgin coconut oil, Taz was up and running like a puppy on all four legs. After putting one tablespoon of the organic virgin coconut oil in the dog's food daily, Taz was better. It has been over a year, and he's still truckin'. He's not as spunky as back then, but who of us are as we age? More importantly, he is still fully mobile and has no handicap signs."

[YEA]  11/19/2009: Tj from Muncie, In writes: "My 8 year old dog has arthritis in his lower back. I think I have tried every product out there to relieve his discomfort. I found this post and tried coconut oil; it worked great! Within a few days he was walking better. Within a week he was no longer falling down when the other dogs bump into him. He does still have some difficulty getting up when he lies down, but his overall mobility has improved drastically. I can't wait for his next appointment with the holistic vet to find out what he says about the improvement.

Rather than use liquid coconut oil, I found extra virgin coconut oil capsules. The dosage for an adult human is four capsules a day. I'm giving my 90 pound dog 3-4 capsules a day. He actually thinks they're treats and eats them as such. No muss, no fuss!

Thanks for this wonderful suggestion!"

11/18/2009: Rita from Toronto, Ontario, Canada writes: "Re: dog's itching from environmental/food allergies: my dog absolutely will not drink water or eat food with ACV...I understand there are organic based ACV caplets. Could I use those instead? Would they be as effective as liquid ACV? Thankyou for your posts, everyone! Most helpful!"

[YEA]  Wendy from Canada writes: "My Chocolate Lab Sam has arthritis and was recently attacked by a dog. I had started him on ACV before but forgot sometimes. He has been on it faithfully for the past 3 weeks now and is getting better and better. He is on a raw diet and I just mix it in. For those dog owners who have dogs with failing health I recommend you look at the BARF diet. I wouldn't have believed that a dog who I was told would be dead in 3 months from liver problems would completely turn around due to diet and supplements(including ACV). We are what we eat and so are our pets. It has been 11 months and Sammy is doing great!!"

06/04/2008: Margie from Warren, Michigan writes: "I have an 11 year old Lab/retriever mix. She is suffering from constantly itching, hot spots and has raw spots on her skin from knawing all the time. You mentioned about a "raw" diet - I want to know what that is. She is also suffering big time with arthritis. With the ACV - how much do you give - do you feed it to them - mix it in the food. She is also getting very finicky about eating. Any help I would appreciate it as I am on a very strict budget and can't afford vet bills. ACV seems to be a "cure" all. Thanks."

06/05/2008: Joyce from Joelton, Tn writes: "Hi, Hope your doggie is better. I would put the apple cider vinegar in her drinking water. Start with a teaspoon of ACV to the pint of drinking water, and as she gets used to drinking that increase a little every day or two until you get to about a tablespoon per quart of water. According to Dr. Jarvis and his home remedies that work, it also helps arthritis."

11/18/2009: Rita from Toronto, Ontario, Canada writes: "Re: dog's itching from environmental/food allergies: my dog absolutely will not drink water or eat food with ACV...I understand there are organic based ACV caplets. Could I use those instead? Would they be as effective as liquid ACV? Thankyou for your posts, everyone! Most helpful!"

11/18/2009: Carrie from Las Vegas, Nv writes: "Hi Gayle from Tulsa. I am going to try this route. My 10 1/2 year old Annie has a huge mass in her stomach. Blood tests normal, xrays show large mass. Her behavior is fine, she has lost weight, and throws up her food and goes to the bathroom number 2 on my bathroom floor. Peas in her litter box. I want to help her but will not give the vets any more money especially 500 for an ultrasound. They tell me that I have a long road ahead even if i find out what it is exactly. I want to save my beautiful Annie. What food are you feeding the cat? I currently feed her kd and a natural frozen food from whole foods. How often should I give her the tea and for how long? Should I order a lot? Please get back to me ASAP, so i can help my little one. She is in no pain either. Thanks so much. Carriehogan@mac.com"

[YEA]  12/31/2006: Gayle from Tulsa, OK writes: "Over 3 years ago, our cat, Flora, developed a mass (tumour) in her abdomen and lost a significant amount of weight. She was about 12 years old at the time. I started giving her a dropper of concentrated essiac tea once a day and mixing about 1/2 teaspoon of the powdered herbs in her food. The tumor went away and she put weight back on. She is now 15 years old and doesn't look or act like a 15 year old cat. I've continued to give her the dropper of concentrate at least once a week up to every other day. I've also given the powdered essiac herbs to our dog for allergy eye drainage that would easily get infected. Since we started the dog on this, her allergy eye problem has been gone for over a year now. Again, about 1/2 tsp once a day."

09/07/2007: Ginger from Columbus, Ohio writes: "Friday, 9/7/2007. I Have a "Question" and an "EMERGENCY NEED" to contact "Gayle"... (ESSIAC TEA 12/31/2006: Gayle from Tulsa, OK)! Can you "PLEASE" contact her for me and give her my email add.? I have a 14 year old CAT (Patches) in critical condition. Her Vet can not operate, and expects me back "SOON"... to "put her to sleep". They don't call it, what it really is! (Taking Her Life!) I "Must Know" QUICKLY: Which version of ESSIAC TEA, she used for her CAT. "4 Herb" or "8 Herb" and specifically, "WHICH HERBS" are in it! One Version has "RED CLOVER" in it, which can be "FATAL" to "CATS"! Patches is just to precious... to just give up on, and not even try to save her. And I fully believe: She can be saved by the ESSIAC TEA and other natural means - if I can just get it in her "A.S.A.P."!!! PLEASE HELP ME - SAVE MY PATCHES! I, NEED HER!!!"

09/14/2007: Jay from Cumberland, New Jersey writes: "Gayle i have a question about the essiac tea you used on your pet for abdominal tumors. i also wanted find out more about the condition your pet was in before you started the treatment and for how long she was in this state before you started treatment. my dog has been having the exact problem your pet seemed to have and its been for 9 months. i am hoping it wont be too late to help him. i have only been giving him blackstrap molasses to try to help. please contact me as soon as you can! i appreciate it! gecik/at/hotmail.com"

EC: Sorry, we wish we had Gayle's email address to contact her -- she never sent it!

12/28/2007: Catherine from Brackettville, Texas writes: "I have both a cat and a dog with tumors. I was reading the posts to try and find help for them. I came across the posts on Essiac and the request for info on where to find Essiac without red clover. Here's what I found http://www.essiac-canada.com/index.htm. I will be ordering some and let you know the results."

EC: Catherine, just out of curiosity, what brand of dog and cat food are you feeding your pets?

08/28/2008: Gayle from Tulsa, OK writes: "In answer to Ginger and Jay, I use the 4-Herb capsules and 4-Herb Liquid Concentrate from Herbal Healer - www.herbalhealer.com

I'm so sorry that I did not see your posts until this late date and did not provide an e-mail address for you to contact me. I hope that you found help elsewhere before this. "

11/18/2009: Carrie from Las Vegas, Nv writes: "Hi Gayle from Tulsa. I am going to try this route. My 10 1/2 year old Annie has a huge mass in her stomach. Blood tests normal, xrays show large mass. Her behavior is fine, she has lost weight, and throws up her food and goes to the bathroom number 2 on my bathroom floor. Peas in her litter box. I want to help her but will not give the vets any more money especially 500 for an ultrasound. They tell me that I have a long road ahead even if i find out what it is exactly. I want to save my beautiful Annie. What food are you feeding the cat? I currently feed her kd and a natural frozen food from whole foods. How often should I give her the tea and for how long? Should I order a lot? Please get back to me ASAP, so i can help my little one. She is in no pain either. Thanks so much. Carriehogan@mac.com"

[YEA]  11/18/2009: Mary from Denton, Maryland writes: "I have used RhusTox 6x, 4 pellets 3x/day for my older dogs who have trouble getting on their back legs. Once
I see improvement, I cut back the dosage to once or twice a day. It works quickly."

[YEA]  07/26/2006: Lone from Denmark writes: "My dog's arthritis pains have been significantly reduced with Rhus toxicodendron."

12/31/2008: Smadar from Miami, USA writes: "My 10 year old Lab was just diagnosed with arthritis and possible hip or back issues. The vet is not sure if its the back or the hip or both. Are there any recommendations for remedies and how much and how often would I administer the Rhus Tox remedy? Thanks!"

[YEA]  11/18/2009: Mary from Denton, Maryland writes: "I have used RhusTox 6x, 4 pellets 3x/day for my older dogs who have trouble getting on their back legs. Once
I see improvement, I cut back the dosage to once or twice a day. It works quickly."

[NAY]  11/18/2009: Tracy from Lancashire, England writes: "Tried the Apple Cider on my cat but unfortunatly it didn't work for him so i rang the vet. I explained that at the moment i couldn't afford the vet fee etc.. Due to the cat being on there listings as having suffered with the infection before they gave me advice over the phone. They recomended a human eye ointment to be used 5 times a day. Chloramhenicol antibiotic 1% either cream or drops. If the infection does not clear using this cream after 5 days then the cat should be taken to the vet as soon as possible. Hope this helps."

[YEA]  11/13/2009: Teri from Nipomo, Ca writes: "I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have a older Shih Tzu that me and my family love dearly.He got a eye infection in one eye so we took to the Vet.The Vet. charged me $105.00 for the visit and $50.00 for 3 small medications.After applying the meds. for almost two weeks both eyes were infected and he couldn't open them.I came across your article on apple cider vinegar and thought that's not possible. How could putting the acv on his neck help clear up a eye infection? But I had some acv and nothing to lose. It worked in less then 20 minutes. Its unbelievable but it works."

[NAY]  11/18/2009: Tracy from Lancashire, England writes: "Tried the Apple Cider on my cat but unfortunatly it didn't work for him so i rang the vet. I explained that at the moment i couldn't afford the vet fee etc.. Due to the cat being on there listings as having suffered with the infection before they gave me advice over the phone. They recomended a human eye ointment to be used 5 times a day. Chloramhenicol antibiotic 1% either cream or drops. If the infection does not clear using this cream after 5 days then the cat should be taken to the vet as soon as possible. Hope this helps."

11/18/2009: Yvonne from Christchurch, New Zealand writes: "I would just like to know what the 'MSM' in 10/16/2009 Kim from Fullerton's reply to a query from someone about lupus in dogs refers to. Can you help. Thanks Yvonne."

EC: MSM is the acronym for Methyl Sulfonyl Methane. Read more about it here: http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/MSM.html

10/14/2009: Yoon from Coram, Ny, Usa writes: "I dropped off one of my dogs at the vet this morning because of something I thought was some superficial wound on one of his paws. The vet just called and informed me that all four of his paws have the wounds that look like they were scraped on rough surfaces and since there hasn't been an opportunity for my dog to have done that, the vet highly suspects he has lupus. Does anybody know of any remedies for lupus in dogs?

Thanks.
-Yoon"

10/16/2009: Kim from Fullerton, Ca writes: "After trying and discarding the first solution which was prednisone, in combination with an expensive topical ointment to address the scaly patch on his nose, and the second less extreme approach which was twice daily doses of niacinamide, vitamin e gel caps in combination with doxycylline and that expensive ointment, we found that the best solution seems to be MSM and vitamin E caps added to his food (my 12 year old german shepherd mix eats once in the am and again in the pm). If we see any sign of scaling or flaking on the affected nostril we break open a vitamin E gel cap and squeeze the contents onto the spot. This has worked like a charm, with absolutely no recurrence of the lupus and no negative side effects. Good luck."

11/18/2009: Yvonne from Christchurch, New Zealand writes: "I would just like to know what the 'MSM' in 10/16/2009 Kim from Fullerton's reply to a query from someone about lupus in dogs refers to. Can you help. Thanks Yvonne."

EC: MSM is the acronym for Methyl Sulfonyl Methane. Read more about it here: http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/MSM.html

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/17/2009: Brenda from Lynn, Ma writes: "We took our puppy for his first Rabies Vaccine, we came out of the exam room and he suddenly was not right , he vomited and went down. Luckily this happened while we were still at the Vets, he needed oxygen and a shot. Very scary. thanks to the wondeful care he is fine. Isn't there anything else they can do for smaller dogs?"

Good luck Pierre"

11/17/2009: Mary Ann from New Delhi, New Delhi, India writes: "Belinda, I have just read your mail and am going to try the pumpkin remedy on my 2 yr old dachshund, the poor little mite has been so ill over the last week. I am Mary Ann from New Delhi, India. Will let all know the results. Cheers!"

03/11/2009: EVELYN from TAMPA, FLORIDA writes: "LOVE THE WEBSITE IS VERY UPLIFTING TO KNOW THERE IS A CURE FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT POOR DOGS AND CATS CAN FIND RELIEF AT LAST THROUGH THE TESTIMONY OF OTHERS IT REALLY TOUCH MY HEART BECAUSE WHEN OUR ANIMALS SUFFER WE SUFFER WITH THEM TOO I JUST STARTED TO USE THE COCONUT OIL AND PUMPKIN ON MY POMERANIAN THANK YOU FOR THE INFO"

04/06/2009: Terri from Ravenna, Ohio writes: "Dear Evelyn from Tampa; How much pumpkin & coconut did you feed your pom? I have a pug who is having the same problem. I remembered hearing about this so I looked it up, but now I need to know "exactly" how much you use... Thanks, Terri from Ohio"

08/28/2009: Belinda from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia writes: "I have a 5 month old miniature dachshund that was experiencing discomfort associated with blocked anal glands. I read on a website to feed them pureed pumpkin as the fibre helps to clear the blockages. I boiled the pumpkin in plain water, then drained and pureed. Once cool, I gave him 1/2 a cup that night and 1/2 a cup the next morning. It worked a treat!! He has had no more symptoms.

Now i will freeze a batch in portions and give him some each week.

and he LOVES it!"

11/17/2009: Mary Ann from New Delhi, New Delhi, India writes: "Belinda, I have just read your mail and am going to try the pumpkin remedy on my 2 yr old dachshund, the poor little mite has been so ill over the last week. I am Mary Ann from New Delhi, India. Will let all know the results. Cheers!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/16/2009: Dee from Metairie, La writes: "Did you get any response on the burst cyst and castor oil? I was putting castor oil on a large cyst / lump on the back of my dog's neck every day for about 2 weeks. All of a sudden it grew larger and got hard as a rock. It now has burst slightly. Any idea on what to do? What happened with your pet?"

[YEA]  07/19/2008: Francine from Playa Del Rey, CA writes: "I wanted to share my experience with castor oil. One week ago I discovered a large lump on the throat of my dog, the size of a golf ball. Remembering I had found info about castor on your site, I quickly started aggressively applying it to the tumor. I personally have been brewing and drinking essiac tea for years. I keep the left over sludge and started putting that in my dogs food. Remarkably, the tumor is now gone. A little of a week has passed and after applying the castor oil almost 5 times a day. Thank you so much. On a side note, I have been using the oil on my face for beautiful skin, on my strained veins on my legs, which have been disppearing, and my mother in law's dog with tumors also as well as an enlarged liver, has been applying it to her dogs tumors and liver area, after a visit to the vet, the second tests showed the liver had shrunk to normal."

10/07/2008: marie from Woburn, MA writes: "When using castor oil on a dog for a non cancerous tumor, do I need to warm the castor oil, and if so, for how long?"

10/07/2009: Victoria from New Milford, Ct writes: "Valerie I saw that you used castor oil successfully on your dog's cyst and you also indicated that it had burst. I purchased castor oil for my Boxer's cyst, which has also burst, and noticed that the castor oil has a warning which states "do not use on open wound." So I am wondering if you used it on your dog when the wound was still open. My Boxer keeps licking the wound and so it never seems to have the chance to heal. I was hoping that the castor oil would heal it quickly, but don't want to use it if using it on the open wound is dangerous.

Thanks VG"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/16/2009: Dee from Metairie, La writes: "Did you get any response on the burst cyst and castor oil? I was putting castor oil on a large cyst / lump on the back of my dog's neck every day for about 2 weeks. All of a sudden it grew larger and got hard as a rock. It now has burst slightly. Any idea on what to do? What happened with your pet?"

My kitty, who is 6 months old, had multiple whiteheads, pimple-like, on his anus, which in a matter of days would develop into painful sores that would scab. Pet store people said it was related to his backed up anal glands. I expressed them and gave him 1/4 cup pumpkin or other squash daily, but he would keep getting the pimples even though his glands were empty. Then I decided to treat his butt issue like a rash and applied a tiny dollop of Calmoseptine with the tip of my finger. I made sure I applied when he was tired and was going to go to bed for several hrs. In a matter of days, I realized this was working like a charm: no new pimply whiteheads anymore. Thank goodness. I am now a proud mommy of a healthy kitty again.

By the way, Calmoseptine is not available anywhere, I could find mine only at CVS. it's under $10. I got samples of it when i was in nursing school and was pretty impressed with its results when i really needed it one time. I tried all kinds of things on kitty's butt including washing his anal area with soap and water, but the pimples kept coming back.

In my opinion, the pimples were directly related to backed up glands, but introducing more fiber in his diet was not enough to reverse the symptoms. This infection must be caused by a bug that is deeper in the anus skin, and was not affected by much else."

11/16/2009: Barbara from Wichita, Ks writes: "Wish I had found this site before I wasted my money on Advantage. My cats don't go out, but the maintenance men or visitors sometimes bring fleas in to the apartment. I'm going to try the vinegar solution.

On a side note, those who are interested in DE (diatomaceous earth) should be aware of two things: 1) Use only garden or food grade DE, not pool grade and 2) DE is only harmful to shelled insects such as fleas and roaches. It will not harm your pet."

10/21/2008: Toni from Ponca City, Oklahoma writes: "I don't have a comment yet, just read your articles yesterday, however, I have hardwood floors in an old two-story house. I have many cats, 2 older dogs, aquarium fish and 2 parrots. No one had comments on the hardwood floors, danger to birds and cats walking on some of the treatments mentioned, namely distomaceous earth. I got a flea infestation this year and they are attacking me too, but no sores (not allegeric I assume). Any suggestions about cats walking around on these treatments or my birds inhaling any of these products? Pets and me leaving the house is not an option.

Would appreciate your feedback and I will use the ACV and garlic as a spay on the hardwood floors, on the cats and dogs and in their water (organic, I assume or distilled?)

Thank you, Toni"

02/06/2009: Dan from Brooklyn, Iowa writes: "I don't have hardwood floors, I have vinyl and carpet, what I use for fleas on my floors may work for your hardwood floors. Since I have 10 cats,I use one box of baking soda to 4 tablespoons of table salt, mix them togethor and sprinkle on the floors covering the whole floors leave standing for 24-48 hours, then vaccum repeat process every 15 days for 6-8 weeks depending on how bad the infestation is. Why does this works for me is the baking soda kills live fleas, and the salt dries up the eggs, bonus its safe to use around your pets (no hazardous chemicals), and it leaves my carpets smelling fresh. For my cats I put 3 drops using a eyedropper of ACV into their water, this leaves their coats shiney, velvety soft, and thick, plus it gets rid of fleas, its been proven fleas don't like acidic skin. I hope this helps you."

11/16/2009: Barbara from Wichita, Ks writes: "Wish I had found this site before I wasted my money on Advantage. My cats don't go out, but the maintenance men or visitors sometimes bring fleas in to the apartment. I'm going to try the vinegar solution.

On a side note, those who are interested in DE (diatomaceous earth) should be aware of two things: 1) Use only garden or food grade DE, not pool grade and 2) DE is only harmful to shelled insects such as fleas and roaches. It will not harm your pet."

so i went online (Thank god for computers) stumbled upon this site..and did what everyone else said to do, i already had some apple cider vinegar at home because i take it for its health benefits, so i thought..what the heck..anything to give him some relief. I mixed it up 1/4 teaspoon ACV with the "Mother" in 1/2 teaspoon of spring water, and put it in a syringe..gave it to him..he hated it..he foamed at the mouth..and vomited..i felt even worse! So i put some of the mixture in his wet cat food, and 5 hours later..he has completly stopped licking himself and peeing! I'm so excited to be writing this!! I will continue to watch him, and i will give it to him for a few more days..but honestly..its a god send!! I knew it was good for us humans..but he knew it can cure your cats UTI...wow! I'm truly amazed!!"

My two dogs got into a fight today and one ended up with stitches. He just got home a while ago and is doing okay. They gave me Rimadyl for pain- but considering the chance of horrible side-effects- I'd like to opt for a more natural remedy. I don't want him to be in pain though either- does anyone know anything I can give him for the pain? He's a Border Collie-mix, right around 50 lbs. Thanks for your help!"

[YEA]  11/15/2009: Dianne from Houston, Tx writes: "My dog has been constantly itching for months. I have had two different vets look at her, and they each thought it was some sort of food allergy. One thought it was a flea allergy however I use Advantage every month and have not found a flea on her anywhere. Last week I noticed how thin her hair was getting on her rearend, and googled the symptoms. I found your site and now believe she has had mange all this time. I went to the store immediately and put together the concoction. She had INSTANT relief. I waited 3 days and did it again yesterday. She is calm, sleeping well, and not itching at all. Thank you Ted, for your receipe!"

Thank you, owner myself with dog with cushing disease."

HOW MUCH DO I START OUT WITH AS I DON'T WANT TO OVERDO IT. I WILL PROBABLY TRY 2-3 TBSPS. A DAY UNTIL ADVISED OTHERWISE.

I SURE HOPE THIS WORKS. KANSAS ALSO HAS SEVERE EAR INFECTIONS AND I AM GOING TO TRY THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, WATER & ALCOHOL MIXTURE TO CURE THE FUNGUS IN HER EARS. WISH US GOOD LUCK. THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED."

[YEA]  11/13/2009: Melissa from Alexandria, Va writes: "Feline Hyperesthesia Disorder - I have found that my cat improved 100% when switched to zero-grain food. These foods are usually not sold in major pet stores. You must seek out the mom and pop shops or order online. Also, increased exercise helps."

11/13/2009: Joy from Austin, Tx writes: "Animal mites do infect humans. I have found one website very helpful, and there is a regular email forum. It's called birdmites.org."

[QUESTION]  02/25/2009: Artie from Queens, NY writes: "Can Canine Ear Mites Get under Human Skin?

My friend's Rottweiller has ear mites and 3 vets tried to treat her but she wouldn't let them -- (this is what I'm told?) but she's such a sweet dog and I roughhouse with her almost every day and I've broke out in a rash and I feel a crawling sensation and tunnels on my hands AND my ears are being bitten-up. OF COURSE NO DOCTOR WILL EVEN LOOK but only gave me topical medication for scabies - AND I DO NOT HAVE SCABIES.

My question is: is it possible I got infected by canine ear mites? All this stuff sounds crazy to me but it's the only thing that makes any sense. I'd appreciate whatever help I can get and thanks so much! Artie G."

04/14/2009: Bev from Mt. Juliet, TN USA writes: "Black walnut hulls in the form of drops is effective on parasites, about 7 drops per day in a small glass of water for 3-4 weeks. I learned about this from a holographic health practitioner."

04/23/2009: Barb from Syracuse, NY writes: "I think it is possible that cat mites go onto humans. The scabies treatment will work as well, they are similar mites. Chlorine water from a pool is great, just make sure you keep the mites to yourself, should you visit a pool. You can suffocate the mites on your skin with cream, but they might keep hatching, so you have to be persistent."

06/30/2009: Jen from Monona, Iowa writes: "I've used this web site before and its great. I would see if your friends dog will let the owner put veggie oil in his ear that is infected.just a few drops.and massage the bottom of the ear. it wont kill the eggs but it does get ride of the live ones. clean with a cotton ball. it works i have used it on my lab. he was so happy!"

11/13/2009: Joy from Austin, Tx writes: "Animal mites do infect humans. I have found one website very helpful, and there is a regular email forum. It's called birdmites.org."

i used the tea remedy, but used green and pepermint and honey tea. it worked brilliantly. thanks site"

11/14/2009: Dawn from Punta Gorda, Florida writes: "My German Shepherd is 7yrs old and has been itching, scratching, knawing at himself, took him to the vet about 2months ago said he had a yeast infection between his toes, and under armpits, but the meds never worked, and it seems now he is black all over his belly...did your stuff work???"

[YEA]  07/03/2009: Claire from Port Charlotte, FL writes: "i have a nine month old german shephard and have spend thousands on him in vet bills due to asumed food allergies, meds you name it hes been on them. well i took matters into my own hands due to nothing else working and running out of money and patience.he had parvo when we got him and has been on all kinds of medications therafter and i read up on line and it clicked the meds were making him worse the itching, scratching,chewing i thought yeast infection makes perfect sense.i give him 1 table spoon of organic yoghurt, watch the sugar content, with a probiotic mixed in. use apple cidar vinegar in his water 1 to 2 tablespoons and spray the affected areas with 50/50 white vinegar and distilled water. its a slow process ita been 7 days he is not itching and his fur is deffinatly growing back wow all from me reading on this site and best of all no vet bills !!!!"

11/14/2009: Dawn from Punta Gorda, Florida writes: "My German Shepherd is 7yrs old and has been itching, scratching, knawing at himself, took him to the vet about 2months ago said he had a yeast infection between his toes, and under armpits, but the meds never worked, and it seems now he is black all over his belly...did your stuff work???"

11/13/2009: Evie from Torrance, Ca writes: "My 12 year old cat has really bad breath and her teeth have gotten bad with age. I noticed that she is drooling lately. She was a ferrel cat and is still skittish. I tried to look in her mouth to see what was going on but she would not let me. She hates the vet and has major anxiety when I try to put her in her carrying case. Do you have any recommendations to help her?"

[YEA]  11/13/2009: Teri from Nipomo, Ca writes: "I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have a older Shih Tzu that me and my family love dearly.He got a eye infection in one eye so we took to the Vet.The Vet. charged me $105.00 for the visit and $50.00 for 3 small medications.After applying the meds. for almost two weeks both eyes were infected and he couldn't open them.I came across your article on apple cider vinegar and thought that's not possible. How could putting the acv on his neck help clear up a eye infection? But I had some acv and nothing to lose. It worked in less then 20 minutes. Its unbelievable but it works."

11/13/2009: Bob from Crossvile, Tn writes: "We have a Shetland Sheep Dog about 13 years old. He got diabetes about a year ago. I give him two shots a day. His hearing has gone but his eye sight is ok for now. He eats Alpo Premium cuts and slices three times a day. Half can each time, then he loves to get a chicken breast strip for a treat. We are worried about his eye sight though. Is there anything that can be done to avoid it?? Thanks."

[YEA]  06/11/2008: Michelle from Cincinnati, Ohio writes: "Canine Diabetes: My dog, a border collie mix developed diabetes at age 9. Had to find a way to feed her hunger while keeping her trim. I did a little research and some by instinct. She got lots of green beans and spinich. I would give her a can before each cup (2 per day) of dog food. She also got 1 piece of raw chicken at her second feeding. My vet didn't like the raw chicken but she loved it and I never saw any issues with feeding it to her until she got older and her teeth were an issue. At that time I boiled the chicken and took it off the bone for her. People with diabetes have to eat regularly so I figured she had to also. If she seemed ravenous she got a can of veggies. She got 2 insulin shots per day. She became blind 4 years after becoming diabetic and lived that way for 2 years. She did great without her sight, you would never have know it if you saw her on the street. Her instincts and my eyes seemed to to the trick. She lived to 15 which I think is a good age for a dog of her size even if she had not had serious health issues. She only really got sick and failing the last 2 months of her life. Her last day, we went for a walk, she had some rice and chicken and then died during the night in her favorite corner of the yard."

11/13/2009: Bob from Crossvile, Tn writes: "We have a Shetland Sheep Dog about 13 years old. He got diabetes about a year ago. I give him two shots a day. His hearing has gone but his eye sight is ok for now. He eats Alpo Premium cuts and slices three times a day. Half can each time, then he loves to get a chicken breast strip for a treat. We are worried about his eye sight though. Is there anything that can be done to avoid it?? Thanks."

Is there any way an enlarged spleen can be treated in a dog? She has also been diagnosed as anemic. She is 10 and is given little if any time for survival.

Surgery is not an option.

Please help. She is a very large part of my family.

Thank you."

11/13/2009: James from Orange City, Fl writes: "Clobertasol Propionate Cream USP,0.05%. This is a prescription cream I had to use, but it works on our dog. Check it out, works great."

[QUESTION]  11/10/2006: Kathy from Cullman, Alabama writes: "My dachshound has black spots that appear on her stomach in different places. What causes this?"

Ted from Bangkok, Thailand writes: "Dear Kathy: The common cause of black spots on dogs, at least from where I live, is a fungus issue. Therefore, hydrogen peroxide 1% with saturated borax applied to skin, or 2% copper chloride helps. Again it is quite deep, so several applications may be needed."

[QUESTION]  01/17/2009: R from Yonkers, NY writes: "What causes these black spots? My dog has them too! She is constantly licking and bites at her skin. I have changed her diet and cook it myself and her ear infections have gone away, but I have noticed these black spots on her belly."

EC: One answer we found:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ask-Veterinarian-700/Dark-Spots-Dogs-Stomach.htm

"...It is not uncommon for spots to be on the abdomen of dogs, but for them to appear there over time, can be due to age, allergies, change of season, ect. This is only a pigment cluster in the skin, and should be no threat to your dog's health. If the spots seem to be growing, changing in color, become raised or tender to the touch, I would recommend a veterinary visit to have this physically examined. As of now, I don't think you have anything to be concerned about. My Shih Tzu, Charlie, is only 2 years old, and has terrible allergies this time of year. Every spring, sure enough, he gets spots on "his lower belly. A lot of things can trigger a pigment change, so don't you worry!

11/13/2009: James from Orange City, Fl writes: "Clobertasol Propionate Cream USP,0.05%. This is a prescription cream I had to use, but it works on our dog. Check it out, works great."

11/13/2009: Clara from Mississauga, Ontario writes: "Laurie, how old was the Maincoon? Mine is 17.5 years old. How long before the Maincoon did #2? My cat is having big problems. I've tried pumpkin twice yesterday, once, 1 teaspoon and again .5 teaspoon. Today I gave him another 3/4 teaspoon, always mixed in with his wet food. I've also given him water to keep him hydrated, but so far nothing has happened. Today, I believe is the 4th day that he will not have done #2. Please help! Recommend something. Thanks in advance. C from Mississauga"

[YEA]  07/22/2009: Lauri from Surprise, AZ writes: "I have a pet sitting business and was looking after a Maine Coon Cat that hadn't had a bowel movement for 3 days. He wasn't eating very much and so didn't go to the bathroom. I gave him 1 teaspoon of pure pumpkin and the very next day he went to the bathroom. I have continued to give it to him and he loves it."

11/13/2009: Clara from Mississauga, Ontario writes: "Laurie, how old was the Maincoon? Mine is 17.5 years old. How long before the Maincoon did #2? My cat is having big problems. I've tried pumpkin twice yesterday, once, 1 teaspoon and again .5 teaspoon. Today I gave him another 3/4 teaspoon, always mixed in with his wet food. I've also given him water to keep him hydrated, but so far nothing has happened. Today, I believe is the 4th day that he will not have done #2. Please help! Recommend something. Thanks in advance. C from Mississauga"

My 5 year old doberman bitch was spayed at 2 and has had mild urinary incontinence ever since which is starting to get worse (it increases after lots of exercise). The vet has said that it is due to the lack of hormones affecting the sphincter muscles and has put her on propalin which, although working, is expensive and makes her quite grumpy and restless. I would really like to find something natural to give her instead. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks :-)"

According to the vet, the lumps are caused by hormonal overproduction. He assured me that most likely the cysts will shrink when she matures or after she is sterilized but I noticed that within 3-4 days they almost doubled in size. She eats well, plays a lot and is very very active. I am going to send her to the vet again but I do not know what options there are since the cat is so young. I am looking for an alternative method and I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience with a young cat. Would you recommend this kind of treatment in this case? Thank you very much and I wish you and your pets the best of luck!"

11/11/2009: Rose from Tampa, Fl writes: "I have a black lab who has been suffering for 2 months and the vet stuff is not working... How often exactly did you bathe the dog with the solution and how often did you apply the paste? If you were to estimate how much solution you used to make the paste could you tell me the estimated measurements?"

[YEA]  09/07/2009: Patrick from Snellville, Georgia writes: "I have a brown brindle American/English Bulldog Mix. He was diagnosed with mange about 3 months ago June 2009. I used the medicated shampoo and the prescribed medicine from the vet it costs me about $100 or more. I used it as directed for about 6 weeks. The only things that happened were that my dog lost more hair very rapidly. I mean hair was coming off faster than ever. I asked the vet was this supposed to happen. He said yes. Just keep doing it. However, what didn't make sense to me was that if the medicine was supposed to cure the problem why was the problem getting worse?. Maybe there is some medical explanation for it, but I was extremely dissatisfied and concerned. So, I went to Home Depot and bought some 20 Mule Borax Powder ($3). I also went and bought 4 Bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide (3% 32 fluid oz) ($4). I got a pail and poured two of the 32 oz bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide in it and then I poured plenty of the 20 mule borax poweder in it enough that could be reasonably dissolved. I then mixed it with 4 cups of warm water. I took this solution and poured it all over my dog and scrub it in with a small brush. I am not good with measurements so my measurements are not scientific. The key is to just mix the borax, peroxide, and water together to get it to cover as much of the dogs body as possible. Do not wash off let it dry. The next step was that I used the same mixture without the water and created a paste of just borax and peroxide and I rubbed this on the specific hair loss areas. I did this once a week for three weeks. ALL of the hair has grown back. It costs about $15 total. One box of 20 Mule Borax ($3) is enough for all 3 treatments. You will need 12 bottles of hydrogen peroxide 32 oz bottles ($1 each total $12) Water (Free/Nominal Cost). That did it. This worked for me just this year, 2009, in the month of August. I am just sharing this information so that hopefully you can save some money and keep your dog beautiful! IF anyone has any other questions, feel free to email me."

11/11/2009: Rose from Tampa, Fl writes: "I have a black lab who has been suffering for 2 months and the vet stuff is not working... How often exactly did you bathe the dog with the solution and how often did you apply the paste? If you were to estimate how much solution you used to make the paste could you tell me the estimated measurements?"

[YEA]  11/11/2009: Forest from Las Vegas, Nv, USA writes: "Yogurt for my dogs colitis has work right away. I came to your site for suggestions and came across yogurt for colitis.

I have been giving my 9 year old dog pumpkin for fiber suggested by the Vet due to the dogs colitis but my dog after a year and half still was suffering with diarrhea off and on. I also tried Yams treats even purchase a dehydrator to make my dogs treats but the yam treats made the diarrhea worse. So I stop giving the yams.

Now I give my dog 1 tablespoon for yogurt morning and evening and Wala! It is gone now for 4 days! Yeah! It work over night. I will wait a week of no diarrhea then introduce the yam treats again and see what happens.

Thank you so much. I use this wonderful website often and tell clients who come from all over the world your great site here. Thank you!"

11/12/2009: Teetah3 from Orlando, Fl writes: "the key in this cat food is that the bites are of different shapes and sizes. this slows the cat down when they eat and causes them to actually chew their food. many cats get used to the size and shape of their food and just get lazy about chewing. when lots of unchewed food hits the tummy, especially as the cat ages, the tummy just can't digest. so, vomiting results. you don't need to spend big bucks on the fancy food. just find a brand that has different shapes of food in the same box. kind of like lucky charms for cats!"

[YEA]  04/18/2008: Julie from Las Vegas, Nevada writes: "My cat was vomiting all the time. A lady told me about Royal Canin cat food; they have a formula Special 33, which is for intestinal problems. It worked!"

11/12/2009: Teetah3 from Orlando, Fl writes: "the key in this cat food is that the bites are of different shapes and sizes. this slows the cat down when they eat and causes them to actually chew their food. many cats get used to the size and shape of their food and just get lazy about chewing. when lots of unchewed food hits the tummy, especially as the cat ages, the tummy just can't digest. so, vomiting results. you don't need to spend big bucks on the fancy food. just find a brand that has different shapes of food in the same box. kind of like lucky charms for cats!"

11/12/2009: Marilynmfan from Trinity, Tx Usa writes: "The shampoo to use for yeast infections in Malaseb. You can find it at your vet. If they are out, it is on backorder because the plant is relocating and suspended shipping temporarily until in the new facility. I have a 6yr old rescue english bullie who came to me with severe yeast problems and between some natural remedies, vinegar and acidopholus tablets, he is doing wonderful."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  04/01/2009: Karen from Longpond, Pennsylvania writes: "i have a 4 1/2 year old weimaraner (penny) and she has had this rash forever it has just started to get worse with in the last 2 months i have changed her food to wellness and have started her on 1/4 cup of yogurt with 2capsules of acidophilus sprinkled in i also bathe her with a medicated shampoo 2times a week i think thier is little improvement but her skin seems to be drier then normal any idea on how long this will take to heal and what else can i do?"

04/08/2009: Jimmy from Bedford, Texas writes: "it takes about 2-3 weeks to see results, my cocker was just as bad, no potato products or sugars, this promotes yeast. keep up the med bathing, acidophilus,which comes in a powder form at pet shops, i also gave him Vitamin A 400mg aday capsule, its been 2months and he doing great. no more keeping us up at nite scratching."

05/05/2009: Melissa from Austin, Texas writes: "My poor Schnauzer has been suffering of a yeast inferction for so long. I have taken him to the vet and they told me he had "allergies" and I paid for all these tests and dermatologists. After much money wasted, I gave up. Recently, I found an antifungal shampoo that has been a dream come true! My dog is finally sleeping through the night and not chewing his paws anymore. The constant scratching has finally stopped. He is no longer musky and smelly the day after a bath. The antibacterial/antifungal shampoo has Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate. It can be used on dogs, cats, and horses. For the first few weeks you have to bath them twice a week and then once a week until the yeast infection is gone. Please dont waste anymore time and look for this shampoo. After you read some of the reviews on it, you will be sold!"

05/06/2009: Karen from Longpond, Pennsylvania writes: "can you tell me where to get the shampoo and possibly the name"

05/11/2009: Diane from Scranton, PA.USA writes: "I have a black lab with horrible allergies and skin problems. Under her arms, her belly she would need to go on steroids, for 6 weeks, then it went away, it wold come back with more vengence, more steriods, some time antiobiotics and then the yeast wold start in her ear. I read everyting I could on her. I switched her to a holistic.natural dog food, gave her yogurt and raw veggies daily. It took 5 months, YES 5 MONTHS before I saw a difference. She came down with a terrible case of hives she was covered all over by big red spotches under her fur. In 24 hours it went away and she started to heal. She hasnt had an anitobitoic in 6 months, the longedt in her life. I think the hives, were her body just ridding itself of the allergies and infections. She now is growing hair everywhere she lost it, she isnt hot or bothered or scratching. The ears are a little harder to cure and I use ear drops as needed but cant seem to find anything natural that works. I think I found a vet who will work with me on only the barest of vaccinations, I dont beleive in them either. Have two other resuce pups and all are on the natural food and yogurt and raw veggies. I notice a difference in stools and a big difference in teeth and tartar. Did alot of reading in what they put into Grocery store and vet shop brands. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!!"

06/13/2009: Wendy from Pennsylvania, USA writes: "Hello, I happended to notice your post when looking for remedies on another subject. My mom has a 2 yr old wiemeraner and she is wild. we love her, anyway, she started getting a rash when she was a year old and its pretty much never went away, it gets a little better sometimes, but it is always dry.The vet said weimeramers have really thin sensitive skin, i dont know about yours but my moms dogs ears are very silky and thin.(though her rash is usually on her belly. her vet prescribed some type of hydrocortizone creme that really helps with the dry itchiness and its sensitive to the redness. He said she is allergic to colors, if they steer away from colored bones and colored food for people - it helps."

09/22/2009: Olga from Jamesville, Virginia writes: "Melissa from Austin, Texas, could you please give me the name of that shampoo and where to buy it?

I have exactly the same situation. I have a Bloodhound who has a very bad yeast infection. I took him to the wet many times. After a lot of different tests, they sent me to the dermatologist who said that my dog has allergies (especially allergic to dust) and prescribed "special shots." I spent so much money, but nothing helped. Finally I gave up and stopped giving him those shots (they didnt help anyway). Now I wash him every week. I dont think he is getting better, but he is not getting worse and Im grateful for that. But I would love to purchase the same shampoo that helped your dog. I just feel so bad that I cannot do anything for my dog to help him get rid of this infection. Thank you!"

EC: Do a google search on "Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate" and you will find the shampoo!

11/12/2009: Marilynmfan from Trinity, Tx Usa writes: "The shampoo to use for yeast infections in Malaseb. You can find it at your vet. If they are out, it is on backorder because the plant is relocating and suspended shipping temporarily until in the new facility. I have a 6yr old rescue english bullie who came to me with severe yeast problems and between some natural remedies, vinegar and acidopholus tablets, he is doing wonderful."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/12/2009: Sunday from Los Angeles, Ca writes: "My puppy just received a cortisone shot for what appeared to be allergies. After reading these entries, I feel upset that the vet did not tell me the possible side effects. She pants a lot, and seems depressed. She didnt even feel like going out to play and sleeps a lot. Now I'm worried!!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  04/09/2008: Carole from Gauteng, South Africa writes: "My 14 year old bull terrier died last night. The day before she had received an injection for a very bad flea allergy. Our vet said that she needed to have drastic treatment for a drastic problem. Yesterday she was panting and having what sounded like a very bad kennel cough. I telephoned the vet twice and was told this was a side effect which should last 24 hours. Her tummy was also swollen which, I was told, was a side effect of the cortisone. It was awful to watch our poor dog suffer, and we can only think that she had a heart attack or stroke as a result of this constant panting and 'coughing'. We feel devastated. I now see that there is alot of controvasy around the use of cortisone. Had I known this I would have opted for a natural product. In all other ways, she was fit and healthy, even though she was getting on in age. Had I not been told by the two vets that this was a 'natural' side effect, I would have taken her back to my vet for treatment. I have no idea whether anything would have worked at this late stage though."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  05/16/2009: Chris from Clarence, NY writes: "Our lab had a cortisone injection and then died within a week. she was fine before that"

05/21/2009: Rosey from Elmont, New York, USA writes: "Use benadryl, it seems to work for my dog and thank you for publishing the side effects of cortisone, my dog just got a shot on monday now im seriously worried."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/12/2009: Sunday from Los Angeles, Ca writes: "My puppy just received a cortisone shot for what appeared to be allergies. After reading these entries, I feel upset that the vet did not tell me the possible side effects. She pants a lot, and seems depressed. She didnt even feel like going out to play and sleeps a lot. Now I'm worried!!"

11/11/2009: Rose from Tampa, Fl writes: "I am a bit confused.... Did you use those measurements for the daily spray??? And how much peroxide did you dilute with how much water??? Thank you my dog is in a lot of pain and I'd like to figure this out asap!"

[YEA]  10/29/2009: Abby from San Marcos, Texas writes: "Hi

I thought my dog just had dry skin from flea shampoos I'd been using and when people saw him they'd say I think he has mange! I found this web site and bought some Borax. I have treated him with the 3% peroxide diluted with water and a Tblsp Borax per cup of solution. I've done it three times and his hair is coming back and it seems to be working!!!!! I have also been putting olive oil on his dry skin and he's just itching like a normal dog now instead of a maniac! Thank you so much ... you've saved me hundreds of dollars in vet bills.."

11/11/2009: Rose from Tampa, Fl writes: "I am a bit confused.... Did you use those measurements for the daily spray??? And how much peroxide did you dilute with how much water??? Thank you my dog is in a lot of pain and I'd like to figure this out asap!"

[NAY]  11/11/2009: Mimi from Arlington, Tx writes: "I've been following Ted's mange cure instructions on my chihuahua for 4-6 weeks, shampooing him with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo from the vet and then using Ted's dip once a week. I also use just the dip another 1 or 2 times a week. I've had no change in symptoms on my dog. Recently he ran away and ended up at an animal hospital. When I picked him up, they had done a skin scraping and said that his infestation of mites was still very bad. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong since so many others are having good luck with the treatment. I've added a chicken, rice, vegetables home made diet to his menu along with fish oil supplements, echinecea, to build up his immune system. I'm about to try the Mitaban dips but really, really, don't want to due to the chemicals in it and due to the cost of the dips. I need to get my puppy better soon. He's been sick for a couple of months now. Does anyone have suggestions?"

11/10/2009: Suzanne From Oregon from Wilsonville, Oregon writes: "After spending way too much money in Vet visits which didn't make any progress against Max's (6 year old standard poodle) skin and ear yeast I got on the internet and found your site. We've just started the vinegar and live yoghurt treatment. So far Max has gotten two showers with an oatmeal based shampoo in the space of two days. Yesterday we used the 50% water/vinegar spray and put the drops of vinegar in his drinking water. Amazingly, he didn't end up smelling like an Easter egg, but this morning his skin still has obvious white specks and the yeast smell was back. After the second shower there are no visible white specks and he smells like a clean dog. I'll use the water/vinegar spray before he goes to bed to night and let you know what results we have in a couple of weeks. Thanks for sharing.

Suzanne from Oregon"

[QUESTION]  02/01/2009: Ambra from Kent, Washington writes: "I just came across this site after searching for information on Candida Yeast infection. We have spent several 100s of dollars in Vet bills because of his skin and ear infections that are accompoanied by a strong, unpleasant odor. Medications have done nothing. We are changing his food to one I make and will be adopting the ACV and yogurt regimen. I will be adding Acidophilus to the food also. His bathing will be followed by ACV,water, and rubbing alcohol mix spraying. I was considering using Kefir instead of yogurt. I can make it at home and have complete control of the ingredients. Has anyone else tried it? I am looking forward to reporting on his improvement."

[YEA]  02/02/2009: Ambra from Kent, Washington writes: "It's me and my Shih Tzu again. Have changed his food to Holistic, fed him yogurt and Acidophilus, and bathed him with medicated shampoo with a generous wetting of ACV solution. I am absolutely amazed at the fast change. In just two days the redness on the skin has greatly diminished, his mood has perked up and he does not smell as strongly. My gratitude goes to those who set up this website and all the pet owners who contribute feedback."

[YEA]  02/08/2009: Ambra from Kent, Washington writes: "It has been a week since I started my Shih Tzu on Holistic food and treats, kefir (a different form of acidophilus), ACV, and appropriate shampoo. The yeast infection is down by 75%, the awful smell is gone, Riley seems happy and does not scratch as much. It's hard to believe that such simple remedies have done what $$$$ of medications did not do. I am grateful to all those who have contributed feed back and input."

[YEA]  07/29/2009: Cat from Dallas, TX writes: "I am so glad that I found this website!!!! I have two Lhasa Apsos and a Lhasa Poodle mix. The first was a "street urchin" and the other two were adopted through a rescue. My second, Chugger has been plagued with ear infections and nasty, greasy skin for two years. They are on a raw diet and supplemented with the best dry food with no grains. I also spent three months making homemade dog loaf.... nothing worked. Since I read about kefir and ACV three weeks ago, the results are amazing. I'm also giving "Mommy Baths" at home with pine tar shampoo and I'm just baffled that the vets don't know that this works!

Thank God for Google and this website.

Cat, Chachacha, Chugger and Chiclet"

11/10/2009: Suzanne From Oregon from Wilsonville, Oregon writes: "After spending way too much money in Vet visits which didn't make any progress against Max's (6 year old standard poodle) skin and ear yeast I got on the internet and found your site. We've just started the vinegar and live yoghurt treatment. So far Max has gotten two showers with an oatmeal based shampoo in the space of two days. Yesterday we used the 50% water/vinegar spray and put the drops of vinegar in his drinking water. Amazingly, he didn't end up smelling like an Easter egg, but this morning his skin still has obvious white specks and the yeast smell was back. After the second shower there are no visible white specks and he smells like a clean dog. I'll use the water/vinegar spray before he goes to bed to night and let you know what results we have in a couple of weeks. Thanks for sharing.

Suzanne from Oregon"

11/10/2009: Jessica from Arlington, Va writes: "After coming home to find my cat lethargic and disinterested in food & water, I realized his left ear was causing him extreme amounts of pain. I searched online for advice as I wasn't interested in an expensive vet bill and unnecessary tests. I stumbled upon the posts for Apple Cider Vinegar and tried it on my cat. I mixed one cap of ACV with one cap of tepid water, placed in an infant ear irrigator and squeezed as much as my cat would allow into the ear, massaging the area when possible. He wasn't a fan of the process, however, after one day he was purring and eating again. After 2.5 days, the infection released and drained. After 3 days, he's pretty much back to normal. Thank you!"

[YEA]  11/10/2009: Cindy from Barry, Texas writes: "Apple Cider Vinegar works wonders! I have a 3yr old chocolate lab that suffered from re-occuring ear infections for over a year ! Many trips to the vet ,surgury for cleaning and prescription drugs ( over a $100 a month ) did not rid my girl of her ear aches ! I decided to search the web ! I found your site .Seems daisy is allergic to corn ! I changed her dog food and she gets 1 teasoon of vinegar a day. Its been 2 weeks and I have my girl back . Daisy has done so well that I give 1 teaspoon ACV to my 9 yr old chocolate lab who suffers from arthritis. Red barely limps now . Just Amazing ! My kids ( Red and Daisy ) now have a new lease on life thanks to this site and ACV!"

11/10/2009: Bethany from Caribou, Me, United States writes: "My cat also had an old pelvic injury before I got him. The vet diagnosed with an xray and said he could have been hit by a car at one time. Now he's on prednisolone 5 mg a day. He was also given laxanip and when I couldn't get him to eat that, he was given lactulose. That was just as bad to get into him with a syringe. They're both very sticky and messy too. Well, I bought a bottle of Stool Softener, Docusate Sodium 100 mg and I pill him once a day along with the pred. This has worked great so far. I would prefer to use natural remedies also and the vet said he may have to be on the pred. the rest of his life!"

[QUESTION]  05/06/2009: Dee from San Francisco, Ca writes: "cat pelvis injury - constipation: I want to stop giving my injured cat a laxative & try "natural" remedies - his pelvic opening is "narrower" because he fell 4 stories frm a window & hit concrete ! His left hip was pushed - up due to the impact ! The lax-eze is charcoal granules & requires me to roll 30-40 pellets a day ,which I have to force feed him [2x a day] this process takes an hr. a day - would like to add natural suppluments to his food so I am not "hand-cuffed" to him !

The ingredients in the Lax-eze : beet pulp, kelp, psyllium seed ,flax seed, oven dried chicken liver, papaya leaf, apple fiber, bentonite clay, diatomaceous earth. It is expensive @ time-consuming because it is a powder - I have to add 2 tblesp in 30-40 pellets.

P.S. He WILL NOT DIGEST PUMPKIN FILLING -he throws it up - that's the 1st. thing I tried on him !!"

06/25/2009: Lisa from San Jose, CA writes: "Hi -- sorry to hear about your little guy! Too bad the pumpkin trick didn't work. Are you feeding food for senior cats? These contain less fat and more fiber than maintenance foods. Some canned foods have a higher fiber content than the dry. Some hairball remedies may help too. You can also try mixing wheat bran (one tablesspoon per day) or Metamucil (one to three teaspoons per day) mixed into wet or liquid foods. My vet said the bulk laxatives can be used indefinitely without side affects.

Since your guy has trouble with the pumpkin, you can also try sweet potato. If you use the baby food sweet potato, make sure to read the ingredients to ensure there is NO onion or garlic. (Onion is known to be bad, various sources have different opinions of garlic.) There is a "natural" baby food brand, but I cannot recall the name which is just sweet potato and water.

Be careful with the Kat-a-lax and Laxatone. Repeated use may interfere with colon function.

Good luck!
Yours in purring solidarity,
Lisa and the zoo"

09/27/2009: Leelannee from Sussex, Nj writes: "This post is old, so I hope you already found a remedy, but maybe this will help someone else. My cat seems to get hemorrhoids, so I put a teaspoon of soluble, non-thickening fiber in his water. He gets a small, steady dose all day rather than a big dose in his food. It's very gentle, economical, and has no taste or texture, so it's completely unnoticeable! I get a generic form of benefiber at WalMart; it's called ___ and the ingredients are maltodextrin and guar gum."

11/10/2009: Bethany from Caribou, Me, United States writes: "My cat also had an old pelvic injury before I got him. The vet diagnosed with an xray and said he could have been hit by a car at one time. Now he's on prednisolone 5 mg a day. He was also given laxanip and when I couldn't get him to eat that, he was given lactulose. That was just as bad to get into him with a syringe. They're both very sticky and messy too. Well, I bought a bottle of Stool Softener, Docusate Sodium 100 mg and I pill him once a day along with the pred. This has worked great so far. I would prefer to use natural remedies also and the vet said he may have to be on the pred. the rest of his life!"

Thanks, Kathy"

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il, USA writes: "she might also be allergic to other things.. many cats are allergic to things used for cat litter.. like pine, or the dust from clay.. that could be irritating her.. also, feeding dry cat food could be a problem. I stopped feeding mine dry food, and only now give them grain-free wet food and give them some enzymess & omega-3 oils (which I provide through feeding them canned sardines - Stored in WATER, NOT OIL!). and their chronic upper respiratory problems went away!"

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  02/07/2009: Janet from Asheville, NC writes: "We adopted 2- 4mos old kittens which had just been fixed and treated with shots. we couldn't ask for better personality sisters but one immediately came down with terrible upper respiratory problems and runny eyes. I'm on day 3 of ACV treatment. It's worse when she wakes up and yesterday morning I almost broke down and brought her to the vet but I did the ACV to the neck and paws and dropped some diluted ACV in her mouth and she became much more spunky within an hour. I also have been putting some colloidal silver in the water and using an eyedropper to give her some ascorbic acid and lysine but I'm not sure if its enough to help. I also put some organic virgin coconut oil on their paws once a day. They seem to enjoy licking that off and the vinegar. Although the condition is not completely cleared up the cat is spunky and has a great appetite and the snuffling sounds are much diminshed so I'm gonna carry on. I also ordered some fulvic acid. As you can tell I'm not a big fan of vets or doctors. This is something note worthy - I wanted to give the sick one chlorella but she wouldn't eat it. While I was trying to interest her the one that wasn't sick ate 8 tablets! So she was running around super charged. I looked this morning to see if there was diarrhea and though there was a soft stool someone was having that before the chlorella incident so I don't think there was much side effect. I will write again with an update"

02/08/2009: Janet from Asheville, NC writes: "MORE GOOD NEWS! Before I went to work yesterday (day 3 of ACV for my kitten's URI) I finally got her to eat 2 chlorella and did another dose of ACV. I got Greenies Pill pockets and put the chlorella in it. The first day they turned their noses up at the pill pockets and I thought BUNK! but I tried it again on day 3 and kept putting in front of her nose and she'll eat them now. When I came home from work INCREDIBLE! No symptoms! If I listened real close I could hear a faint sinus constriction and this morning (day 4) no exasperation, she's cured! I want to emphasize this cat sounded like she swallowed a squeaky ball. On day 2 and 3 I also dropped some Colloidal silver in her eye because they were running so bad, (well day 3 not so bad). I'm supposed to take them to the vet for booster shots soon but I'm not so sure that will happen. Why wreck a good thing? This is probably the coolest website I know! Thanks for all your humanity!"

08/19/2009: Judych from Dover, Tasmania, Australia writes: "is there a forum here that i can access?? my cat has very bad runny eyes, sneezing all the time. she is eating though.....but certainly not very well at all. she has had it now for about five days. im trying to keep her inside but dont know what to do. ive been reading about cider vinegar...getting some this arvo...i need to know how to use it. can anyone help please judych"

08/20/2009: Judych from Dover, Tasmania, Australia writes: "i couldnt work out how my cat Tabs got her upper respiratory tract infecton...very bad running eyes, sneezing...very miserable. just couldnt work it out at all. she is an indoor cat. we certainly know about it if she comes in contact with other cats..and she hasnt. our garden is huge. we put a container of water outside 12 months ago and fill it up regularly. never think to do it every day or completely empty it out and wash the container. it came to me last night. she caught the infection from her water bowl in the garden. we know the cats have been coming in and drinking out of the bowl. how stupid of me not to realize that would be one way of her catching infections like this. we have now emptied out the container, washed it...and ive got another one right near the back door which i will watch all the time. judych"

08/20/2009: Judych from Dover, Tasmania, Australia writes: "can you tell me what chlorella is please?? ive never heard of it. is it in tablet form?? where abouts could i buy it then??. also, i want to thank everyone for their input here. i was desperate for info..something to work with and help me TAbs with. so .. thanks judych"

EC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorella

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il, USA writes: "she might also be allergic to other things.. many cats are allergic to things used for cat litter.. like pine, or the dust from clay.. that could be irritating her.. also, feeding dry cat food could be a problem. I stopped feeding mine dry food, and only now give them grain-free wet food and give them some enzymess & omega-3 oils (which I provide through feeding them canned sardines - Stored in WATER, NOT OIL!). and their chronic upper respiratory problems went away!"

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il, USA writes: "raw (unpasteurized) Apple Cider Vinagar (ACV) has many positive health benefits that distilled white does not. That's why I use it in my own food and drink all the time (and b/c it tastes good, too!)"

[QUESTION]  08/25/2009: Plurna from Waverly, Georgia, U.S.A. writes: "I'd like to know how often you give cats acv on the back of the neck and how often in their water. This may have been covered at some point but I'm not finding it in the posts. Thank you for this site and your time."

09/04/2009: Loulou from San Francisco, Ca, usa writes: "Thanks for everyone's input here. Very reassuring.

We suddenly found that our cat, LouLou was hosting a flea colony. In my desperation, I tried vinegar (distilled white). He's never been very fond of being combed, but the vinegar has gotten him very excited. He loves to lick my hands and his hair, sometimes he even investigates the bowl.

So, where some people might use vinegar to discourage some cat behaviors, mine just literally eats it up.

I will switch to ACV, but distilled white has been fine by him. Should I be concerned? Go figure. Here's a cat that like to eat shaven apple, raspberries and watermelon."

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il, USA writes: "raw (unpasteurized) Apple Cider Vinagar (ACV) has many positive health benefits that distilled white does not. That's why I use it in my own food and drink all the time (and b/c it tastes good, too!)"

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il writes: "My partner and I both drink unpasteurized ACV all the time, and am looking forward to giving my cats some & bathe them to get rid of the fleas!! They never drink water, and it is a problem.. I'll also report if their typical chronic persian cat eye/nose gunk problem clears up. Thanks!!!!!! and i think I'll use DE for the carpet!!"

[YEA]  08/02/2009: Rebecca from Oxford, Mississippi writes: "I just got a tiny Chihuahua puppy that was covered in fleas. There has been a major flea infestation this summer here in Mississippi. I already had a German Shepherd, Chihuahua, and 2 cats who are also infested. I just took the puppy and dipped her in a bowl of half water half white vinegar, THE FLEAS ARE OFF OF HER! I left the bowl sitting so that I can put any fleas I find in the bowl and let them die. I am about to dip my other Chihuahua and then spray down the German and the cats. Fleas really scramble and HATE this vinegar. I would rather smell the vinegar than have the fleas. I am also going to start putting it in their water. This is an amazing, cheap remedy. The Advantage, Advantix, Frontline, nothing worked...thank God for vinegar!"

08/31/2009: Carol from Pittsburgh, Pa writes: "I don't think it is a good idea to put vinegar in a pet's water. This is disgusting. If you wouldn't drink it why would they? You will make the pet not want to drink water and then they will have kidney trouble."

09/07/2009: Haley from Schenectady, Ny, Usa writes: "It's totally safe and healthful to use apple cider vinegar in a pet's water, as long as you buy the slightly more organic brand available in, say, the natural section at your local grocery store. Start with just adding a capful to a bowl of cold water, and mix it up a little. I haven't had one feline refuse - in fact, the water goes faster. Animals love salty tastes, that's why they lick us so much, and you can increase the amount if the flea infestation is very bad. This will also clear up any black gunk around a cats eyes or nose, and make their fur shiny and soft. As a cat owner for more than 20 years, always with multiple cats, I've never had a problem with water refusal due to vinegar as long as you buy organic apple cider vinegar. In contrast, I've had cats foam at the mouth when given drop flea treatments - which would you prefer?"

11/01/2009: Millee from Erie, Pa writes: "HEY CAROL.....I DO DRINK THE ACV MIXED W WATER EVERYDAY...LOL....HALF BOTTLE ON MY WAY TO WORK AND HALF ON THE WAY BACK.....IT'S GOOD FOR SO MANY THINGS AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND FURKIDS!!! GET THE UNFILITERED ONLY!!....USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORE.....WON'T GO IN TO ALL THE BENEFITS BUT JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!! I GOT IT ORIGINALLY FOR MY PETS BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BENEFITS STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF!! YOU JUST PUT IN ABOUT A TEASPOON TO A BOWL OF WATER....TASTES LIKE LEMON WATER!"

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il writes: "My partner and I both drink unpasteurized ACV all the time, and am looking forward to giving my cats some & bathe them to get rid of the fleas!! They never drink water, and it is a problem.. I'll also report if their typical chronic persian cat eye/nose gunk problem clears up. Thanks!!!!!! and i think I'll use DE for the carpet!!"

[YEA]  11/09/2009: Mamaneko from Roanoke, Va writes: "I love this website and I am very thankful for all the people who share their knowledge. I have tried many natural remedies posted on this site and I am so much healthier than before. My story is about my cat, 12 years old, who got very sick over 6 months ago. I panicked because I have been single for a long time, living very far away from my parents and siblings,so this cat is my only companion.

The diagnosis was severe pancreatitis. I was also told that he may also have IBD; irritable bowel disease. He had been throwing up a lot more frequently before, he had lost so much weight, looked really weak and very sick, and he started 'crying' in pain several times a day. I was told that it takes "a lot" of pain for a cat to cry like that because they usually tolerate much pain as a part of self-defense. In the nature cats either hide themselves or act like fine when they are sick so they won't become easy preys for other animals. I was basically told that there is no way of saving the life of my kitty. Pancreatitis is very difficult treat even for humans. He was fighting well although getting very weak, and I just could not give up on him.

My friend and I laid our hands on him and prayed. He survived the most difficult time when he really could have died, and the result of the second checkup showed that his pancreatits flare up calmed down but they found his lymph nodes were very swallen. I was told that he may have cancer but he was too weak to get biopsy to check if it is cancer, so I decided to just let him live as long as he would. I decided to live one day at a time, enjoy our quality time together before he was gone. I could not believe he got so sick because I had been feeding him the most (so-called) "natural" and expensive cat food from a specialty pet store.

In desperation, I started giving him "the ultimate natural diet" for cats, which is basically raw meat as undomesticated cats (like barn cats) would eat, since I remembered reading testimonies online about the raw meat diet for cats helping sickened cats survive. I fed him small pieces of raw chicken breast freshly cut out of a defrosted whole organic chicken as I was told to give him low-fat food. This did the wonders. He could no longer eat anything very dry and hard, like the premium low-carb dry cat food with no meat byproducts I had been feeding. It was too harsh on his weakened tummy. I could see his raw meat was very easy on his stomach. I gave him a little bit of it, and he asked for more. I fed him only the raw organic chicken brest for several weeks, and he recovered!

More than six months later, he is still with me, running around like nothing had happened. He gets a small amount of prednisolone now, which makes him "so hungry" and he eats like a pig, but he never gains weight. At his recent checkup with the vet, I was told that I can reduce the amount of the medicine because now we know it was not cancer (he had not been dead). He eats a lot of soft food including his favorite raw organic chicken (I mix dark meat also now), softened dry cat food with no animal byproducts low in fat (I soften dry cat food with the same amount of water), natural canned food low in fat. At one time, I read something that said cat food sold at stores are all "pasturized" or "cooked" and they just don't have the things that "raw meat" has which in the natural environment is the most authentic cat food.

Although my cat recovered, every 2 to 3 weeks he has some bad days when he throws up a few times a day looking like his intestine is irritated. The other day, I tried mixing extra virgin coconut oil which I take regularly in his food, and it worked!! It calmed down his upset stomach very quickly and he stopped vomiting. His coat look shiny and he is just so energetic zooming around a young kitty and being very playful. I wanted to share my experience for cat owners who are distressed with their sick cats. These things, and prayer, really worked for my cat. I hope my information will help other cat lovers who are looking for alternative remedy for their kitties."

11/09/2009: Ethereal from Kw, Canada writes: "Instead of a water bowl we have one of those pet fountains. It has a charcoal filter in it. Will this make the apple cider vinegar ineffective?"

I have a great dane that is 12 months old. She has had staph as a puppy in her paws. When we got her she had been to the vet to get shots and came down with parvo from the vets office. She has been healthy but recently her back paw swelled from the elbow on down. It stayed swelled for a few weeks. Started her on acv in her water and 1tsp. garlic in her food. The swelling went away but now it is back but in her ears, the flaps and the top of her head. Has anyone else dealt with this? She has been a "special" dog since day one. I think her immune system is messed up. Thanks."

11/09/2009: Lori from Alvin, Tx writes: "Please let me know how the treatment worked for your dog. My lab mix was just diagnosed with heartworms this morning. I plan to try the Black Walnut/Wormwood complex tincture and will let you know when I take him in for a recheck in a few months. Thanks for the input."

[YEA]  05/09/2009: Melissa from Dallas, Texas writes: "I have a 5 yr. old standard Jack Russell (Oliver) who weighs 25-lbs (not over weight-standards are bigger) that came to me 2 yrs ago when he needed a new home. He seemed in perfect health though he had not been to a vet for shots in a couple of years; he had fleas, and had chewed out patches of hair (til he was bleeding) because he itched so badly. I read up on the breed and learned that pink skinned dogs tend to have sensitive skin and can sometimes develop other issues due to being allergic to flea bites,foods etc... I was fortunate enough to run across your website - a definite favorite! We put him on a high quality diet, gave him 1 odorless garlic cap every morning,and I squeeze 1/2 of a fish oil capsule on his food at night.

I Gave him 1 childs BENEDRYL gel-cap to help w/the itching Morning & night (Afternoon if I was home).

I bathed him once w/ flea shampoo, waited 2 days then began bathing every other day w/ a NEEM OIL shampoo until fleas were gone and skin was clearly healing -now we bathe 1x per week or everyother week as needed. His skin is healthy, and coat thick and shiny -I do also use a monthly flea treatment (Hartz Ultra Plus -4 in 1) since Texas has a major flea problem. I figured he likely had worms since he had been virtually ignored outside, and treated w/ BLACK WALNUT/WORMWOOD COMPLEX tincture ( NOW-orange lable) under 10$ at the health food store. Very bitter taste; I mix 10 drops into 2 Tablespoons of wet dogfood (2X DAILY) and stir into the dry (giving a little less dry so as not to over feed).

We had our first vet visit yesterday, and Oliver is super healthy, and tested heart-worm negative! My vet is NOT too happy about my home remedy for heartworm prevention, but I will continue as I believe it really works - he felt it was ok for worm treatment in general but not for heartworms, said he thinks Oliver has just been lucky- I disagree, and told him to research it himself.

*WARNING... combining Garlic w/Fishoil leads to BAD GAS!!!!*#%*^! That is why I recommend not feeding both at the same time (at separate meals) Best of luck to all, and thanks for sharing your info!"

06/07/2009: Randy from Belmont, NC writes: "Thanks for alls input my 85 pound 1/2 rotty 1/2 timber 10 1/2 years was just diagnosed with heartworms vet put him on prednisose and a blood pressure reducer nothing for the heartworms thanks to all of your input he is now on 15 drops each of black walnut hull extract and woodworm (HERBALS) twice daily i will keep all posted I really hope this works"

11/09/2009: Lori from Alvin, Tx writes: "Please let me know how the treatment worked for your dog. My lab mix was just diagnosed with heartworms this morning. I plan to try the Black Walnut/Wormwood complex tincture and will let you know when I take him in for a recheck in a few months. Thanks for the input."

How is your Trev? I have an Italian Greyhound that is 13 and she has the same thing that Trev has. I had it biopsied and the vet called it 'hemangiopericytoma'. He said there was really no cure. It is a malignancy. It will keep growing back until it ruptures with bloody tissue everywhere, then maybe take it off again. But given her age I won't do that again. I have been looking all over the internet for some type of cure. I have seen several sites where people have used flaxseed oil mixed with cottage cheese twice a day and say that it has worked. Look for this on the internet to get a correct dosage. I hope this answer is not too late and good luck. I started my Lilly on it yesterday.

Diane"

04/15/2009: Marilyn from North Port, FL writes: "I have a few questions and I hope you can help. My Lab, Trev, is 13 1/2 years old. He has a non-cancerous tumor on his left leg. He has had surgery for removal but it keeps coming back. It is now bleeding constantly unless I keep it wrapped. Because of his age, the doctor does not want to perform surgery because it is so large it would mean removal of his leg. His back hips are bad and he has trouble getting up. Every time I change his wrap, it bleeds. I read your column about castor oil and bloodroot. I tried castor oil months ago and it did not help. I have never tried anything else. I don't know where to get bloodroot. If I can help him, I want to do what I can for him. According to the vet, he will have to be on antibiotics for the rest of his life and I have to change his bandage (it's a large wrap with an ace bandage around it), every two days. I am trying to avoid infection. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Marilyn"

11/08/2009: Diane from Pine Mountain, Ga writes: "Marilyn,

How is your Trev? I have an Italian Greyhound that is 13 and she has the same thing that Trev has. I had it biopsied and the vet called it 'hemangiopericytoma'. He said there was really no cure. It is a malignancy. It will keep growing back until it ruptures with bloody tissue everywhere, then maybe take it off again. But given her age I won't do that again. I have been looking all over the internet for some type of cure. I have seen several sites where people have used flaxseed oil mixed with cottage cheese twice a day and say that it has worked. Look for this on the internet to get a correct dosage. I hope this answer is not too late and good luck. I started my Lilly on it yesterday.

Diane"

[YEA]  11/08/2009: Fireball92 from Carbondale, Il, USA writes: "You really ought to try cedar oil... Especially- there is a company that uses a special blend that is deadly to ALL exoskeleton type insects (and their eggs and larvae). I had a terrible 2-year infestation. Tried every home-grown remedy and commercial remedy on my dogs and in my home... Spent $100'S of dollars but the darn things were indestructible! After another day on the net, I decided to try a cedar oil based product (so safe I apply it to the SKIN of my 2 yr-old granddaughter as a repellant for fleas and mosquitos) One treatment of my home and dog the hopping, biting critters were magically gone. The stuff is fabulous I think when comes to fleas and bedbugs - IT IS INFALLIBLE! - Dr. John"

11/07/2009: Alice from Shingle Springs, Ca, U.S.A. writes: "If you have a juicer, juice cruciferous family veggies like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and mix that with canned cat food. You can add fish oil and nettle powder and even safflower blossoms (health food store) turmeric and garlic oil as these all inhibit the inflammation. Pigs feet broth is also helpful for it's chondroitins which nourish joint cartiledge. Fixed my dog's arthritis in 2-3 weeks."

12/30/2008: EJ from Middleboro, MA, USA writes: "Arthritis in cats: My 12 year old Domestic short hair cat has been developing arthritis in her front elbows for the past few years. I don't want to give her any prescription or aspirin for pain, knowing what the side effects are. I'm looking for a natural alternative. I'm giving her some Glucosomine and Chondroitin treats daily. Some days she is better than others. I was reading on the internet about a product called synflex for pets and wonder if anyone has used this and what the results were. She eats Wellness brand canned food and has for years. She's not overweight (10 lbs), is indoor all day and has no stairs to contend with. She's still jumping up and down from the bed and playing periodically. I'm trying to keep her healthy and pain free. Any suggestions would be great. thanks!"

11/07/2009: Alice from Shingle Springs, Ca, U.S.A. writes: "If you have a juicer, juice cruciferous family veggies like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and mix that with canned cat food. You can add fish oil and nettle powder and even safflower blossoms (health food store) turmeric and garlic oil as these all inhibit the inflammation. Pigs feet broth is also helpful for it's chondroitins which nourish joint cartiledge. Fixed my dog's arthritis in 2-3 weeks."

Now what??"

11/07/2009: Rossi from Alameda, Ca writes: "Lavender oil or any essential oil should NEVER be used on cats. Their bodies cannot metabolize essential oils and they cause liver damage. It's proved fatal to some cats. More information: http://www.thelavendercat.com/"

[YEA]  01/26/2009: KENDRA from Anjung-ri, South Korea writes: "MY HUSBAND JUST RECENTLY RESCUED A STRAY DOG FROM A VET. THE DOG IS ABOUT TWO MONTHS OLD AND HAS BEEN LIVING WITH US FOR A WEEK NOW. I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED BLACK SPECS ALL OVER THE DOG IN ITS FUR. SO I KEPT SEARCHING AND I FOUND A FLEA... I READ TO USE ___ DISH SOAP SO I DID. I ONLY FOUND TWO DEAD FLEAS AND THAT ONE THAT WAS ALIVE, SO IT WORKED.... BUT I HAVE HARD WOOD FLOORS SO I SWEPT AND MOPPED WITH WATER, PINESOL, AND DAWN DISH SOAP... I ALSO WASHED ALL THE BEDDING IN THE HOUSE. WE COULDNT FIND ANY DEAD FLEAS OR ALIVE ONES ON THE FLOOR. DO YOU THINK WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A FLEA PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS... WHAT SHOULD WE DO??? SHOULD WE USE FRONTLINE ON OUR PUPPY AND OUR OTHER DOG WHO DOESNT HAVE FLEAS??? ALSO IS THERE SOME TYPE OF LOTION I CAN PUT ON THE DOGS SKIN BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO DRY HIS SKIN OUT??? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!"

[YEA]  01/27/2009: Brenda from Columbus, Ms writes: "I was told about JOY dish soap for fleas. I have used it several times on my dogs and it worked great. During bath time, I found dead fleas in the water. I haven't noticed any drying of the skin. I only used it 2 times for one week. You can also use lavender oil to keep fleas off your pets and their bedding. Just rub a cotton ball with lavender oil down their back. This works for me and it smells nice too."

11/07/2009: Rossi from Alameda, Ca writes: "Lavender oil or any essential oil should NEVER be used on cats. Their bodies cannot metabolize essential oils and they cause liver damage. It's proved fatal to some cats. More information: http://www.thelavendercat.com/"

I almost lost him. I look out for the frogs when walking. What I didn't expect was the frog to be on my patio. Today when moving a table several tiny frogs hopped about and 1 had been mangled and chewed up this in the very spot my dog went into seizures. I now know not to leave food out and plan to put aluminum panels along the 18" base where the screen is lose."

[YEA]  05/21/2009: Grateful from West Palm Beach, FL writes: "Vinegar cured a dog poisoned by a bufo frog

We live in rural South Florida and have a lot of bufo frogs in the yard. Our small dog was outside in the evening after a rain, when it was prime weather for them to be out. When my wife called him in, he didn't come. She found this unusual, so went out to find him, and he was staggering around in circles under a bush. She came in to call for me to help, but by the time we were able to get to him he had fallen over and had lost all motor control. He had clearly been poisoned by a frog.

By the time we got him inside where we could see him in the light, he looked done for. We are a long way from an emergency vet and doubted we could get him there in time. Within the first couple of minutes he could not move a muscle and his eyes were rolling back in his head. Although we washed out his mouth as best we could with his jaw locked, he had ingested too much poison already. I also noticed his ears were sticky, which from what I read now after the fact sounds consistent with the poison.

In desperation I ran a quick search on the web for remedies and ran across your site. I tried vinegar as you recommended, and when I spilled it on the outside of his mouth or got some in with an eyedropper he licked his lips - his tongue must have been the last muscle he could use and I suppose it was an involuntary reaction. By then he had gone entirely stiff with all his muscles contracted, and only his tongue and eyes were moving. He probably drank (not including spillage) about 1/4 cup of vinegar - this for a 10 pound dog - before we started to slow it down, as that's a lot of vinegar. Relative to size, that's like an adult person drinking a quart or so. Ugh! We also kept petting him, talking to him, stretching his limbs, and stimulating his paws and tail to try to get back sensation - I have no idea if this was useful or not.

After about 15 minutes with no apparent change I was trying to get him to take some egg white, as I read elsewhere, but with little luck. We still doubted whether he was going to make it. However, he slowly started moving his head to follow my daughter around, then stretched his front paws, and shortly stood back up and started staggering around again. Within a few more minutes, he was walking more normally but in circles, and a few minutes later was running around the house with his tail back out. He isn't quite himself yet an hour later, but we're hoping the remaining effects will wear off. It was a remarkable recovery after we'd assumed that we had lost him.

It sure seemed like the vinegar did it, unless the effects were wearing off on their own. Thanks for the recommendation!"

08/30/2009: Marjorie from Sebring, Florida writes: "My Yorkshire Terrier got a Bufo Toad this morning - I had trouble getting it from him. I had to give him a piece of baked chicken which he grabbed and I grabbed that awful toad. I tried to flush his mouth out with water but only got a little when he had locked his jaws. I got an empty vitamin bottle dropper and tried rinsing his mouth with the dropper, sticking it in his mouth and wiping off the slime. I immediately shoved 1/2 Benadryl in his mouth. He did swallow it. I had called my vet. By this time he had gone into convulsions, had had bowel movements and was in a seizure. I held him, and prayed. The vet asked if I had any seizure medication - I had some of my own. Topamax Sprinkle caps. She heard him making sounds and said, give him a little of it - it can't hurt and it may save his life. So I pried open his jaws and sprinkled a tiny bit of the sprinkles in from the capsule. I sat and calmed him, massaging him and praying. Then when the convulsions had subsided I had to drive 45 minutes to get to an animal hospital. He was stiff and his eyes were fixed but the pupils were darting. They immediately put him on IV's, and did tests. His heart was okay. I don't know what all they did but my little dog survived. He is still at the hospital overnight to watch for seizure activity but when I visited him this afternoon he was alert, kissing me, stood up and walked some. It is a miracle and I honestly believe It was the prayer that saved him. He was dying. I wished I had known about the vinegar because honestly, trying to rinse water out of a dog's mouth who has been in contact with one of those toads is almost impossible."

09/24/2009: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl writes: "I had no idea about these frogs until couple of years ago, when one Saturday I had some family visiting me and I let the dogs out in the backyard for a little while. Later I brought them inside and one of my nieces got my attention because she was laughing at Mitzy (my shiba Inu mix). When I looked at her she was trying to stay on a sitting position but couldn't. After seeing her facial expression (Yes my dog has facial expressions, don't ask me how but she does!) I knew something wasn't right. So I told everybody I was sorry but I had to leave to the vet ASAP. I put her on my car and by this time she is foaming on her mouth and her face was like she was drunk and finally got her to the vet (And all I could think of is that she ate poison, even though I don't use poison around the house). She was put on IV and then I took her home, the vet never knew what caused this (They even suggested that she was epileptic!). About 2 or 3 weeks after the incident I was watering my plants and I noticed her going from pot to pot and all of the sudden she stop and backed away from this pot and when I looked there was a beige with brown spots, round frog. Eureka!! This is how I found out about buffo frogs. I thank God that my reaction was to run with her right away to the vet. I also thank God for having found this website; now I know what to do if it happens again. Thank you EC and everyone that take their time to write."

11/06/2009: Kayj from Lake Worth, Fl writes: "I have a two year old male terrier I heard a story about a woman losing two terriers to Bufo Frog poisoning, I am always cautious when walking my dog at night going as far as to carry a flash light to spot the frogs before he does. We were on the patio and suddenly I found him having seizures, I too rinsed his mouth and prayed and cried as my neighbor tried to do the same, she then took us to the emergency Vet, they had to give hom 10mg of Diazepam, propfol and kept him over night on an IV to flush with fluid.

I almost lost him. I look out for the frogs when walking. What I didn't expect was the frog to be on my patio. Today when moving a table several tiny frogs hopped about and 1 had been mangled and chewed up this in the very spot my dog went into seizures. I now know not to leave food out and plan to put aluminum panels along the 18" base where the screen is lose."

[WARNING!]  11/05/2009: Patricia from Miami, Florida writes: "My vet has informed me that raw eggs are not good to give to your dog, he mentioned it could have a detrimental effect on the liver. I have seen other posts where people have recommended raw eggs for pets though."

[YEA]  11/04/2009: Mama02girls from Moundsville, Wv writes: "Tried the mange cure when it got bad. Had to do it three times. First time I did not spray the dog's house and it came back. Second time I did not spray the grass where he lays and it came back. After the third time of it coming back I bought a childs swimming pool, mixed one bottle of peroxide with Ted's recommended mix and kept pouring it over the dog, re-using the stuff that poured off of the dog into the pool. When I felt he was doused enough, I used the extra to spray his house and the grass. (it was a bit dirty but I figured it didn't matter.) Well, it's been months and it didn't come back!!! My cat also had a patch (she is the dog's best friend and lays with him in his dog house.) Only one application for her and it was gone. Thanks Ted!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/04/2009: Debbie from Houston, Texas writes: "Please commemt on this request because I feel so terrible today after losing my new puppy, Suzie. She was a long haired chiwa and six weeks old. She was in great health when I brought her home last Sunday, running and playing and so cute. I was advised by my Vet to bring her in for her first shot for distemper/parvo because I have a a sweet chow at home that is ten years old and I have had her since birth. My puppy, suzie, had her vac on friday and Sunday night she was sick, bloody stool and heaving. I called my vet and he had an attitude. I called my friend and she called her vet and he saw her immediately. She was tested for parvo but negative. He called it some type of intestinal bacteria of the lining of the stomach. She received shots of penn, liquid i.v., nausea, b-12 and he said we could only hope for the best. She was better on tuesday and we started her on pedilite. Wednesday morning she was dead. I believe that it was the vac she had on friday afternoon, maybe it was to strong for her tiny frame or possibly some kind of reaction. Of course the old vet refused to comment and the new one would not comment about the other. I just cannot get a grip on this. Can someone please give me some type of opinion on what you think it could have been?"

[QUESTION]  11/04/2009: Jack from Tyler, Tx writes: "Mange: Trying to set up measurements correctly and do not understand how much 1000 cc of water is. Can you put that in oz, quarts or gallons for me.

Thank you"

EC: We used the google calculator for this:

1000 cc = 4.22675284 US cups
1000 cc = 33.8140227 US fluid ounces
1000 cc = 1.05668821 US quarts
1000 cc = 0.264172052 US gallons

11/04/2009: Karmala from Templeton, Ca writes: "To Jeanie from Fort Bragg. You write that you still feed the chicken jerky in small amounts as you think the problem might be in the feeding method. I would ask you to PLEASE reconsider. You state that you have not seen any negative reaction in your pet... that's what everyone says...until the reactions occur...sometimes it's then too late to correct it. With so many natural and organic options available for treats... why risk your pet's health/life? Shouldn't we... as responsible pet companions... do everything within our power to protect them? Would you continue to feed something to your children if you knew it would potentially harm them. I am not judging you, Jeanie... only asking you to please weigh it all out. There have been too many recalls of products from China (pet food, baby food, fish, etc.) over the past 5 years to NOT give this due diligence."

09/15/2009: Jeanie from Fort Bragg, Ca writes: "I just read the warning on chicken jerky products. We feed these occasionally and I'm assuming they're from China so this makes me nervous. However, I haven't seen ill effects from them. I use them in small amounts occasionally as a training treat.

One possible reason people are having trouble with them occurred to me. I know from my study of human nutrition and traditional diet (like those studied by Weston A. Price) that protein should never be consumed without ample dietary fat as that will deplete the body of fat-soluble vitamins. Also, minerals can't be absorbed properly without fat and vitamins A and D (real, pre-formed Vit. A, not beta-carotene, and natural Vit. D2--cholecalciferol-- not synthetic Vit. D2 or ergocalciferol). So I wonder whether sometimes people are feeding too much of these lean chicken strips and it is throwing off the fat/protein balance in their diets. For more information on this as researched in humans, see the Weston A. Price Foundation website (nonprofit educational site so I hope you'll publish the URL: http://www.westonaprice.org) and read about good fats and traditional diets. So adding extra fat when using the chicken strips could possibly help. It's not the fat that makes them fat, unless you're overfeeding food quantity in general, it's the carbs from grains, fruits, vegetables, which are biologically inappropriate for dogs. A little vegetable matter is ok, especially greens, but please don't feed your dogs grains or fruits."

11/04/2009: Karmala from Templeton, Ca writes: "To Jeanie from Fort Bragg. You write that you still feed the chicken jerky in small amounts as you think the problem might be in the feeding method. I would ask you to PLEASE reconsider. You state that you have not seen any negative reaction in your pet... that's what everyone says...until the reactions occur...sometimes it's then too late to correct it. With so many natural and organic options available for treats... why risk your pet's health/life? Shouldn't we... as responsible pet companions... do everything within our power to protect them? Would you continue to feed something to your children if you knew it would potentially harm them. I am not judging you, Jeanie... only asking you to please weigh it all out. There have been too many recalls of products from China (pet food, baby food, fish, etc.) over the past 5 years to NOT give this due diligence."

I have British Bulldogs and one of them started geting what I found out to be hot spots... I was horrified...I brought her to the vet, she was diagnosed and given various medication...it seemed to be taking ages to clear, then I got some sea water and applied it 2ce daily, within a few days it cleared up......then out of the blue a few months later I noticed one behind her ear,about 3 inches long 2 inches wide...I went to the sea straight away and got a bottle of sea water, I applied it to the area 2ce daily and in three days it had completely dried up, and within a week you would barely see any sign of it..No vet visit required and No vet bills...Hope this is of help..The main thing is to catch it asap and treat it by dabbing the sea water to the area, no need for shaving,clipping etc..Sea water is Magic!!"

11/03/2009: Michelle from Rock Hill, Sc writes: "Just so everyone knows... When giving Garlic it needs to be fresh... Cooked Garlic, for some reason, does not work as well. One piece of Garlic Clove or about a table spoon of Crushed Garlic once a week should be enough. Too much Garlic will make your Pet sick.. But Fresh Garlic, helps keep fleas off, and Kills Intestinal Worms. (I hide the Garlic in a a cooked egg, or a piece of sandwich meat )"

09/21/2009: Katherine from Raytown, Missouri writes: "I have an 11 year old saint/sheperd mix with the most stubborn fleas i have all the sprays and powders i can think of and still have fleas, we shaved off his hair cause he now has hot spots everywhere and couldn't treat them through his hair. I cook with garlic almost daily and pour the juice over his food does it not work if you cook it? I will try the vinger too cause i also have a 20 year old cat who is senile and can't remember if she ate seriously, she is very small has been for past 17 yrs that i have had her don't know why vet says she is healthly just little like 7 pounds. Don't want to use chemicals cause we have a 10 month old baby who crawls and puts everything in her mouth and worried about making her sick. will the cat drink the water and not get sick? willing to try everything thanks for the advise."

09/22/2009: Katherine from Raytown, Missouri writes: "we feed him whatever is on sale, he's been on ol'roy for the past 6months.I use the store brands and then give him chicken breast, ground chuck, and pork in his food whatever meat we are eating he gets and always gets the broth from what we cook, only thing he doesn't get is dairy found he to be lactose intolerant. I bathed him again in dawn and tried the acv last night and covered my house in it too, wet my carpet with it before we went to bed and furniture too, so far this morning i don't see fleas on him or my daughter. Cats aren't happy bathed all three of them in dawm and acv 2 are 12yrs old outside only and the other is 20yrs old and i don't let her out cause she is too senile to come back in. we fed the cats friskies.so cats are mad and my house smells like pickles but if it gets rid of the fleas i don't care what it smells like lol. do you need to repeat anytime soon? i put some acv in the water too will do that daily."

EC: Thank you for the update!

11/03/2009: Michelle from Rock Hill, Sc writes: "Just so everyone knows... When giving Garlic it needs to be fresh... Cooked Garlic, for some reason, does not work as well. One piece of Garlic Clove or about a table spoon of Crushed Garlic once a week should be enough. Too much Garlic will make your Pet sick.. But Fresh Garlic, helps keep fleas off, and Kills Intestinal Worms. (I hide the Garlic in a a cooked egg, or a piece of sandwich meat )"

11/03/2009: Joly from Sacramento, California writes: "The main thing is that is not be heated (pasteurized). It should say "raw" or "unpasteurized". But the best has the "mother"--the icky-looking stuff that makes it cloudy, and may be in strings. Very helpful if organic. Get that as soon as you can."

06/23/2009: Multiplecatmom from In the middle of New Jersey writes: "Question - Reading numerous posts about Apple Cider Vinegar and Cats with Crystals. If it is not organic or raw is it ineffective?"

08/20/2009: Judych from Dover, Tasmania Australia writes: "i need to know if apple cider vinegar is effective if it isnt organic. im trying to buy some today through a friend but im isolated here and may not have access to it. judych. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS. judych"

09/08/2009: Kyle from Jacksonville, Florida writes: "If the ACV is not organic (it may be filtered, etc.) it generally loses ALOT of its natural enzymes and is therefore not nearly as effective, if at all. Only try to buy the ACV with the "mother"."

11/03/2009: Joly from Sacramento, California writes: "The main thing is that is not be heated (pasteurized). It should say "raw" or "unpasteurized". But the best has the "mother"--the icky-looking stuff that makes it cloudy, and may be in strings. Very helpful if organic. Get that as soon as you can."

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

[YEA]  05/07/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta, Canada writes: "Hello, my cat Spillo is 9 years old and has suffered for 8 years from serious cystitis. He has had too many blockages to even count. I have spent approximately $15,000.00 over these past 8 years due to the cystitis/blockages. He will act strange every couple of months, doing the licking and back and forth to the litter box. Because he has such a horrible track record with blockages, I have no other choice but to bring him to emergency or the regular vet every time he acts this way. At times it is just imflammation of the bladder, other times it has been bladder infections, and of course the other times it is blockage. The symtoms are the same for all of these so I always have to treat it as a blockage and take him to the vet. I was told last month that due to the number of times he has been put under, his kidneys are starting to weaken. They suggested that I make a decision to put him down. Well, that advice tore me into tiny bits. He is only 9 years old!! At the end of March I found this website and have been giving him 1cc of acv diluted with distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid TWICE a day. (Most vets can give you a 20cc syringe). The end of March is when he was unblocked and was pretty lifeless for a few days after the procedure. The first time I gave him the 1cc of acv with the distilled water he vomitted and then perked up immediately. Now every time I give him the acv mixture he asks for food and is so much more energetic. I don't know if he is producing less crystals. I will have to give an update after a couple of months. All I know is that he seems to be doing much better. I hope that this truly is the answer and that he will never block or have an episode of cystitis again. Only time will tell. I will be sure to give an update!

FYI his daily routine is as follows:
Morning-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Afternoon-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Evening-40cc's of Distilled water given orally. 2cc's of liquid glucosamine given orally.

I am now in the process of switching him to a raw food diet. Everybody please cross your fingers for me. "

10/23/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta writes: "Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future."

10/26/2009: Kathy from Wincanton, Uk writes: "Hi - please can you elaborate on your raw food diet. what do you feed your cat. My cat is prone to being overweight and suffers from cystitis> I am going to try the ACV immediately but also wondered about the raw diet. The vet has him on a special very expensive urinary diet at the moment which is all very well, but it contains additives etc which I dont like - thanks for any help"

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

11/02/2009: Tammy from Malone, Ny writes: "How is your puppy now?"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Kristina from Norwich, Ct Usa writes: "distemper reaction

I brought my 10 week old boxer in for his first distemper vaccination. All seemed fine, 2 days after he got the shot, my energetic puppy was unable to stand. The next day that the vet was open we brought him in and began testing him for lyme disease. It seemed very unlikely that he had lyme due to the limited exposure to the outdoors. We proceeded to give the puppy amox. and an anti-inflamatory med because the puppies joints were swollen. two days later the puppy is running around as if nothing ever happened. In between, we had x-rays and a full panel of blood work. We've come to our own decision that the vaccine was to blame. Now he is need of two more rounds of this shot and we are afraid to give it to him"

11/02/2009: Tammy from Malone, Ny writes: "How is your puppy now?"

11/01/2009: Alimorg from Stoke-on-trent, England writes: "My border terrier also likes to eat buttercup leaves and I was wondering the same thing about something missing in her diet. I try to stop her from eating the leaves but she has never shown any ill effects from doing so! Let's hope someone can throw somw light on this - she seems to ignore other plants."

[QUESTION]  09/11/2009: Marcia from USA writes: "Buttercup - poisonous to dogs? Formerly my Border terrier was grass grazer, but lately she has turned to buttercup leaves. Of course, I stop her. However, is there something missing in her diet that makes her look for this plant?"

11/01/2009: Alimorg from Stoke-on-trent, England writes: "My border terrier also likes to eat buttercup leaves and I was wondering the same thing about something missing in her diet. I try to stop her from eating the leaves but she has never shown any ill effects from doing so! Let's hope someone can throw somw light on this - she seems to ignore other plants."

11/01/2009: Jean from Park Ridge, Il writes: "WHAT is ACV?"

EC: ACV is an acronym for Apple Cider Vinegar.

[YEA]  04/09/2009: Tracey from Mechanicsburg, PA writes: "My Aussie mix had a hot spot on his back paw that he had licked open for three monts. I tried steroids, antibiotics, homeopathic bandages supposed to deter licking, and even gave him allegy medicine everyday to stop the activity. All to no avail. I then saw the Apple Cider Vinegar post last Saturday and began applying a diluted amount ot his paw three times a day. I also have a "cone" on him so he doesn't mess with the paw until its completely healed. It is now four days later and I can not believe how quickly the wound has almost completely healed! No more open readness and the fur is even coming back. I am very thankful for everyone's feedback regarding the powerful effects of ACV on hot spots!"

[YEA]  04/26/2009: Helene from Stony Point, Rockland County writes: "Thank you for reminding me of acv. I have been using it in our pets h2o for years it helps control fleas plus gives them a shiny coat. Just a teasp.in a bowl of h2o.Today I found a hot spot on our german shep.under his rt.armpit about 3in.by 3in. I I used 1 tablespoon epsom salts and 1 tablespoon acv in 16 oz, h2o. After 3 treatments 2 hours apart the hot spot no longer is oozing and the angry redness is much less. Nero, our G.S.appears much more comfortable. Thank you Thank you, Helene"

11/01/2009: Jean from Park Ridge, Il writes: "WHAT is ACV?"

EC: ACV is an acronym for Apple Cider Vinegar.

11/01/2009: Millee from Erie, Pa writes: "HEY CAROL.....I DO DRINK THE ACV MIXED W WATER EVERYDAY...LOL....HALF BOTTLE ON MY WAY TO WORK AND HALF ON THE WAY BACK.....IT'S GOOD FOR SO MANY THINGS AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND FURKIDS!!! GET THE UNFILITERED ONLY!!....USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORE.....WON'T GO IN TO ALL THE BENEFITS BUT JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!! I GOT IT ORIGINALLY FOR MY PETS BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BENEFITS STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF!! YOU JUST PUT IN ABOUT A TEASPOON TO A BOWL OF WATER....TASTES LIKE LEMON WATER!"

[YEA]  08/02/2009: Rebecca from Oxford, Mississippi writes: "I just got a tiny Chihuahua puppy that was covered in fleas. There has been a major flea infestation this summer here in Mississippi. I already had a German Shepherd, Chihuahua, and 2 cats who are also infested. I just took the puppy and dipped her in a bowl of half water half white vinegar, THE FLEAS ARE OFF OF HER! I left the bowl sitting so that I can put any fleas I find in the bowl and let them die. I am about to dip my other Chihuahua and then spray down the German and the cats. Fleas really scramble and HATE this vinegar. I would rather smell the vinegar than have the fleas. I am also going to start putting it in their water. This is an amazing, cheap remedy. The Advantage, Advantix, Frontline, nothing worked...thank God for vinegar!"

08/31/2009: Carol from Pittsburgh, Pa writes: "I don't think it is a good idea to put vinegar in a pet's water. This is disgusting. If you wouldn't drink it why would they? You will make the pet not want to drink water and then they will have kidney trouble."

09/07/2009: Haley from Schenectady, Ny, Usa writes: "It's totally safe and healthful to use apple cider vinegar in a pet's water, as long as you buy the slightly more organic brand available in, say, the natural section at your local grocery store. Start with just adding a capful to a bowl of cold water, and mix it up a little. I haven't had one feline refuse - in fact, the water goes faster. Animals love salty tastes, that's why they lick us so much, and you can increase the amount if the flea infestation is very bad. This will also clear up any black gunk around a cats eyes or nose, and make their fur shiny and soft. As a cat owner for more than 20 years, always with multiple cats, I've never had a problem with water refusal due to vinegar as long as you buy organic apple cider vinegar. In contrast, I've had cats foam at the mouth when given drop flea treatments - which would you prefer?"

11/01/2009: Millee from Erie, Pa writes: "HEY CAROL.....I DO DRINK THE ACV MIXED W WATER EVERYDAY...LOL....HALF BOTTLE ON MY WAY TO WORK AND HALF ON THE WAY BACK.....IT'S GOOD FOR SO MANY THINGS AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND FURKIDS!!! GET THE UNFILITERED ONLY!!....USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORE.....WON'T GO IN TO ALL THE BENEFITS BUT JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!! I GOT IT ORIGINALLY FOR MY PETS BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BENEFITS STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF!! YOU JUST PUT IN ABOUT A TEASPOON TO A BOWL OF WATER....TASTES LIKE LEMON WATER!"

11/09/2009: Saralin from Springfield, Il writes: "My partner and I both drink unpasteurized ACV all the time, and am looking forward to giving my cats some & bathe them to get rid of the fleas!! They never drink water, and it is a problem.. I'll also report if their typical chronic persian cat eye/nose gunk problem clears up. Thanks!!!!!! and i think I'll use DE for the carpet!!"

10/31/2009: Liz from Shelton, Washington writes: "I have five several cats that have been dumped by various people onto my property. Can't believe the cruelty of people when it comes to what they do to animals. I usually manage to find homes for these dumped cats but the five I now have are extremely wild and cannot be caught or handled by humans. The problem I have now is that they are being troubled severely by earmites. One cat in particular is scratching to the point of crying out in pain when scratching her ear. If giving them ACV in their water will get rid of fleas will it also aid in gettig rid of earmites? I feed all of these cats regularly and give them fresh water daily which they seem to consume rapidly. Is there any other remedy for earmites that could be used to clear up the earmites if added to their food or water? Am very happy that I have found this site. It's wonderful to be able to read all of the great information put on here by you and others. This has been a Godsend. Thank you. Will be hoping to find some earmite information here soon."

I have a 4 month old cocker spaniel mix (female) and she had smelly ears and was shaking her head and itching alot. I mixed equal parts of white vinegar to water and cleansed her ears. Okay so now the smell is gone. I had also noticed these black scaly patches on her ears and they seem to be eating away at the edge of her ears. Also the same black scaly patches has spread to the back of her head.

I have another dog that so far isn't having any of those problems so I wanted to find out if she can get the same problems the puppy has?

I need to find a way to treat the pup before it spreads everywhere. I can't afford to spend alot of money at the vet so if I can treat this naturally then that would better."

On 10/12/09 he was injected with the 2nd dose of these two vaccines, he was listless for the remainder of that day, but resumed normal activities on 10/13 and 10/14. But on 10/15 he was in very bad shape, completely inactive and refused to eat or drink. On 10/16 he continued to lay in one place and would not eat or drink. I took him to the vet on 10/17 at which time he was placed in intensive care for 2 1/2 days. The vet is not certain that he reacted to the vaccine or some other source of infectio, and suggested that we may not vaccinate him next year.

Previously I had a Scottish Terrier that developed cancer around the age of 10 years, and passed away at 11 years. The vet mentioned that annual vaccines may be contributing to the occurance of cancer in animals."

My 6months old Rott has mange, iam still trying some of the remedies found on this page.

My question is :- Can a cured dog from mange be used for breeding purpose.

Thanks i expect your response."

10/29/2009: Jasmine from Stockton, Ca writes: "I have been using Ted's remedy for 1 week on my 5 month old pit for DEMODECTIC MANGE. I mix 4 cups warm water to 2 cups hydrogen peroxide and stir in 6 tablespoon borax. I pour the solution over my dog while she is in my bath tub, paying close attention to the spots that are affected. And using a cotton ball soaked in the solution to get around her mouth and around her eyes. Then I sprinkle a bit more borax over her coat. I let her air dry. I have read this as being a dip. Should I have her completely submerged in this solution for a period of time? Or am I okay with pouring it over her coat until it is completely gone? She is miserable and cold when the whole thing is over and I want to make sure I am doing it effectively. Also how frequently can I use this solution on her? I have done it twice in one week. Can I use it every day? I have also changed her diet to a high protein and low carb diet adding raw meat twice a week."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I stopped feeding my cats dry food because they were addicted and getting fat. It isn't a natural diet for them. I switched to a natural wet cat food that is made without chemicals and by-products called Pet Guard. The thing to fear is ethoxyguin which is a known carcinogen and propylene glycol, a chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids also used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in pet foods. Into the Pet Guard food for each cat, I mix one Nu-Cat soft multivitamin and 3 drops of flax seed oil. My girl with herpes has had gunk in her eyes and nose and this is clearing. Even my 16 year old with renal failure is thriving."

02/25/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Interested to know where your dog food is manufactured? We just came across this website while looking for more information on the brand we feed our dogs. From reviewing the site, we discovered that the brand we buy (Blackwood) does not manufacture their own food. In fact, the wet food and dry food is manufactured in 2 different places! This appears to be the case with many small companies.

Unfortunately, the page is not a complete list and the website administrators haven't updated it since May of 2007, but you might still find it interesting: http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/manufacturers.htm"

02/26/2009: Andre from New York City, USA writes: "I had the same question about catfood and found out one such ethical and *very* good small company that manufactures healthy dog food and human foods as well.

See Wysong and a picture of my healthy cat who agrees ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/3269424506/

Kal the cat was also successfully treated of ear mite with Ted dog mange cure adapted for cats in 2007 - he has been w/o mites since - see him there
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/1459080973/"

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I stopped feeding my cats dry food because they were addicted and getting fat. It isn't a natural diet for them. I switched to a natural wet cat food that is made without chemicals and by-products called Pet Guard. The thing to fear is ethoxyguin which is a known carcinogen and propylene glycol, a chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids also used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in pet foods. Into the Pet Guard food for each cat, I mix one Nu-Cat soft multivitamin and 3 drops of flax seed oil. My girl with herpes has had gunk in her eyes and nose and this is clearing. Even my 16 year old with renal failure is thriving."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I am so sorry for your loss, I know how bad it hurts to lose them. I have a 16 year old in renal failure that is an indoor cat also. I refused to let the vet's office vaccinate her; fought with the tech in the office over it. We pay their salaries and have every right to tell them we don't want vaccines. In this case I found a holistic vet and switched."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Jan from South Windsor, Ct writes: "Our beautiful long-haired calico 18yr old cat received her rabies vaccine yesterday at 3pm. At 10pm she suffered a seiure and died in my arms. My vet denies a correlation. I think it was the vaccine. I didn't want her to have it because she was an indoor cat and her advanced age. My 22yr old dtr and I are heartbroken."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I am so sorry for your loss, I know how bad it hurts to lose them. I have a 16 year old in renal failure that is an indoor cat also. I refused to let the vet's office vaccinate her; fought with the tech in the office over it. We pay their salaries and have every right to tell them we don't want vaccines. In this case I found a holistic vet and switched."

10/29/2009: Itsybitsybug from Bowling Green, Ky writes: "This is in response to Jessica from Vincennes. Using a vet as a last resort is not necessarily a bad thing. The average pet owner, even one more inclined toward natural remedies will take their pet to the vet if it is necessary. But if it is a minor problem that can be solved without the use of a vet and all the meds and chemicals they tend to prescribe then why not try it. I treat my pets health the same way I treat mine. I would try a natural cure on myself before going to the doctor and getting drugs that would kill my immune system and I do the same with my pets and I personally feel that they and I are better for it. Natural remedies have been around a lot longer than modern medicine and many of them have proven themselves to be effective time and time again. They may not always work but it is definitely worth a try in situations where it is not a time sensitive life or death sort of situation. A dogs skin problems are typically not life or death situation."

[YEA]  01/23/2009: Sally from Wall, NJ writes: "I have to share this with all of your readers. I have a yellow lab who developed "black skin" on her belly with itching and consequently sores that became inflamed and infected, and she started to lose her hair! I first started giving her vitamin E pills and rubbed her belly with Apple Cider Vinegar daily. The AVC soothed the itching. I continued doing both and then added 50 mg of zinc to her diet everyday. Within one month there was noticeable improvement, and her hair was growing back! No doctors, no medications, just simple effective home remedies that work. Today, 4 mos later, everything is gone, and she has a beautiful coat of hair! I credit using AVC 1-2X daily, and the zinc tablet!

Good luck to all... it's devastating when this happens to your beloved pet. I am a firm believer in ALL NATURAL products, with vets as a LAST resort."

01/23/2009: Jessica from Vincennes, Indiana writes: "I don't understand why a lot of people are against taking their animals to the vet. People, Vets have the education and experience to treat our beloved pets. Why would you want to take advice of every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. Are you just too cheap to get a true and accurate diagnosis. There is no way I would ever take advise from somebody other than our Vet. Our vet is very honest and actually doesn't charge that much. I had a cat who ended up getting really sick and he had to stay at our vet for over a week and our vet did not charge us one penny. He just wanted to make sure if our beloved friend needed any extra treatment that he would be there to get that help A.S.A.P."

01/24/2009: Rosy from Orlando, Fl writes: "Not all vets are so nice, or that ethical. I took my cat to the vet multiple times for tapeworms. They were just so hard to get rid of. She had four paste wormers, and one shot. After about 6 months of this she peed this horrid red stuff. I took her to the closed vet, not my normal one, and it turned out she had a tumor in her bladder, kidney failure, and liver failure. The red stuff was Liver juice. I ended up having to put her down because too many organs had gone too far. All because one vet was an idiot and never checked her organs for damage, and just had be keep coming in and getting her wormed. I know she had worms the first time, because I saw them in her litter box. The other times I went were for dehydration. I wish my vet had been like yours, then I would still have my best friend with me."

10/29/2009: Itsybitsybug from Bowling Green, Ky writes: "This is in response to Jessica from Vincennes. Using a vet as a last resort is not necessarily a bad thing. The average pet owner, even one more inclined toward natural remedies will take their pet to the vet if it is necessary. But if it is a minor problem that can be solved without the use of a vet and all the meds and chemicals they tend to prescribe then why not try it. I treat my pets health the same way I treat mine. I would try a natural cure on myself before going to the doctor and getting drugs that would kill my immune system and I do the same with my pets and I personally feel that they and I are better for it. Natural remedies have been around a lot longer than modern medicine and many of them have proven themselves to be effective time and time again. They may not always work but it is definitely worth a try in situations where it is not a time sensitive life or death sort of situation. A dogs skin problems are typically not life or death situation."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I lost Sissy to cancer in March/09. Found out that the iron suppliment the vet gave me had corn syrup as the main ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer. I am done with western medicine for my cats. I was told by wholistic cat specialist Anitra Frazier that Sissy had probably been over vaccinated for years. I should have gotten her on Flax seed oil twice daily with the essiac minus the iron suppliment. The better nutrition she had at the end from Anitra's suggestion, gave us more time than we would have had. Anitra Frazier's book The Natural Cat is a must for cat and even dog people."

[YEA]  03/07/2009: Kathie from Mesa, AZ writes: "Cancer and Essiac Tea and FOCC (Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese):

My boxer pit bull mix was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of his right shoulder last September. This is extremely metastastic and spreads to the lungs quickly, and in 95% of the cases, by the time of diagnosis it is already in the lungs. I initially did not amputate because he was 12-1/2 years and the vet said the prognosis was so poor. I immediately started him on 1 cup total a day of essiac tea (made by Resperin company, as research on internet said you should buy from the original company) and 1 cup total of cottage cheese a day mixed with 4 - 6 tbsp of fresh cold flaxseed oil a day, divided in 2 doses. He was still alive 5 months later which is almost impossible, but the bone tumor did not disappear and was causing him pain. I decided to amputate but docs wanted x-rays first to see if his lungs were full of cancer. There was NONE. He is a 3 legged, cancer free 13 year old happy dog today. The vets can't even explain it, and will not acknowledge it had anything to do with holistic treatments, only to say it is a fluke that it did not spread. They said he will at this point die of some other old age related dog disorder. :)"

09/28/2009: Middlebunny from Jersey City, Nj, Nj writes: "Hi:

I just read Kathie's post and wanted to request more information regarding the Essiac and Flaxseed Oil/Cottage Cheese combination. I understand that Essiac has Rhubarb which may be toxic to Dogs which has caused me to reconsider using it for my dog's tumor. Did Kathie, Linda or Tiffany use the Essiac with the guidance of a holistic Vet? What did they say about the potential Liver harming prospects of Rhubarb? With regard to the Flaxseed Oil/Cottage Cheese combination, it sounds like the dose recommended for Kathie's dog was 1/2 cup cottage cheese to every 2-3 tablespoons of Flaxseed old. Is this correct? How much did Kathie's dog weigh? Getting back to Essiac, I actually purchased the original formula in liquid form from the original manufacturer. Although Kathie seemed to give her dog a cup a day of the brewed tea, I wonder if Kathie knows how much of the liquid Essiac is the equivalent to the amount of the brewed tea that she used. Please reply back with more information. Thank you"

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I lost Sissy to cancer in March/09. Found out that the iron suppliment the vet gave me had corn syrup as the main ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer. I am done with western medicine for my cats. I was told by wholistic cat specialist Anitra Frazier that Sissy had probably been over vaccinated for years. I should have gotten her on Flax seed oil twice daily with the essiac minus the iron suppliment. The better nutrition she had at the end from Anitra's suggestion, gave us more time than we would have had. Anitra Frazier's book The Natural Cat is a must for cat and even dog people."

Thank you,
Doris"

EC: Try your local grocery store - laundry aisle. Publix sells it, also Walmart!

I thought my dog just had dry skin from flea shampoos I'd been using and when people saw him they'd say I think he has mange! I found this web site and bought some Borax. I have treated him with the 3% peroxide diluted with water and a Tblsp Borax per cup of solution. I've done it three times and his hair is coming back and it seems to be working!!!!! I have also been putting olive oil on his dry skin and he's just itching like a normal dog now instead of a maniac! Thank you so much ... you've saved me hundreds of dollars in vet bills.."

10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "This message is for Joyce. If ACV will burn your stomach if you have an ulcer, I am sure it would burn an open sore on the skin, though I would not want to find out. Try healing the sores from the inside first by starting out with a very tiny amount either in their water or food, by tiny like 1/4 teaspoon for one or two days. Increase from there to what the recommended dose is. I am not sure but my dogs are 50 & 100lbs so I use 1 tablespoon/day with them. Smaller dogs I am sure do not need so much. Once the sores are healed on the skin then you can do the spray treatment if needed."

[YEA]  01/01/2008: Colleen from Pinetown, South AFrica writes: "ACV CURED MY DOGS OF SCRATCHING THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for a wonderful site. I'm a Yorkie mom, who dreamed of having a Yorkie with a show coat. My two babies scratch so much that they have severly damaged their coats, and I'd all but given up on ever having long-haired Yorkies. That's till I doscovered this site. Last night, I bathed both my babies and used ACV in the final rinse water, and within 15 minutes I noticed a marked reduction in the scratching. Within the hour, the scratching had diminised by about 80%. Tonight I bathed they again, using ACV in the final rinse water, and the scratching has completely stopped. I was not sure what quantity to use, so I used 2 tot measures in about 2 litres of water. What a miracle find. By the way, the scratching was NOT as a result of fleas, as I spend a small fortune at the vet each month to keep the fleas under control, but if ACV helps with that too, then I'll be saving so much money. I've also read on your site that ACV promotes hair growth, so who knows, I may have a show-coat Yorkie after all. Furthermore, their coats are shining like mirrors!!! This truly is an amazing find, and I'm so grateful for your site and the information contained therrein. Thanks again for a wonderful site, and keep up the good work."

[WARNING!]  02/15/2009: Joyce from Brookings, OR writes: "My yorkie has been suffering with a skin condition since getting fleas about a year ago. She wakes us up almost every night moaning as she rubs her back against whatever she can rub it on until areas are sore or inflamed. I found this site last night while researching her condition and just a bit ago tried the ACV. I used a dilution of 1 part ACV to 3 parts water in a spray bottle and sprayed it on her after her bath ( I bathed her with Relief shampoo and let it sit about 5 minutes) as she has always had sensitive skin and reacts adversely to most shampoos. She had one area on her back in particular that she had rubbed until it was inflamed and had a few small sores, which is also why I used a 1:3 dilution. Anyway, I blotted off the excess water after her bath, but she was still quite wet, and started spraying her. Almost immediately she started trembling and I started to notice that a few of the worst spots in the inflamed area were exuding a white foam - similar to what an open sore looks like when you put hydrogen peroxide on it. I grew immediately concerned with the foaming and her (by this time) almost violent trembling, and quickly rinsed off the ACV mixture, blotted her wet coat with a towel and blew her dry. She did not stop trembling until I she was dry and I applied a Tea Tree and E Antispetic cream that i have been using with some success to treat open sores. itching. She seems fine now, and the reaction doesn't seem to have been allergenic, but the area is still somewhat inflamed. My concern is that the ACV, even with a 1:3 dilution, burned her skin. Before applying the cream, the skin in the inflamed area was clearly worse - course and puffy - so now I'm a little hestitant to use it again. In reading some of the other comments, it sounded like some people just spray it on their dogs when they are dry - and used it when their dogs had sores and inflamations...I really wanted - NEEDED - this to work but...does anyone have any insight to offer? Should I dilute it further next time? Should I have not allowed the shampoo to sit for 5 minutes (your supposed to leave it on for 10)? HELP!"

07/30/2009: genla from Baton Rouge, La writes: "Pls try for topical use on itchy paws or hot spots Burrows solution wish i could give the brand name.You can buy in the astringent section of your drug store. It is powder u mix with water. You can place paws in solution in bowl long enough to get wet or pour on hot spot or apply solution with saturated cotton ball. It doesn't sting!!! MIRACLE my vet gave me this cure about 14yrs ago (before anibiotics and steroids took over) for my Great Pyrenees that had a huge hot spot - dried it up in a day or so. Also great for people for poison ivy!"

EC: More info about Burrow's solution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burow's_solution

10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "This message is for Joyce. If ACV will burn your stomach if you have an ulcer, I am sure it would burn an open sore on the skin, though I would not want to find out. Try healing the sores from the inside first by starting out with a very tiny amount either in their water or food, by tiny like 1/4 teaspoon for one or two days. Increase from there to what the recommended dose is. I am not sure but my dogs are 50 & 100lbs so I use 1 tablespoon/day with them. Smaller dogs I am sure do not need so much. Once the sores are healed on the skin then you can do the spray treatment if needed."

[YEA]  10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "For my 2 large dogs (over 50 & 100lb) the regular over the counter ACV worked for us. I had a bad flea infestation in the house and on both dogs. I was about ready to break down and fork over the boko bucks for frontline flea treatment--or get rid of the dogs. Fogging the house and generic flea treatments/baths was not working or I wasn't doing it enough. I found ACV for myself (the generic grocery store brand works for me as well) and was excited to read it could help with my flea problem as well. I gradually worked them up to a tablespoon a day the first week. I also sprayed them with a diluted mix of something like 1/4 cup in a large spray bottle full of water. I even think that is a bit much. I did bomb the house maybe 2 weeks before I started ACV for the dogs. It took about another 2 weeks for the fleas to clear up in the house, so a total of a month since the bombing. I have not been able to find a single flea on the dogs. I am excited to be flea free and for next to nothing. The last few days I maybe give the dogs the ACV every other day and spray about every other day. They are scratching at themselves less and seem overall to be much happier though they don't care much for the spray and love to roll around after to try and get it off--oh well....no fleas."

[QUESTION]  10/23/2009: Heidi from Teeswater, Ontario Canada writes: "Please can someone tell me if it is organic Apple Cider Viniger or the plain ACV for my black lab of 7 years?"

[YEA]  10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "For my 2 large dogs (over 50 & 100lb) the regular over the counter ACV worked for us. I had a bad flea infestation in the house and on both dogs. I was about ready to break down and fork over the boko bucks for frontline flea treatment--or get rid of the dogs. Fogging the house and generic flea treatments/baths was not working or I wasn't doing it enough. I found ACV for myself (the generic grocery store brand works for me as well) and was excited to read it could help with my flea problem as well. I gradually worked them up to a tablespoon a day the first week. I also sprayed them with a diluted mix of something like 1/4 cup in a large spray bottle full of water. I even think that is a bit much. I did bomb the house maybe 2 weeks before I started ACV for the dogs. It took about another 2 weeks for the fleas to clear up in the house, so a total of a month since the bombing. I have not been able to find a single flea on the dogs. I am excited to be flea free and for next to nothing. The last few days I maybe give the dogs the ACV every other day and spray about every other day. They are scratching at themselves less and seem overall to be much happier though they don't care much for the spray and love to roll around after to try and get it off--oh well....no fleas."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Laurie from Felton, Pa writes: "I lost a kitten today. He appeared to be completely healthy and then received his 3 way distemper, Calici, Rhinitracheitis vaccine- stopped eating- started gagging up any food I put in his mouth, had labored breathing, and died. Within 3 days. Beautiful soon to be show cat- an Ocicat. I had modified what vaccines they get as I lost one last year also. Even had a necropsy done and it showed a healthy cat- whose organs shut down after his vaccine.

I read an article online saying it is common for this to happen as we inject 3 live viruses at once into a tiny body and they have to be able to fight them of. The article said the killed vaccine is more harmful and suggested the 3 components be broken down into single vaccines.

As for people- they can do all of the skewed studies they want- but we know our autistic son had vaccine issues. The flu vaccine was especially devasttating for him- to the place where we had to stop it.

I know they are a necessary eveil- but very scarey to me."

I brought my 10 week old boxer in for his first distemper vaccination. All seemed fine, 2 days after he got the shot, my energetic puppy was unable to stand. The next day that the vet was open we brought him in and began testing him for lyme disease. It seemed very unlikely that he had lyme due to the limited exposure to the outdoors. We proceeded to give the puppy amox. and an anti-inflamatory med because the puppies joints were swollen. two days later the puppy is running around as if nothing ever happened. In between, we had x-rays and a full panel of blood work. We've come to our own decision that the vaccine was to blame. Now he is need of two more rounds of this shot and we are afraid to give it to him"

[YEA]  10/28/2009: Wizdem from Hpt, Va writes: "YES GARLIC MAKES THE BLOOD TASTE AND SMELL FOUL TO FLEAS TICKS MOSQITOES!!!"

[YEA]  07/21/2008: Donyale from Columbus, Ohio writes: "I have 4 wolves. One is a Timber wolf/ German Shepard. The other three are all in the high 90's as far as the wolf. Very little dog if any. About three weeks ago my husband and I thought our babies may have worms. So we took a stool sample to our vet and he told us that all four of the wolves had hookworms. The meds for all four of our wolves would have cost us $65.00 in all for all of them.Now my husband and I are not rich people so I did some nosing around on the internet and read up on Garlic cause a very wise old friend of mine once told me that Garlic can expel worms in dogs and Garlic can also prevent a worm infestation. So before I gave my wolves Garlic I looked it up on the internet and did my research. After two days of research I broke down and went to the store and bought some Fresh Garlic in clove form, came home and gave one clove each of Garlic to the wolves and in four days later in their stool were these live hookworms. Garlic will not kill the hookworms, what happens is that the Garlic cleans out the digestive track, now worms need a unclean place so they can thrive. Now by using Garlic to clean out the digestive track the worm will fall off the intestinal wall.The garlic also makes the blood of your pet taste and smell very foul. In my opinion Garlic is a wonder drug that is not only good for us humans to take daily but it works wonders for our four legged friends as well."

11/13/2008: Rachel from Underwood, Indiana writes: "Did you actually say "The garlic also makes the blood of your pet taste and smell very foul."? Can you tell us how you know the BLOOD of your pet TASTE foul? LOL!! I am hoping you mean taste foul to the worms."

[YEA]  10/28/2009: Wizdem from Hpt, Va writes: "YES GARLIC MAKES THE BLOOD TASTE AND SMELL FOUL TO FLEAS TICKS MOSQITOES!!!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Janet from Camas, Wa writes: "My 4 1/2 month old french bull do had her DHLP/P-C3 vaccination. The next day she walked a little funny-her hind end seemed to over wiggle. Within a week she has only partial use of her back legs with the left being the worse. The vet has no idea or at least has not returned calls regarding any information they may have found. Bottom line she still is eating drinking, peeing and pooping like a regular puppy. She is bright and alert but her walking abilities are worsening. What shall I do? Is this normal or can this be from the vaccination? Will she recover and what can I do?"

10/28/2009: Sandy from Woodbine, Ga writes: "IF your doggie doesn't like cream cheese; Take a slice of bread. Spread some peanut butter on it. Put the pill on top and fold the bread in half. This will leave the pill encompassed in peanut butter and bread.

Tear off pieces of this "pill sandwich" and feed your eager poochie. He (she) won't even realize that he has taken a pill! I've used this technique for 35 years on several dogs and it has never failed."

[YEA]  06/29/2009: Sue from Marion, IL writes: "A friend of mine told me of an easy method to get my dog to swallow pills and capsules. Her method is to wrap the pill or capsule in cream cheese. I tried this by first giving my pets a small wad of cream cheese with no pill inside it. They loved it and stood there waiting for more. When I wrapped a pill inside, they took it the same way - EVERY TIME!!! And it never gets stuck in their mouth like the peanut butter. I have three dogs - a tiny toy poodle, a pug/chihuahua mix, and a border collie/lab mix - and it works for all three of them."

10/28/2009: Sandy from Woodbine, Ga writes: "IF your doggie doesn't like cream cheese; Take a slice of bread. Spread some peanut butter on it. Put the pill on top and fold the bread in half. This will leave the pill encompassed in peanut butter and bread.

Tear off pieces of this "pill sandwich" and feed your eager poochie. He (she) won't even realize that he has taken a pill! I've used this technique for 35 years on several dogs and it has never failed."

[QUESTION]  10/26/2009: Penelope from Greenwich, Ct writes: "Is it possible to start a page for Lyme disease for animals? My dog has/had lyme disease and would like to know more about it."

[YEA]  10/27/2009: Dee from Keene, Nh writes: "I have finally cured my cocker spaniel's ear infections. He had a yeast infection in both ears - first I tried Zymox which worked but then his infections came back. He also had a skin condition which cockers are known for. I've kept his ears clean and have been giving him Alaskan Salmon Oil and changed his diet to foods from his origin - Cockers came from Portugal - so basically foods that his ancestors ate - lamb, etc."

Many thanks.
Maxome"

10/27/2009: Farialreb from Millsboro, De, Usa writes: "In response to "Maystar from Newport News, VA" -- If Oscar is indeed suffering from a slipped disc, you may consider locating a chiropractor in your locale who will manipulate Oscar's spine to correct the injury. At the very least, the chiropractor would be able to tell you if that is in fact Oscar's problem. If it is the problem, you may be able to save Oscar from surgery. We are fortunate enough to have an excellent chiropactor in our area (main clientele are humans) who will look at most any animal with a spine to see if he can assist them. I have taken two of our dogs (who play too rough) to him and he successfully treated them. One dog I had already taken to my vet and he had prescribed muscle relaxers and an anti-inflammatory -- this alleviated the symptoms, but did not cure the problem. The visits to the chiropractor cured the problem."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/31/2009: Maystar from Newport News, Va writes: "we believe our dog is suffering from an overdose of distemper. Oscar, a dashound came to us 9/08 at approx 9 mos. We were not able to obtain any previous shot records from previous owner. We took him to a vet and he was healthy. They insisted he get his distemper and parvo shots since we were not able to produce it in writing. May of 09 he received his first DHPP shot for 22.40lbs. We took his new shot record to a new vet because of cost. New vet says he must have more shots since it is not on paper. He received DHLPP Annual Vaccine AND DHLPP Vaccine both the same day each dose for 22.7 lbs. A few days later Oscar appeared to be depressed. He was eating and drinking fine. He refused to jump up or down on the couch. Almost a week later Oscar is unable to use his back legs at all. His paws were dragging behind him and he could not stand on his back legs. We rubbed his back and legs looking for an area of pain, he showed none. We took him back to the vet and they said he slipped a disc and if not better in a few weeks will have to have surgery for a slipped disc. He is now on Metacam Suspension, Tramadol Tablets, Methocarbamol Tablets for pain, muscle relaxer and an inflammatory. My husband and I argued with both vets that he already had the shots and they said he must have them and it must be documented. Oscar is totally confined to his crate except for potty time .It is not known at this point if he will ever walk again. We are searching the web because of the irony of timing. We think it is due to an overdose. Can you help?"

10/27/2009: Farialreb from Millsboro, De, Usa writes: "In response to "Maystar from Newport News, VA" -- If Oscar is indeed suffering from a slipped disc, you may consider locating a chiropractor in your locale who will manipulate Oscar's spine to correct the injury. At the very least, the chiropractor would be able to tell you if that is in fact Oscar's problem. If it is the problem, you may be able to save Oscar from surgery. We are fortunate enough to have an excellent chiropactor in our area (main clientele are humans) who will look at most any animal with a spine to see if he can assist them. I have taken two of our dogs (who play too rough) to him and he successfully treated them. One dog I had already taken to my vet and he had prescribed muscle relaxers and an anti-inflammatory -- this alleviated the symptoms, but did not cure the problem. The visits to the chiropractor cured the problem."

Or a homopath that works with a holistic vet in your area."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Anita from Jacksonville, Fl writes: "Last Thursday we took our 2 year old cat for a rabies shot. This was required by the city since we were adopting a new kitten. The vet gave her a 3 year rabies shot and a leukemia shot. He had difficulty getting the shots in since she wouldn't be still. On Monday, she threw up all day and by Monday night she could not stand up and her eyes were not focused. They appeared to be vibrating and her neck was bobbing. We immediately took her to an all night emergency vet. She said she has Vestibular disease and that it was not caused by the vaccines. I totally believe it is!! If you look up the rabies shot side effects one of them is these same symptons caused by too much protein ruining the nervous system. We have her on a medicine for sea sickness and it appears to be working. This is Friday - 8 days since her vaccine and she is better but not well. She can walk slowly and is not falling down most of the time. She still can't jump and run. She appears very sad now. I pray she gets fully recovered. I WILL NEVER GIVE ANY OF MY CATS RABIES VACCINES AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT THE LAW READS."

10/27/2009: Michelle from Calgary, Alberta writes: "I have had great success with Homopathic medicine to help my cats get over vaccines. Either find a homopathic vet or check with Dr. Pitcarn - http://www.drpitcairn.com/

Or a homopath that works with a holistic vet in your area."

10/27/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "I looked up the ABFE information you talked about. Very Interesting. How did you learn about this?"

[YEA]  09/17/2007: Louise from Arnprior, Canada writes: "Australian Bush Flower Essences were used to cure auto immune problems in two dogs, one a bleeding disorder, of low platelets diagnosed by veterinarian as auto immune caused. Treated with ABFE (Use Blood disorders page 310 of Australian Bush Flower Healing by Ian white with the addition of waratah, Reiki and one homeopathic remedy Lachisis stopped bleeding overnight. Added Boab to the ABFE after the main crisis was over. The other was suffering from thyroidosis, auto immune type, loss of weight, not playful and heat cycle out of whack and enlarged thyroid. Used only ABFE this time for the auto immune problem and used 7 drops in the dogs water daily, and in two weeks she was more playful, slowly gained weight and heat cycle was normal after two months back in sync with the other bitch. I have found ABFE to be better than homeopathy, works faster and better IMO too."

10/27/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "I looked up the ABFE information you talked about. Very Interesting. How did you learn about this?"

I rescued a cat with mange and struggled with it all summer. It seemed cured but kept on scratching, then my other cats began to catch it. I tried everything, advantage, hydrogen peroxide, Scratchex, ACV, essential oils.

Then last week I heard a doctor on the radio talking about Oregano oil to cure upper respiratory symptoms. I bought some tiny oil caplets, and in desperation, gave one to my cat with mange. In two days it's totally on the wane, no more scratching.

The vet only med, Revolution, is a heartworm med, Intervectin that acts from within to kill the mites. That's what gave me the idea to give them Oregano Oil, and it's been immediately effective. When they have mites on their face you cannot treat with other things, and bathing is definitely something they hate. This seems to be an immediate cure.

Hope it works for you."

10/26/2009: Peggy from Delbarton, Wv writes: "Are you doing this on a daily basis? If so, you need to until you see some healing. I try to reapply it now that it's under semi-control with each bath. He hates water so, it's only once every two weeks now. It helps too if you can mix up a small batch and apply when and where you see him scratching. You just have to stay after these lil buggers as they don't seem to want to give up their host. I am like you,, I am determined to win this war.

I have pictures posted on here some where of Ruff before and after. Just look through the pages and you can compare his mange with your dogs. It's always the same spots but if I don't get on it right away they magically appear in the same places on the opposite side of him. He has some now but I'm not stressing like I was. You can get some good vitamins to boost his immune system as well as stress tabs at Wally World or probably any good pet store. Good luck and keep us posted."

06/07/2009: Karen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania writes: "WOW, TED'S REMEDY OF PEROXIDE, WATER AND BORAX IS WORKING SO FAR ON MY DOGS SARCOPTIC MANGE. WE ARE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED. TODAY JUNE 6TH, THE HOMEMADE CURE OF 1CUP PEROXIDE, 2 CUPS WATER AND 3 HEAPING TEASPOONS OF THE BORAX WENT ON OUR DOG ROCKY A MIXED BREED(SHEEP DOG AND SHELTIE). FOR 3 MONTHS THIS POOR THING HAS BEEN SUFFERING ALONG WITH MY POCKETBOOK.I WANT TO TELL YOU $$$$. IN THE BEGINNING OF MARCH HE BEGAN SCRATCHING AT HIS EARS AND I NOTICED THE TYPICAL CRUST ALONG THE EDGES. TOOK HIM RIGHT AWAY TO THE VET. HE IS SO SKITTISH SO HE HAD TO BE KNOCKED OUT JUST TO GET HIS EARS LOOKED AT. WELL NO MITES HE SAID BUT HOW BOUT WE GROOM HIM -GIVE HIM HIS SHOTS,NAILS ETC/$255.00 AND HE CAME HOME DRUGGED AND CONSTANTLY SCRATCHING. WITHIN A WEEK TOOK HIM BACK-SAYS ALLERGIES-PREDNISONE AND ANTIHISTIMINE-$115. 2 WEEKS LOSING HIS HAIR AND BUMPS ALL OVER KEEPING US ALL UP AT NIGHT WITH HIS SCRATCHING AND LEGS HITTING THE HARDWOOD FLOORS 50 TIMES A MINUTE.OMG!1 WEEK NO VISIT FOR ROCKY JUST MEDS$35. 2WEEKS VISIT-ALLERGY MEDS $90. TUES JUNE 1 VISIT $125 SKIN SCRAPING REVEALS MITES,SHAMPOO,ANTIBIOTIC,HOUSEHOLD SPRAY, DOG SPRAY.JUNE 2=VET CALLS AND SAYS AFTER CAREFULL EXAMINATION OF PARASITE UNDER MICROSCOPE IT IS THE SCABIES. UGH! $35 FOR REVOLUTION APPLIED JUNE 2ND-NO RELIEF AND 2 BENADRYL AT NIGHT.

TODAY I MIXED UP THE GOODS-PUT ON MYSELF TO SEE IF IT BURNED(NO DISCOMFORT AT ALL)POURED IT ALL OVER THE BACK AND MASSAGED DOWN TO HIS FEET. HE WAS TICKED AS HE HATES BATHS. HAD HIS LEASH ON AND WALKED HIM ABOUT A HALF HOUR TIL HE DRIED. SURPRISINGLY IT MADE HIS COAT SO SOFT WHEN HE DRIED. MY WHOLE FAMILY IS AMAZED. JUST A FEW BITES TO HIS FEET AND A COUPLE OF SCRATCHES BUT NO REAL INTENSE SCRATCHING AS IT HAS BEEN 24-7. WE ARE ALL PRAYING HE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT AND HE IS EVEN LESS ITCHY TOMORROW. I WOULD HOPE IT CURES THIS HORRIBLE NASTY PROBLEM.I MADE A FRESH BATCH AND CLEANED ALL THE FLOORS AND HAVE BEEN DISINFECTING THE ENTIRE HOUSE. I WILL BE SURE TO CHECK THIS SITE FOR ANY NEW REMEDIES. TED-YOU ARE AN ANGEL!!!!THANKS KAREN"

06/08/2009: Karen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania writes: "HI, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY PREVIOUS POST I TRIED THE SOLUTION ON ROCKY AND ITCHING STOPPED UP UNTIL TODAY JUNE 8TH. CAN I REAPPLY THE SOLUTION AGAIN OR IS IT TOO SOON? I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT WAS GREAT HAVING A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP FOR ALL OF US INCLUDING ROCKY. HE WAS CALM AFTER THE MIXTURE WAS APPLIED AND JUST STARTED SCRATCHING AGAIN TODAY. I TREATED EVERYTHING HIS TOYS, BEDDING ETC. THE VET SAID THAT THE REVOLUTION WOULD NOT WORK RIGHT AWAY MAYBE REAPPLY IN 14 DAYS. THIS POOR THING HAS HAD ENOUGH PREDNISONE AND ANTIBIOTICS,ANTIHISTIMINES ETC. I JUST WANT TO USE THIS TREATMENT OF THE PROXIDE, WATER AND BORAX. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS. THANKS AGAIN, KAREN"

10/26/2009: Peggy from Delbarton, Wv writes: "Are you doing this on a daily basis? If so, you need to until you see some healing. I try to reapply it now that it's under semi-control with each bath. He hates water so, it's only once every two weeks now. It helps too if you can mix up a small batch and apply when and where you see him scratching. You just have to stay after these lil buggers as they don't seem to want to give up their host. I am like you,, I am determined to win this war.

I have pictures posted on here some where of Ruff before and after. Just look through the pages and you can compare his mange with your dogs. It's always the same spots but if I don't get on it right away they magically appear in the same places on the opposite side of him. He has some now but I'm not stressing like I was. You can get some good vitamins to boost his immune system as well as stress tabs at Wally World or probably any good pet store. Good luck and keep us posted."

10/26/2009: Shellisha from San Jose, Ca, Usa writes: "WARNING!!!!!! You should never use garlic oil or any kind of product containing garlic on your cat. Garlic is toxic to cats!!!!!! Many other types of oils can be used! Please use an acceptable substitute like olive oil, vegetable oil or almond oil."

[YEA]  Gayla from Odessa, TX writes: "I have raised rabbits and dogs for over 30 years and have to deal with ear mites each summer. I have always used Campho Phenique to kill the mites and heal the ears. I even bought a rabbit once with ear mites so bad the entire ear was nothing but a red inflamed mass of scabs. I pour in a few drops of campho Phenique and massage the base of the ear to get it in and repeat for 2 days on a really bad case and just once for a mild case. Try it, you will be amazed how well it works."

[WARNING!]  12/31/2008: Jody from Stowe, VT, USA writes: "Just a reminder that felines are radically different, physiologically, from both dogs and rabbits. Cats are able to absorb many things through their skin, including oils and other solutions, and even many essential oils can be harmful to them, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or absorption. Just because Campho Phenique works on a dog or rabbit does NOT mean it is safe for use with a cat ;o) Their livers are unable to process these things in the same way other species can, and it can quickly toxify their system. I am using warm water with a few drops of witch hazel, and a drop of gentle pet shampoo to cleanse my cat's ears. I gently wipe out, then use slightly warm olive oil to soothe."

01/01/2009: Dianna from Austin, Tx writes: "the VERY best thing i have found for ear mites in cats, rats, etc. is olive oil mixed with garlic oil. usually i just rub the olive/garlic mixture on their ears and then do it again a few days later.

i've also had pretty much the same results with just olive or coconut oil by itself if you are afraid to use garlic. i personally don't believe garlic is poisonous to cats but some people do. also, i had rats that had ear mites and rubbed VCO all over them ears and everywhere and did it again a few days later (it doesn't hurt them to lick it off) and the mites were gone."

01/03/2009: Dianna from Austin, TX writes: "pine tar soap also works very well on mites as well as fleas. lather it up very well and let it sit a few minutes. it will be necessary to do it a few days later. i would use this in addition to VCO or garlic oil."

10/26/2009: Shellisha from San Jose, Ca, Usa writes: "WARNING!!!!!! You should never use garlic oil or any kind of product containing garlic on your cat. Garlic is toxic to cats!!!!!! Many other types of oils can be used! Please use an acceptable substitute like olive oil, vegetable oil or almond oil."