Two Minute Dog Advice

Welcome Wendy Nan Rees, LoveToKnow’s guest dog advice expert, bringing us all weekly two minute tips to help keep your dog healthy, happy, and content. We all certainly have two minutes of our time to read weekly dog advice tips for the betterment of our relationship with our pets. Come back each week for a fresh new tip from a dog expert with a strong background in animal care.

Wendy lives in Los Angeles with her dogs Senator, Cappy and Little Man

Latest Tip: Make Your Own Holistic Flea and Tick Wipes

This recipe for fleas originally came from Kristen Leigh who wrote the book, Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, and has worked with aromatherapy and essential oils for dogs for many years. It was passed on to me by my friend Russell Louis and I modified it to make my own.

I have used many different formulas over the years many of them were my own mixes, and very close to Russell’s formula. What I like so much about Russell’s formula is the Clary Sage oil that in my many years I had not tried, but it works wonderfully well at repelling fleas.

Fragrance and Your Dog

When mixing or blending any type of essential oils, make sure the area you are in is well-ventilated, and please make sure your dog has the option to leave the room or has plenty of fresh air moving around them. Remember that their sense of smell is 100,000 to 400,000 times greater than ours. Where a cat cannot by way of their liver process the oils at all, the scent of the oils are still very strong for dogs and we should respect this. Leave plenty of room for them to exit the room should they want to get fresh air.

Also, whether using this recipe to make wipes, a spray or our herbal flea collar, it is important to always store all your leftover oils in dark, glass bottles in a cool dark room. This will help to protect the life and the integrity of the product.

Holistic Flea Wipes

Ingredients:

1. One box dry 100 count soft cotton paper wipes. (If you can’t find these you can use a 100 count box of non-scented Aloe Vera baby wipes.)
2. In a large, clean, dark bottle, start with your base oil: ½ cup sweet almond oil
3. Add to this:

• Clary Sage--40 drops
• Citronella--10 drops
• Peppermint--25 drops
• Lemon--15 drops

Mix well by using a small hand mixer, available at any large drug store chain. This will help blend the oils into an emulsion. It is important to keep them blended until you pour them over the wipes. This will help to ensure you have spread the mixture evenly over all 100 wipes. By storing them in the refrigerator they will stay fresh, as well as nice and cool for your dog.

Holistic Tick Wipes

When it comes to ticks, there is a completely different recipe and to be honest, this one really did blow my mind. For years I used my original flea and tick formula and it wasn’t until I met Russell Louie that I learned this one. I am sure that once you read the ingredients and try this recipe out, you too will be as surprised as I was.

Ingredients:

1. One box dry 100 count soft cotton paper wipes. (If you can’t find these you can use a 100 count box of non-scented Aloe Vera baby wipes.)
2. In a large, clean, dark bottle, start with your base oil: ½ cup sweet almond oil
3. Add to this:

• Geranium--40 drops
• Rosewood--40 drops
• Lavender--30 drops
• Myrrh--20 drops
• Opoponax--10 drops
• Bay Leaf--5 drops

Mix well by using a small hand mixer, available at any large drug store chain. This will help blend the oils into an emulsion and it is important to keep them blended; until you pour them over the wipes. This will help to ensure you have spread the mixture evenly over all 100 wipes. By storing them in the refrigerator they will stay fresh, as well as nice and cool for your dog.

Using Flea or Tick Wipes

My dogs just love both of these recipes. I also use both of them as in-between bath wipes sometimes just to freshen up the boys. They smell great, they have aloe in them which is great for their skin, and they help repel fleas and ticks and keep the dogs’ coats feeling soft. A box of 100 wipes will keep in the fridge for at least three months if kept well-sealed. Just pull out what you need at each use.

Please note: these wipes will only help to repel fleas and ticks. If you already have a full on flea or tick infestation, go see your vet and proceed with what he advises you to do. In some cases when ones home and pet are fully infested, sometimes other choices have to be made. There are green choices out there, but you do need to call in a professional whom you can find on line or in the yellow pages and by asking your vet or friends. The all natural companies that come out to do pest control can now be found in almost every state today.

Remember, the animals in your life are not just your pets; they're your friends.~ WNR

Previous Weeks' Tips

• Selecting Air Fresheners with Your Dog in Mind
• Dog Care in Tough Economic Times
• The Convenience of Dog Stairs
• Good Vacation Manners for Your Dog

About Wendy Nan Rees

Wendy Nan Rees (WNR) has been involved in the pet industry for over 25 years, starting when she founded Lip Smackers, Inc. a company dedicated to providing healthy, all natural treats to consumers who are concerned about the well-being of their pets. From The People Cookie Made for Dogs® to her patented product Cedar Green Mist® the air and fabric freshener, Wendy is a true pioneer in the pet industry.

Today, Wendy has a world wide radio show called Wendy's Animal Talk which can be heard on www.healthylife.net live on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time and 24/7 in online archived shows. To find out more about Wendy and her products go to www.thewildliferadio.com. WNR is also an author and has written four books with her newest book due out in Fall 2008 called Your Pets Around the World. Wendy's success as an author and dog-treat creator led to numerous television appearances. She was the "Pet Lifestyle Advisor" on Animal Planet's "Petsburgh, USA" and also wrote a monthly column called "In the Kitchen with Wendy" for Your Pet Magazine.

WNR is known for giving fast, easy to digest advice for you and your pets so enjoy her column with us, Two Minute Dog Advice.

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