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Buster & the Battle of the Fleas

Joette Calabrese, HMC, PHom M

July 22nd, 2018  |  43 Comments

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Buster's Fleas

It’s me, Buster, “The Bad Office Dog,” here. I was thinking about you recently. Remember last year when I told you I had never had fleas? Well, guess what?

Yep, you got it!

About two days after I was bragging to you that I had never had fleas, they were all over me. It’s like they read my blog post or something.

I hate fleas.

Boy, were they itchy! Mom assumed it was my allergies acting up — maybe I’d had too much raw milk. Believe me, I tried to tell her, “Mom, I’ve got FLEAS!!!!” But apparently, all she heard, was “Bark, bark bark BARK!” (This language-barrier thing can be very annoying.)

Luckily, because I was persistent, Mom figured out I had become a little white playground for an entire community of ravenous fleas. And you know my mom; she didn’t waste any time. She went right to work, giving me relief without exposing me to toxic chemicals.

What did she use? Well, for my itching she used Antimonium crud 6 mixed together with Arsenicum album 6 twice a day. Let me tell you, those medicines made me feel so much better!

Some dogs might need to have it dissolved in their water, but I just lick the little pellets up off the floor. (I know they work, so I’m always happy to take them … besides, they’re pretty tasty).

And then Mom went to work killing those annoying little fleas. She sprinkled something called food-grade diatomaceous earth everywhere my little hitchhikers and I usually roamed. There was dust sprinkled in every nook and cranny of the house — the carpets, floors, bedding, chairs, and couch. Everywhere I went, the dust went.

She even sprinkled it outside on my favorite walking paths, where I lie in the grass and … ahem … my toilet area.

Mom was relentless. She even sprinkled the diatomaceous earth on me!! It was kind of dusty and dry, so I gave a really fast shake when she was finished. I might have shaken a little too hard because the diatomaceous dust “poofed” out all around like an explosive dust cloud and then fell to the floor in slooooow motion.

Mom laughed super hard (which was a good thing because at this point dust was everywhere, and I thought I was about to get in trouble).

She vacuumed the house — every day. Then re-sprinkled the diatomaceous earth — every day. It seemed like a lot of work for her, but she said not exposing my family or me to chemical flea killers and foggers was worth any amount of work.

And sure enough, it got rid of those fleas! Believe me, I’ve never been so happy to see visitors go.

Mom said she’s going to start early this year and sprinkle some diatomaceous earth around my areas before the fleas get any ideas. She used a really big word to describe it. Um, “prophylactically,” I think she said? Anyway, it means to stop the fleas from coming. (Why humans have to use such big words is beyond me.)

I’m just so glad my mom knew what to do about the fleas and most importantly, knew what remedies to give me to stop that terrible itching.

Thank goodness, as always, for Mom and homeopathy!!

Bark, bark,

Buster and Fleas

Buster

 

P.S. Speaking of big words, if you want to know what all those long, Latin homeopathic remedy names mean — and what illnesses and symptoms they treat — I think you would like Mom’s new book, A Materia medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families. Instead of being complicated, it’s written in Mom’s voice, so everyone can understand it.

I’ve overheard people say it is so useful to have on hand when someone in your family isn’t feeling well, and you need to decide between several potential remedies.

 

 

 

I am a homeopath with a worldwide practice working with families and individuals via Zoom. I'm also a teacher and most importantly, a mom who raised my now-adult children depending on homeopathy over the last 31 years. I lived decades of my life with food intolerances, allergies, and chemical sensitivities until I was cured with homeopathy, so I understand pain, anxiety, and suffering. You may feel that your issues are more severe or different than anyone else’s, but I have seen it all in my practice and in my work in India. My opinion is that nothing has come close to the reproducible, safe and effective results that my clients, students and I have achieved with homeopathy.

Call today and learn how homeopathy might just be the missing piece in your health strategy.


Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. Joette believes that the advice and diagnosis of a physician is often in order.


We've provided links for your convenience but we do not receive any remuneration nor affiliation in payment from your purchase.


The Author disclaims all liability for any loss or risk, personal or otherwise incurred as a consequence of use of any material in this article. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.



 

43 thoughts on “Buster & the Battle of the Fleas”

  1. Heiid says:

    could not be more timely! Thank you!

  2. Amy Sanderson says:

    Is there any remedy to give Buster to help fight the fleas internally?

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      I’ve used Ledum 200, 2D and Psorinum 200 e7 days during flea season but in this event I found this to work best.

  3. Shaylynne says:

    Good article, Joette. I just signed up for your GGBG last night. What are your thoughts on breathing in DE
    We have a 20lb bag of DE that we use for various things around the house.
    We’ve never used the flea medicine from the vet or stores. We use a different preventative for our german shepherd. Lauric acid is a natural repellent for fleas and ticks, and coconut oil is very high in that. We give our dog (as a treat, because dogs love it) a Tbsp of extra virgin, cold pressed, organic coconut oil a day. As a bonus, she has a shiny, healthy coat, and it’s way cheaper than the stuff the vet wants to give you for your dog. If I had a smaller dog, I would give less coconut oil.
    When we go on a hike with the dog, we rub coconut oil all over her coat trying to penetrate to the skin. When applied to the skin and coat, coconut oil coats the exoskeleton of any existing parasites, suffocating them and limiting their mobility. In addition, because of coconut oil’s anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties, it prevents bites from becoming infected and helps heal inflamed skin.

    1. Stephanie T says:

      Thank you, Shaylynne, for this information which I’ll use in addition to Joette’s blog post information. I am also concerned about inhaling DE due to the warnings on the label.

  4. Marilyn says:

    Hilarious post…loved it! We have used homeopathic menthe at our local Wildlife Rehab center in order to entice fleas to abandon ship from squirrels in rehab.

  5. LidiaDia says:

    Are the remedies 6c or 6x?

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      It depends on where you live and what you can find.

  6. amlarrabee says:

    I’ve been using Psorinum 200 q7d for months now as it’s always flea season in So Cal. It is working! Is there any reason not to continue with this treatment versus diatemaceous earth?

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      If your pooch begins to show signs of skin irritation, itching etc. its probably time to halt Psorinum for awhile. Its a heck of a lot easier to live with than DE.

  7. klriehm says:

    Get a Living Air/Alpine ozone machine for your home. I used one and my indoor/outdoor cats never had fleas and I never used anything else. The ozone (keep it at a proper level) purified the air and kills any flea eggs. One vet quit his practice because the machines were so effective and started being a distributor of the machines. He made over $250,000 first year, sometime in the 90s. I continue to use it and am a big fan of its ability to clean/freshen the air, even without cats in the house now.

  8. Angie says:

    Is this safe to use with cats?

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      Dogs, cats, goats, squirrels, raccoons…homeopathy is used for all creatures, big and small.

  9. Holly says:

    Is a dose 3 pellets? So 3 pellets 2xdaily? Thank you in advance!

  10. Great post Buster! My name is Liu-Liu and I love homeopathy too. Whenever my owner takes out the container of remedies, I hop on the bed and wait for mine. I love them. I just open my mouth and she drops them in. They really help my seasonal allergies and skin issues.

    I was wondering if you’ve ever used anything for a “scooting problem”? My owner is beside herself trying to figure out what to do about my anal glands!

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      Dear Liu-Liu, most people are uncomfortable discussing such private matters but us dogs think differently. Are you certain it’s about your you -know-what-glands and not parasites? If the problem is parasites, my mom has published a post on that subject.
      Cheers!
      Buster

    2. Sherrie says:

      Since doing the following for my dogs I have not had to take my dogs in to have the vet express their glands. I give them 1 T canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)mixed in with their dinner meal. But on the occasion there was a problem I used silicea 30c with good results. If it got to the point of causing a lot of pain (which happened with 1 dog) I used Hepar Suph 30c with success. I also dipped a small washcloth in a solution of 1c warm water with 1t sea salt and 8 drops of calendula tincture and held the cloth against the inflamed area until the washcloth cooled. I repeated this every hour till the swelling went down and the glands opened up. I believe using the silicea 30 helped them open up. I will say since adding pumpkin daily to their routine I haven’t had to use the homeopathic remedies- but I wouldn’t hesitate to start them at the first sign of scooting. Homeopathy has been a life saver for my dogs. My husband is so amazed at how many times I have taken care of their major illness’ with homeopathy. Thank you Joette for including our little furry friends in your posts.

  11. suzanneskaff says:

    We did read that post. We’ll order some Cina and see if that helps. We hadn’t considered parasites because every time this has happened in the past the vet has said the glands needed to be expressed. We’ll let you know what happens!

  12. Joette, I’ve read both of your posts regarding Buster and fleas. The one in 2017 recommended Psorinum 200, Ledum palustre 200 and Antimonium crudum 6. The post this year only Ant Crud 6 and Ars Alb 6. I saw somewhere that you mentioned liking the more current remedies. I have several dogs and have never had fleas until 3 mos ago when I brought in a rescue w/o bathing him first. ): Oh man are we battling fleas and the midnight itch right now. So my question is, will the Ant Crud + Ars Alb correct itching and create an unhospitable environment? I use fresh garlic, ACV, some brewers yeast and coconut oil every day and I believe that held the fleas at bay until now. I am also using DE and vacuuming every day but it’s still a battle. Thanks so much for any advice!

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      To be honest, I’m learning as I go along. We think Buster got fleas again this year and I started him on Psorinum 200 and Ant crud 200…plus DE. Our house looked like a construction zone and I vacuumed every morning only to repeat the process later that day. I also added brewers yeast but didn’t use garlic this time. He stopped the frenzy of itching within a day of starting but continued scratching here and there for another week or so. I also used Sulpur 30, 2D. I can say that at this writing all is calm and its been so for a few weeks now.

      I hope that helps.

  13. Joette, it does, thank you! One more thing for clarification. This year you gave Buster Psor200 and Ant crud 200. Was this together or separate? And one dose or dosing each day? I purchased the Ant crud 6 so do you think it would work in place of 200? Skin issues have got to be the biggest mystery!

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      Its possible AC will work in 200c. The medicines are taken separately, once daily. When we mix them together, I say “mixed with”.

      Skin issues are not mysterious if you understand how to use homeopathy.

  14. Karen says:

    Will this work against ticks, as well? If not, what would you recommend?

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      If you’re asking about DE for ticks, I have no experience with using it for such.

  15. Barb says:

    Joette my dogs are very sensitive to fleas they scratch till they have no hair and sores always having to go to the vet to get medicine for the itch till I get a handle on the fleas I’m giving ars album 6c and antimonium cruda 6c in water dish some respond good but 2 of them still scratching pretty hard one is getting a sore on his side should I keep up with what I’m doing or change coarse I’m waiting on de it will be here tonite

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      If a medicine shows no improvement, that is NO improvement its time to abandon it and move to the 2nd tier of medicines.

  16. Barb says:

    Why when I ask u a question it never shows up anymore I fill in the require fields but never shows up

  17. W. Jewel Lusher says:

    Someone asked, is the dose 3 pellets but no one answered. I need to know this also. I have the meds, now need to know how to minister, thanks

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      The number of pills comprising a dose is printed on the side of the bottle.

  18. Megan Saxbury says:

    I have DE. I’m afraid to put on bed and Chairs. I read if I hailed it can make lungs bleed. I have food grade. Wouldnt use anything but food grade. Can you explain this? I really want to use it for fleas on my cats. But dont want them or us to get bleeding lungs.

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      Do the best that you can to keep it from becoming air born.

      1. Jan says:

        When using DE, wear a mask. N95 is better as it blocks particulates. (KN95 masks- now readily available to the public – are N95 from Korea: hence the “K”).
        Otherwise, use any mask you have on hand.

  19. Virginia says:

    As another option that I found online, I chose to use baking soda and salt (4 parts to 1) sprinkled on my carpets. There’s some information about DE that I found from Oregon State University Extension Services (http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html) that seems to cite reasonable information about possible risks of DE, so I would probably use it if the other weren’t working. It’s been a week, though, since we first discovered fleas on our dog and so far so good. I sprinkle the baking soda and salt mixture on the carpets at night and then vacuum in the morning. As a bonus, it’s not as messy as DE. Also, since the dog often sleeps on one of the carpets, sprinkling it on overnight means that any pesky fleas that might bounce off would find themselves in the baking soda/salt mixture and cease to be. We also treated the yard with cedar oil since we already had that on hand for pest prevention. And we treated the dog with varying natural measures. Buster’s recommendation of Ant Crud 6 mixed with Ars alb 6 sure saved the day that first day, stopping the itching the dog was having. I haven’t needed to use other remedies to get rid of the fleas because I’m not seeing any nor seeing any symptoms

  20. Jenn says:

    How about giving remedies to cats? I don’t know how to give a pastille to a cat. Do I soak it in water? Or? Thank you.

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      I usually put the homeopathic in the cat’s water.

  21. Bee says:

    Joette, I’m at my wits end trying to treat my kitty for ear mites. Can you please help, or write a blog entry for other pests that animals deal with? I’ve tried *everything* on my cat’s one ear that’s affected with mites, and every time I get it under control, they always come back. Only one ear, on only one of my three cats. I’d love to get to the root internally but haven’t had any success finding homeopathic remedy recommendations for pet ear mites with bad odor, itching, and the telltale ‘coffee grounds’ bits that come out of his ear. Any ideas? I love your blog and love homeopathy on myself and my pets, but this has me so stumped.

    1. April says:

      I thought it was ear mites on my cat too. Turned out to be yeast. The vet did a slide. She said they see that with allergies. He had “coffee grounds” too.

    2. Diane M Beach says:

      I’m interested if you found resolution for the ear mites? I think my dog got ear mites from our rescue kitty (we call is the curse of Roger) – same thing – only one ear – the left ear. Thought it was yeast, bacteria, mold, fungus, etc. The mold protocol has slowed it down, but it’s not resolving yet.

  22. Rachel says:

    Mrs. Calabrese,

    Thank you for another very helpful article. May I ask, can this combination be taken SOS or is it one that is better left at just twice a day.

    Thank you !

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

      Most conditions of infestation take at least a month or so to fully activate.

      1. Rachel says:

        Thank you so much Mrs. Calabrese! I apologize to ask further, but would I be correct to understand that another remedy would be needed, on top of the Ant + Ars, if the itching was unbearable during that month or so of waiting for full activation?

        God bless & many thanks!

        1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) says:

          It’s possible that another remedy may indeed be needed on top of the primary one. But if the itching hasn’t improved, its more likely that the remedy is incorrect and you need to scrap that choice and move on to the next.
          What we’re discussing here is case management. It’s easy to learn what the remedy is for this or that…because I give that to you. The difficult part is in knowing what to do once the remedy has been administered and how to interpret what it means.
          If you don’t see the results that you hoped for, I urge you to consider taking one of my courses such as “Skin the Ugly Truth” so that you know where you’re going.

  23. Rachel says:

    Thank you so much Mrs. Calabrese! I apologize to ask further, but would I be correct to understand that another remedy would be needed, on top of the Ant + Ars, if the itching was unbearable during that month or so of waiting for full activation?

    God bless & many thanks!!

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