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Post by silentdook on Sept 8, 2018 20:56:26 GMT -5
I'm seeing a bunch of ferret owners advising each other to put dilute ACV in their drinking water to prevent fleas because it will "make their blood taste nasty to fleas".
Frankly, I don't think messing with their water by adding an acidic substance is good and secondly, it sounds a bit "woo" to me.
But, has there been some new information on this anywhere, or are they a bunch of idiots passing along home remedies that should not be dabbled in with our ferrets?
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Sept 9, 2018 1:51:54 GMT -5
Do the fleas jump off after they all take a bite? Oh....the fleas have this relay system going on that lets all the other fleas know that the ferrets blood taste bad  My ferrets had fleas this year. I do not know if they got them from me washing my outside dog in the shower or if they got them when I took them to Florida---but no more dogs in the shower. I soaped up my ferrets---but they would be back the next day. I knew I could not keep washing them for stripping oils off their skin. I took them to the vet a few times too. Tech would weigh them and put Revolution on them accordingly. Topicals are only good for about 3 weeks. I did not want to keep putting that on my ferrets either. I also tried mopping and vacuuming them away, and---washing ferrets blankets each day. After all that, I came to the end of my rope and bombed my house (just like my vet said I would have to). That is another story I will not go into. Some people have had luck by vacuuming but it did not work for me. |
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Post by crazylady on Sept 9, 2018 13:17:48 GMT -5
Hi A lot of people use apple cider vinegar for dogs ( some use it for cats too ) i know it works for itchy dogs ( one of mine has super itchy skin in summer ) I simply sponge him down on a morning and the itching stops ( he smells like english fish and chips for a while lol) he has never had fleas ( I use frontline for fleas ) so I dont know if it stops them hopping on take care bye for now
Bev
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Post by silentdook on Sept 9, 2018 13:54:00 GMT -5
But you use it topically, not in his water, right?
I don't think ferrets would like it, being that they groom themselves.
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Post by caitmonster on Sept 9, 2018 15:18:32 GMT -5
I've seen it recommended both as a topical treatment and as an additive to water for dogs/cats as well as horses, to act as a bug repellent as well as for the supposed health benefits. I think it may have some slight helpful properties--though not the panacea that it's made out to be; I consider it to be the other coconut oil craze--but I haven't found any research to definitively prove those claims in pets, and in the case of small animals with delicate systems like ferrets, I'd rather err on the side of causing as little disruption to them as possible.
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Post by crazylady on Sept 11, 2018 13:11:38 GMT -5
Hi yes I use it topically and no he does not groom himself afterwards he simply looks at me with a filthy look on his face as if to say why do I have to smell of fried fish lol I think it would be hard to work out the ratio of how much acv to add to drinking water for it to do any good and to be honest why bother there are many more good flea treatments that can be used and you know its designed for the job I found acv worked on my crazy dog after exhausting everything at the vets even going down diet routs lol ( only me could own a working terrier who gets allergic to new grass in summer lol) he runs when mom reaches for the vinegar ever morning but once dry he is fine lol
take care bye for now
Bev
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Post by Heather on Sept 11, 2018 16:32:40 GMT -5
It doesn't work. It was a common remedy many years ago. I actually used it. Thought it was working great, until I actually got fleas lol. No it doesn't work when there are really fleas about. It would be wonderful it if did...but if you want to use a more holistic method to treat against fleas....flea or louse comb, water with soap. Bedding washed daily. Vacuum daily, dump the bag. This will work against a mild attack of fleas. A heavy infestation will need to be chemically treated (Revolution or Advantage) for a minimum of 2 months. The one thing you have to remember with fleas....they have a 2 week cycle and that 80% of their life is not spent on your pet but in bedding and on the floor.
ciao
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Post by lyles on Sept 12, 2018 4:05:14 GMT -5
I kept trying to figure out how was Alice getting fleas after treating her and keeping her indoors.
I was washing her pads outside and I looked down at my legs to notice there were several fleas that had jumped up on my legs and were just sitting where they jumped.
They were hitching a ride back inside the house, I had neem oil on my legs too and that might have made them 'stick' to me, but I'm sure now that's how they were getting back on her.
For natural treatments, the best I know of is to spray your patio/porch with cedar oil and your carpets/rugs with diatomaceous earth.
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