Following up on my initial blog entry about British Petrol fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico I can only report that things are going from bad to worse.   It seems that those in charge are mostly preoccupied with keeping the lid on the proportions of this disaster while most of the people are still not even remotely aware how serious are the implications for all of us.

Kindra Arnesen, mother of two from Louisana is not afraid to call a spade a spade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVjXufO_zkU)

On the frontline of British Petrol disaster this brave woman reports:

“These people, they never cease to amaze me. The lack of humanity, here. I know that my Parish only makes up two percent of Louisiana’s population, but does that make my people expendable?!   This is unacceptable! They are slowly poisoning every person that I’ve ever been close to in my entire life, and I am standing here and saying, no more!

We are all expendable to these people, we don’t matter!

That came from someone on top of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that they are all in collaboration with BP. Are you serious?!  Who do these people work for? I thought these were our agencies  to protect our better interests,  our world, our Earth, our lives  and what is going on here?!”

This is an excellent question Kindra – What is going on here?

I am not sure if  Kindra Arnesen ever had a chance to read  Political Ponerology and if she is aware of  the fact that our Earth is apparently governed by psychopaths. Yet within these few sentences quoted above she has described psychopaths down to a tee.  They are Homo sapiens variety which is humanoid but is hardly human.  Here, Kindra also described in the nutshell the power play at work on our planet.

Those of you, who think this is happening too far to affect you, think twice. It’s the matter of time this chemical spill is picked up by Gulf Stream – and presto – the whole European Continent as well as Mediterranean Sea will be affected. I give it till Christmas until we start noticing that something is wrong with our sea and the air we breathe.

Well it’s hard to think of Christmas in this heat. Apart from tons of crude oil, methane, and hundred of other chemicals this summer seems to have brought explosion in population of all kind of bloodsuckers.

In Malta we got Super Fleas this summer, ticks and even Harvest Mites.

Elsewhere  they even have problem with bed bugs, if you are thinking of going to cinema

whilst visiting Big Apple – think twice,  something might hitch a ride on you! (http://www.sott.net/articles/show/211606-Dinner-And-a-Movie-Experts-Say-Bedbugs-Favor-Feasting-on-Moviegoers-in-Cushy-Theater-Seats)

I dubbed this season’s fleas Super Fleas as, for the first time in my veterinary career: in just one week I encountered several cases of infestation with strains that seem to be super resistant to a number of most commonly used chemicals. They were both cat and dog fleas. In all cases it wasn’t just the animals that were bitten but also their owners and you can imagine what kind of nightmare this can create for infested household.

When cat or dog fleas start feeding on humans, that usually means their population on the premises has exploded to unbelievable proportions.  Just think, fleas normally use your pet only as an eating establishment. Your dog is their restaurant. They sleep, copulate, lay eggs and grow youngsters everywhere else on the premises. Soil, soft furnishings, bedding, wooden furniture, anywhere where is humid and soft. Your vacuum cleaner bag can be perfect flea love shack. Someone estimated that at any time you can find on the pet only 30 % of the total number of fleas present in its environment.  So, imagine if you see that your pet is crawling with fleas how many of their cousins, children and grandchildren are lurking around your house.

Therefore radical approach is needed.

Interestingly enough, a few people in Malta also reported significant increase in the number of the ants this summer.  I just learned today that according to Maltese folklore, explosion in population of the ants usually predicts very harsh and long winter. This certainly makes sense – as the increase in population of workers would provide more food reserves for cold days. It seems the ants are cleverer then most of our climatologist who are simply refusing to see through global warming scam and the signs of impending ice age.

I don’t want to stray too much from the subject, but since I mentioned ants maybe I should mention you should not exterminate them indiscriminately because they feed on flea eggs and flea larvae deposited in the soil and environment. Nature has its own way of balancing things out.

So, what to do about fleas?

Trying to be a holistic veterinarian, for years I have been experimenting with all kinds of alternative treatments in a desperate attempt to avoid chemicals.  Neem oil, diatomaceous earth, citronella, tea tree oil - you name it: I tried them all.  Unfortunately according to my experience, none of this stuff is completely efficient.  In minor infestations and as deterrent yes, but in cases of true invasions these natural remedies are useless.

Finally, I had to throw in a towel to Big Pharma, and start using the chemicals again.

If I put the health consequences of ticks and fleas   on one side of the scale, and health damage inflicted by chemical pesticide, it is quite obvious chemicals win.

Sure, all chemicals are very taxing on the liver of our pets, but at least they will not kill them in matter of days as Ehrlichiosis transmitted by ticks would.  It is indeed the matter of choosing lesser evil.

But, what chemicals should we use on pets?

There is a great number of products on the market and some are more effective then others, some also more toxic than others.

I decided not to mention any brand names; after all I am not writing paid adverts here.  For the best results make sure that you always consult your vet and also make sure to treat the premises simultaneously when treating the pet.

Some of these chemicals will be efficient only for fleas and some also for ticks, lice and mites. If your pet develops itching fits don’t just rush to grab first available chemical in the pet shop: you had better call your vet who will diagnose the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment.

After every walk, especially in areas covered with vegetation and frequented by other dogs check your dogs for ticks. Ticks usually attach to the dog around the ears, belly, genitals and paws. Give special attention to these areas but try to inspect the whole body.

The best way to remove the tick without decapitating it is to grasp it with tweezers   and rotate clockwise, pulling simultaneously. This can be a bit tricky and perhaps is better left to your vet. Some advise soaking the ticks with surgical spirit, nail polish remover or petroleum. The logic behind it is that ticks breathe through their abdomen as their head is buried under the skin, and when they start suffocating they will pop their head out.

I am not so sure about this method; ticks may vomit when soaked with chemicals which means they will instantly infect your pet with bacteria or protozoa from their saliva and guts.

The general rule is that ticks are harmless if they are removed within 6-8 hours after attachment, for the simple reason they don’t regurgitate their saliva back into the animal’s bloodstream until they are full.

In the next installment we shall meet Harvest Mites aka Chigger Mites. It’s an odd predatory world out there.

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Dr. Zoran is a homeopath and naturopath vet working in Malta: http://www.vetmalta.com