There are some. There is the Diatomaceous Earth that people use or have even heard of apple cider vinegar combinations, garlic oil, and clove oil. It helps in some cases, and in most cases, it does not, based on what people have reported, because fleas and ticks are so sturdy, and it's not easy to kill them. It works better when you use something stronger.

Unfortunately, they won't because they're opportunistic and they like to stay. If they like the host, they will stick around for a long time. Imagine every flea lays about 50 eggs a day. Those eggs will hatch, more eggs are laid, and more fleas are created. So unless we actively seek to prevent them or get rid of the ones that are there, then, unfortunately, they will stick around for a long time.

The one vaccine that I know of is the Lyme vaccine for tick-borne diseases. That's the one that is used, but I believe that's the only vaccine available right now for tick-borne diseases.

The fact that you're using the flea preventative on a regular basis will help after two or three cycles. Regular use will control the environment, but because we take our dogs in and out all the time, there may be fleas that get on them when they come back from their walk, and they can be deposited back into the environment. So we recommend you treat the house. Sometimes there are sprays and powders that you can apply that can help you with controlling the environment and control those hitchhiker fleas. That's what we were talking about.

Yes, unfortunately, because we have such beautiful weather here and we have a warmer climate, and that's why most people like to come and visit us and stay here. We do have fleas and ticks all year round. So yes, the preventatives are needed.

Some people claim that the topical preventatives don't work as well anymore because they've been on the market for so many years that the fleas may have become resistant to them. People love the oral ones because it's really easy to give with food. You give them a chewable tablet, so you give them like a treat, and dogs do really well with them. The side effects are less too.

Things within the environment that will cause allergies can be smoke. So if you're a smoker, you might want to consider going outside to smoke because the smoke will pollute and cause allergies and upper respiratory issues in pets. We see increases in dust pollen or dust mites from not vacuuming or having a lot of fabrics that need to be washed, so more frequent vacuuming can help. Don't forget to vacuum your furniture and your fabrics. Change your bedding over more frequently, especially if your pet sleeps with you. Perfumes and aerosolization candles can cause allergies. Those also release things within the air that can affect pets with allergies and make them worse. When you think about your environment and ways that you can help, whole house HEPA filters are also wonderful and even the standalone room ones. Change those litter boxes over and over, especially for cats with allergies. Again, talking with your veterinarian about your environment can show you things you can do to help reduce allergens at home.

Holistic, for me, means more natural. What's more natural than just bathing your pet and using shampoo therapy to get off allergens. That's a very holistic approach. There are some topical treatments that can be used. You can find anti-itch sprays over the counter and herbal products. Shampooing can often be helpful. Some of the topical treatments, like topical antihistamines, a low corticosteroid, or even some tea tree, can help, but they aren't really that effective. It often takes your veterinarian to help get rid of that allergic itch and help them feel a lot better, faster.

Benadryl is safe for pets. It is not uncommon for a pet parent to just get some over-the-counter Benadryl and try it on their pet. There is a very tiny subset of pets that have mild allergies, and Benadryl can help them, especially if they have some upper respiratory symptoms. When it comes to dermatologic or skin itchiness, Benadryl is often not going to help your pet at all. It's not going to really harm them, but it's unlikely to help them.