The SpendLessTV.com Money-Saving Blog

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Ah.. warm weather! It’s nice to be outdoors, working in the garden, enjoying the breeze, and dining alfresco… but, not so good when the bugs come around! With the warmer weather comes more pests that bite, sting and make you itch, and more outdoor situations that can also make you burn and itch… all of which can make life for you and your pets miserable both outdoors and indoors.

A relative who lives in the Seattle, Washington area recently put out a query for mosquito bite itch relief remedies. She wasn’t used to having mosquitoes around, and she was miserable, unable to receive itch relief after using traditional methods of applying antihistamine and cortisone creams and even taking oral antihistamines. So, I responded with my all-time favorite, never-fail bug bite itch remedy, and was very pleased when she replied within 10 minutes telling me it was an instant success, and later related that it ended up providing lasting relief for hours.  It was her happiness at being itch-free that served to inspire this post on DIY eco-friendly natural pest repellents, treatments and itch relief… all the better to bring you, your pets, your home, and your wallet immediate and natural relief!

Repellents:

In the videos here about natural insect repellents for you, your home and your pets, the most commonly mentioned ingredients among many are eucalyptus oil, citronella oil, lemon or orange citrus oils, tea tree oil, and mint. A word of caution in treating cats and dogs with essential oils: Whether you are creating your own treatments or purchasing natural pre-made treatments,  please note that many oils which are considered safe for humans are potentially hazardous to cats and dogs, so please check with your veterinarian first. Here is one article on essential oils and cats from About.com, and one on dogs from Natural-Dog-health-Remedies.com.

Related videos with even more tips on natural insect repellents:

Orange Flea Killer Powder for Pets – An easy recipe for a DIY non-toxic flea killer, perfect for your pets and budget from Jennifer Taggart, creator of SmartMama.com and Educational Program Specialist for Healthy Child Healthy World.

DIY Flea Repellent Spray for Pets – Author of the “Gorgeously Green” books, Sophie Uliano, shares a natural, effective and quick recipe for a flea repellent spritz you and your pets will love.

Salt to Kill Fleas in the House – How to use simple table salt to help eradicate and control fleas in your home. Easy DIY natural tip from Mark Govan, a certified exterminator & arborist with ABC Pest Control in Largo, Florida.

Natural Mosquito Repellents & Yard Treatments – John Dromgooles, The Natural Gardner, shows organic products, how to make your own topical mosquito repellent, and suggests repellent plants that also ornament the garden or patio.

DIY Mosquito Repellent Spray – Enjoy the outdoors with this DIY natural, effective and safe mosquito repellent spray recipe from the folks at NaturalTrainingCenter.com.

How to Repel Ticks Naturally - These 5 simple, easy, natural steps will go a long way toward keeping ticks away and preventing all the worry that goes with them.

Itches, Stings, Sunburn:

There are many natural ways to treat insect bites, stings, burns and itching. We’ve learned of many that require nothing more than items you may already have right in your kitchen pantry. These include everything from making a paste out of baking soda or salt, to putting a piece of papaya or a tea bag on the bite, to applying witch hazel, vinegar or toothpaste, and believe it or not we’ve even heard about putting deodorant on a bite! But for itch relief: Our All-Time Favorite Number One Tried-and-True Absolute Best Never Fails To Give 8 – 12 Hours of Itch-Free Relief Remedy is: Hit it with a blast from a hot hair dryer, on and off a few times. We’ve been using a hot hairdryer to combat itch since last summer and it’s been nothing short of miraculous! We keep a tiny travel hairdryer next to the back door to zap those pesky bites immediately. While the heat is being applied, you may feel an intense itching for a minute, but continue applying heat until that itchy sensation stops. You may have to repeat the heat sessions once or twice within a 12-hour period for a couple of days, but it’s well worth it for an itch-free good night’s sleep! Just this week, we found out the hard way =(  that this also works for poison ivy! =). Another method of applying heat is by using a very warm-to-hot damp washcloth applied to the bite. Please use extreme caution when applying any heat.

Related Videos with more natural remedy relief information:

Use Heat to Treat Itching – Stop bug bite itch with a non-toxic natural DIY technique using heat for itch relief. Susan Jewell, MD explains.

Natural Bug Bite Itch Relief –  Stop bug bite itching, prevent and soothe bug bites without having to take a trip to your local pharmacy. Director, blogger, and video contributor to About.com, Danielle Lessovitz gives DIY remedies found in your kitchen cabinets.

Natural Treatments for Stings, Bites and Sunburn –  Natural DIY remedies for bug bites, stings, swimmer’s ear, and sunburn in this DadLabs.com interview with Jennifer Crain, founder of MommysER.com.

Natural Sunburn Treatments - Easing the pain of a sunburn means reducing inflammation and itching while healing. Natural tips to treat a painful sunburn from TV and radio beauty editor and author of “Aging Backwards, Secrets to Staying Young,” Jackie Silver.

Sunburn Natural Treatments - Natural at-home DIY solutions to ease sunburn pain from Kelly Machbitz, image consultant and author of “Wear This Not That, Stylish Solutions to Flatter Your Figure”.

Treat Poison Ivy with Jewelweed - Poison Ivy has a natural antidote, growing as wild as the poison ivy itself. See how to use jewlweed to treat poison ivy from Bush Craft On Fire preparedness training teacher Dave. An SLTV Personal Note: after having a poison ivy rash for over a week, I applied jewelweed and within one hour noticed considerable improvement in the rash, no exaggeration!

Using Sweet Fern for Rashes - Michael Douglas, Teacher of wilderness survival, bushcraft, &  primitive skills, shares survival uses of Comptonia peregrina or Sweet fern, which includes  boiling leaves to make a tea to use as a treatment for itching and clearing up poison ivy rash.  SLTV Personal Note: We have not been able to try sweet fern, but have read statements attesting to it’s success at stopping itch and clearing up poison ivy rash in as little as 48 hours.

The material presented here is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional  health or medical advice.

Link to this article: http://is.gd/j5axXE

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For important information on heat related issues for HUMANS – please listen to this audio on the dangers of extreme heat, via WNYC.org Radio.

Warm weather means enjoying more outdoor fun… and that includes fun with our pets too. But warm weather also means caution when it comes to pets. The warmer season brings more pests like mosquitos, fleas, and ticks. There are more opportunities for pets to come into contact with toxic chemicals. Swimming pools, lakes and oceans can be dangerous (there are approximately 8,000 pet drownings a year in U.S. swimming pools alone). Paws can get burned from hot pavement and ears and noses can get sunburned. Another critical danger to be aware of when it comes to warm weather and your pets is heatstroke. Animals don’t have the same means of keeping cool that we humans do;  just a few minutes of overheating could place them in serious life-threatening danger. Sadly, every year thousands of pets suffer heatstroke, and many don’t survive. Save yourself and your pet an emergency trip to the veterinarian hospital, and the anguish and expense that goes with it, by just taking a few moments to review the warm weather pet care pointers here and in these videos, and have a safe and fun summer with your pets.

Here are some of our favorite ways to help our furry friends stay chill:

Time out: There’s a reason the hottest days of summer are referred to as “Dog Days of Summer.”  Left on their own, animals will slow down or lay around during the hottest days. So, follow their lead: Slow down! And on the hottest days, keep things calm and quiet with lots of resting time. If your dog wants to stop playing, let it! Make sure there are cool, well ventilated areas for your pets to rest and plenty of water – both indoors or out.

A frozen treat: Here’s a quick cooling rehydrating treat for your pets: make a batch of flavored frozen ice cubes and keep them on hand in the freezer. Fill an ice cube tray with chicken or beef broth or plain non-fat yogurt and freeze. You can fill a Kong toy and freeze it too – makes a perfect transition into a time-out period.

Splash: An inexpensive hard-edged kiddie pool is a fun way for your dog (and maybe some cats, too!) to stay cool while playing. Always supervise when pets are in water.

Spritz: An occasional run through the lawn sprinkler, spray with the garden hose, or spritz with a mister bottle works well to keep your furry friends comfortable.

NEVER leave your pet unattended in the car – not even in the shade – not even with the windows cracked open. It only takes a few minutes to reach extremely dangerous temperatures inside a car and for noxious fumes to accumulate (even with the engine turned off).

More in these videos:

• Simple Way to Remove a Tick - Dr. Deva Khalsa, gives a simple way to safely remove a tic from your dog or cat (or yourself!). She practices veterinary medicine in Clearwater, Florida and advises on the Deserving Pets line of nutritional supplements for pets.

• How to Keep Cats Cool in the Heat – Cat lover, blogger, author, and pop media personality La Carmina films her celebrity cat, Basil Farrow, giving terrific easy tips to keep kitties cool during the hotter seasons.

• Hot Weather, Cool Pets – Barbara Baugnon a representative from the  Oregon Humane Society, gives several summer  warm weather pet dangers to watch out for and gives tips on keeping your pets cool.

• Heat Stroke in Pets - Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association, discusses overheating & heat stroke in pets & what to do for it.

• Dogs and Water Safety - Pets need our protection when it comes to pools and water safety. Here are  swimming safety pointers from actor and animal lover, Cameron Mathison, on ABC’s Good Morning America.

For more pet care money saving tips, check out our Pet Channel.

Catch additional related pet care information in these SLTV blog posts:

• 8 Earth Saving and Money Saving Household and Yard Tips
• How to Save Money on Pet Care
• Pet Care Savings Tips

Link to this article: http://is.gd/kkXDpQ

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Pets can bring so much into our lives. A family pet can provide a rich opportunity for our children to learn how to nurture, feel compassion, and assume responsibilities. Several studies have proven that there many health benefits associated with being near or interacting with animals, from lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress levels, to increasing self confidence, and providing neurological, psychological, and emotional healing. But properly caring and providing for a pet often comes with a high price tag.

Here are tips to help keep some of those costs from breaking your bank, so you and your pet can enjoy one another for years to come.

Adopt. There is usually a minor fee to adopt a pet from a shelter, but it’s far less expensive than purchasing a pet through private resources. The cost is really just a reimbursement to the shelter for the expense of providing, food, medical treatment, vaccines, and spaying or neutering; and what you will pay the shelter is far less than what you might have to pay on your own for those initial services.

Do Spay or Neuter your pet. Your pet will stay healthier if they have been spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering your pet may prevent some cancers and will inhibit more aggressive behaviors so there will be fewer fights and less inclination for your pet to wander off. If the shelter has not already spayed or neutered your pet, they often will provide you a referral to a vet who will do it at a discount with proof of adoption papers. You can also check the ASPCA’s listings of low-cost spay/neuter clinics that provide affordable services open to everyone throughout the U.S.

Purchase insurance if you can. There are several companies offering pet insurance for a reasonably small fee. This can more than pay for itself over the lifetime of your pet.

Watch for neighborhood clinics. Often these are offered via pet stores. They provide highly discounted prices for standard vaccines. Search terms like “free pet clinic” or “pet vaccine clinic.”

Ask. Ask your vet, groomer, boarder, etc. if there are any discounts or promotions, or if there might be a better price they can offer you. Explain if you are in a pinch. They usually are happy to do what they can for you and your pet.

Offer to barter some service or special talent you may have in exchange for vet services, grooming, boarding or pet-sitting.

Offer to pet-sit or provide boarding for a friend’s pet, in exchange for their doing the same for you.

Boarding – Buy in bulk. Sometimes there are no other options but to board your pet. If you know you will have to board your pet or you will need daycare, see if you can purchase in bulk in advance at a discounted price.

Groom your pet yourself. Washing, brushing, trimming bangs, and cleaning ears are all things just about everyone can do at home.  If you are not comfortable doing your own nail clipping or whole-coat trimming you may need an expert for those, but for typical washing and grooming the tub or shower at home works just fine.

Keep your pet lean and healthy. Overweight pets lead to disease and injuries.

Brush your pet’s teeth. Dental repair treatments come at steep prices, and you can stave off many of those fees by keeping your pet’s teeth in good shape. It’s easy to do, and requires nothing more than your finger or a piece of gauze.

Purchase previously owned big ticket equipment like cages, crates, door gates, and car dividers. Check well to be sure they are in proper working order.

Make your own pet beds.

Avoid pricy “treats.” Your pet will be happy with pieces of plain kibble.

Check for coupons.

Watch for rebates.

Don’t forget the dollar store, a great resource for many pet items.

Check on line for discounts and shop in bulk when you can. Go in with other pet owners for a bulk order or purchases from big-box stores. Ask other resources if a discount for large orders might be honored.

Take advantage of online tutorials. There are many that give easy pointers on everything from how to make your own pet food to training tips.

Price compare for medications. You don’t have to purchase all your pet’s medications from your vet. Online is a great way to price compare. A word of caution regarding purchasing flea and tick treatments on line, there are often counterfeit products being sold. Find out about those and keep a keen eye out if you are unfamiliar with the seller.

This SpendLessTV.com post, “How to Save Money on Pet Care,” was inspired by a relative who sent us a link to the following excellent must-read post from the Responsible Pet Ownership Blog; Helpful Tips and Advice for Caring Pet Owners, sponsored by CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company:  8 Nonprofit Organizations That Help Pay Vet Costs (Note: Their link to Angels4Animals was not working, here is the correct one: http://www.angels4animals.org)

Related videos with more tips on how to save money on pet care:

7 Tips to Save Money on Pets - You’ll end up with big savings on pet supplies with these easy tips from pet care expert, Wendy Diamond.

Dog Owners Money Saving Strategies – Budget friendly & healthy tips on caring for your pet dog from trainer, Amy Ammen

Pet Insurance: Do’s and Don’ts - Is pet insurance a good value?  Financial Advisor, Liz Weston shares information on the worth of pet insurance.

Avoid the #1 Reason Cats Go to the Vet - Save money and time by avoiding the No. 1 reason cats go to the vet.  Tips with Dr. Karen Becker from MercolaHealthyPets.com

And even more pet care savings tips on our Pet Channel.

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