Nature's Guardian?

[For_the_dogs]

Has anyone used the natural flea & tick product from Sergeant's? The active ingredients are Peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemon grass oil, clove oil, and thyme oil. Does it work? Any problems?

I don't want to use the really harsh stuff on my inside-only cats, and I have puppies with some tag-alongs. This is just for preventive purposes.

[Cat&Dog mom]

Never used it. Let us know the results if you do use it.

[KurtS]

You might want to check out this blog; the user comments are listed at the bottom.
http://www.bloggingpet.com/entry/ser...sts-from-pets/

I saw this blog after I used it on my cat and I hate to say I had similar results.
Immediately after applying this, the cat looked like she went into seizures and began foaming at the mouth. Immediately I washed this off and she appeared to be visably shaken for about 30 more minutes. I was later told by Sargeants that this combination of ingredients can cause an animal to excessively drool. I suppose the "seizure" like symptoms were the cat just freaking out from the feeling or (possibly) pain this product caused.

After I called Sargeants to verify the ingredients... I can only guess, since everything on the list was technically consumable by humans, that warning about something in the product being harmful or fatal if swallowed was a misprint.

I am in no way a botanist nor am I an alchemist but there is something not natural in this product and it should be listed under the ingredients before someone's pet (or some human) dies from accidental ingestion.

[donkat]

I use the Sergeant’s Nature’s Gueardian on my 5 dogs and it works like a charm. None of my dogs have had any adverse reactions to it and it really kills the fleas. We have new kittens in our home and the Cat version was unavailable, so we used the Dog version - however, instead of spraying it directly on the kittens, we simply put it on our hands and rubbed it on. After treating our carpets with the Nature’s Guardian Natural Flea & Tick Carpet Powder and treating our yards with Seven-5 (not sure which manufacturer) the flea problem is non-existent on our home now!

I think a little common sense in applying this product and using it only the way it is reccomended will show good results - and, NO, I do not own stock in Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, nor do I work for them. LOL

[Cat&Dog mom]

Be careful... I would NOT use a product intended for dogs on my cat!

[glcalhoun]

I just bought some of their drops you put on the neck area and put it on two wild kittens outside. Unfortunately, I looked a couple of days later and there were more fleas than before! Don't think I'll invest in it again.

[Sommelier]

Pennyroyal... Don't put it on your animal (I've never tried that)... It's a member of the mint family & fleas HATE it. I've made a strong tea from boiled leaves & washed floors with it, sprayed it around the house with a mister & keep a potted version outside, right beside the cat door, so far, so good. No sign of fleas on the cats or in the house.

Cheers

[Pepsidoodle]

That is interesting Sommelier. Thank you for the tip. I am going to try and grow some Pennyroyal. I have tried mint and rosemary but had no luck in chasing fleas away with them.

I think the clove and cinnamin oils might be the culprits that made your cat convulse. Very strong analgesics.

[Ltrain40]

I bought this for my two indoors cats as a preventitive measure. They do not go outside but sometimes sit out on my screened in porch so I thought I would be safe. The following are the active ingredients:
Peppermint Oil 3.00%, Cinnamon Oil 4.50%, Lemon Grass Oil 4.50%
Clove Oil 5.00%, Thyme Oil 5.00% Other ingredients are: Vanillin, Isopropyl Myristate 78.00%
I don’t know why I didn’t think about how strong this would smell on my cats, but, it does! They both smell like a walking citronella candles! They can't stand the smell as well. Not only that, it’s very oily. Another dumb thing I didn’t think about. Duh…all the ingredients ARE oil! It's been about a week now and their fur, which is long, is finally getting back to normal. Anyways, today I noticed a scabby patch where I had applied the medicine on the back of my female cat's neck. I cut away the fur, cleaned up the wound and put some vitamin E on it. I know there is a warning on the back of the box that sensitivities can occur but the whole reason I bought the product was because it was supposed to be more natural! I did some homework, and apparently the contents of Thyme Oil and Peppermint Oils are EXTREMLY TOXIC to cats, even when applied to the skin. Apparently, Sergeant's needs to do a little more research on their products. I'd rather pay a little more and go with an internal product I get from my vet.

[neppy]

I put these drops on my two year old cat last night, thinking it won't be bad because its all natural. My other cat (who we no longer treat with drops) has had bad reactions to drops and flea collars in the past, and up until tonight, I think she was just allergic or something... Now I think it was something different... Anyway, I noticed this evening that his skin was showing a little more in the area the drops were applied. I just thought it was because the fur was more lumped together; it was then I realized the lumps of fur that were all over my floor. Immediately I bathed him and tried to get all of it off (that dang strong scent is still there). His skin was red and spots look like blisters were beginning to form. I haven't determined if the drops made the fur fall out or it irritated him so much his licked it off; either way, I am never using store bought drops again. I value my cats lives way too much to do it to them again.

[Shellie]

Please don't use this product on your cats and here are two links telling why:

http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic.html?pid=10

http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic17.html

I have a 7 year old male cat in the Vet's office as I type going through various organ failure after applying this product one week ago. It's looking very grim and I fear I will probably be loosing him tomorrow. I used this product because I hate the chemical poisons. As it turns out this is just as bad if not worse for cats.

I wish I had known this last week...

[Shellie]

As I had feared...my Toes did not make it...I had to have him euthanized today as he had begun having seizures this morning...In spite of the fluids used to flush his kidneys and antibiotics for the secondary infection that had set in...He was just too weak and sick to go on...Without spending hundreds of dollars that would not bring my animal back...I cannot prove anything...All that I do know is that the vet confirmed that essential oils are extremely dangerous for cats...and his blood profile was totally out of whack.

I learned of another horror story while there today...it seems one of the local doctors has a cat that he too used a 'supposedly safe' product with essential oils in it...His cat lost all it's skin and had to live in bandages for quite some time...He was just raw meat...Fortunately he has pulled through...but then I would imagine that the doctor can afford care that just was not an option for me and my dear Toes...I chose to end his suffering instead...And to post this information any where I can...perhaps it will save a life or two...

[rkhill]

Sorry to say, I've had a bad experience with Nature's Guardian as well.
All three of my cats are allergic to it. Their hair is falling out when I comb them. They have extreme dandruff and one has bumps on her skin. I think
the dosage was too much, though it was for cats. Do not recommend this product.

[Extremis]

I too have been worried about medications like these, and have found a couple more articles that address sickness/deaths after pets had used them:

http://www.nbc5i.com/family/3345322/detail.html
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/pets/execsum.asp
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/avictim.htm#flea

And here are some helpful natural solutions:
http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/384
http://www.greenoptions.com/2007/05/...ic_medications

Thankfully, I haven't had to give my pets anything for fleas or ticks so far (have never even seen one, knock on wood), and the mosquitoes which carry heartworm need the weather to stay above 64F for at least 14 days in a row for the worm to mature, both in the Daytime and the Night-time, and living in Canada, I don't think we've ever had 14 days in a row of that temp both Day and Night continuously (luckily for my beloved pets)

You can read more informative Heartworm Info here:
http://healthydogs.org/2005/12/heartworm_meds.html

Hope this info is helpful, I always learn more when researching or re-reading too.

And I'm REALLY sorry to hear about your Toes kitty cat
Shellie, that's AWFUL!

[Trouble4]

I stumbled across this board, in search of answers. I, as well, used this product on my dogs, a couple of days ago. My westie seems fine, but, I had given him a bath, yesterday...however....my almost 12 year old silky woke me up vomiting yesterday morning, very lethargic, shaking, wheezing/breathing funny, not eating nor drinking water. I took to vet, they did some tests, couldn't find anything, was going to keep overnight, and I said no, because no one is there w/ them, and I don't have the $$$ for them to rack up on unnecessary charges, and not consulting w/ me first before doing them, like they did earlier in the day, already, and still didn't know anything..nor did they even know to ask me if I had used anything like this on him, and I didn't have a clue, and...have been up all night trying to figure it out, and happen to wonder if the natures guardian I put on him caused it, decided to look for info, and here I am. I don't know what to do, or what's going to happen now, but, after reading about Shellie's experience, I fear the worst is in sight. I am so sorry that anyone else is going through this, or went through it, and sent Shellie a message, also. Thanks for allowing me to post. Tonia in Charlotte NC