Yuki is Kristen Seymour's oldest dog and will be writing a few posts for us on how to be a greener pet owner. She and her little sister, Rudi, are both black lab mix rescues and are big fans of the outdoors. While Rudi is mostly interested in chasing lizards and examining poop, Yuki is a little more refined, enjoying the feel of the breeze through her fur, the sun on her face, and — wait! Did someone say squirrel? SQUIRREL! My mom is always trying to make our house more eco-friendly. But, what she doesn't realize is that I'm just as committed to making the world a little greener — after all, when's the last time she rolled around in the dirt? Does she even know what sticks and grass taste like? As much as I love the outdoors, I hate those nasty fleas and ticks. I also hate harsh-smelling chemicals, as I'm sure you do, too, so I've been sniffing around for more natural, eco-friendly alternatives. The most natural way to keep fleas and tick from getting out of hand is by giving your pet a good inspection at least once or twice a day. If he goes into a particularly tick-infested area, check him every time he comes in. Be sure to look between the toes, in and around the ears, all around the head and neck, and armpits. Not only will this help you find ticks, but it'll give your pooch a chance to give you proper kisses while you're down there. Combing or bathing him over a white sheet or towel is a good way to check for ticks, since they'll show up as little black specks. In addition to this, if you have a yard like mine, you need to actively prevent fleas and ticks from attaching. There are plenty of options for you, such as Defeat Da Fleas (yes, I'm a sucker for funny labels, why do you ask?), which is all-natural and organic, or Flea Free, which is a food supplement made of garlic, vinegar, citrus, and herbs. One site in particular got my tail wagging — The Pet Health and Nutrition Center, which has more flea and tick prevention and treatment products than I can count. Literally — I'm only six, and I can't count all that high. What's really cool is that it gives you an idea of all the different ways to treat these pests — there are powders, tinctures, mitts, sprays, and more! Do you have a favorite source for natural flea and tick prevention? Or do you make something at home? Tell me all about it!
Featured Tonic Pet of the Week: Louie 
Louie, Editor Dan’s 7-year-old Black Labrador Retriever purebred, is an expert at organic dog foods although he is not a finicky eater (in fact, he likes to eat dog poop – hopefully organic but you never know at the dog park). He enjoys ball, fetch, ball, fetch, did I say ball? He also has a knack for finding the right spot on Dan's other down pillow for his big lab head, always followed by a sigh of pleasure.
Besides fetch and ball, he enjoys swimming and has attempted out of control doggy paddles down the Rio Grande in New Mexico, the Los Pinos in Colorado, and Clear Lake in Northern California. He doesn’t mind Carmel Beach, either, since a gourmet dog food shop plump full of treats sits at one of the entrances to the beach.
As far as going green, he believes in recycling (see the earlier dog poop observation), reuse (doesn’t want to see any half eaten hamburgers or sandwiches go to waste) and curbing climate change (he prefers the car window being open to using the air conditioner — this way, he can stick his head out the window).
He also loves his dad (Editor Dan) and is loved right back.
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