"Mighty Mint" Peppermint oil safe?

[Brian]

Hey all, quick question for you guys. My poor puppy's paws are driving her mad. Vet thinks it is due to fleas in the lawn. Problem is that we usually allow our leopard tortoises to roam and graze on this lawn. They do have an enclosed area of their own, but free range on the lawn gives them lots more space and greens to graze on. I would like to try and treat the lawn for these fleas, but obviously I am concerned about the torts. I have read about DE but that doesn't seem like a feasible solution. I have read about all the products that are not safe including cedar oils. I came across a product that I have not seen discussed and wanted to see if you could tell me if it is safe. It is called "Mighty Mint" yard spray and bug control. Ingredients are as follows...

Active: Peppermint Oil
Geraniol
Other ingredients:
Glycerin, Polygycerol oleate, soap

If I were to spray my lawn with this and then water a day or 2 later would it be safe to assume that it would wash away safely enough to allow my tortoises to use the area? Even if that means I need to do this more often, I'd rather do that then risk anything.

Thanks for any input.

 

[wellington]

I never heard of dogs getting feet problems from fleas in the grass. If you had fleas in your grass, they would be on your dog.
Wipe your dog's paws with a mild soap and water whenever she comes in from outside and rub in some antibiotic cream like cortizone 10 or any other over the counter antibiotic cream or even an antifungal cream. Use one or the other. If the one doesn't work after a few days then switch to the other.
Be sure to wipe her feet first each time.
Once her feet clear up, then you likely could stop the cream and just wipe her feet with the soap and water.

 

[psmith]

We've been told there's an algae that grows on/in lawns certain times of year that irritates lots of dogs feet. I think wellington has the right idea about wiping down dog feet with some mild soapy water.

 

[Brian]

Thanks guys. We have been using a product on her feet that was recommended by our vet, however he also did say that treating our grass for insects could be beneficial. Any ideas on the mentioned product?

 

[Tom]

Thanks guys. We have been using a product on her feet that was recommended by our vet, however he also did say that treating our grass for insects could be beneficial. Any ideas on the mentioned product?

I agree that fleas don't attack dog feet. They get on the body. When they lick their feet, it is generally allergies. Could even be food allergies. There is no benefit to poisoning your lawn.

If fleas are the problem then put a flea treatment on the dog where it is needed.

 

[wellington]

Thanks guys. We have been using a product on her feet that was recommended by our vet, however he also did say that treating our grass for insects could be beneficial. Any ideas on the mentioned product?

Sorry, but I think your vet is a crack pot!
Steps you should take. Those I already said above. Also do not feed dog food with artificial coloring.
You could also buy any one of the dog shoes/boots/socks and use those on him every time he goes out.
I have no idea about any of the things you listed, except I used peppermint oil once to keep mice out of my shed and it didn't do a thing.
I would chance poisoning your tortoise for something that has other easy fixes.

 

[wellington]

You could also try Coat Defense. Amazon sells it. I'm sure with many more places.

 

[Brian]

Thanks everyone for your answers. It must not be fleas. There is some type of small insect that has infested our lawn. I don't see them, but every time me or my family goes outside barefooted and when my dog spends time in the yard she ends up spending the evenings gnawing at her paws and we all have terrible itching bug bites that are too small to see but will drive us to almost scratching through our skin. I was hoping to find a safe solution to eliminate this major problem.
Again, going to ask.... does anyone know if these ingredients in this product are tortoise safe?

 

[Brian]

I agree that fleas don't attack dog feet. They get on the body. When they lick their feet, it is generally allergies. Could even be food allergies. There is no benefit to poisoning your lawn.

If fleas are the problem then put a flea treatment on the dog where it is needed.

Hey Tom, we have been using the meds the vet recommended but they don't seem to help a whole lot. I also get major bites from bugs I cannot see when out in my lawn. This is why I am trying to find a way to treat the lawn, not just the dog. Any recommendations? Thanks...

 

[Tom]

Hey Tom, we have been using the meds the vet recommended but they don't seem to help a whole lot. I also get major bites from bugs I cannot see when out in my lawn. This is why I am trying to find a way to treat the lawn, not just the dog. Any recommendations? Thanks...

Where are you?

 

[wellington]

They may be called "no see ums"
Officially called Ceratopogonidae, no see ums, also known as biting midges, sandflies, punkies and sand gnats, are small flies usually between one and three millimeters long. They're known to feed on the blood of humans and animals, leaving itchy, uncomfortable bite marks on the skin.

You could try food grade Diatomaceous earth. I would spread that in the lawn all over. Give it a couple days without letting the tortoises on it and then spray it into the ground. Then you could let the tortoises back on it.
It's not dangerous to swallow but there is conflict about breathing it in.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

It could be mites. Use diatomaceous earth food grade. You can get a big bag of it at Tractor supply.
If it is mites you'll need to do your entire yard.

Peppermint oil is toxic to most pets. Keep it away from your dog too.

 

[psmith]

They may be called "no see ums"
Officially called Ceratopogonidae, no see ums, also known as biting midges, sandflies, punkies and sand gnats, are small flies usually between one and three millimeters long. They're known to feed on the blood of humans and animals, leaving itchy, uncomfortable bite marks on the skin.

You could try food grade Diatomaceous earth. I would spread that in the lawn all over. Give it a couple days without letting the tortoises on it and then spray it into the ground. Then you could let the tortoises back on it.
It's not dangerous to swallow but there is conflict about breathing it in.

We have those here, they mostly live in coastal areas. They're basically tiny nats.
Locals call them sand nats. They would be all over the OP. Get in your hair, ears, everywhere. You can see them, they're tiny but not invisible. They fly.
From what the OP says about wanting to scratch through their skin I'm betting it's what we call "chiggers" or "red bugs". Chiggers literally do burrow under the skin. Gross part- it's their bodily waste that causes the itching. They crawl up from the ground, DEET heavy products repel them. Good luck if it's chiggers. They're horrible.

 

[wellington]

We have those here, they mostly live in coastal areas. They're basically tiny nats.
Locals call them sand nats. They would be all over the OP. Get in your hair, ears, everywhere. You can see them, they're tiny but not invisible. They fly.
From what the OP says about wanting to scratch through their skin I'm betting it's what we call "chiggers" or "red bugs". Chiggers literally do burrow under the skin. Gross part- it's their bodily waste that causes the itching. They crawl up from the ground, DEET heavy products repel them. Good luck if it's chiggers. They're horrible.

I have them too. My whole life I have had them where I live and I never lived in a coastal area. You can't see them, hence their name. They do not get all over you where you would even know it. They can bite you all over, not just feet or ankles, but you never can see them.
Reading on Chiggers, it doesn't sound like them.
However, the food grade diatomaceous earth would likely work on those to if that's what it is.
Deet is poison and shouldn't be used where animals are going to be.

 

[psmith]

I have them too. My whole life I have had them where I live and I never lived in a coastal area. You can't see them, hence their name. They do not get all over you where you would even know it. They can bite you all over, not just feet or ankles, but you never can see them.
Reading on Chiggers, it doesn't sound like them.
However, the food grade diatomaceous earth would likely work on those to if that's what it is.
Deet is poison and shouldn't be used where animals are going to be.

We must be referring to two things then. Locals here always called them sand nats, tourists call them no see ums when they visit here. We used to live upstate away from the coast around swampy areas, never had anything like these there, tiny, invisible or otherwise.

 

[wellington]

We must be referring to two things then. Locals here always called them sand nats, tourists call them no see ums when they visit here. We used to live upstate away from the coast around swampy areas, never had anything like these there, tiny, invisible or otherwise.

I'm thinking maybe we are. I lived in Michigan and now Chicago and have no see ums in both places.
What ever they are, they are a pain in the arse lol

 

[Brian]

Where are you?

I'm in Beaumont, southern California.

 

[Brian]

Thank you everybody for your replies. The DE is likely going to be the solution. Once I water it in, will it no longer appear white once it dries again? I think my wife would kill me if I painted my lawn white LOL!

 

[wellington]

Thank you everybody for your replies. The DE is likely going to be the solution. Once I water it in, will it no longer appear white once it dries again? I think my wife would kill me if I painted my lawn white LOL!

Just tell her you wanted to give her some snow lol
It should not turn your lawn white once watered in.

 

[Tom]

Thank you everybody for your replies. The DE is likely going to be the solution. Once I water it in, will it no longer appear white once it dries again? I think my wife would kill me if I painted my lawn white LOL!

I know it well. My Dad lived in Hemet and I'd exit the 10 east at Beaumont Ave, near that Baker's, and take Gavilan Road into Hemet.

We don't have no-see-ums or chiggers here. I can't imagine any bugs surviving in that grass in this heat right now either. Fleas don't survive where I am, and I can't remember them in Hemet either. Do you or friends or neighbors get fleas there? I can drive into a flea infested area, like Culver City for example, my dogs will pick up fleas, and then those fleas will die off in short order up here. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, to dry all the time for them. I remember Hemet being that way too, but correct me if I'm wrong. Either way, the fleas are not likely to be biting your dog's feet. They get on the body and bite there, which can cause an allergic reaction which could cause the itchy feet.

I'm over in Santa Clarita. Same climate and weather. I've tried DE and it did nothing. I don't think it will hurt anything to try it, other than possibly killing all the insects in your lawn, including the beneficial ones, but I doubt it will do much.

I really think you need to look at allergy treatments. I have 30 dogs, and I'm constantly dealing with this sort of thing. My wife was a vet tech for 13 years, and a vet rep for Purina for another 15. We have a lot of vet friends. Try some Benadryl first. Its cheap and easy and it hurts nothing if it doesn't work.1mg per pound. The pills are usually 25 mg, so 2 pills for a 50 pound dog, 3 pills for a 75 pound dog, etc... There is a wide margin or error. I'm told by my vets that you could double or triple the dose without harm, so go on the high side. For example, if your dogs weighs 32 pounds, give two pills. Wifey says dose the dog twice a day.

We have several dogs that Benadryl doesn't work on and we get them Cytopoint injections from time to time, as needed. That stuff works great.

I am not a vet, but I am repeating what many vets and my vet tech wife have told me for decades. Feel free to check this with your vet, but given the advice you've been already given, I'm not confident you'll get a good answer. Maybe check it with a different vet.

You might also try switching foods. If the dog is on a chicken based food, try lamb and rice, or vice versa. Make any diet switches gradually.