There’s a Better Way to Collar Those Fleas : Chemical-laden neck bands can be toxic to animals. A vacuum cleaner is a better weapon in the battle against the pests.

If you want to take care of your pets in an eco-friendly or “natural” way, here’s the advice from the president of the county’s veterinarian association.

“Treat the environment,” says veterinarian Shelly Wilson of Ventura, and she went on to suggest that the best place for your pet’s flea collar is “inside your vacuum cleaner bag.”

This opinion of one of the most commonly used pet care products--for the most widely experienced pet problem--was echoed by an Oxnard-based specialist in “holistic” veterinary practices, Ken Ninomiya.

Neither vet had a high opinion of using these collars on pets, even if the product is “natural.”

There is no such thing as a nontoxic flea collar, they both said. If collars weren’t toxic they couldn’t zap the fleas. When they are overused, they can poison the pet. Note here that the widely used flea killer pyrethrein is made from chrysanthemums, not a petroleum-based product as used in some pesticides. “Not everything that’s natural is automatically good,” said Ninomiya.

The vets said that when a flea collar is used on an animal the only guaranteed result is that the bugs will move to “the other end.”

Trapped, however, in a vacuum cleaner bag that contains a flea collar, the evil little blood suckers have nowhere to go but perdition.

What vets are trying to do these days is get pet owners to clean up the house, not just the pet. Ninety percent of the fleas afflicting cats and dogs are not on its body but in the environment. The bugs only come on board Fido or fluffy briefly--for a meal of blood--and then spend the rest of their time breeding in your carpet or your lawn.

“A lot of people don’t want to go to the trouble of cleaning up their house,” Wilson said. “And some get upset if we say to keep the pet inside.”

Bathe your pet weekly in a mild shampoo specifically designed for a cat or dog, vets say. Water alone drowns adult bugs. Certain citrus-based shampoos will kill flea larvae lodged in pet hair. But the upshot of all this advice is that the best “natural” product for keeping fleas away is a good cleanup of house and yard.

Details

* VETS: For a referral, first consult a knowledgeable, pet-loving friend or neighbor. Professional organizations are another source, especially if you need a specialist. Dr. Shelly Wilson is president of the Santa Barbara-Ventura County Veterinary Medical Assn., 659-3588. Dr. Ken Ninomiya is Ventura County’s representative of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Assn. and the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society. 984-6293.

* SOS: 24-Hour/7 Day Hot Line for the National Animal Poison Control Center. It provides emergency and non-emergency consultations by licensed veterinarians and board-certified veterinary toxicologists for $30. Credit cards only. If you want the consultation billed to your phone number, call (900) 680-4000. This is a nonprofit service operated by the College of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Illinois, (800) 548-2432

* INFO: Natural Pet magazine offers subscription for $20 per year. “The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners” by Anitra Frazier with Norma Eckroate and “Natural Dog: A Complete Guide for Caring Owners” by Mary Brennan with Norma Eckroate, both published by Plume Books and both $14. Available at bookstores. “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats” is available at local health food and pet stores.