How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Fleas in Pets

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Barbie (Garden Grove, Ca) on 04/08/2017
★★★★★

ACV for cats - I remembered earth clinic from a lady I rented from so I researched for my cat who has fleas and other issues. I give a five star plus because she immediately felt better as I sprayed a lil at a time I saw larva leave her tail. I also had some my stomach issue clearing up. Thank you so much. It works it really does

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by J (Fl) on 05/09/2021

20 mule power borax sprinkled into carpet and around the kitchen cabinets kills the fleas. Leave it there so when the eggs hatch in 7 days the new fleas will also die off. Also keeps bugs out of cabinets

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Lori (Southern Cali) on 08/11/2016

I feel your frustration. My old cat, several years back, also was allergic to flea bites and he would get wobbly, start drooling & pant from a flea bite! Then a nice expensive trip to the vet ER :(

Fighting fleas sucks, but if you wage an all out attack immediately, it gets things in control. This is what I did, and it was very effective.

1. Bath the cat in flea shampoo. And SATURATE the cat! And let the flea shampoo set in the fur 5+ minutes then rinse.

2. AFTER the cat is bathed & dry, use a spot treatment like Frontline or Advantage. Don't apply this before the bath or it simply gets washed off.

3. Throw everything possible, that the cat has slept or laid on, into the wash with HOT water. Then completely dry it on high. It's the intense dry heat from the dryer that actually kills the fleas and dehydrates any eggs.

4. Use a spray, like Advantage Carpet & Upholstry spray. Spray the cats bed, carpets, sofa, chairs, anything that cat goes on. Fleas hate sun so a well lit room is unlikely to have many fleas.

5. VACUUM VACUUM VACUUM. Take a cheap flea collar, such as Hartz, and cut it into pieces and put it in your vacuum bag. Any fleas that you vacuum up then will be killed in the bag and you don't have to worry about them hatching & coming out. Vacuum 2x each day for week 1.

Also, an excellent way to tell if they are gone, & to kill fleas, take a white bowl, fill with a couple inches of water and add a teaspoon of dish soap. Set it in a room that has a lot of fleas, and put it on the floor under an outlet. Put a nightlight in the outlet above the bowl. At night, fleas are attracted to the light. They jump toward the night light, fall into the bowl of soapy water, and can't escape. Once you no longer are seeing flees in the bowl each morning, you can pretty much know your flea problem is in control.

If needed, you can completely repeat all the steps on week 2, only don't bath the cat again & don't reapply flea treatment as it can only applied once/month on the cat.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Christina (Council Bluffs, Ia) on 07/06/2016
★★★★★

ACV works great for fleas. I tried apple cider vinegar on my 2 boxers and German Shepard and it works wonders. Plus I sprayed my furniture and all carpeted areas - super great!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Kathie (Struthers, Ohio) on 09/25/2017
★☆☆☆☆

If I could give zero stars, I would. I sprayed me poor baby with the 1/2 and 1/2 mixture. Didn't work. Watched the video and followed to the letter bathing instructions. Said you would see fleas coming off the animal. So not true. My poor baby is still scratching and biting. Taking him to the vet to get taken care of once and for all. ACV doesn't cost a lot of money. Still, don't waste yours.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Om (Hope, Bc Canada) on 10/04/2015

Carolyn (Rockford Il.) for open wounds use turmeric powder. It is a natural antibiotic and you can google this, mentioning Ayurveda. I use it always.

When the wounds are healing, apply coconut oil. That's all that is needed.

Namaste Om

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Ernie (San Jose Ca) on 08/30/2015
★★★★★

Thanks Earth clinic and posts, this has helped my Boxer Rocky sleep last night! And wow! I checked him out this morning and no signs of fleas! I sprayed him with 25% ACV and 75% water in a spray bottle last night followed by a bath using dish soap. I did two soap washes to remove all fleas. There was tons! Anyway I then let him dry off a bit and resprayed him with ACV and off to bed we went. This morning I couldn't wait to see if this would work but even after letting him out in the backyard where all these bastard fleas are, NOTHING ON HIM! So I sprayed him again only because I know I didn't do 50/50. He is still scratching here and there but probably from scabs and irritated skin. So far so good! Hope this is my solution!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Kandace (Fillmore, California) on 07/23/2015
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I started using ACV a week ago and so far I think it's working except for the side effect of loose stools. I have two Scotties. My Wheaton I used the last vial of Revolution and then used the ACV on my black Scottie.

My Wheaton also gets ear infections that are yeast origin. That is also working. What I don't know is how often do I treat the ear? After I clean the ear, he shakes his head for about a half an hour.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Alicia (Mart, Tx) on 05/28/2013
★☆☆☆☆

I must be doing something wrong. I have 7 dogs and 2 cats. I have been trying ACV to get rid of their fleas and its just not working. I have bathed them all with dawn and then used the ACV / water mix. The next day they are covered with fleas again. What am I doing wrong?

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Elwy (Atlanta) on 11/05/2017 2 posts
★★★☆☆

I tried ACV and although it did repel the fleas as soon as the smell was gone the fleas came back. My dog is on Lufernuron, it's a capsule that destroys the waxy material (Chitin) flea coat is made out of. Once the Chitin is destroyed the fleas are exposed then you can easily kill them. I also use Nitenpyram the generic of Capstar (money is tight) these kill the fleas in 24hrs, I will use 1 tablet a week until my infestation is gone. Along with that I have been vacuuming along with other products for the carpet and furniture.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Rosangela (Florida) on 09/28/2016

The best way to treat pets is without the poison chemical in Advantix and other formulas.

More and more people are realising that dog food and flea meds cause fatal diseases.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 02/21/2015
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

ACV works to prevent fleas in two ways; topically in a spray or after bath rinse it helps balance the PH of the skin and smells not attractive to the fleas. Internally in the diet be it food or water it helps balance the ph of your dog's system to make them less appetizing to the fleas -and also has proven helpful in many other ways when taken internally.

For a spray, I use white vinegar and save the expensive for food use; 1 part vinegar into 5 or 10 parts water. In the water bowl it is 2-3 tablespoons per quart or same amount in the food am and pm.

If you are sure you are dealing with a bad case of fleas, consider a simple flea trap made with a small desk lamp and a white plate. Put the lamp on the floor in the area where your pet sleeps or spends a lot of time, and the plate under the lamp. Add water to the plate and then put a few drops of dish soap. Turn the light on at night and check for black specks in the morning. This simple trap can be moved from room to room and can quickly halt an infestation.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by June (Winfield, Kansas) on 07/18/2013
★★★★★

I never bathe mine in ACV. If they are infested I guess you should bathe them to get the fleas off, probably with soap so it kills the fleas, but you can also just put a few drops of ACV on their fur and rub it in. Also put a few drops in their food every day. You will see the number of fleas decrease within a day or two. All my cats are outside and none of them have fleas. I have been using ACV for several years now. I put a few drops of ACV (organic with the mother) in their food every day. It works like a charm.

There is also this stuff called bug arrest you can buy online. It's non-toxic and contains no pesticides. It has enzymes in it that eats the exoskeletons off bugs. It will get rid of mange, scabies, earmites and all other bugs.

Good luck.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by NES (Florida) on 11/28/2022

Great Picture of Flea Trap

Where did you get your flea traps? Would love to know if possible to still purchase this type.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Janet (Florida ) on 02/12/2022

Does the borax harm the cats?

EC: No, it's actually used as a topical treatment in the hydrogen peroxide and borax mange remedy for cats and dogs. You can find a cat mange page with posts in the pets section.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 10/28/2016

Hey Christine!

I don't use chemical flea products on my pack. I fight fleas by keeping grass trimmed in the dog areas to reduce their habitat. I will treat the dog areas with a simple green cleaning solution for odors, which also discourages fleas in those areas. I check my dogs for parasites regularly and use a flea comb to remove any fleas I do find. I use floor lamp flea traps in the house to catch any hitchhikers. If we go for a walk in the woods everyone goes into the tub for a bath and flea comb when we get home. If I *had* to use a topical flea deterrent I would consider an essential oil spray - google recipes for home made topical flea sprays using essential oils like cedar or geranium. Spray down the feet and feathering and under carriage before walks - fleas and ticks do not want to hitchhike on a pet that smells like cedar! I do think that a healthy pet is simply not as appealing to a parasite than an unhealthy host. So having your dog in top condition, on great groceries and on a rotating water schedule with baking soda to alkalize goes a long way at deterring fleas. I hope something here helps you! Fingers crossed for a killing frost [followed up by weeks of Indian Summer, yes?].

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mary (Wing, Al) on 02/04/2017
★★★★★

My dog has the same and I got ACV with the mother and she is almost flea free. I have only used it for 2 days now but I was useing plain ACV without the mother.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 04/01/2016

Donna spray every day until fleas are gone. Top up then when you see another flea.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 07/23/2016

Hey Patricia,

I used Diatomaceous Earth/DE. I have not used salt or borax for fleas; I cannot imagine the amount of salt needed to dehydrate a flea, and the borax needs to be eaten to kill the flea -so not my first choice in eliminating fleas from the home. My first choice is the lamp flea trap. I posted this on another thread and reposted here about using DE:

20 years ago I had many cats who went in and out - and in the fall fleas jumped on my many cats and hitched a ride indoors to wait out the winter - not fun! And since my cats lived everywhere in the house, everywhere needed to be treated - this is what I did.

I used food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) - it is light and cheap and 10 pounds will last you decades. I started with my bed room - I stripped the bed, and dusted the room wearing a face mask. I worked the DE into the crevices of the mattress, under the mattress, into the floor boards, against the wall where the wooden molding edges the floor - everywhere; the room was one billowing cloud of dust when I left and closed the door. I let it sit for 24 hours, and in the mean time I used another bedroom to sleep in. Once I had established a 'ground zero' I stood the mattress up and gently beat off the excess DE and again the room was a dust bowl. I gave it a few hours and let the dust settle and then gently swept up the excess, leaving plenty behind in the cracks and crevices in both the mattress and the floor boards. The floor was still very dusty - you could feel it on your feet if you walked bear foot. I then laundered the bedding and dried it thoroughly and back on the bed; no cats were allowed to sleep on the bed during this process, as to avoid re-infesting the room. I then did the second room and created another 'ground zero' space. Into this now cleared room went freshly flea bathed cats with sanitized liter boxes and all fresh laundered kitty bedding. The cats were not allowed to leave this room until treatment was completed. Then room by room I did the same - I dusted the couch cushions and put them into large plastic bags, dust and all, and let them sit for 24-48 hours. I had to put a bag over the electronics with moving parts to avoid getting DE dust in them as it is very hard on moving parts - in fact I am sure sucking up all the excess DE shortened the life of my vacuum cleaner. I left the DE sit for 24-48 hours - this a time frame I thought was sufficient exposure to any fleas in the area, and in the mean time washed every piece of bedding, every rug, anything the cats could encounter. I had carpeting in one room and I sprinkled the DE on and worked it deep into the carpet fibers with a broom. Again, wear a face mask as you will be working in a billowing cloud of dust that will irritate your sinuses and mucous membranes. After the wait time/exposure time was up I gently swept and brushed off the carpet, taking care to leave plenty behind deep in the carpet fibers and in all floor cracks and crevices; for under the couch and under the couch cushions I didn't even bother to vacuum, I just left it down - in fact anyplace that I could not see, or had to lift up furniture to get under, I just left the DE down. Doing all laundry at the same time is crucial, so I bagged up items until I could process them. A proper flea bath is crucial to the process as well. I used dish soap, starting with the cat in a dry bath tub [clip claws before you start] and started with soapy water and a wash cloth at the nose and worked from the nose outward; once I had the head and behind the ears saturated with the soapy water I then went on to the next cat. When all of the cats' heads were treated I filled the tub and did the bodies, again in the dish soapy water. I then drained the tub and used clear water with a cup of white vinegar to remove all traces of the dish soap and to balance the PH of the skin to avoid drying. You could see the fleas as black specks as the water drained. I followed up by blow drying the cats and flea coming. It was work, I was persistent, and the cats hated it, but I got them clean and clear and into the holding room they went while the rest of the house was treated. I want to say it took me 4 days to get the house treated and before I could release the cats. The basement and attic were not used by the cats so they were not treated. I did not have to treat the house again ever - and 10 years later I still found DE in the floor cracks. I made a point to stop letting the cats out in the late summer and fall until the first frost. I also dusted the cats with DE by putting them in a sack with DE - the head was out but it was snug at the neck so the cat was dusting ala 'shake-n-bake' style. By not letting them out during prime flea-hitch-a-ride-inside time, and by dusting the cats in the fall, plus the initial house debugging, I never had a problem again. I have since moved to a more rural location and have only 2 cats, and experienced fleas in my first year at the new house. I learned about the lamp flea traps and deployed 4-5 of them with great success: I firmly believe the lamp trap is easier to use, far less labor intensive, and just as effective as dosing the entire house in DE - or any other sprinkled substance. I suppose if you used borax or salt, aside from needing enough to penetrate the carpet and fill in the cracks, the process would be the same as I describe above using the DE. Now if I see my cat twitching the hair on her back as if she has the heebie jeebies, I dust the cat ala shake-n-bake style, and turn on the lamp traps.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Karen (Ecuador) on 04/21/2015
★★★★★

Hola. One of my cats had a bald spot on his throat. After some research I decided to use ACV, full strength directly on the spot several times a day. In less than a week I could see hair growing back in and the cat licking the spot proved that Apple Cider Vinegar did him no harm. I am a believer. In the move to Ecuador, I discovered that both cats are allergic to fleas here and developed scabs around their heads and bums. I gave each a bath then a rinse in Apple Cider Vinegar water -very traumatic for all us BTW ;) - dried them and then massaged their fur and skin with coconut oil. the scabs have begun to disappear on one cat but the other one just has so much trouble with skin problems I think it will be awhile. They both freak if I spray them, so once a week, more often with one cat, I apply a diluted mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and water and rub in everywhere. I do spray all bedding and any other cloth material with the same mixture.

Fleas and ticks are a huge problem here. I just read elsewhere that adding brewer's yeast to their food everyday repels fleas so I will try that as well. Just no instruction on how much! Plus more frequent combing and brushing.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Fredia (Mount Vernon, Washington) on 12/05/2009
★★★★★

I just found your website today regarding the acv. I immediately went out and bought 2 gallons and a spray bottle. My Rott/Blue heeler mixed dog age 19 mos loves his baths but was unsure about this acv. I liked it because it's natural. I used 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water and noticed more fleas in the water than just plain shampooing. Thanks to people like you on this site I am able to keep to handling problems "naturally" rather than "chemically".

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Amber (Altamont, Ny) on 08/03/2009
★★★★★

I have had a flea infestation from hell for the past 4 months, I had to have a cat put to sleep that had a VERY severe reaction to the flea bites. I just tried the Apple Cider Vinegar on my 9 week old puppy and immeditaly the fleas died that were on her belly. I would DEFINATELY recommend trying this treatment!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Sidrah (Southport, Ct) on 06/02/2011
★★★★★

Besides apple cider vinegar treatment, I would also recommend making a spray of Lavendar. Get a small spray bottle, and fill with warm water. Add two drops of lavender oil and shake well. Simply spray a small amount on your dogs coat to help deter fleas from living there. You can spray this mixture on them a couple times a day if needed. Be sure to avoid spraying it in their eyes.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Candy (Kansas City, Mo) on 10/13/2009

I need help, I have two cats that has fleas so bad I try Frontline on them one of them I had to take to the Vet. because she went into shock per the Vet. I have try giving them acv bath but these two cats I cannot handle by myself to bathe them. The only thing I can say is that my house does not have carpet, but I desperately need help to get rid of these fleas from my home and my two cats, that are not outside cats. This is the first time I have this problem and it is driving Jasper and Baby and me crazy. Jasper he is eight year old I have had him for six of his eight years. Baby came to me just two years ago very mistreated and it took me six months just to get her to come out of her room still if someone showed up she gone in sixty seconds. So I really need help to get rid of this flea infestation I got.

Thanks, Candy in K.C. Mo.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Bordergirl (Sw Oklahoma) on 07/12/2017

Bombs do not work well for fleas or roaches. They hide too well for the gas to reach thier hiding spaces. Also u have to wash every "living" surface down after the bomb. If u enter too soon without waiting for the air to clear, u can get respiratory problems. These can and do cause people's death. How I lost my sister.

Your better choice for inside and outside is to use food grade diatomaceous earth. Safe for u and pets to ingest, but not death. Wear dust mask until extremely fine dust settles. Do one room @a time, so u can keep your pets from breathing airborne dust. Check internet. AMAZING STUFF.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 07/25/2017

Try making a flea trap with a lamp. Use a small desk lamp and place it on the floor of the room you wish to treat. Place a shallow plate under the lamp and then add water and a few drops of dish soap - stir gently to mix. Turn the lights out and wait and see what you catch. Works well for fleas and many other biting bugs.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 10/01/2016

Hey Matthew!

It surely is flea season in MN right now. Try the lamp flea trap - I have them deployed right now and they are very effective at catching fleas that your pets bring into the house. Search EC pages for the details on the lamp flea trap.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Loly (Florida) on 07/17/2016

You might want to look into garlic pills. it takes about 3 weeks for the pills to permeate all tissue. I know a gentleman who breeds Scottish terriers and that's all he uses. Not one flea on them. Also don't be afraid of garlic for dogs, it does give hemolytic anemia but only in high doses. You'd have to give about 20 garlic cloves to be harmful. It's made by springtime bug off garlic. I just put my Airedale on it a couple weeks ago.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Terry Journey (Springfield, Or) on 07/17/2016

My vet told me to stop using garlic as he says it builds up in the system and can cause problems…that you do NOT have to give large doses.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by angela (miami) on 02/03/2022

Suseeq,

All of those essential oils you mention are toxic and can be fatal to cats. So please specify for dogs only.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 07/10/2017

Essential oils are too strong for kittens and most cats.

Try a few drops of 1/2 apple cider vinegar 1/2 water on the scruff of the neck twice a day for a week or so.

A bath with a few drops of Dawn or Joy soap if the kitten is infested may help also.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Patricia (Downsville, New York) on 07/22/2016 42 posts

Theresa,

You may have hit on the reason why the Cedarcide seems to have worked this time. I cooked squash in baking soda water and mashed it and have been giving it to my cat for about three days. Also have been giving her ACV and honey.

It could be the baking soda, squash and ACV and honey not the Cedarcide working against the fleas.

I am going to give the borax treatment one more try.

Patricia

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by W (Ohio) on 07/20/2015
★★★★★

For a flea problem, mix a spray bottle with 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 OACV (organic Apple Cider Vinegar). Spray it all over the dog (NOT in his eyes! ) getting him completely soaked. Let him air-dry. He'll smell like a salad for a few days, but it's a small price to pay to get rid of fleas!

Also make sure you've thoroughly cleaned all the dog's bedding, and you've vacuumed all over your home! You may also research here on this site how to use food-grade diatomaceous earth to get rid of fleas.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Betty (Waukegan, Il) on 07/12/2015
★★★★★

I have retired show dog shi tzus with very, very thick fur. I sprayed the table with insecticide before using the apple viniger, water and baking soda. The fleas died and my pup immediately got relief. Thank you, Thank you for this tip.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Dan (Uk) on 07/30/2016

Try 1 and 1/8 of a cup of food grade coconut oil and one cup of Brewers yeast, mix it up, then pour it into molds I've used a cup cake tin, placing one tablespoon of mix per 10 pounds of weight of your dog. Chill in the fridge or freezer and so I'm told will last up to six months. This can be given once a day if heavily burdened with fleas then down to one every two to three days once it has calmed down.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Elise (Sydney, Australia) on 02/23/2015
★★★★★

Thank you earth clinic for this site. I was going out of my mind with my poor dog's itchy skin and odour For the past 2 years. I tried everything. Yesterday I sprayed a solution of equal parts of Apple cider vinegar- water and baking soda all over her, instantly she seemed better for it. I also have amother dog, sister to the other, who shakes her ear, so will give the apple cider diluted a go and coconut oil. What a relief not to use those horrid flea control sprays anymore, thanks again. Elise.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Nancy (Bakersfield, Ca) on 03/26/2015

I need something for my dog for fleas. Anything plz I have spent so much money on the over the counter stuff and it does not work or it coats way to0 much. All my baby does is scratch all day... I need something fast, can you help?