The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Garlic
Posted by Angela (Maple Falls, Wa) on 12/29/2009
★★★★★
Natural Flea Treatment
Last summer we had an extreme flea problem, all of our animals were infested ! We are always more inclined to use a natural remedy instead of chemicals, as we have a special needs child.
First we started adding a small amount of minced garlic to the pets food (you can also use aged kyolic garlic found in health food stores )
Second, we washed all bedding, and sprayed furniture with a mix of 8oz water with 20 drops each of lavender/tea tree oils.
Lastly, we bathed the animals and sprayed them down with citrus water :
RECIPE : In a large bowl of boiled water , add 2 quartered lemons and 2 quartered limes , let sit covered overnight . Strain liquid into spray bottle and use to spray pets coat( avoiding the face and other sensitive areas) bonus ~ They smell great LOL. I store any left over in the fridge .
Another great idea is to sprinkle carpets with 20 mule team borax at night before bed, then vacuum in the morning . We no longer have a flea problem :0)
Flea Medication Side Effects
Posted by Sandra (California, US) on 08/28/2014
Have fed Wysong foods with tons of fresh and thankfully, no fleas. Have used Cedarcide spot on with great results occasionally.
Garlic
Posted by Anja (Netherlands) on 10/09/2017
★★★★★
I am so happy to read this! Finally someone with common sense about garlic!
Garlic is 100% safe as long as you don't feed one garlic (like 15 cloves) to a Chihuahua or so ;-) My dogs get garlic, they are both small sized dogs, and they get half a clove per meal, twice a day.
Against flees and ticks I prepare an oil, with the cloves of 1 organic garlic, chopped, some ginger cloves, and about 1/8 of the bottle with AVC, then fill it up with (organic) sunflower oil (you can use any oil of course), let this stand for 24 to 48 hours, shake every few hours.
When ready, simply add a few drops to your hands and massage it in the coat of your dog, that is enough to keep any flee and/or tick away for at least 24 hours. Repeat daily!
I never have flees or ticks or other nasty small beasts that hunt my dogs. This recipe is great for cats too. I wouldn't try it on your canary or parakeet, but even for rabits and of course for horses (use more than a few drop, I'd say a hand full of oil), any animal that can get flees/ticks!
Garlic
Posted by Mama (London, Ontario, Canada) on 11/09/2010
★★★★★
Our German Sheppard was covered in fleas when we adopted him. His whole belly was full of the little black bloody droppings ugh... I read about garlic and began chopping 2 cloves and mixing it into 2 raw eggs and feeding this to him with his supper. I'm telling ya in the next 2 days I couldn't find a single one!! He stopped itching and was happy. I stopped the garlic thinking he's fine now, and in only a week he was beginning to get infested again. So I now keep up his supper routine of the 2 cloves of garlic in 2 raw eggs and he's been flea free ever since. Good/bad it's quite the controversy, but I'd rather this than the chemicals that are ALL bad. He's never seemed healthier.
Essential Oils
Posted by Laura (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada) on 12/06/2008
★★★★★
Skin Allergy Remedies for Pets
Lavender Essential Oil Spray.
This works so well my dogs actually ask for it! I just use about a 1/2 oz of pure lavender essential oil in a spray bottle filled the rest of the way up with water. In the summer, my bichon and lab both get 'hot spots' on their paws and seem to become a little obsessive about chewing on them, especially at night. When it gets to be too much they will walk over to my night table and whine until I open it and give them a squirt or 2 of this mixture and they calm down, stop itching and go to sleep. Lavender is a natural bug repellant too, and is also great as an antihistamine. There have even been times when my lab will go get the bottle and bring it to me... can you believe it!
Salt and Peppermint
Posted by Miss_D (Pennsylvania) on 07/15/2022 8 posts
★★★★★
I grow peppermint in a large pot on my deck - it comes back like wildfire every spring. It dries by the beginning of June and once it dries, I pull it out of the pot by its roots - throw it all over my fenced in backyard - then mow over it to distribute it more evenly. It keeps the fleas and ticks out the area until August. In March - when it's rainy - we treat the yard with salt. The salt breaks down the outer shell of fleas and ticks. We make sure to put the salt down right before it's going to rain because it could burn your dog's paws if left just lying on the grass. We treat again with salt in August - if there is no rain in the forecast - we just water the lawn really good after we salt. You can buy 20-50 pound bags of salt pretty cheap. I use a lavender spray on the dogs once a week from March through October - which seems to repel mosquitos too. We have been flea free!
I used to use the Soresto collars - but those made my older dog really sick a couple years ago - and the fleas were still biting both my dogs when they had the collars on.I think it's best to find something that repels as well as kills, so our poor babies don't have to go through getting bit.
*Note: this post is geared toward dogs and not cats.
Garlic
Posted by Arlene (Florida) on 01/26/2023
Hello again. I need to seriously update previous post. The 15 yr old did pass away from old age. We spent most of his life in Ft Lauderdale and have since moved to a semi rural area with lots of woods. Got a new pup and continued with the garlic tabs. However he was itching and seemed a little "off" I brushed him daily and didn't think he could possibly have fleas but took him to the vet and yes indeed under his thick coat was fleas. So my garlic pills were useless in this environment. Vet put him on Simparica and poor dog gets agitated and SEVERE diarrhea. After 2 doses I am NOT giving this poison to him anymore. Am going back to the vet because at 20 dollars a pill and 4 left I want a refund. I don't know what my next step will be but I will find a non toxic remedy. I guess if you live in a city and not the country garlic tabs will work but out here it's a battle. Maybe garlic doesn't work all the time but these poisons will shorten their lives. Maybe you might not notice it right away but ask yourself if you would drink a poison cocktail once a month. Check out petbucket.com/what are the side effects of Simpirica. Best wishes all
Amethyst
Posted by Milen (Sydney) on 09/06/2016
Hi there, I just read your post about Amethysts in your pet's water. Recharging is what I thought they need. : ) But full moon doesn't come too often, haha. A smudge stick made of sage is the best solution for cleansing not just crystals but your house as well. I use smudge sticks and incense on a regular basis and some crystals not only feel energised and revived but my Lemon Chrysoprases even change their apearance. One can literally see the difference! Another way to cleanse your crystals is with a singing bowl. Crystals respond to sound as well. You can also hold them under runing water. The most important thing is to have a clear idea of the outcome. Intention is what starts the process. : ) Because they are in daily use, I'd make sure that your Amethysts are cleansed at least once a week. Good luck and lots of joy with your animal and crystal friends!
Keep Dryer Lint Filter Clean
Posted by Pamela (Huron, South Dakota) on 11/13/2012
★★★★★
We discovered, after fighting fleas from June until November, that our DRYER WAS HALF THE PROBLEM! We were dragging back in loads of folded, clean laundry full of clean, fresh, healthy fleas every time we washed bedding, towels, clothing, robes, blankets, pillows, you name it. CHECK YOUR LINT TRAP TO SEE IF THEY'RE ALIVE. Ours were.
Salt
Posted by Crystal At (Ny) on 10/31/2011
★★★★★
Grind salt in a blender or food processor until its a powder and sprinkle everywhere even on pets. You will see the fleas jump up and then die! Wonderful, fast & cheap! Good luck. I just sprinkled my whole apt. I have 4 month old twins & a 7 yr old and we tried advantage, vacuuming & knockout. When I found out salt worked I had to try it and I watched those blood suckers die lol. They have bitten me all over my body and have started biting my 7 yr old. I was desperate and frustrated. I was about to give up my cat. I wish u the best!
Garlic
Posted by Josh H. (Portland, Or, Usa) on 08/31/2011
★☆☆☆☆
I noticed that you are recommending adding garlic to every meal your dog eats to help prevent flea and tick infestations. At one point, I was a small business owner and one of my products was all-natural dog biscuits. Despite the fact that most DIY dog biscuit recipes call for garlic as an ingredient, I found out through further research that this is actually very harmful to the dogs. Garlic, onions and many other alliums contain a particular natural chemical that builds up in a dog's kidneys over the course of their life. This build up can eventually lead to kidney failure or death for the animal. It has also been known to cause a rare form of kidney cancer in some dogs. This is something that I thought you should know....
Thanks, Josh
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Pennie (Indpl, In, Usa) on 10/16/2010
★★★★★
Natural Flea & Tick Remedy
Hi everyone! After almost losing our Baby Kitty to those dangerous advantage medications, I decided to figure out a way to live without using them year after year. So I did searches and found out about, " Diatomaceous Earth". This stuff is miraculous! I found mine at the local True Value Store, but you can also buy online at different retailers. BUY: FOOD GRADE! I spread this in all different areas of my lawn as well, and within 48 hours you have no more ticks or fleas. It harms all insects. I have plenty of flowers bees, and other wonderful insects roaming around, but this gets rid of the fleas and ticks really great. And I put it down on the ground on a NON-Windy day. ALSO: WEAR A MASK TO PREVENT BREATHING THIS SUBSTANCE! It worked great and I will never have to buy pesticide and put it on my animals again!! Late fall I again had fleas on my dog and all I did was put small quantity on his fur and within 48 hours all fleas were dead, then I washed him, the fur was slightly dry, but so well worth it to keep him flea free. After 3 days I washed him and put some good conditioner on him and he felt great. Usually you just have to put the Diatomaceous Earth around their tail and back area. Again in the fall, I put more of the earth around the areas that he lays in and no more fleas, after it rains you will have to put it back down again, but it's cheap. I also put it on all my fruit tree's and surrounding tree's to keep the leaf hoppers off, and my tree's look great too! Hope this works for all of you looking for a natural approach. With carefully placing it on the ground, I did not harm any beneficial bugs that roamed freely on my flowers. Lot's-O-Love to all our Animal Lovers out there! Pennie
Salt
Posted by Erin (Largo, Fl) on 09/16/2010
★★★★★
I've had a bad flea problem for about a week and tried everything but nothing worked. As a last resort I tried salt. Instead of sprinkling it on the carpets I mixed table salt and hot water in a spray bottle. I sprayed all the carpets, furniture and dog bedding. It worked great, as the water dried it left an even coat of salt on the carpets, was easy to spray under beds and couch and was much less messy then sprinkling a layer of powdered salt over everything. Within an hour I noticed that there was a drastic decrease in the number of fleas and it took less than 10 minutes to spray the entire apartment.
Lemons
Posted by Joy (Fayetteville, N.c.) on 06/26/2011
Can that be used on cats also?
Salt
Posted by Fae (Henderson, North Carolina, USA) on 07/01/2009
★★★★★
Table Salt to rid your carpets of fleas--Instantly!! It sounds goofy, but it's true!!! My rugs were infested with fleas!! But this home remedy is not only inexpensive (price of table salt), it works like a charm!!
Just use regular table salt that you buy at the grocery store, or dollar store. Buy the container that is about the size of a small coffee can.
Sprinkle it on your carpets. It should look like it snowed in your living room! Depending on the size of your room, may need to buy several containers. Be liberal with it, it won't hurt.
It's ok. You can walk on it; it won't hurt. No need to leave it on there overnight or anything like that. Just vacuum it up and poof!! No more fleas in carpets!! How cool is THAT?!!
Gotta love grandma and those old remedies!!
Lavender Oil
Posted by Pamela (Granite Falls, Washington) on 08/02/2007
★★★★★
Yes...to LAVENDER for flea control. I recommend lavender castile liquid soap to bath them in and diluted essential oil lightly applied to their coats between baths. Initially, I started using lavender because I am so sensitive to chemicals. Now, I use it because it works so well.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USAS) on 06/07/2021 563 posts
Yikes!! The only thing I ever used that actually worked was salt. Sprinkle it on the carpet/rugs, the pet's bedding and all around where the floor meets the walls. And around the bottom of furniture legs. If you're a neatnick, you'll want to vacuum first and toss your vacuum cleaner bag. then just get the salt down there - cheapo, iodized table salt is perfect and cheap - and leave it. And by "leave it", I mean skip vacuuming for a few days and let it do its thing.
Salt
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 05/10/2021 563 posts
★★★★★
Salt. Cheapo, salt in the round box. Iodized, not iodized, it doesn't matter what kind. Sprinkle on carpet and in corners. I didn't even have to de-flea the dogs who had brought home fleas from the groomer. Always a risk with groomers who offer walk-in nail clipping because those dogs don't get a bath BUT it's not a problem PLUS it's super handy to be able to just walk in and get their nails clipped when, with a 50 cent box of salt, it's never an issue!
Amethyst
Posted by Green Lonis (Greenville, Nc) on 10/27/2015
★☆☆☆☆
Amythest in the cat's water-bowl did nothing.
A dish-soap bath killed all the fleas, but gave the cat a nasty eye-infection when water got in her eye. She was an old cat who always had very bad flea issues. The other 2 cats didn't have flea issues, but this 1 cat got it bad w/ sores...
It seems like she lost the use of her hind legs after the dish-soap bath. It killed the fleas, but, perhaps it isn't the best solution for the long term. She didn't last much longer after I started bathing her regularly. She was comfortable and not scratching all the time. Her skin healed up, but perhaps the fleas were a side-effect of a deeper systemic root-cause. Probably. Too bad whatever that root cause is, this site hasn't seemed to find it yet.
Amethyst
Posted by Monica (St. Augustine, Fl) on 10/14/2015
★★★★★
I tried the amethyst crystal and it does work! I want to point out I too had the same issue with the stone not working after a period of time. It didn't seem logical for something to just stop working so I experimented and found out what worked for my kitty.
My cat has a horrible time with the fleas in FL. They are unlike any other place I have lived. Frontline doesn't work & just makes my cat sick. The crystal was worth a shot and would cause no harm. Within a week I saw a difference and there were no more new bites. This lasted for about 2 mo. and then the fleas started again. In case anyone is thinking its due to a change of seasons, no that's not the case. There is no down time in FL when it comes to fleas.
I don't believe the stone just stops working but perhaps our pets chemistry changes. Either way I decided to add another stone I had at the house to the bowl. It is blue calcite and once again it worked. It is a complement to amethyst with its metaphysical properties. I was so happy to see it work again, but about 1 1/2 mo. later I was back to square one. It stopped working.
Ok, so this time I bought another amethyst. Yes, now there are 3 crystals in the bowl! I know it's crazy but its working and my kitty is not scratching.
I am going to do as another writer suggested & recharge the stones by moonlight over night. I was doing it by sunlight and I guess that may be wrong in this case.
Anyway, to anyone who says nay, experiment a bit before you give up.
Dish Soap
Posted by Erin (Indiana) on 08/22/2013
★★★★★
I have 2 cats that both became infested with fleas. I put frontline on them a little more than a week ago. It did not work. They still had fleas, much to my astonishment, being as frontline is supposed to be good stuff... Not to mention, expensive! I just got done giving them both dawn dish soap baths. Got them wet, lathered them up very good, head toe, very good and thoroughly. Then let them sit for a few minutes in the lather. I almost immediately saw all the fleas dropping off, dead. Rinsed them down the drain and now I have a huge weight off my shoulders!
Aloe Vera
Posted by Pam E. (SW Calif.) on 05/01/2025 175 posts
★★★★★
Maybe it was the preservative ... but maybe NOT....
When I had dogs with allergies to flea/tick saliva, they were absolutely miserable during hot weather! Constant scratching & biting was the ticket, all day & much of the night, 24/7!
I tried vinegar sprayed on their coats (they hated it, probably because I didn't know to dilute it with water 50/50), and it worked to keep the fleas away / from biting, as they had no problems for 11-12 hours after each spraying!
After awhile I wondered if Aloe vera gel would do the same thing, and I had extra such plants growing in my yard ... so, I opened a fresh leaf & rubbed that 'goo' all over their fur ... and it also kept the parasites from biting them ... whether by repelling them or making it so they could not recognize by scent that the dogs were available to snack on, IDK which, or maybe something else was at play. HOwever it did so, it DID work ... WITHOUT ... ANY ... added preservatives ... at all!!!
