Effective Natural Remedies for Flea Control in Pets
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.
I noticed an article mentions using Geranium, Citronella and Eucalyptus to bath the cat for fleas. I just hope that everyone reading realizes that these are very toxic and poisonous to cats. While I will always go the natural route to aide in matters of health with my cats, you have to become educated as to what plants and essential oils, etc are toxic to our little cat children. There are very good natural cat shampoos that use safe ingredients. And people are getting good results with Diatomaceous Earth. The food grade kind not the Pool chemical kind. This kills the fleas and their larvae without threatening the environment you or your pet live in. I hope that everyone researches carefully what natural means and that not everything that is organic or natural is good for your pet children.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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Posted by Isabella (Raleigh, Nc) on 07/04/2011 ★☆☆☆☆
WORKED TEMPORARILY
UPDATE: I'm into my second year and flea season using the amethyst. One thing that has definitely changed - it no longer works for my dog. I've had to treat him twice with Frontline this year (other natural remedies have failed for him); however, I have not treated my cats since last spring - they don't need it. I DO see a flea on a cat from time to time but they do not scratch and chew on themselves as a cat does when it's being bitten. I have five cats and they absolutely have no flea problem - despite being indoor/outdoor and living with my dog who does need flea treatment.
The rock I use is a tumbled amethyst I bought from ebay. The cats drink from a ceramic bowl. I remove the rock only to clean and refill the bowl. If you try this, give it time to work. Good luck!
Posted by Cleoppa (Cleburne, Tx) on 08/28/2010 ★☆☆☆☆
Before trying this, I did a bit of research. Although not a lot of people had commented on their results online, I found that nearly everyone who had cats found this to work and maybe half the people who had dogs did. I thought maybe some other circumstances, such as the size of the amethyst, made a difference. I wanted to get a large amethyst, just in the off-chance it was ingested in the water. I bid on two large (3 inch) amethysts on ebay, expecting to only win one. I ended up winning both. I put them both in my dog's water for some time and saw little, if any difference. So, I'm pretty sure it's not a matter of the amount of the amethyst. Possible there are different types or qualities of amethyst? Or maybe my flea problem was too extreme to it to help? I'm keeping the amethysts in the water and if I do think it makes a difference, I'll post here.
I started adding a small amount of home made colloidal silver to my cats drinking water for the recommended health benefits about 6 months ago(maybe a tablespoon per pint). I noticed that he hasn't come home with any fleas or ticks this summer which was a big problem last year.
I bought a bottle of brewers yeast at walmart for flea control as I read somewhere it might help.
It made my german shepherd so sick and he got an ear infection right away. I had to take him to the vets to get meds. The vet would not give me oral antibiotics, but gave me ear drops. I wish I had bought fish antibiotics and looked up the dosage from revival animal health or drs foster and smith for him. He ended up biting me really badly because he didnt want the drops put in his ear and I ignored the threat display to get them in his ear and he attacked me...not that it was his fault..he is a wolf hybrid german shepherd and he has a large set of teeth.
Never use brewers yeast for flea control it doesnt work and it causes illness.
ON the contrary, I have a big steel pot I use for all my animals water and every time I fill it up I put a cap ful of apple cider vinegar in it, the best kind is the kind at the health food store but I just use the kind at the dollar store, and it starts working in about two weeks. They dont even notice it is there and it cuts the yeast out of their bodies and the fleas dont really like the taste of it and I also mop with it and I love it for all it does!
Posted by Blankie (Fajardo, PR USA) on 12/13/2010 ★★★★★
For years I have used Brewer's Yeast until now and that is because it has been difficult to find it here in Puerto Rico. I used to buy it at Walmarts and Walgreens Pharmarcy but it has been discontinued. I have always used it for my dog and her hair is shiny, she is quite healthy. She is always outside and she loves to sleep on sand (major factor for fleas and ticks) and she has no fleas nor ticks. I have used it on all the dogs I have had. The ones that died were of all ages (15 yrs) but never due to anything they ate or that I gave them.
Posted by Mikki (Youngsville, Nc Usa) on 04/08/2012
I wanted to add to this a little as well. Some dogs do have a high yeast count in their body's and giving them supplemental yeast could result in a yeast infection of the skin or ears. But as a general rule, brewers yeast is effective on flea prevention and is very safe for your dogs. If you are concerned that your dog might develop a yeast infection talk with your vet about assessing yeast levels on their skin before you begin.
Posted by Namooni1974 (Portland, Oregon, Usa) on 02/18/2010
Natural Flea, Tick, and Lice remedy
So we have had so many different animals in our family over the years that fleas have been a problem. We have tried so many different products with as many results. All have eventually failed except one. Soap nuts!
A friend introduced us to them for allergies to laundry soap. I found recipies online to make liquid soap out of them. We all now use it as our only household soap (bodywash, shampoo, house keeping,ect..) I bathe the animals monthly with it and stopped having any problems with fleas. We also do not get bitten by mosquitos. I buy my soap nut online, and they last a very long time.They are 100% natural with no side effects and are compostable.
Posted by Westwind (Orlando, Fl) on 05/03/2010 ★★★★★
Brewer's Yeast works! I started using it early last spring, throughout the summer and into early winter. I never saw a flea on my Bassett Hound. I had my doubts living in a humid, hot climate where fleas thrive, but I never saw even 1 flea. I put about a teaspoon on her food at night (she's a small bassett, about 40 lbs). She loves the taste! Brewer's Yeast is natural and filled with other nutritional stuff your dog needs. Give it a try!
I don't believe that only Dawn dish soap works. Any dish soap will do. What happens is the soap coats the flea so it cannot breath. (I have read that they breath through their skin. ) Try the dish soap that you have available. I have used whatever I had in the bowls under a night light, or even a few drops in a glass of water to place fleas I have picked off of one of my animals. The fleas will sink with just the few drops mixed in. Good luck.
Posted by Fraizer (Venice, Fl) on 07/20/2009 ★★★★★
I too have been searching for a natural remedy to rid my 2 cats of fleas. I tried the Vinegar and some home remedies, but none of them worked for me. I refuse to put any pesticides or chemicals on my pets because they are really harmful to them, and my cats have had bad reactions to them. I will not mention brand names, but I finally found success with a store bought product. Go to your pet store and look for a natural flea powder or spray containing natural oils (peppermint, cloves, etc.) that will kill fleas. They are more expensive, but are non toxic to humans and pets and WORK GREAT! My girls are no longer biting & scratching. Be sure to spray or sprinkle the powder over your entire house as well. My cats smell like TEA BAGS but are no longer FLEA BAGS!!! Please do not put poison on your pets. Find a natural remedy.
Posted by Helen (Cynthiana, Kentucky) on 06/03/2009 ★★★★★
if you have dogs like we do use homemade lye soap and give them a bath in it every 10 to 14 days apart after the first oneand give them all natural dog treats and then after about a week if they are still scratching some rub some aloe vera on their coats and their stomach and it works thank you. Helen
Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio) on 04/29/2009 ★★★★★
I had the worst flea infestation EVER, last year. I have two Dogs, and I live in Ohio, right near the lake, so the humidity here is terrible. The infestation was so bad, my 2 year old was getting bitten all over. I didn't know what to do. I tried ACV, in their water, and It didn't really improve anything. Although, I think I was a little impatient, I read that you have to wait 6 weeks for results. Tried Garlic, the kind you get in the jar in olive oil, AND powedered. Did not workat all.
Brewers yeast seems to be working well, so far. I started in March, now it is almost May. They are a lot better now then last year at this time. I also use flea collars, because, I have to do something aggressive for these dogs, they suffered so much last year. My German Shepherd actually liked off all of her hair on her hind side, and was bald. I used Tea tree oil, about a dropperful in some Castile soap for their baths last year, but this year, I'm planning on trying Neem Oil. I'm going to try rubbing it on their fur as a repellent as well. See how that goes. Wish me luck!!
We are getting ready to move to Washington state and I wanted to try and get a head start of protecting my dogs from fleas. I have a begale and 2 mini-dashunds and was wondering how much brewers yeast they should get? I bought tablets, but not sure if they should get the whole tablet (if so how often) or if it should get crushed up (and still how often) I already give they fish oil tablets 2x a week to help w/the dry skin that happens here. Also I'm seeing that my little ones don't care for the garlic powder on their food, will it be just as effective if it is cooked (say in biscuits)? Thanks for all the great advice on here! Glad I found this site!!!!
Try diatomaceous earth, which can be found at the big name home improvement stores in the lawn and garden section.
Also, when you vacuum, if using a bag be sure to seal and dispose of it EVERY time you vacuum. Bagless vacs can have the canisters thoroughly washed in hot soapy water - wash the filters too, every time. Fleas/eggs stuck in there will perpetuate the problem if you don't.
Posted by Rachel (Underwood, Indiana) on 11/13/2008 ★★★★★
I found out about dish soap years ago it works great. Kills the fleas instantly. But yes, they tend to run to the eyes and mouth area to escape the suds. My Mom was a dog groomer and taught me a way of protecting the eyes from the sting of soap,put a drop of MINERAL OIL in each eye before bathing the animal. the animal will not get soap in their eyes and you can make sure you can get close without hurting them. Now you still need to be careful around the nose and mouth areas. So try to put a barrier of soap around them so the fleas will not go there. Keep in mind though that you do not want to get Dawn in their nose or mouth, so be really careful when rinsing off. Try a wet rag in these areas. Also Dawn does tend to dry the skin out, so the animal may start itching the dry skin. If you put Avon's Intensive Treatment Lotion on the animal it helps with their dry skin and really lushes the coat. It also repells the fleas for several days, but it does make the coat oily when you first put it on, after a day tho the oil soaks in. You will notice a HUGE change in a very short time.
Dawn will also kill lice and mites. If you have a bird mite problem, wash the cage down with dish soap and spray the bird with a mite spray specially for birds.
I really love ___ for killing fleas. As a matter of fact, when I see someone at the store looking at flea shampoos I stop them and tell them not to waste their money, just buy a $1 bottle of ___. It kills fleas instantly and you don't have to have your animal sitting shivering waiting for 5-15 minutes with the flea shampoo which does not work anyway.
Posted by Doug (Knoxville, Tn) on 09/18/2012 ★★★★☆
This summer has been the worst for fleas. Have been fighting the critters for a few months on our lab and cocker. spot-on chemicals did nothing. I'm done spending money on monthly treatments and have read some of the research that is a bit scarey. I called the company of the one I recently used and was told, "the product works, your dog must be picking up new fleas daily. " So what good is it if they stay covered in fleas??? I am currently using the cedarwood oil I bought on line from a company in texas. It came with a 1oz. Spritzer you can refill from the jug. easy to use. It works as well as advertised, will kill a flea in seconds. We have used it frequently on the dogs with no harmful side affects. The only draw back is that it doesn't continue to work for any length of time. If the problem is bad, like ours has been this summer, the fleas return. But a heck of a lot cheaper and safer than spot on treatment. The 32 oz bottle should last quite a while. We've started a more aggressive approach with some of the ideas we found here, I. E. Brewers yeast, ACV, etc.. The cedarwood oil spray has worked well, but as you probably know.... the little critters tend to stay out of sight most of the time.
My furbabie and I had so much fun playing fetch in my back yard then we came inside and began to itch and saw dozens of flea. Neighborhood cats like to congregate there and I just got this pretty little goldendoodle now we are fighting off fleas. I'm going to try several of these remedies and report back later. Thank you for all the great tips.
Posted by Karen (Hillsdale, Mi.) on 10/08/2008 ★★★★★
I have been having flea problems also, so I search and search for things to use naturally...Garlic kept coming up...so, I took out the garlic powder, and rubbed it into my cats furr starting around the neck and head area, making sure not to get into eyes and such. Then worked it down under the belly area and back. I waited a few hours, and checked them...no fleas!!
Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio) on 10/08/2008 ★★★★★
Tea tree oil will kill fleas, on your dog immediately, when mixed with baby shampoo. Leave it on and lather well, and most if not all the fleas will die, and wash out. This will not prevent the fleas from returning. You have to use a collar.
EC: WARNING! Tea Tree oil may be toxic to cats and dogs!
Tea tree oil has long been used as a method of all natural effective flea control by adding the oil directly to dogs, horses and sheep fur or their bathing water. Use on cats has been known to make them sick and in some cases kill them, this is due to cats licking their fur and consuming the oil.[23]
According to National Animal Poison Control Center, the use of tea tree oil in dogs has been associated with hypothermia, muscle weakness, ataxia, tremors, altered behavior, paralysis. A case report has been published in which three cats had clinical signs and one cat died after being treated with the oil. [24]
While researching tea tree oil as a skin healer, I noted that tea tree oil can be very toxic to cats. A couple of comments here mention tea tree oil use for cats to help prevent fleas. Thought I should just mention it.
Posted by Shore1204 (North Cape May, New Jersey) on 08/27/2012
I am having the worst time with fleas this year. I have bathed my dogs in the lavendar dog shampoos, used advantage 11& armor spot treatments and cant seem to keep them away. My poor choc. Lab has it worst to where she is starting to lose hair. She dosent like the vet every vet I try is patient with her but I do not want to stress her out on top of what she is going through. What can I do. Somebody please help me.
Posted by Chu (Edmond, Oklahoma) on 05/13/2008 ★★★★★
FLEAS: hi, i've been using salt in my carpet for flea infestations, i have a cat that goes in and out of the house like 7-11, so i will get reinfestation every once in a while, the first thing i tried was salt, i sprinkle it all over the carpets and leave it there from 3-7 days, and then vacuum it up, and no more fleas.
i had also tried diatomaceous earth but it didn't really work for me i used permaguard food grade fossil flour, and i was uncomfortable using it cause it is bad for your lungs, so from now on i will only use salt cause if its safe enough to eat i won't have to worry. i use the cheapest one i could find at 33 cents a can. i bought idolized and unidolized i don't know if it matters though.
Posted by Michael (Shell Beach, Ca) on 03/03/2008 ★★★★★
We just bathed one of our cats with the ___ dish soap method and it was amazing. It was like instant the fleas had no time to run and hide and didn't even know what hit them. By the end of the bath we had a not so happy but flea ridden cat. Thank you so much Michael and Christin
Posted by Gabriela (Pahoa, Hawaii) on 02/24/2008 ★★★★★
My pet recipe: Neem Seed Oil (100% pure only). I use it on everything, when our pets have itching, they scratch constantly and inflict wounds on themselves. If they have tics in their ears, they might inflict a wound somewhere by constantly scratching on the outside.
Neem Seed Oil is against parasites, mites and tics and fleas. It is also anti-bacterial. I used it on little turtles, chickens and cats. These are our only animals. I am so confident with this. I have solved problems, the vet said, were psychological. In one case, it truly was. Our cat was not stopping to scratch herself and inflicted wounds on herself because we had been away for some time and she was traumatized. I solved this problem by using Neem Seed Oil on her wounds first and then I put a little dog-shirt on her (like a T-shirt for tiny doggies you can buy). She was so estranged about the funny thing on her body that she forgot about her licking and couldn't anyway. After a few days, she got it off herself and had all forgotten her obsessive licking. When I use Neem Seed Oil, I put it on my hands, and oil the animals generously on all the spots necessary. They hate it - but usually one or two treatments are enough.
Posted by Sue (Hazel Green, WI) on 10/23/2008 ★★★★★
I tried the 1 oz Neem oil with 8 oz. vinegar in a spray bottle. It is working fantastic. I have 3 cats and are having a bad time with fleas this season. This spray has worked wonderful on them. They are enjoying not scratching and playing around more. Thanks so much for this web site. Keep up the great ideas.
Posted by Sassy (Gold Coast, Qld) on 12/20/2010 ★★★★★
Hi all, Neem oil is really fantastic stuff. But just I little bit of info, its classed as an insecticide, so using this if you have frontline etc on you animal will actually cause the frontline to stop working. Also, the drop things you put on the back of your animals. These actually work in the natural oils on the skin, so they don't really work until the flea actually bites the animal. Thanks :)
I have been sprinkling garlic powder on my dogs (home cooked) food since I got him aged 6 months. He's never had a flea. Recentley I ran out (of GP) and it was a week before I replaced it (me casually thinking all would be ok) During that week he got worms, when I put him back on the Garlic Powder the worms were eradicated. It works for me.
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