Effective Natural Remedies for Flea Control in Pets
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Help! All this rain and I have more fleas than ever. and my new little dog, white broken coat jack russell mix, is in very bad shape. I have a dw liquid flea trap going and have vacuumed many times, but it is so wet outside the grass is almost knee high. I have no place to put the dogs while I sprinkle the carpets. I started her on antiflea daily pills over a month ago- brewers yeast and b vits, I have sprayed her with colloidal silver 7ppm, I have flea bathed her, I have coated her with aloe vera juice, I have coated her with aloe vera gel, I have rubbed coconut oil on the worst chewed bits, I applied a chemical on her neck, all in the past 2 weeks. yesterday I broke down and dipped her in permethrin solution.
This morning she looked good. no rash, no bumps. she went out to pee and came in covered with a bumpy red rash, not every bump is a flea bite, and at least 5 more fleas running thru her now very sparse coat. picked them off and put more aloe gel on her. the fleas just love her. :( I'd spend the 55 for bravecto but I'm afraid that wouldn't work either, and my last dog got cancer from I think comfortis. my big black dog is not as bothered, but the fleas of course jump to her. I'm going crazy. the dogs don't want me near them cuz I keep searching for fleas on them. shall I try the borax? it's the only thing I haven't tried, and that's because the store is out of it lately.
I have used Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) in my pets' food for about 4 years for internal parasites. I also use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon 'organic' apple cider vinegar (ACV) per quart of drinking water all year. NO fleas or tics, the ACV causes sour blood... fleas/ticks don't like sour blood!! I like this better than putting DE on their fur. My one cat had severe fur loss on her hind end and weird pumps all over her skin, I 'think' the fleas caused this. Since using ACV in my pets water, her fur is thick. I also give Krill Oil in their food.
Flea season exploded two months ago and I found that tea tree oil did NOT help in the least, so I would like to amend this rating to either 1 or 0 (that would take more experimentation). Possibly back when I posted this initial review, colder weather was setting in and I mistook the seasonal decline in flea populations as a sign of tea tree oil's effectiveness for flea control.
I was treating my cat (10 months old) daily with a drop's worth (placed on my finger and then applied) of tea tree on the back of her head and another at the base of her tail, along with food grade diatomaceous earth rubbed in all over. It really didn't seem to show much improvement. She had bald spots where the fleas were eating her and for awhile, the only remedy was bathing her 2x a week, where I would remove dozens of fleas at a time.
Luckily, I did find what worked to my amazement! Homemade lemon spray. Throw a few lemons (skins seeds and all) into a blender with some water and strain into a bottle. Apply the spray to your hands and rub into your animal's fur all over, from her furry cheeks to tail. She licks it off and is perfectly healthy. Occasionally, I'll find one lethargic flea that is easy to pick off, but it works exceptionally well. Also, spray the lemon everywhere you want, outside and in the corners of the room. As always with any new protocol, start off with small quantities on your pet to make sure there are no adverse reactions.
I am working on this Lemon Spray recipe (possibly adding other beneficial flea repelling ingredients) and will re-post when I am satisfied with the results.
EC: Rating changed in your first post to a 1 star, thank you for the update!
I have a French Bulldog and I fight yeast infection and hair loss every year. I decided to take him off flea chemicals but having a tough time finding a cure for it. I have been bathing him with baking soda then tree oil shampoo and finally a organic apple cider vinegar rinse. So far it has been been working. I also give him a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth every evening in his food. Anyone have any better cures?
Posted by Kimberly (Tennessee) on 10/09/2016 ★☆☆☆☆
I had used diatomaceous earth before, but it seems when using it this time, it hasn't been very good at controlling the fleas on my dogs? I put it in an old baby powder container. I applied it while stroking the hair up in the opposite way and applied heavily! Still it did not control the fleas, so I continued with the application daily. I also brushed them daily before each new application. Still, I was not satisfied with this product.
FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth is excellent at repelling and killing fleas ON the cat and can be sprinkled on carpets and floors (make sure you get as close to the walls as possible. You can sprinkle it directly ON the pet and rub it in and it will not harm the animal. Use only FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth...found at feed stores and some pet stores. The regular kind is poisonous. The food grade is natural, very effective, and odorless. BE careful with it, as it is very powdered (like powdered sugar) and will fog up the air, so I use an old ketchup dispenser to gently apply to animal and floors. Leave on floor for a day, then vacuum. On pets...it kills fleas, larvae, eggs...by dehydrating them.
Posted by Cathy (Lakeside, Ca) on 02/19/2015 ★★★★★
For dogs with any nervous or stress related condition, including fleas, rub one drop lavender on pads of each foot or rub a drop on ears. They calm down, stop licking and scratching.. And sleep. (Do not use cheap scented perfume oils, these are toxic! Only good quality essential oils.) Some oils actually repel fleas and ticks. Don't use too much, they are potent and dogs don't like strong odors.
I treated a flea infestation using diatomaceous earth. I sprinkled all it liberally over the cats regularly (once a day), and used a fine sieve and sprinkled it all over my floors - carpeted and wooden and tiles - and left it to sit for a week. I vacuumed it up and then treated it again to be certain. It cleared up a really bad flea infestation really well.
My two dogs are loaded with fleas; had them on trifecta's and still have fleas. Can I put sulfur granules in my yard? I have 1 acre and a quarter size yard; need something inexpensive and that will work
Posted by Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 01/22/2015
Spray a solution of white vinegar and water on dogs you will soon get rid of the fleas as they won't be able to feed of the dogs . It works and very cheap but don't spray near dogs eyes.
Hi Carol, Diatomaceous Earth, which you can buy at garden supply shops and online, is a great remedy to use outside for flea control. You'd need to look up directions on how to apply in the yard for fleas, but I lightly dust for food grade DE on all our pets around their tails and along the spine every few days. It's fabulous flea control remedy.
Posted by Ann (Miami, Florida) on 01/14/2015 ★★★★★
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is the best thing invented!!!!!!
I had a bed bug problem and tried everything. I have kids so I had to keep sleeping in my bed or risk bedbugs following me to their room. A real horror story until I found out about food grade Diatomaceous earth and tried it. There gone! I put it everywhere in the electrical sockets and to this day their still gone! I recently had a little flea problem and now mix some of the earth into my dog food and dust the dogs to keep the fleas off. My sister in NY had bedbugs I sent her some earth and it worked on her house too! I purchase a 5lb bag a year ago when I had the bedbugs and I still have 3/4 of the bag left since it doesnt take much when applying. When I first found a bedbug I called an exterminator and he quoted me at $450 to treat and that he would come back as often I needed. Once it took me 1-2 weeks to figure it all out and I invited him back he was astonished and asked me what I used ;)
Before you put pesticides and pay those high bills try it. I went a little crazy by applying it while opening all windows. Once I sprinkled everywhere with a mask on I vaccumed and put on baseboards ...etc . amen they're gone. I still apply the earth underneath bed and places you can't see just for peace of mind. I hope this helps someone.
My 12 year old Lab is going crazy chewing at her legs until they bleed. This stems from flea and or other insect bites. Is is possible the topical flea meds. I give her monthly are no longer working? She just had the last application no more than 2 weeks ago and I found a flea on her just yesterday. They really do not seem to alleviate the flea issues any longer. The problem has gotten progressively worse. Is there a natural, perhaps better remedy I might try? I have resisted taking her to the vet because my last visit was upwards of 600.00, ridiculous in my estimation. So anything you might suggest would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Teri
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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How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
I am curious as to what your $600+ vet bill bought you - could you share? And is your dog an indoor or outdoor dog? If she is an outdoor dog please consider bringing her indoors as this will greatly reduce the opportunity for her to be bit by so many insects. If she is an indoor dog and still flea infested, please consider using a flea trap to reduce your indoor population of fleas.
While the fleas may have bitten your dog on the legs, it is not a typical place for fleas to feed; think root of the tail, or around the neck. I wonder if your dog doesn't have a staph infection on her legs; you might try Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph rinse for her to see if that brings her relief. You might also consider alkalizing for her; this helps balance her PH making her less appetizing to fleas and other biting insects. You can start off with a crisis dose of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 liter of water and have this be her only drinking water for 5 days; after that drop the dose down to 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda into a liter of water as a maintenance dose.
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.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Thank you for sharing your experience with Trifexis. As you say, not everything gets listed on the label, so thank you for providing details on this side effect of incontinence in your dog.
I did a google search with "trifexis side effects urination" and quickly found a forum where another experienced urinary issues with their dog not concentrating the urine; when taken off the Trifexis the problem resolved.
Our 12 yo lab/pit mix is having side affects from the use of NexGard Flea and Tick treatment. He is in very good health as a rule . He had a vet check about a month ago. All was fine. Since giving him the flea mess we have noticed a loss of appetite, lethargy and dry flaky skin. This is by no means the norm for our baby. How long will this last? Are there any natural alternatives for flea and tick control. Seeing our dog like this is heartbreaking ...
Deb from Roseville. Mi --- as you may see in one post of mine below, natural orange cleaner which is essential oil of orange, kills even mites and is good for the coat. If it was my dog, I would not pay for poisons for fleas. Perhaps you may want to use charcoal or ESSIAC to clean out the poison now in the blood.
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.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Om posted an excellent reply - re: Activated charcoal and Essiac tea to clean out the blood. I would also try to get him to take in as much liquid as possible to flush the chemicals out. In addition I would bathe your dog to remove as much of the topical as you can.
Also, since you have a senior with these symptoms you may wish to return to the vet and run a blood panel to rule out any complications with the liver or kidneys. The sooner you catch these things the better.
Posted by Mary (Costa Mesa, California) on 05/06/2014 ★★★★★
I have successfully treated my home for fleas but every time we went out in neighborhood, new flees to comb out. I put amethyst in water dish, first 1-2 months no change. After 3 mo. No new fleas, skeptical, since winter is low flea time anyway. Now warm flea weather is here & still no new fleas. When I use flea comb also NONE on her at bath time. Fantastic results, just took time for her VIBRATIONS to match the amethyst. We will see as summers flea season builds but normally by now, 80 degree weather, we would have a problem. Love nature.
I tried the amethyst stone in my dog's bowl and my cat's bowl. I've had it in there over a month now and it doesn't work at all. My amethysts are large and still part of the rock itself so I know the quality is good. Time to try something else.
I started using food grade de a few days ago and I was wondering how long it take to first see results? It's only been down 5 days so far and it seems like the fleas are only getting bigger, so I don't know what to do.
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