Effective Natural Remedies for Flea Control in Pets

Side Effects From Frontline

Posted by Nancy (Reddick, Florida) on 01/02/2008
0 out of 5 stars

I have been raising westies for many years, which are a very happy healthy breed. Last spring I bought one of the two major spot on flea products here in the USA and administered it to all of my dogs. All 10 got blisters from it. I asked my Vet what to do and he said I must have gotten a bad batch. Well, this whole year of 2007 none of my females had puppies, thats two heat cycles. They would come into season' normally and everything seemed right, but could not get bred. I started researching the ingredience on the flea product since they had a reaction to it. Boy was I shocked !!! This product is the first ingredient listed and everything my girls were going through showed up as side effects from this man made chemical. Drastic alterations in thyroid functions, changes in the levels of sex hormones, the list goes on. Needless to say, I spent alot of time and money at the Vets for tests on my girls/boys and they couldn't give me an answer.I contacted the manufacturer and they denied having any problems with the product. This chemical CAN also stay in the pets system for up to 56 days. So, if you give your dog this product as recommended every 4 wks. you're double dosing him with chemical. I also have friends that live in diferent parts of Florida who breed and used this product this year. The same thing happened to them, I will never use commerical flea products again.Please everyone, Take a minute and research the ingredience on anything you buy for your pets.

Side Effects From Frontline

Posted by Debbie (Northville, MI) on 07/20/2008
0 out of 5 stars

PLEASE REPORT THE FRONTLINE PROBLEM TO THE EPA. Last week I had the vet put Frontline on both my Yorkie and Silkie.They were perfectly healthy five year old dogs. They both almost died. Started with them being lethargic and edema developed at the application site, this went to seizures, shock, hair loss you name it. Keep in mind that the head person from Frontline contradicted herself by saying "this is impossible and in the next sentence when I told her she would be paying my bills she replied by saying "we handle all such cases on a case by case review" huh? sounds like this is a problem-check out some links by doing frontline poisoning online. you will find hundreds of such reports. Also the UK puts this right on the label--can cause lethargy, seizures, shock, hairloss, sores and death. Gee, too bad our country doesn't do this--it is the EPA that controls this-have your vet report it too. I am desperately trying to decide what chemical free options to try.

Side Effects From Frontline

Posted by Dianna (Austin, Tx) on 01/01/2009

you do not ever have to use poison every again for fleas!!! i have a tiny chihuahua who had fleas so bad that i was bathing and flea combing him twice a day. finally i found grandpa's pine tar soap and washed him with it and immediately the fleas were gone. it only took one other time to wash him and he has not had fleas since and it has been months. i live out int he country and fleas can get really out of hand here in the summer. this was really a god send for me. try it! you may have to wash a couple of times - but just lather it up and let the foam sit and then flea comb and the fleas just jump off. good luck.

Side Effects From Frontline

Posted by Kelly (Rogers, Ar) on 06/11/2008
0 out of 5 stars

I used the squeeze on my 7 yr old lab I thought he was going to die 30 min later. He was foaming at the mouth wouldn't eat or drink, he just lay there. I called the poison control number on package and they told me it coats their mouth if they lick it. So to give him tuna packed in water and give a bath in dish soap such as Dawn then watch and make sure he didn't have any other problems.It and other products of this kind can cause diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration. The tuna worked for that but he had an allergic reaction and now has hot spots he did not start getting until after sentry was used. I have tried so many things I hope the acv and peppermint works just tried tonight.

Lemons

Posted by Donna (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) on 06/30/2007
★★★★★

My dog had fleas when she was four months old, and I didn't feel comfortable using flea medication on her because she was too small for store bought medication, and the stuff from the vet was too expensive. I read that there's something about lemons or lemon juice that repells fleas. I cut some lemons into quarters, and covered them with boiling water. I let the water sit overnight, and in the morning poured it into a spray bottle. I sprayed her several times a day with the lemon water, and also put some crushed garlic into her food. The fleas were gone in no time, and since lemons and garlic only cost a couple of dollars, I saved lots of money!

Essential Oils

Posted by Alison (Houston, TX) on 11/05/2008
★★★★★

I am so happy I found your site! I read your suggestion for bathing your pet in essential oils such as lavender, bergamot and cedar. I went on line trying to find a product with these ingredients and found something called Wondercide which you spray on your animals fur - and it is working! I have an older Mastiff who suffers from major flea allergies. Her rear and tail were raw and hairless. All I did was spray the stuff on her and now she is doing great. Her hair is back, she smells better, she is free of fleas, and she is no longer incessantly licking and biting herself. I also sprayed her bed with the product and use it in my home and yard. Our home and family are now finally without fleas. BTW I live in the flea capital of the world - Houston.

Essential Oils

Posted by Sarah (Portland, OR) on 11/12/2008

Be careful with essential oils like lavendar, tea tree, eucalyptus and others around pets. They can act as endocrine disrupters and are toxic to pets.

Dish Soap

Posted by Robin (Mansfield, OH) on 07/19/2006
★★★★★

We have two dogs and four cats. Needless to say, fleas are a major problem in the summer. Upon searching for a flea killing product, we were told by a local store employee to try ___ Dishwashing liquid. She had used it on her animals and claimed that it worked. We were desperate and would try anything reasonable. Sure enough it worked!!. While bathing the animals, we saw the fleas literally running from the soaped areas. We scrubbed the animals throughly with a brush while bathing them, making sure that the soap was completely throughout the fur. We reallly found dead fleas in the water and on the floor after the bathing was done. Wash your animals once a week with this product and the fleas will not be a problem.

Dish Soap

Posted by Casper (Port Crane, Ny) on 09/03/2009
★★★★★

Any dishwashing liquid will kill fleas. The ones containing lemon will work even faster. Fleas have an oily surface to them that keeps them alive. Mess that up with a little soap and they suffocate. You can always kill a few fleas taking your four legged friends for a swim. FLEAS CAN'T SWIM AND WILL ONLY DROWN IF IMMERSED IN WATER! I have black labs that swim most every day and fleas are never a problem.

Steam Mop for Carpet Infestations

Posted by Dainette (WA) on 07/11/2021
★★★★★

I found a great cure for flea infestation if you have carpet! It's a steam mop with a plastic frame that lets it glide over carpet. Go slow, kills eggs, pupae, larvae and adults (if they don't move-- and they don't seem to-- they are attracted to heat). Once a week for a couple of weeks (plus baths for the dogs and washing of bedding). Cured!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Gina (Waxahachie, TX) on 06/07/2021

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.

Diatomaceous Earth, Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mary (Wa State) on 05/25/2018
★★★★★

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.

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Mira (Los Angeles) on 07/26/2018
★☆☆☆☆

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!

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Mstee (Lakeland Fl) on 06/18/2017
★★★★☆

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?

Diatomaceous Earth

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.

Diatomaceous Earth

Posted by Valerie (Missouri) on 03/07/2016
★★★★★

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.

Lavender Oil

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.

Citrus Peel Infused in White Vinegar

Posted by Marcia (Costa Mesa, Ca) on 02/19/2015
★★★★★

I use apple cider vinegar in their water, but also citrus peel infused white vinegar topically, for flea control.

Citrus peels have two organic chemicals called limonene and linalool which kill all stages of the flea's life cycle.

Just pour a 1/2 gallon (or really as much as you want, cause it can also be used for general household cleaning too) - of white vinegar into a large glass, covered container and throw in whatever citrus peels you have - oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime... doesn't matter which or how much...as long as it's completely covered by the vinegar. Stir or shake it up every once in awhile and give it a week or two. Leaving it in sunlight will accelerate the process.

I use the solution, once a week, as a final rinse (don't rinse it off) after their baths. The citrus chemicals kill any fleas they may have picked up and smell of the vinegar, though not detectable to us, once the dog is dry, repels the fleas for the rest of the week.

The solution can also be put in a spray bottle for occasional spot treatment and it can even be used as a cleaning solution around the house!

Diatomaceous Earth

Posted by Sarah (Australia) on 02/17/2015
★★★★★

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.

Outdoor Flea Treatments

Posted by Carol (Morriston, Fl) on 01/21/2015

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

Outdoor Flea Treatments

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.

Outdoor Flea Treatments

Posted by Susan B. (Ct, Usa) on 01/22/2015

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.

Diatomaceous Earth

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.