Natural Ways for Getting Rid of Dog Fleas

This page has Flea Prevention recipes you can make at home and that contain no dangerous chemicals.  Natural remedies for fleas on your dog. Great for sick or immune compromised dogs,  young puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs. Actually great for ALL DOGS! 

Why fleas are a problem

• Flea saliva is one of the most allergenic substances known to man. Some 10% of cats and dogs will suffer from Flea Allergic Dermatitis, a skin condition that causes major irritation and hair loss. Flea allergies will cause horrible hot spots from just one tiny flea bite. 
• Fleas are the way in which a common species of tapeworm is carried from one animal to another, and occasionally to humans. If you kill the fleas, your pets cannot get tapeworms.

How to get rid of Fleas using non-chemical solutions…

If you’re leery of using chemical products on your dog or home, there are a number of plant, vitamin, and herbal-based natural flea treatments available. Adding garlic or brewer’s yeast to a dog’s food has long been thought to help keep fleas from alighting and biting. Since both are ordinary food products and not harmful to dogs, there’s really nothing to lose by giving them a try. Herbal Flea Collars, Natural Flea Shampoo and Herbal Flea Powders are also popular and widely available.

Herbs: Eucalyptus, fennel, rosemary, rue, wormwood, and yellow dock all seem to act as flea repellents. To make your own herbal flea powder, combine equal amounts of these herbs and mix them well.

Sprinkle a small amount of the powder on your dog’s coat and massage it in thoroughly, making sure to work it all the way down to the skin. You can also use a drop or two of the essential oils of eucalyptus and rosemary on a plain canvas or fabric-covered collar.

As with any flea collar, though, watch for signs of hair loss or skin irritation around the neck, and be careful that the dog doesn’t chew on the collar. You can also buy ready-made herbal flea collars at pet supply and natural food stores.

Diatomaceous Earth as Natural Flea Repellent 

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a light fine white powder that consists of crushed up fossils and shells. It works by slicing the exoskeleton of the fleas, dehydrating them and causing death. Diatomaceous Earth can be used to sprinkle on your dog,  their bedding and anywhere fleas like to congregate. 

ALSO READ MY POST ON HOW TO USE: Diatomaceous Earth as Natural Flea Repellent CLICK HERE! 

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Here are several more Natural ways to get rid of fleas on your Dog:

Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon Solution

Things you’ll Need:

1. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
2. Lemon
3. Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Mix a solution of 1/3 apple cider vinegar to 2/3 water. After regular shampooing and rinsing, pour this solution all over the dog. Squeeze out the excess water and towel dry the dog vigorously. He will not smell like vinegar very long, except to the fleas who will stay away.
2. Feed the dog very small amounts of garlic or brewer’s yeast in their food. Some will advise against using garlic, garlic is not only good for fleas, but it helps with other ailments as well.
3. Seep a cut up lemon in 8 oz. of water for a day. Pour this into a clean plastic spray bottle; spray the dog’s coat. You’ll need to brush it through if the dog has long hair. The dog will smell fresh to you, but fleas will not like the smell.
4. Repel the fleas with the scent of lavender. You can add several drops of lavender essential oil to the dogs regular shampoo bottle or its bath water. Be careful not to get essential oils in the dog’s eyes.
5. Mix a spray bottle with eight ounces of water and several drops of the lavender oil. Mist the lavender water over the dogs coat either after bathing or on a dry coat every couple of days.
6. Comb the dog with a flea comb. The teeth are very tight and will trap the fleas as you comb. Dunk the comb into a bowl of soapy water to dislodge the fleas and continue combing. You can also add a couple drops of the essential oil to this bowl.
7. To remove a severe flea infestation, shampoo the dog with Dawn dish liquid. Suds the entire body up and let it soak several minutes. Rinse the dog exceptionally well to remove all traces of the dish liquid.
8. Keep the dog bathed, groomed and healthy. Fleas will thrive in long matted hair that may contain dust, debris and skin irritations. A regular routine of grooming helps you be aware of fleas before they become overpopulated.

Natural Repellent Recipe #2 – Natural Oils

This recipe includes several essential oils that repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, flies and also makes the van/car smell great. Spray dogs and blankets. Use before going into the show ring instead of those other sprays; no chemical smell spray. Stuff smells great. Dogs look great and gives an additional shine to their coat.

Ingredients are full strength oils (links below,  go to my favorite oils on Amazon):

1. Tea Tree Oil
2. Rosemary Oil
3. Sage Oil
4. Cedarwood Oil
5. Peppermint Oil
6. Orange Oil
7. Eucalyptus Oil
8. Citronella Oil
9. Pine Needle Oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mix 4-6 drops of each with 32 oz of any natural shampoo and now you have a natural flea shampoo
OR Mix 2-3 drops each with 16 oz Water in a spray bottle. Shake before each application and spray light over entire body. Health food stores in your area sell the oils or you can purchase online.

You can use Rose Geranium, by putting a few drops—no more!—on dogs’ collars, to see if it would repel ticks. The second best essential oil for repelling ticks is American Pennyroyal (also called tickweed).

Rose Geranium – Natural Flea Repellent Recipe #3

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil (almond oil contains sulfur, a repellent
in its own right)
10 to 25 drops Rose Geranium essential oil
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; shake to blend.
Make: 2 tablespoons with a shelf life of about six months.
Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing, making sure to avoid eyes.

Caution:
Skip the Pennyroyal if there is anyone pregnant (including pets) in the home, as it can induce miscarriage. And as always, use essential oils with caution as they can burn the skin and harm eyes. Don’t use these essential oils around cats.

Want to Kill fleas instantly? Dawn Dish Soap!! 

Believe it or not Dawn Dish Soap will do the trick. Add some directly to your dog or puppy and shampoo them thoroughly as you usually would with normal shampoo and watch the fleas come up to the surface of their fur. Rinse them well to avoid skin irritations and use conditioner if you’d like. I personally like Mink Sheeen Shampoo and Conditioner!  

Goodbye fleas.

NATURAL CHEW REPELLENT! 

If you are having problems with your puppy or dog chewing on stuff,  you can use “Vicks Vapor Rub“. Just rub some on whatever you don’t want your puppy to chew on… the smell of it usually keeps their sensitive noses far enough away that chewing isn’t an option!

The Vapor Rub also last longer than most other no chew products, too. This keeps from having to re-apply so often!

JUST DONT USE ON YOUR DOGS – SKIN OR COAT!

FAVORITE NATURAL FLEA SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS FOR DOGS

• Rosemary and Mint
• Flea and tick defense
• Plant derived
• Wahl Shampoo is PEG-80 Free

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All natural 4-in-1 Pet Shampoo is a gentle shampoo, coat conditioner, super moisturizing formula, works like a cedar bed. Soothes and conditions. Natural flea & tick repellent, good for irritated skin , caused by biting insects. Helps control ‘hot spots’, produces a ‘show coat’, exceptional for dogs with sensitive skin. Safe for all dogs and puppies. Contains mink oil, nature’s own skin and coat conditioner with no harsh chemicals or pesticides.

Concentrated formula is a great value MAKES UP TO ONE GALLON!!!

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Homemade Natural Dog Flea Collar (and Mosquito)

A flea collar can be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a dog bandanna.

 

Use Eucalyptus Essential Oil , Tea Tree Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil or Rose Geranium Essential Oil. Don’t forget to refresh weekly.

This collar and the Herbal Heartworm Prevention Program will give you a safer option for your dog to avoid heartworm’s.

CITRUS FLEA REPELLENT:

Cut a lemon into quarters and place in a pint jug. Cover the lemon with boiling water and let it steep overnight. Next day you have a flea repellant that you can use in a spray bottle. Spray all over your dog remembering especially behind the ears and around the head generally (careful of eyes), around the base of the tail (once again keep away from delicate bits) and under your dog armpits.

AROMATHERAPY FLEA REPELLENT:

Using 10 ml. of sweet almond oil as your base oil, add 10 drops of lavender oil and 5 drops of cedarwood oil add to an oil bottle and shake well and use 1 or 2 drops spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away.

A flea collar can also be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a doggy bandanna: Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Citronella Oil, Lavender Oil or Rose Geranium Oil. Don’t forget to do this weekly.

NATURAL WAY TO PREVENT FLEAS IN YOUR HOME AND ON YOUR DOG:

Safer oils to use that repel fleas are eucalyptus, peppermint, cedarwood, and citronella. To make an essential oil spray for dogs, combine 30 drops essential oils to one cup of water and to spray on a dog’s fur. Shake bottle well before spraying each time to mix the water and essential oils.

Fleas spend most of their time in your furnishings and only hop onto your dog or you for their next meal. Make sure you wash your dog’s bedding regularly because no flea ever survived a hot wash cycle. If you add eucalyptus oil to the final rinse it will also kill 99% of house dust mites.
Vacuum your home very thoroughly and sprinkle a fine layer of ordinary table salt over your upholstery and carpets and leave overnight before vacuuming again to evict your unwelcome guests safely but don’t forget to empty your vacuum bag.

NATURAL FLEA BATH:

A badly infested dog really needs to be bathed so use your favorite natural flea shampoo or Dawn Dish Soap.  Rinse the dog off very thoroughly and in the final rinse add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil or Lavender oil.

An alternative is to make your own herbal flea dip which will also work on ticks. Steep two cups of fresh rosemary, in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon (8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over the dog until it’s saturated. Do not rinse off and allow the dog to dry naturally so this is a nice remedy to use on hot summer days.

INTERNAL FLEA REPELLENTS:

Garlic may not be your favorite cologne and it’s NOT the flea’s favorite smell either. When your dog eats garlic, the smell is excreted through the dog’s skin making your dog less likely to be the flea’s next meal.
Brewer’s yeast tablets will also help to make your dog less attractive to fleas because once again the smell is excreted through the skin.
Adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the water bowl will make the skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks. If your dogs don’t like the apple cider vinegar in their water bowl, dilute it 50/50 with water and use in a spray bottle instead of the citrus repellent.

Brewer’s Yeast with Garlic Vitamin Tablets:

• The brewers yeast and garlic smell is excreted through the dog’s skin making your dog less likely to be the flea’s next meal.
• Provides essential vitamins to help support healthy skin and a glossy coat.
• Provides an excellent natural source of B-complex vitamins, fortified with B-1, B-2, Niacin & Vitamin C.
• Contains top quality debittered yeast and tasty garlic flavoring that Dogs and Cats love.
• Powder Version

DISCLAIMER:
This article has been written and presented strictly for informative and educational purposes only. The information contained within is based on pharmacological and other records, both ancient and modern. No claims whatsoever as to any specific benefits accruing from the use of NATURAL REMEDIES are made herewith, this is strictly for informational purposes based upon research and freedom of speech. Please seek advice from a medical or veterinary professional.

 

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