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How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Fleas 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.
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Posted by JOYCE (NEW CASTLE, IN) on 07/09/2007
 ★★★★★

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS WONDERFUL! WE STARTED USING IT FOR OUR THREE DOGS TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING FLEAS. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND THAT IT ACTUALLY WORKS! I WAS FURTHER AMAZED TO SEE THAT IT HAD CURED AN ALMOST RAW ARE ON MY PUG. HE HAD AN AREA (ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER) THAT HE HAD RUBBED UP AGAINST & SCRATCHED UNTIL ALL THE HAIR WAS GONE! (NOT TO MENTION HIS PITIFUL CRIES!) I HAD TAKEN HIM TO THE VET & HE WAS PUT ON AN EXPENSIVE ALLERGY PILL, BUT I'M REALLY DISTRUSTFUL OF MEDICATIONS, SO I QUIT USING IT. I USE ABOUT 3 TABLESPOONS OF THE ACV IN A GALLON OF THEIR DRINKING WATER. IT IS AMAZING! I THANK GOD FOR THIS WEBSITE & FOR ACV!

Replied by Gayle
(Bunnell, Fl)
06/30/2010

this is a question!! will the ACV work on cats!?!? all my animals share in all the water bowls

Replied by Stefanie
(Keystone Heights, Florida)
02/11/2011

Hi, an odd question for Gayle in Bunnell... Do you have horses as well? Stefanie

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Christy (Waxahachie, Tx) on 06/25/2007
 ★★★★★

I have a 12 year old dog named Shelby.She has suffered with hot spots and has lost quite a bit of her hair.I also have a 4 yr old named Madyson.The fleas at my house were taking over. Since trying the Apple Cider Vinegar, our lives have become better. No more fleas on my dogs or in my house. Shelby's hair has started to grow back. It has been fabulous!!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information. I have passed it on with hopes that many pets will live happy lives :)

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Debbie (Oklahoma) on 04/24/2006
 ★★★★★

I am a Dog groomer. I ran across this remedy about 4 months ago and tried it on my dogs..I was unhappy with products like frontline (which I was a firm believer) because it seemed like I would still see a flea or "flea dirt"... Nothing is on my girls. NOTHING!!! So now I am letting all of my customers know. I tell them it can take 4-6 weeks to see the benefit. I put it my girls drinking water... 1 tsp.ACV to 1 quart water. When I started trying the acv, I thought what the heck.. If it doesn't work for the fleas it has alot of other benefits.

Replied by chellyhurst
(Ochlocknee, ga,USA)
05/06/2009

you can take and put a handful off moth balls in your vacuum cleaner bag and this will kill the fleas and flea eggs that are vacumed up.

Replied by Shay
(Tustin, Ca)
06/30/2012

I like the moth ball idea for my vacuum because it is a shop vac and it only has a filter but no bags are required. I will try this along with some of the other remedies for getting rid of fleas. Does baking soda actually kill fleas or discourage them???

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Simon (Victoria, Australia)
★☆☆☆☆

We tried bathing his 10 dogs religiously in Apple Cider Vinegar (as prescribed above) for days to get rid of fleas. No luck.

Replied by Chris
(Manila, Philippines)
01/04/2010

Pls help, I tried putting acv to my dog (5mo old shar pei) on his back which is almost bald, with red bumps, but he cringe and kept on shaking his whole body. I think the acv stings him. Per his vet he's got the localized mange. Did I do something wrong? how come he isnt relieved from the itch when I applied the full acv? I also tried the 50/50 solution and wont work with him also, he cant sleep with it. Pls help

EC: You can find more mange remedies here https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/dog_mange_cure.html

Replied by Karen
(Fl)
08/23/2013
★★★★★

The apple cider vinegar that is being discussed here is NOT the cheap stuff you get at the grocery. They are talking about raw/unpasturized vinegar. I learned this the hard way. When I changed to the "good" stuff, the fleas did go away, just as advertised. Please check into this and try again. It *does* work!

Replied by Marianne
(Toronto, Canada)
10/22/2014

I have been reading some of the posts about using ACV to help rid fleas. my dog is having a really bad time with fleas. I've just sprayed with with a mixture of water and ACV and treated the house but, you say it's not the regular ACV that helps. Can you please tell me what exactly I should get and possibly where I can get it? thanks!

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
10/22/2014

Hey Marianne!

I can't speak of using ACV for the house - but I would bet that the regular kind would work, and also the white kind would work.

That said, ACV for medicinally or to take internally, the only kind to use is the raw, unpasturized, organic, with live cultures [aka "with the Mother"] - this can be found at the grocery store but carries a higher price tag than the regular ACV.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Deirdre (Los Angeles, CA)
★★★★★

she doesn't need to use flea dips in the winter when she adds a tsp of organic apple cider vinegar to her dogs' meals (2x a day) every day. This doesn't work so well in summer months, she reports.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Vickie (Tampa Florida)
★★★★★

I have found great success with ACV ...My Boxer has no fleas or ticks & a shiny coat.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Katie (Emporia, KS)
★★★★★

If ACV doesn't seem to work on fleas, try Brewer's Yeast vitamin tablets and cedar chips for bedding. Most dog beds have cedar chips inside them, but you can also buy them straight for dog houses and such.

Replied by Cherie
(Poconos, Pa)
01/16/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Cedar chips are not a good idea to use for pet bedding as the cedar secretes an oil that can cause blindness in animals.

Replied by Rebecca
(San Antonio, Texas Usa)
07/25/2012

I'm thankful to have found all this info regarding ACV to help my poor pup who is itchy and miserable from flea allergies. Starting him and his sis on ACV right away.

Meanwhile, thought I'd share how I got rid of the fleas themselves: SALT. It's true. I bought regular old table salt in the cardboard tube containers at the grocery store. I'd read about putting it thru a processor to get the grains really fine but didn't do this, didn't need to do it.

Sprinkled salt in the carpet, on the furniture, in the doggie beds. Did NOT vaccuum before I did this.

Salt killed the fleas in the house. When the new fleas popped up in a couple of weeks from the eggs, not so many and I sprinkled fresh salt. Gone.

Also treated the yard, but here I was not successful until I used one of the bottle insecticides from Home Depot (spray using garden hose). Natural remedies failed in the yard.

Salt works in the house. Works GREAT. And, no fear about the pups - if they lick the salt, it's safe.

I did not salt the dogs, tho. I did wonder about doing it, and remembered that drink called a "Salty Dog. " LOL

Salt in the house and the hose spray outside, and we are flea free.

Now, ACV will hopefully clear up the flea allergies that remain ....

Thanks again to everyone and God bless!!!

Replied by Regina
(Dierks, Arkansas)
06/02/2014

I've read on here in couple post to use brewer yeast tablets, do you get that in pet section or regular vitamn section?

Replied by Katherine
(Newport, OR)
09/04/2014

Brewer yeas/nutritional yeast you can find in the bulk food section of your grocery

Replied by Bridget
(Orlando, Florida)
01/10/2016
3 posts

Rebecca this is great, how long did you leave the salt down on the floor before you vacuumed it up? Thanks

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lyn (Jeannette, PA)
★★★★★

I just wanted to comment on the fleas section. It is true that any shampoo will kill fleas, but it needs to be left on for 30 min. Also, if you have a flea infestation in your house, just spraying your animal wont help. You must treat where the fleas live. See, they only feed on your animal. I have tremendous luck using table salt and food-grade diatomaceous earth all over the house to kill fleas and prevent. The salt (I prefer organic unprocessed sea salt) cuts into the body of the flea and then allows the DE to dehydrate the animal. Salt by itself does seem to work also, I just like a faster approach. Keep in mind though that this means of defense does take up to 2 months to work as some fleas are still hatching. In really bad infestation, it could take longer. I think flea eggs can survive up to 280 days. I would also like to recommend quadruped pet products. I work at a holistic pet care center and this is what we use to bathe the animals. They do not contain(unlike most pet shampoos) any harsh chemicals. Also, all their products are concentrates so it is much cheaper than buying the harmful stuff from pet shops or grocery stores.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sheerec (San Antonio, TX)
★★★★★

ACV for Fleas, itching and scratching works. My dog was itching and scratching everywheree very badly to the point,he had a small raw spot on his neck. I can say that it works. I put some apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, sprayed him down and let him air dry. The severe scrathing stop and the raw place under his neck has healed.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lana (Caro, Michigan)
★★★★★

I just tried the ACV on my Maltese, she's been miserable every Aug-Oct for years. Now she's resting quietly, within minutes. Thank-you so much! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! We've tried allergy shots, bathing, haircuts (she's practically bald now) benedryl, baby oil, seems like more things too, nonstop itching 24-7. Now she's happy again. Thanks so much!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jennifer (Doonan, QLD, Australia)
★★★★★

My 3 poodles have 2 tbsp in jug of water each day to prevent fleas. I also use it in their rinse water after a bath each week.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jennifer (Doonan, QLD, Australia)
★★★★★

It truly works for eliminating fleas from dogs. Just a few drops in the drinking water each day BUT it does take about six weeks.I have also sprayed the dog's beds and cleaned rugs and floors every day so it is an ongoing chore to for the six weeks but I am now on top of the situation.I run a Poodle resort so I have quite a few dogs and to have solved the flea problem is an enormous relief.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by MJ Fox (Ireland)
★★★★★

I use ACV in my rescue dogs' food twice a week and give them diluted ACV rub downs with a wet sponge or rag about every 10 days. There are no fleas on these dogs at all, which I think is a result of the ACV. I also use it full strength for ring worm and seem to be having some good luck with mange.

Replied by Mary
(Fredericksburg, Va, USA)
09/15/2009

can you tell me how much you dilute the apple cider vinegar for the rub down.

thank you,

mary in va.

Replied by Luann
(Bath, MI)
11/08/2014

50/50. water/ACV

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Vickie (Tampa Florida)
★★★★★

I have found great success with Apple cider vinegar ...My Boxer has no fleas or ticks & a shiny coat.

Replied by Robin
(Steuben, Me)
01/03/2013

Almost all of the comments about apple cider vinegar combating fleas indicate that the ACV is put into drinking water. I have tried that at the doses indicated in the comments here but my pets will not drink vinegar- infused water, Neither will I for that matter! What can be done to get them to ingest the ACV?? R. L.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Karen (Florence, SC)
★★★★★

When I give my dog a bath and then sponge her with ACV should I dilute it? Also if I use it in a spray bottle should I use full strength or dilute, if I dilute how much. Thanks


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