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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.
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Diet
Posted by Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 09/09/2008
 ★★★★☆

This is the 2nd summer in a row where we've had no fleas. Last summer I found a total of 3 fleas on our 2 dogs. This summer, 0 fleas on 3 dogs (we rescued a stray last fall). Has this been the case with other folks in Atlanta area? Because of this, I have not applied any flea prevention liquid like Advantage. This seems strange to me because the dogs go to the dog park every so often and also because the 2 vets that I have seen (one was a holistic vet in Stone Mountain) told me shortly after I moved here that dogs need to be on flea prevention all year round. One of our dogs, Max, did get a hot spot last winter which the vet blamed on a flea bite reaction. But other than that... nada.

If other people in Atlanta are not experiencing this lack of fleas, then I can only surmise it's their good diet that repels fleas. So... for those that are interested: I feed them the Blackwood lamb and rice brand with a small amount of slightly undercooked ground beef, turkey or chicken and a tiny bit of flax seed oil. The pet grooming store that I was purchasing Blackwood stopped supplying the large bags, so I went to a big pet store chain here and asked what they thought was their best brand of dog food. Turns out to be Blue Buffalo, which I bought (but haven't yet researched). The 30 pound lamb and rice bag was very expensive, even more than the Blackwood 40 pound bag, but after 10 days on the new stuff, still no fleas. I think the slightly undercooked beef or turkey is a very important component, not just holistic brands of pet food.

Dish Soap
Posted by Sue (Hazel Green, WI) on 09/05/2008
 ★★★★★

I'm just updating on the flea bath. We did all 3 of our cat in the vinegar, dish soap bath. It has worked wonders. They are happy cats now. Thanks for the cure. Hope everyone can enjoy this website as much as I am.

Borax
Posted by Edh (Marietta, Ga) on 07/20/2011

You can buy it at a grocery store (I got mine at Kroger). I'm sure Target would have it too. Look in the laundry detergent aisle - 20 Mule Train Borax.

Borax
Posted by Jml (Mayfield, Ky) on 10/24/2011

I found 20 Mule Team Borax laundry detergent at Super Walmart in the softner aisle. $3.27 for a big box. They told me they didn't even carry it and I found it by accident.

Garlic
Posted by Koni (London, UK) on 01/19/2008
 ★★★★★

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.

Pure Lemon, Rosemary and Lavender Oils
Posted by Pati (Orangevale , California) on 08/03/2007
 ★★★★★

I have a Purebred Turkish Angora Cat that is 18 years old now & has never been sick a day in her life. So experimenting I decided to mix a few drops Pure Lemon Oil into my hand with natural Organic Shampoo & bathed her in that mixture. It rids her of any Fleas and Itching & makes her white long hair shiny & bright! It does not dry out her skin. So I decided to use just a drop or two of pure Lemon, Lavender & Rosemary oil mixed with my shampoo a large amount on my hand & left it on for a minute or so & then rinsed very well. I then Conditioned with Organic Conditioner or Marine Conditioner from the Sea & now my hair stops falling out, the itching has stopped from dry scalp & my hair is thick, very long down to my lower back and shiny.

Garlic
Posted by Tried Everything (Austin, TX) on 06/29/2007
 ★☆☆☆☆

I tried to feed my dogs garlic in order to rid them of fleas (according to some postings I read), but it really didn't work. My boys were sick all night, they threw up and didn't want to eat. Where I live, flea infestation is no joking matter. I hate to buy the medicine vets recommend because it's really toxic and not to mention that it gets expensive. I was really hoping that this would work, but it obviously didn't.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Denise (Skowhegan, Me.) on 09/05/2018

@Paul from Oakland - Well, there's the reason right there...

Garlic
Posted by Tom (Providence, RI) on 04/14/2007
 ★★★★★

I have given each of my two dogs (retriever family, 2 and 5 yo) a clove of freshly pressed garlic every day in their dinner. They are never sick. They do Not have fleas and I DO NOT USE commerical flea/tick products which are carcinogenic and neurotoxins, and the dogs are doing great. I have not had their red blood count tested and perhaps I should. Another ? for the holistic vet I guess.

Garlic
Posted by Gavin (Killarney Vale, N.S.W. Australia) on 03/10/2007
 ★★★★★

I have fed my Dingo cross bred 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced in his nightly bowl of dry food for 3 weeks so far to cure flea infestation. I have tried both top brand remedies available in Australia, (Frontline & Advantage) to no avail.The dog laps it up and the fleas have gone. No side effect so far. He does not smell like an Italian restaurant, however his coat is also very shiny. Is this too much as I have heard that Garlic is both good & bad. Most reports of bad seem to come from Vets who would lose money by not selling/promoting their sponsored product.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Deb (Oregon) on 11/09/2006
 ★★★★★

i tried everything, permetherin, ivamex, tea tree oil, lavander oil, washing bedding,cloths, even tried animal remedies. have battled it for 5 months only with temporary relief. Diatomeceous earth is the one that worked. Its' a natural remedy that you can buy at a grange coop or garden store. i use it 3 times a day putting it on with a powder puff or big cosmetic makeup brush. careful not to get in eyes and don't use on face or breath in dust. i used it for one day and noticed a big improvement but i am going to use it for a few weeks to be darn certain they are gone. I washed bedding and vacumed floors, washed rugs all in hot water with soap and borax. I sprinkled mattresses, couches, car seats in vehicles carpets and bedding daily with this diatomecieous earth. Every day I washed used towels, bedding in hot water. the items you cant wash daily (like comforters, pillows) put in dryer for 20 minutes every day.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Rebecca (Portland, Oregon) on 06/18/2008

Be careful! Tea tree oil is toxic to cats!

Essential Oils
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 11/08/2016

Dear Donna,

Because your dogs are so small and essential oils are so strong (and can be even be toxic) I would find another remedy like apple cider vinegar.

Mix 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar in a bottle. Use a cotton ball to apply some of the solution to the back of your dogs' necks daily to prevent fleas.

~Mama to Many~

Essential Oils
Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 11/08/2016

Just google it and you will find their main website with a store locator. I do think your best bet would be to use floor lamp flea traps - one per room, and also give your dogs flea baths [use dawn dish soap with white vinegar rinse] all at the same time, and also wash all bedding all at the same time, and to vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Cheap but for the cost of your labor.

Diatomaceous Earth
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.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Kari (Stephenville, Tx Usa) on 08/16/2010
 ★★★★★

Diatomaceous Earth is completely safe to use, as long as it's human/food grade and NOT pool grade. Most garden stores sell it as well as a plethora of websites. My only suggestion is to not put it on your carpet. Some people have a lot of luck with this, it mostly just made my vacuum cleaner sound [permanently terrible. It still runs fine, there's just a terrible noise when it's running and I can't seem to figure out the real cause (I've taken it apart down to the motor). Also, it's not healthy to breathe in ANY dusts, so wear a mask and remove your pets until the dust settles. Otherwise it's okay for you AND your pets to consume, it's okay to put some on your pets coat (although use caution, it can dry them out). It is a natural dewormer and will rid your animals of every worm EXCEPT for heart-worms. You need about 1 tsp for cats and small dogs, 2 tsp for bigger dogs... 1 tbsp for humans. It really has a lot of benefits. I strongly urge you to research it. I've found the best remedy for fleas is this... Make sure you've found a successful treatment for your animals. I had to switch spot-on treatments because the one I had been using for years was no longer effective. Then you need to treat the infected areas.. Best method for me? Frequent vacuuming. 3-4 times a week, every day if you can manage it. Make sure you throw the bag out or empty the canister outside. I also recommend NOT bathing your animals in chemicals... If you feel it's necessary to bathe them, try to use something like the original Dawn soap, and make sure the first place you get wet and put soap is around the neck... Fleas will always try to travel up to escape... You should never put soap or lots of water on your pets face, so treat the neck FIRST and get it good and lathered. If you wouldn't use it yourself, you probably shouldn't use it on your animals.

Rosemary Spray
Posted by Rhonda (TX) on 02/26/2022 33 posts
 ★★★★★

Flea protection for dogs, DO NOT USE ON CATS! Buy some Rosemary sprigs in your grocery store. put them in boiling water. I used 3 for a medium-sized stockpot. Let them boil for an hour and turn it down to a rolling boil for another few hours. The pot of rosemary water will turn dark.

Let cool, fill half the spray bottle with the rosemary water, the rest with cool water out of the tap.

You can spray on bedding, blankets, carpet, even the dog. Yes, its o.k. if they lick it.

Any questions, just ask.

Cedarwood Oil
Posted by Stacey (NI) on 09/01/2024

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could advise me about cedar essential oil and Neem Oil for both a cat as flea preventative? Is this safe and how should I dilute them in water or oil?

Amethyst
Posted by Allysa Rapp (Wildomar, California ) on 06/28/2024

Hi Terry, im interested in getting the product for fleas but not sure if I have the correct website. This would really help me with my indoor outdoor cat

Amethyst
Posted by Francine (CA) on 03/12/2021

Periodically put the stone outside in the sun to recharge.

Amethyst
Posted by Francine (CA) on 05/20/2022

Have you left the stone outside when there is a full moon or in the sun to reactivate the stone periodically?

Essential Oils
Posted by Msgacat56 (Pendleton, SC) on 11/02/2024 1 posts

I think this is what I just ordered from Tractor Supply last night. They have so many pet medications.


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