# Flea prevention help needed!



## Pookypeds (Jun 20, 2006)

What can we use besides the flea drops to prevent fleas? We think Pedro is sensitive and/or allergic to the Revolution, Frontline and Advantage flea drops that we have used. So we're looking for either a different brand or else something different altogether. Any ideas?


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Shelly, I don't use any thing on Zoey but I found this on line. It looks like good info.

Farewell to Fleas
by Frances Gavin - Canine Natural Cures 



Are you worried about the effects of chemicals on your dog? Why not make your own safe, non toxic flea repellents?

CITRUS 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 repellent 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’s "armpits."

AROMATHERAPY REPELLENT: Using 10 ml. of Pure Almond Carrier Oil as your base, add 10 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and 5 drops of Cedarwood Essential Oil. Shake well and use 1 or 2 drops [of this mixture] spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away.

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 doggy bandanna: Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Citronella Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil or Geranium Essential Oil. Don’t forget to do this weekly.

YOUR HOME: 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 Essential Oil to the final rinse it will also kill 99% of house dust mites according to research from the University of Sydney, Australia.

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.

BATHING: A badly infested dog really needs to be bathed so use your favorite dog shampoo. Rinse the dog off very thoroughly and in the final rinse add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil. An alternative is to make your own herbal flea dip which will also work on ticks. Steep two cups of fresh Rosemary Leaf 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 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. In case you think you might need to give your dog a breath freshener along with the garlic, my dogs, Mack and Josh, eat garlic every day and I don’t find their breath smells from it at all. 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 dessertspoon of natural apple cider vinegar to the water bowl will make the skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks. If your dogs don’t fancy apple cider vinegar in the water bowl, dilute it 50/50 with water and use in a spray bottle instead of the citrus repellent. [Or, you can use natural apple cider vinegar tablets.]



Used with permission of Frances Gavin of Canine Natural Cures

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR:
Removing every flea from your dog and house is not enough when you then let your dog go back into a yard that is full of fleas. Keep him in the house while you spray the entire yard, patio, etc., with a flea killer. You can use a pesticide in the yard anywhere except on a vegetable garden. And do not use pesticides on the dog's bed, or on chairs with canvas or fabric where dogs like to lie since these items are absorbent - instead, spray on the combination of essential oils mentioned above for making your own flea collar. When you have finished, keep all pets out of the yard for the time specified on the can. You can also use the homemade spray inside your home if you do not have cats. 
LARGE amounts of garlic cause the same problems as onions. Garlic contains only a small amount of the problematic substance that is in onions. Just as with people, moderation is the key.

Care should be taken when using rosemary if you are pregnant (wear gloves and avoid breathing the vapors - or have someone else apply this rinse.)

THE RECIPES ABOVE ARE NOT FOR CATS - MOST ESSEN


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## Ember (Aug 7, 2009)

i really don't like using chemical flea treatments so i give my three pups a daily going over with a Robi-comb (a battery powered electric headlice comb - costs around £11).
it's quick, very effective and we've never had flea problem in the 2 years i've been using it.


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## Babi.Greenwood (Sep 27, 2010)

I use a brewers yeast/garlic tablet for walmart. It's at walmart in the pet section and very cheap. It is probably at the pet stores as well. I give one a day to my chi and my cat. I live in an apartment and I haven't seen one flea.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

In addition to Kay's wonderful post, food grade diatomaceous earth can also be used to repel fleas. It can be sprinkled in the yard and left, it can be rubbed on the dog's coat and you can even sprinkle it on the carpet in your home and then vacuum it up.

We use a combo of essential oils, garlic, and apple cider vinegar (ACV) to keep our dogs pest free.

Our use:
Cedarwood oil - one drop once a week on the collar to repel fleas
Rose geranium oil - one drop once a week on the collar to repel ticks
Garlic - 1/16th teaspoon twice a week to repel fleas
ACV - 1 tsp (for the chis) twice a week to repel internal and external parasites

Important note: Essential oils are toxic to cats, so do not use them in homes where felines are present.

We are happily pest free and without the use of harsh, harmful chemicals (pesticides) on our pets.


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## intuition (Jan 19, 2011)

just a note, ask your vet about the garlic. its an accumulative poison to dogs, prolonged use can cause problems, so make sure your fur baby's are healthy and what not and that its gonna harm them and also proper dosage. I'm not against it, i just think you should ask first. It's not as bad as Onion, but in the same family. It takes a lot of garlic i've heard but a lot to a chi more prone to sickness, you know. just be careful


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## Marvelous (Jan 11, 2011)

If your chi's 5 pounds you can use comfortis it's a once monthly flea pill. I use it on my japane chin and it works really well. The chihuahua puppies are still too little for it, but if they hit the 5 pound mark they'll be started on it


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## iluvchis (Sep 8, 2010)

This is a great post, thanks everyone. I have been investigating natural flea prevention just lately. 

I have used Advantage on Tango twice, now, as he has been troubled by fleas so badly this summer, 
it seemed the only way to get rid of them quickly, but I'm pretty sure it was this that gave him diarrhea 
last time I used it. I vowed then that I wasn't using it again.

It makes sense that it can't be good for them. I am always so nervous using the stuff.


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## littlebuddy (May 15, 2011)

There is a major flea outbreak in our house source unknown either they were brought over here by my brother from their pets or came from the vet. Little Buddy gets bathed tho' they are feasting on him. I hesitate to use chemical treatment because I don't want to harm him. I could just use it once until this infestation is resolved.

Which flea pill has anyone used that is safe ? I am cautious because I read some flea pills may have damaged their pet such as Trifexis.


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