Natural Flea Remedies for Pets That Work!

I’m all the time searching for the most secure approach to cope with my household’s minor well being points — and that features our pets too! Fleas are a standard situation with cats and canines however typical flea merchandise are chemical-heavy. I needed to discover a safer choice for preserving fleas away and coping with infestations after they happen. So I did some analysis and located these pure flea cures for pets.

How Did My Pet Get Fleas?

Grownup fleas are tiny bugs (no bigger than 1/8 inch) that may be brown or black in coloration. They feed on the blood of pets and different animals. Fleas get round by leaping — making it simple for fleas to go from pet to pet in your home or neighborhood. 

Fleas are most problematic within the spring and summer season when the climate is hotter. They want a number (your pet) to reside their full life cycle however can reside for a couple of days in your house, yard, or native park as nicely. It’s very simple for pets who go outdoors to get fleas!

Does My Pet Have Fleas?

In case your pet is scratching greater than typical and appears uncomfortable, they might have fleas. The simplest approach to inform in case your pet has fleas is to put him on a white towel and brush him. If there may be a variety of dust that falls off, you seemingly have a flea downside. This dust is named flea dust and is a mix of flea poop and blood. To make sure you’re flea dust, moisten the dust on the white towel or on a paper towel. If it turns purple or reddish-brown, you understand your pet has fleas.

Pure Flea Treatments That Work

As soon as a pet has fleas, they are often powerful to eliminate. They will even infest your own home! Listed here are my favourite pure flea management cures I exploit when my pets begin itching from fleas:

Optimum Well being

The easiest way to maintain your pets from getting fleas is to optimize their well being so flea infestations are much less more likely to happen. A wholesome physique is extra in a position to fend off fleas.

Feeding your pets an entire meals weight loss plan is an effective way to optimize their well being. I make do-it-yourself pet food for our canines because it’s essentially the most cost-effective approach to feed them. However I’ve additionally bought this high-quality (uncooked and grain-free) pet food and am very proud of it. Additionally they promote high quality cat meals when you have cats in your house.

You may give your pet probiotics and different dietary supplements that may assist as nicely. I focus on this with Veterinarian Dr. Rob Franklin in a podcast episode the place he provides some methods for optimizing our pet’s well being (together with emotional well being too!). One in all my favourite additions to my pets’ weight loss plan is coconut oil for high-quality fats that helps help wholesome pores and skin, coat, and digestion.

Use a Flea Comb

A flea comb has tooth which might be intently spaced so it could possibly take away fleas out of your pet. That is useful to start the method of eliminating fleas however may also be useful in figuring out how infested your pet actually is. Do that outdoors if attainable to maintain fleas out of the home.

Give Them a Bathtub

After your pet is combed, a shower is the subsequent step. As with most parasites, fleas don’t like clear hosts as a lot as soiled ones. So bathing your pet may help. The soapy water may also assist take away and drown fleas. Use a pure flea shampoo or citrus-scented castile cleaning soap (use unscented for cats). 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a go-to in my house for every thing from meals poisoning to dandruff. However ACV can be useful in pets. ACV is believed to assist stability the pH in your pet’s physique, which helps repel fleas. Whereas there aren’t any research on this motion, many pet house owners discover that it really works to maintain fleas away in addition to cope with an infestation.

Add ACV to your pets’ meals (not water) to assist eliminate fleas. Use ½-1 teaspoon of ACV per 25 lb of physique weight for canines. For cats, use simply ¼ teaspoon.

You can even use ACV in a topical pure flea repellent spray. Combine 1 half water and 1 half ACV in a sprig bottle. Spray in your pet (not of their eyes!) to maintain fleas from hitching a trip. This will not be as useful when your pet already has an infestation but it surely does assist hold fleas away.

Important Oils

There are a variety of important oils that assist deter bugs together with ticks and fleas. A few of my favourite pure flea cures embrace:

Important oils all the time should be used fastidiously as they’re extremely concentrated oils. However we should be much more cautious utilizing important oils with cats. Based on Pet Poison Helpline, cats shouldn’t have a necessary enzyme to course of and take away important oils from the physique.

This implies important oils could construct up of their physique inflicting toxicity. For that reason, many vets advocate not utilizing important oils with cats. Nonetheless, cedarwood important oil is probably going secure for cats when used safely and can assist with fleas.

 At all times dilute important oils in a provider oil earlier than making use of. You can even add them to the apple cider vinegar spray talked about above.

Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a finely powdered pure fossilized type of diatoms (a sort of algae). Due to its microscopic tough edges, it could possibly reduce via the exoskeleton of the flea, killing it. To make use of DE, sprinkle in your pet’s dry coat.

DE may also be utilized in your home to eliminate fleas which have jumped off your pets. Fill an outdated stocking with DE and shake it out across the edges of the rooms in your home. You should have a nice white powder on the flooring that may kill bugs however won’t hurt your pets or youngsters. Simply make sure to use food-grade DE.

Learn how to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Home

If you happen to don’t eliminate the fleas and flea eggs in your house, your pets are more likely to get reinfested. Right here’s what you must do:

• Vacuum every thing – Vacuuming will assist get fleas and eggs which might be on carpets, wooden floors, curtains, and different locations the place you may most simply clear with a vacuum.
• Wash all bedding – Particularly locations the place your pets hang around. Use sizzling water if attainable.
• Use DE – As talked about earlier, sprinkling DE round your own home can kill fleas simply. Depart the DE in your house for a couple of days. Then sweep and vacuum it up (attempt to sweep up as a lot as you may since DE may be powerful on vacuum filters). If you happen to can’t get DE, salt or baking soda may go too.
• Create a flea lure – Place a bowl or shallow dish of soapy water (dish cleaning soap works nicely)  in your house close to infested areas. Fleas will bounce in and drown due to the excessive viscosity of the soapy water. 

Home cleansing must be achieved as quickly as you’ve got used your chosen pure treatment on your pet. You need to try to reduce the potential for fleas reinfesting your pet from the home or fleas out of your pet reinfesting your own home.

Flea Dwelling Treatments: Maintain Your Pets Secure and Wholesome

Flea infestations is usually a big frustration for you and your pets! However these pure flea cures are easy to make use of at house with components you could have already got readily available.

This text was medically reviewed by Dr. Rob Franklin, a veterinarian with Full Bucket Well being. As all the time, this isn’t private medical recommendation and we advocate that you simply discuss with your loved ones vet.

What’s your favourite approach to eliminate fleas?

Sources:

1. Benson, Kia. (2020, March 6). Important Oils and Cats.