Home remedies for fleas are ‘a must have knowledge’ when you are a pet owner. Your beloved dog catching fleas is probably one of your top nightmares. Especially, when you take into consideration the fact that these parasites feed off the blood of animals. In addition, these parasites can end up biting you and your furry buddy.
Flea Bites
The first thing that you should be aware when it comes to fleas it that they can jump! Regardless of fleas size, they can jump further than any other insect. Or we can put it like this – if fleas were an average sized human, with fleas jumping ability, they would be able to jump 160 feet high and 295 feet across. So, you if think that your dog has itchy skin, look for fleas.
Fleas are considered to be a pest due to their biting habits. Although fleas bites on humans are rare, they are still possible. However, the majority of the time, our furry friends are the biggest victims. Also, troublesome facts about fleas are that once they make a home on your pet, they can lay up to 2,000 eggs during their life. What is more worrying, is the fact that they don’t have to be on the animal all the time in order to survive as an adult. So, this basically means that if you don’t act fast your house will be covered in fleas in no time.
Good to know: Their favorite places to tuck away are carpets, pet beds, furniture and fabrics.
Bear in mind that although they may not populate your dog’s coat, these pests might still be lurking, hidden, somewhere in your home. What is interesting, or scary, about these parasites is the fact that they can pause their growth at the larval stage during dry or cold winter months and basically camp out within your carpet waiting for perfect conditions for hatching. If you think that your home is over-run with fleas the best and the fastest way is to contact your local Pest Control and get rid of them.
Dog Fleas
One of the many reasons why we love to pet our dogs so much is their warm and soft fur. Also, that is probably one of the main reasons why fleas find it hard to resist invading your pet. Dogs are known for putting them self out there for possible flea disaster, and the chances are that they will come across each other’s way at least once in their lifetime. If your dog experiences intense and persistent scratching or over-grooming moments, the chances are that you furry buddy may be affected with fleas. Also, bear in mind that they can be there even if you don’t see them. But, if you see dark brown almost black specks, long for 1-2mm, it’s a clear sign that fleas are there.
What Can I Put On My Dog For Fleas?
The best way to cure something is to actually prevent it from happening. But, when it happens, you should be ready to react fast and to know the best ‘how-to’ remedies in order to help your pet, and set your furry buddy from flea bites.
Luckily, there is a number of healthy and more than a handful of flea remedies that you can actually try in order to get fleas to go away.
What Are The Best Home Remedies For Fleas?
If you are not a fan of chemical treatments when it comes to treating fleas on your dog, your best choice is to go for home remedies.
When it comes to home remedies for fleas you will have an opportunity to choose among many. Each home remedy comes with its own benefits and most importantly they are healthy for the environment.
Even more, home remedies could be 100% organic and identically safe for you and your favorite four-legged buddy.
An additional benefit when it comes to home remedies for fleas is the fact that you can use some of them as a prevention, and treat your dog with no fleas with no worries.
Top 7 Home Remedies for Fleas on Dogs
1. Apple Cider Vinegar – Outside
Having this combo around your dog is one of the best things that you can do for your dog and yourself.
This home remedy for fleas is 100% healthy and safe to use during the entire year. Vinegar is, in general, a pet-friendly cleaning solution. In addition, its also an amazing way to get rid of pests.
The practice showed that pets are not fond of vinegar smell, and you can use that in your advantage. This is also a great remedy when it comes to supplies because you just need a small spray bottle that’s clean, apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, and water. Mix the water and vinegar together, spray your dog (make sure to avoid ears and eyes) and let your dog air dry.
Repeat this for a period of a couple of days.
Good to know: Keep water and vinegar ratio 1:1. If your dog dislike the smell, put ratio to 1:3.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar – Inside
Apple Cider mix can be used for the inside fight of the fleas. This is a safe and clean way to treat your dog. It is extremely easy to make your dog drink it. Simply add apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water bowl.
Use a good ‘rule of thumb’ for every quart of water. If you have any doubts, the best way would be to contact your vet and check how much your dog can intake based on its weight.
If your dog just sniffs it off (the chances are that the puppy will do it more often) start with a small amount and increase it while your dog is getting used to it.
3. Dish Soap
Every house item is more than useful when it comes to using home remedies to get rid of fleas. This remedy involves creating a flea trap just by using some water and dish soap.
Just fill a bowl or plate with a mix of warm (not hot) water and dish soap. Place it in the rooms of your house which has the most flea activity.
Mixed together, water and dish act as a glue, trapping the fleas. You should repeat this method with a fresh batch of ingredients every day. Make sure that you set this at night time. Fleas are night creatures.
A nice addition would be placing a candle near this home remedy, but it’s not advised to leave potential fire hazard unattended.
4. Baking Soda
Vacuuming is a great support system when it comes to dealing with fleas. It’s also one of the most effective ways to get rid of the fleas together with the baking soda.
Lay down baking soda along with your furniture and carpets, use a hard brush to rub it into the fabric and vacuum it. This way its much easier to remove fleas from the fibers of the carpets and also furniture. Baking soda increases effectiveness.
Make sure that you empty the vacuum content once you are done with vacuuming. Put the content into a bag and place it outside trash can out from any pet reach.
5. Lemon Spray
Lemon is one of the tops natural-ingredients when it comes to maintaining your home. You can use it to clean kitchen and bathroom area, and even to treat wasp stings. Furthermore, it’s also a nice addition when it comes to getting rid of fleas.
Creating this natural remedy to get rid of fleas is actually super-easy. You just have to make a citrus spray and to use it on infected furniture.
To make this flea spray, you just need a slice of a lemon, thinly sliced, next to a pint of water. Boil it and let citrus remedy overnight. Pour it into a spray bottle the following morning. Your home remedy is ready to help you fight parasites.
Use citrus to spray good every infected area in your home – chairs, sofas, pet bedding and etc. There is also a number of benefits when it comes to your dog drinking lemon water, so you can rest and be assured that your lemon home remedy won’t harm your dog in any way.
Good to know: Do not soak infected areas, just damp them
6. Rosemary
Rosemary is often seen in every kitchen. Mostly in the cooking area when you want to add that special flavor to your favorite cooking dish. However, it’s less-known that rosemary can be used as a great flea control product.
Rosemary can be used even to treat light infections that can occur on the pet’s skin. The best way to use this herb to get rid of fleas is to create a powder.
To make this powder you need to place the herb with some wormwood, rue, peppermint, and fennel into a pestle and grind into a powder. Once it’s done just sprinkle it on your furniture, including your carpets, pet bedding, and even window sill.
You can use it to sprinkle every single place that crosses your mind as a good flea area. In addition, rosemary is not a part of the food that’s bad for dogs.
Good to know: Rosemary is more used during the protection phase, than elimination. Its extremely good in repealing them
7. Salt
Salt is a great natural flea remedy. It’s rather similar to effects that baking soda has to offer.
To reach its full potential use it when vacuuming. Salt acts as a dehydration agent, helping to get rid of adult fleas. The best way to use salt as a natural remedy is to take some salt and sprinkle it all over your furniture, carpets, and any other elements that might call for fleas activity.
Make sure that you sprinkle each room in your home. For the best results leave salt to rest for 1-2 days, vacuum throughout, and empty the vacuum container in an outside trash can.
Conclusion
Sometimes it can be tricky to get rid of fleas. These parasites are just long living and they have a tendency to reproduce in significant number.
In addition, they can survive even extreme conditions. Therefore, knowing the right remedy is something that can make your life easier and your pet much happier.
In addition, sometimes it can tricky to know how to get rid of fleas. Luckily, there is a range of different home remedies and each one brings a certain level of efficiency.
However, bear in mind that home remedies for fleas only affect the adults of the species, leaving the larvae and eggs behind. This creates a certain window of opportunity for another flea infection to arise.
If you get an impression that your house is overrun by fleas to make sure that contact professional flea control.
