# Flea prevention



## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Not looking for another debate on rather or not to use medications. 

What garlic tabs do you feed? I noticed they come in different sizes. 

Should I put DE down even though I have yet to see a flea on either dog? If so, how long does it last? I'm personally not sure if I want the dogs to shallow it. 

Yard prevention is pointless for me because my yard is like super small. Wouldn't be hard to DE the whole thing if it actually stays on the ground. 

Anything else I can do holistically to control fleas?

I know some of you use Avon Skin-So-Soft. Thought I had some but it looks like I don't. How does it do on their coats?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I've got DE in the flower beds but my yard is huge and I can't do the whole thing - I wish i could! 

I know people say not to use Sevin dust any more, but I've been using it for 40 years and only one of my dogs has ever gotten cancer and he was very young. So I put it under their bedding where they aren't touching it but where it will kill fleas in the beds.

I'm haven't tried garlic pills but I'm thinking about getting Skin So Soft.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

i would definitely add a natural spray. i've been using 50/50 acv/water every other day and have only found one tick on my dog since, so I think it works because they are everywhere in my yard. never had a flea problem so i'm assuming it helps with that too. a lot of people add essential oils to that mix as well and there are probably a few threads you can find about that.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

BearMurphy said:


> i would definitely add a natural spray. i've been using 50/50 acv/water every other day and have only found one tick on my dog since, so I think it works because they are everywhere in my yard. never had a flea problem so i'm assuming it helps with that too. a lot of people add essential oils to that mix as well and there are probably a few threads you can find about that.



Is that organic acv or the regular one? I wonder what oils they add. Most of the threads are full of debates which are great in the moment but don't make for good references.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

bridget246 said:


> Is that organic acv or the regular one? I wonder what oils they add. Most of the threads are full of debates which are great in the moment but don't make for good references.


Organic acv. And some oils you can add are lavender, eucalyptus, tee tree, peppermint, lemon grass, clove, thyme, cinnamon. The mix smells great. I bought the oils premixed in the Natural defense and added the ones it doesn't have. I'm going to get all the oils and make my own using ACV/water as the base instead of alcohol. But it's worked for me.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I made my own batch of mixed oils for flea/tick/mosquito repellant, but then I ended up buying one at a natural pet store. Its called Natural Guard and its made with:
grain alcohol, basil extract, essential oils of basil, rose geranium, lavender, rosemary, cedarwood, peppermint, garden thyme, cypress, patchouli.

I havent used it yet, its still been fairly cool where I am so I havent had to worry about mosquitos.

And for heartworm prevention I also bought black walnut, but I have not used that yet either. Just a few drops daily with food.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Fleas, Ticks, Mosquitoes - Prevention and Treatment


** Add a tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar to the dog's water bowl.

** Fresh garlic in small quantities can help repel fleas by making the animal taste unpleasant to fleas. Grate a small amount of fresh, raw garlic into your pet's food at mealtime, about one-half to 3 chambers of the clove (chamber, not a whole clove) depending on the animal's size. One vet recommends one crushed clove of garlic (not a whole bulb; a clove is just one chamber) per every 30 pounds. 

Natural ingredient-based sprays, lotions, shampoos:

* Several useful, relatively gentle flea shampoos to help rid fleas. Avoid shampoos with insecticides, since the chemicals can be harsh. If your dog has fleas, use a gentle shampoo containing pyrethrin, pyrethrum or citrus oil. See the Robin's Dog Tip about Bathing for bathing and grooming details.

* When bathing your pet, you can use apple cider vinegar to rinse his or her fur. Fleas don't like the smell or taste.

* Lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks. And lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella repel fleas.As you can see, lavender (which also repels flies) is particularly versatile. Other effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood - we add these to a base shampoo of natural castile soap, to water as a daily spray for pet and bedding, don't forget the car. Never apply essential oils directly onto the dog's skin - I dilute or apply to the collar or bedding.

* Put a drop of lemon oil or rosemary oil on the dog's collar.

* A safe, easy homemade flea repellent: cut 6 lemons in half, boil in a quart of water, steep a few hours, then strain the solution into a spray bottle. Spritz your pet's fur, taking care not to spray near the eyes. 
Don't spray anything in a dog's face; apply spray to the hand and then rub it on the fur.





* Avon Skin-So-Soft wiped on pets keeps insects off and drives ants away when it's wiped on countertops and the kitchen floor. -- 


Flea Treatment of the Home:

Particularly during flea season, and whether or not you've seen fleas in your home, vacuum all floors, rugs, furniture and other surfaces at least once a week

Fleas lay eggs, and the eggs fall off where the pet goes. This means that you must treat your house if your pet has picked up fleas. The life cycle of a flea is about four weeks, so even with diligent treatment, it will probably take that long to rid your environment of fleas.



Anti-flea mineral salt treatments for your carpets can be professionally applied. One is available from Fleabusters, a cruelty-free business. Fleabusters Rx for Fleas has an extremely low toxic level on par with table salt and less than boric acid powder, which is another effective home bug treatment. Rx for Fleas Powder works by dehydrating fleas, flea larvae and flea eggs in the carpet and floor cracks of your home. The mineral salt-type treatments are effective for up to a year. For details, see Flea Control Treatment Kills Dog Fleas and Cat Fleas - Fleabusters .

Amorphous diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled around baseboards, under furniture, in cracks, and hard-to-reach areas. Somewhat messy, this substance kills the fleas by causing them to dehydrate. Do not use the glassified type used in pool filters.

Make a flea trap: Fill a shallow container, such as a wide bowl or glass pie pan, halfway with water and stir in several drops of dish soap. Place the container on the floor or table, then hang a light directly over it. A nightlight works well, do this til there are no fleas in the water in the morning

Flea Treatment of Yards:

Ivory Liquid Soap approach: Rather than poisoning fleas, Ivory reportedly suffocates fleas, gnats and other bugs. To spray Ivory in your yard, use a garden sprayer attachment such as the one made by Ortho Sprayer. Fill it with Ivory and set the dilution dial to 2 tablespoons. Saturate the area, then let it dry before allowing your dog or anyone else walk on the treated ground. Using this method, people treat their yards every 4 to 6 weeks.

Homemade solution to repel insects from from Hints from Heloise: Make a solution of 1/2-cup of liquid dishwashing soap, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 5 to 7 cups of water. Use a bottle spray attachment to apply the solution.

A fairly safe way to keep mosquitoes away is to spray your yard once a week with Simple Green, which is available at home and garden stores.

Recipe for a gentle homemade shampoo for puppies and dogs with extra dry or troubled skin: 1/3 Cup Glycerin
1 Cup Lemon Liquid Joy
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Quart of Water

This is all I can think of right now. We are starting with the Ivory yard spray and baths, as well as DE throughout the yard and in their food, in the house and car. Flea traps at night. I will win this year. LOL


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

What if it's not organic ACV? I must have missed that part. When I was at the grocery store they had ACV and I bought that but I didn't see anything organic.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I just always buy the Bragg's organic since I like to be able to use it for their water, baths, my hair, etc. I don't think it matters for the yard though as you just want something acidic


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

Liz said:


> I just always buy the Bragg's organic since I like to be able to use it for their water, baths, my hair, etc. I don't think it matters for the yard though as you just want something acidic


Your hair?? What does it do for your hair??


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I use it as a rinse once in a while and it makes it shiny - my hair is black so it works really well, my red headed girlfriend uses it also.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Liz said:


> I use it as a rinse once in a while and it makes it shiny - my hair is black so it works really well, my red headed girlfriend uses it also.


When I was young i rinsed my hair with vinegar all the time to get the soap out.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

ACV is great for the hair, rinses out any extra shampoo residue, seals the cuticle, and makes it nice and shiny.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

Liz said:


> Fleas, Ticks, Mosquitoes - Prevention and Treatment
> 
> * Lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks. And lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella repel fleas.As you can see, lavender (which also repels flies) is particularly versatile. Other effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood - we add these to a base shampoo of natural castile soap, to water as a daily spray for pet and bedding, don't forget the car. Never apply essential oils directly onto the dog's skin - I dilute or apply to the collar or bedding.


I now have Lavender, lemongrass, citronella and eucalyptus. They are essential and very strong smelling. I don't know which one did it but one of those helped with my senses. Do I mix them with olive oil or something like that and then add them to distilled water? I don't want to add too many drops of anything to the dogs coat.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

My dog is extremely sensitive to odors. If I open a bottle of ACV on the table (while he's on the ground) he'll start sneezing and rubbing his face all over the ground. I don't think repellents will work for us because of this. But the actual treatments for dogs with fleas don't sound like they are all smelly, so I still think we can get away with not using chemical preventatives.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

Alright, what if your dog doesn't like ACV in his water? :frown: Last summer he lapped it up like it was something delicious...drank to the point of throwing up sometimes. This year he gives it one sniff and walks away! And should I do it every day? I cut up 1/4 clove of garlic for his breakfast today and he spat that out too (-____-)

I was going to ask which of the essential oils you guys found most effective, but I see most of you are mixing them up so I think I'm going to give that a try. 

My vet gave me this recipe:

1 cup Avon Skin so Soft
1 cup water
1 tsp eucalyptus oil
2-3 Tbsp ACV

But the Avon smells really strong and gives me a headache hwell:

When you guys use ACV as a hair rinse, do you use it straight or diluted? I've actually been researching this last week. I know it's probably TMI, but I do have some annoying hair and scalp issues...no shampoo I use seems to help :frown:


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

not sure if anyone uses this. i have not.

i have seen it posted around, though, so may be worth looking into.

Natural Fleas | Tick Treatment | Flea Repellent


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