Fleas: Everything you need to know & how to fight them naturally!
As a passionate pet parent and pet sitter, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about fleas since I
have successfully treated my dog with natural products to keep fleas away from my dog for over three
years. Then we spent some time in a new place and we had a problem. It made me wonder, If I am doing
all the most popular things like natural flea treatment, natural pet food, natural supplements, brushing etc...
So what is it that I could be missing?
After several hours of research, I found some articles but for me they did not seem to cover all the bases. I
wanted to know do long haired dogs have more of a problem then short haired dogs and what is the proper
order in which to clean your house & dog to get rid of fleas?
Personally the thought of fleas gives me a case of the hebbie gebbies, so I'll try to throw a little humor in to
make this more enjoyable to read.
Life cycle of fleas: Fleas on your dog may not be the only fleas you will have to deal with as they can get
in your carpet, bedding and maybe on you. Getting them out of your carpet is not an easy task. Many will
resort to bombing their home only to tell you bombing does not work or they had to do it several times. The
reason for this is because there are 4 stages to the flea cycle. Eggs, larva, pupa, and adults. The life cycle
can be completed in as little as 12 days or take as long as 174 days and is dependent upon the
temperature and humidity. This is exactly why carpets should be treated with boric acid or diatamecous
earth. It's natural and will not harm your pets. **This is a very fine powder so please use a face mask
when applying as it could be bothersome to some people and remove pets temporarily. I have used
diatamecous earth for years without a hitch by sprinkling it on the carpet or my dog. Recently I tried to
sweep it around the carpet to spread it and created a dust cloud. Since I forgot to use a face mask, I did
not feel that great. I needed fresh air. An alternative is to put 1-4 teaspoons per gallon of water and spray
the solution of D. Earth.**
Flea season: Fleas can survive in 65 degree and higher weather. So for people living in an area that is
warm all year around your season is not limited to only the summer!! To check your "season" try searching
it on the Internet. Ex: California has a flea season all year.
Long hair verses short haired dogs: From what I have gathered, fleas seem to like long hair dogs more
than short haired dogs. Why? They have more places to hide & to keep warm. Since fleas tend to hang
out in places near your pets "tail end," I gave my dog a hair cut hoping this may prevent them from hanging
out or at the very least I could see them easier. His belly looks weird because of my bad hair cut but the
good thing is it grows back.
WARNING: Don't think just because you have a short haired dog you won't have a problem. All the flea
needs to do is take a ride on your dog then jump off into your house.
List of tasks to remove fleas
1) Spring cleaning: Sweep & mop floors, vacuum, treat baseboards, treat carpet with boric acid (use face
mask if prone to respiratory problems). **TIP: Don't skip any areas of the home just because you think
your pet does not go in that room. Trust me you will save your self a lot of time an frustration if you do it all
at once then forgo one or two areas. Don't believe me, you should!!
I did this and guess what my dog still had some fleas although a lot less. So I had to start all
over again. Yep another several hours & money on cleaning stuff right down the drain. And you wonder
why they are referred as pests?!
2) Laundry: Wash any blankets, clothes, towels, and if your pet sits on your furniture (vacuum well or wash
cushion covers if removable). It is suggested to use HOT water although this may be hard for those trying
to be eco-friendly.
3) Yard: Treat the whole yard especially areas where pet frequents with natural yard spray or beneficial
nematodes and keep the are free of debris such as piles of leave & pet poo at all times.
4) Bath your Pet(s): All pets should have a bath, regardless of whether you "see" fleas or not. During
bath time it is imperative not to use hot water on them & to keep the shampoo on for a minimum of 10
minutes to suffocate any fleas that are on your dog. TIP: I don't have 10 minutes to sit there & watch
my dog to make sure he is not licking his shampoo, so I leash him up and take him for a walk or I flea comb
him while the shampoo is on.
5) Flea combing: This should be done daily to make sure you are winning the battle. I do it every time my
dog comes in from a walk, this way I can pin point where the problem may be coming from (i.e. in the house
or outside and which areas of grass is my pet picking up more fleas). TIP: When using a flea comb, have a cup/bowl of hot water ready so you can clean your comb and drown those pesky little buggers.
Natural ways to keep fleas at bay:
1) Natural diet: Why is this so important? Not only will your pet be healthier with better food since you are what you eat, your pet will be less attractive to fleas. The food your pet eats is excreted through their hair follicles which fleas will pick up on. I personally feed natural food, with raw diet several times a week and the occasional homemade meal. Please note: I don NOT mix kibble with raw as they digest at different rates.
2) Natural supplements: Garlic is a supplement you can give your dog to prevent fleas from being
attracted to them. **It is important to consult your vet when administering garlic to your pet as this is
something that is constantly debated. Another important thing to remember is your dogs weight plays a vital
role in how much garlic is okay for your pet. I personally have given it to my dog for over a year and he
has done well.
3) Natural flea treatment: With natural treatment you can avoid putting chemicals on your pet found in
topical or spot-on flea treatments.
4) Immune system support: The stronger your pets immune system is the better they will ward of fleas.
Zinc & Probiotics are clinically proven to help optimize immune function.
5) Essential Oils: I use essential oils in combination with 1-4 to help repeal fleas. E. Oils should be diluted with something like almond oil and should only be used on dogs as they can be harmful to cats. Look for products that contain extracts and/or oils of cedar oil (aka cedarwood), lemongrass, and rosemary. According to Greenpaws these are considered to be some of the safest for your pet.
Other natural products: If you are interested in other natural flea products such as a shampoo, yard
spray, boric acid carpet treatment or an oral solution, please contact me and I can refer you to a company I
trust.
DID YOU KNOW?
--That many over the counter flea medicines found in stores are loaded with chemicals! Just the reason
why it is not suggested that you touch your pet & you put it some where they can not lick after application.
To top of the chemical exposure to your pet, you have to worry about if you are getting a real or fake
product when purchasing flea treatments from places such as on-line auctions.
--Some topical flea medications will not work properly if your pet has had a bath or went swimming 48 hour
before or after application?
--Depending on the flea treatment you use it may not work. Why? The flea must bite your pet first in order
for it to work.
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