How to get rid of fleas naturally

Pet owners fear fleas and if they are presented with a flea infestation they can be terribly confused. The biggest question these days is how to get rid of fleas naturally.

Pet supply stores will sell various flea collars. It is practically impossible to know which one to use and almost impossible to know all the active chemicals in these necklaces. When I was young, our pets used to wear an off-white plastic flea collar. We had no idea what the active ingredients were against fleas! These days we would not consider hanging a “chemical belt” around the neck of our beloved pets nor would we consider letting children get close to such a thing. Today, the chemicals used in many of these important popular brands may be poisoning our pets and, at the same time, marginalizing our own health. So what kinds of home remedies for fleas are there?

More and more people are looking for natural or homeopathic alternatives to the problem of dog fleas. In many cases, you can create home remedies for fleas with ingredients that you already have at home. Here are some of the most commonly used natural flea remedies for dogs:

1. For adult dogs, you can try an olive oil bath. Anecdotal evidence suggests that fleas will drown in olive oil. Start at the head and work your way back so that the fleas do not move towards the face, where they are very difficult to pluck. Then you just shampoo the oil and the dog fleas are washed down the drain. Some shampoos will be needed before your dog’s coat feels oil free.
2. Other people say that garlic works wonders to prevent fleas from dogs. Some users of this solution suggest using a garlic supplement, while others use a fresh garlic clove and mix it with food. Garlic is controversial, so check with your vet.
3. Another solution is the use of household salt. Sprinkle throughout the house and let it sit for a week or more. Apparently fleas don’t seem to like salt. Your dog will lie down on the carpet, and in the process, the salt will stain his coat. This appears to keep the fleas away, as advocates claim that soon after the fleas will disappear.
4. Talcum powder has long been known as a natural remedy for treating fleas on dogs. Using baby powder for fleas is a simple process … just coat your dog or cat with baby powder and this will suffocate the fleas. This remedy is often recommended for puppies or kittens that are too young to be treated with any flea chemicals. A similar remedy uses baking soda. As before, start at the head so that the fleas move to the back of your pet and finally leave.

There are many natural alternatives to treat / prevent fleas on dogs. However, with all matters related to the health of our dogs and cats, consult with your doctor about possible side effects.

This article was condensed from an article previously written by the author and can be found at: How to Get Rid of Dog Fleas Naturally, where you can find more information on pet flea solutions as well as other problems pet health.