7 Natural Flea Treatments And Homemade Recipes For Dogs and Cats

You live in such good, warm and loving company, you own a pet! Pets give you so much love and do not ask anything in return!

But, they still need so much attention and care and especially if they are attacked by those small insects, fleas, that can easily catch playing joyfully in your yards. When you realize they have fleas, you should consult your vet immediately, but we give you a few pieces of advice and offer you recipes of some natural homemade products, cheap and easy to prepare to get rid of the fleas and ticks from your cat and dog forever. These products should be prepared for flea treatment for cats and dogs and they should not be used for flea treatment for any other animals or pets.

Flea And Tick Treatment For Dogs

Have you noticed that your dog is scratching or losing some hair on the lower back, tail, or rear leg region recently? You might wonder what it is?  Fleas? Yes,  those tiny parasites can be a real pain in the neck and a real nuisance for your dog and urge him to scratch!

What Are Fleas?

Fleas are small insects that can grow up to 3 millimeters long and do not have wings but have strong claws. They are usually brown – blackish and live by consuming blood that they suck from their host.

They attack your pets, but they can take humans as hosts as well. They can transmit some diseases and be risky to your health. Homes with carpets and central heating are ideal as conditions for fleas and their life cycles, so they nest their eggs and larvae in places in the house your pets spend most of the time.

Flea Diagnosis

You can do some more investigation and look for the following symptoms in your dog, that are actually so easy to spot (1):

• Irritated or red skin full of reddish and hard scabs
• Flea bites that are very painful for your dog
• Developed yeast infections or bacterial infections recently
• Loss of hair, usually on his tail, in the lower back and rear legs
• Had ear or skin infection recently
• Has some red patches on the skin
• Pale gums as they may have developed anemia

If you are noticing some of the symptoms above, please call your VET for treatment. You can also treat this condition and get rid of these small nuisances called fleas completely naturally. We offer you some easy and best medicines and they are all-natural, safe, and easy to apply.

What Flea And Tick Medicine Is Best For Dogs

As the dog is the only thing on Earth that can love you more than you can love yourself, you should be responsible for his health and take care of him as much as you can. So, if you see him feeling so uncomfortable, restless, and irritated is very likely he is attacked by these small parasites – fleas and ticks.

Some experts say that this condition may cause depression and chronic stress for them as well. Fleas can in some cases, cause anemia that can be fatal for your dogs, so please be very careful!

As FDA issued a warning for potential neurologic adverse effects in dogs and cats by consuming the flea and tick products associated with isoxazoline (2),  we offer you some natural products that are an excellent alternative to the chemicals tablets and topical solutions.

One of the safest ways to get rid of the fleas is by using the:

Flea Comb

Flea combs are a cheap solution to your flea problem and you can buy them in almost every pet store and online. Just catch the fleas with the flea comb and let them fall into a warm soapy foamy water and drain the water off as soon as you finish.  This comb traps these small parasites easily and they stick to the comb’s teeth.

Regular Lawn Trimming

As fleas come from outdoor, the grass is the first thing you should think of when you have fleas problems. And you can cause fleas problems too by bringing them inside on your shoes, pants legs, so please keep your yard trimmed as much as you can.

You can also plant flea-repelling herbs such as lavender and peppermint in your yard and keep it sunny as fleas do not like the sun. (3)

Regular Pet Trimming

Trimming is a great way to look and detect for inflammations, lumps, infections on the dog’s skin and prevent any major complications or disease development. So grooming and trimming should be a regular routine and you should also visit your vet, exercise your dog and walk it regularly and give him a proper diet.

Regular House Cleaning

Clean and wash your pet’s bedding as often as you can, vacuum the whole house (including the bottom of furniture)  and remove the bags outside of your house as soon as you finish vacuum cleaning.

Eucalyptus oil

If you want your dog to control the flea infection naturally, use eucalyptus oil, which is great for keeping the bugs away. The smell of this oil is so strong, that fleas and the other insects cannot tolerate it (4).

So, you can prepare a perfect water solution to spray on your dog’s skin or you can mix it with some baby or anti-flea shampoo to bath your dog.  Or simply spray it on the collar to chase them away.

What do you need:

• ¼ tsp. eucalyptus oil
• 8 oz. of water 

Make the solution and put it in a plastic spray bottle so you can use it whenever you need it on your dog's collar. It should be very well shaken before use and the application every alternate day. It can be applied to cushions, carpets, and other areas where your dog is spending most of the time.

Note: This solution is not advised t be given to cats, as an essential oil is proven to be poisonous for them and can cause symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea/constipation.

Make A Homemade Natural Flea Powder For Dogs

What do you need to prepare it?

All you need are the following ingredients :

• diatomaceous earth (1/2 cup (300 grams)
• essentials oils (30 drops of eucalyptus, citronella, and peppermint mixed well)
• neem powder (1/4 cup (45 grams) 
• arrowroot powder to help dilution
• yarrow powder (optional )

Diatomaceous earth (DE ), or food-grade diatom flour is made of fossilized algae of sedimentary rock, which are called diatoms it is a great insecticide that cleans the digestive tract and it is harmless for your dog's health. It destroys the insect’s coating as well and the insect dies very quickly. You can sprinkle it in your yard to repel the bugs and apply it to the carpet and leave it for 3 days to kill the fleas and larvae and vacuum it afterward.

Essential oil, especially eucalyptus oil is confirmed that kills fleas in humans and animals. The smell of eucalyptus will prevent it and it will prevent the reappearance of the fleas. You can mix citronella and peppermint essential oil and increase the effect of it as they are all repelling agents.

Neem powder is another powerful ingredient that is part of Ayurvedic medicine and it is great medicine for fighting fleas as it is used for fighting parasites, bacteria, fungi, and all kinds of viruses. It derives from Nim’s tree and it is great for all types of skin diseases and treating ulcers. It is an excellent choice for your dogs’ breath and prevents dental diseases as well as repels bugs on his coat.

Yarrow powder has anti-inflammatory purposes and can help alleviate the painful bites and heal the wounds more effectively.

You will also need  Arrowroot powder to blend it all very well and mix it. This way, if properly mixed, it can be used for a longer period of time and it won’t irritate the dog's skin.

How To Apply Flea Treatment For Dogs?

Put it in a powder duster and spray it on your dog’s coat and massage it into the fur. It is preferable to do it outside and don't make any waste indoors. Reapply once a week and see the results.  

Use baking soda and salt simple DYA flew powder

Use these powerful and cheap compounds you can find in your household and make a natural mixture that is safe for everyone at home, especially if you live with small children. To research the baking soda's anti-bacterial properties, a study was conducted and proved its safety and efficacy (5).

This mixture dehydrates the fleas so they get easily killed.

Mix the equal measure of both ingredients until it is nicely blended. Cover the carpets, furniture, bedding, everywhere you think they might be living and reproducing.

Leave it one night and afterward vacuum it thoroughly from all the surfaces.  Put the vacuum bag immediately outside as it might contain the dead fleas inside.

 Can you use garlic as another natural approach to get rid of fleas in dogs?

Another interesting natural medicine is garlic, a wonderful plant used for curing all types of diseases. You have probably have heard that garlic is the best natural antibiotic and has so many anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

Nevertheless, few studies were conducted and they haven’t shown any positive results in the treatment of fleas in dogs by using garlic (6).

One NIH  study says that if given in moderation for dogs can be safe and is less toxic than onion.

Still, it can toxic if you give it in the incorrect dose, and in this case, you should take your dog to the veterinarian and you can call the pet poison hotline so they will give you instructions on what to do. It is 24 – hour pet medical assistance to help you with any problems relating to potentially pet poisoned pets (7).

If you ever decide to give your dog garlic, please consult your veterinarian about it. It can cause some digestive problems and may lead to red cell damage and cause anemia in your dogs.  This is a hot topic and probably there is a need for additional research to confirm the efficacy of garlic for flea problems in dogs.

 It should be noted that cats are more susceptible to garlic than dogs, but you should be careful even when giving it to your dog.

Flea And Tick Treatment For Cats

If you notice that your cat is restless, starting to stretch, biting its own fur, and is lethargic it might have fleas. You should react immediately as these small nuisances may cause other more serious health complications such as anemia, allergic reactions, and hair loss.

If they are swallowed,  it may cause developing tapeworm larva that will grow in your cat’s intestinal tract and you can notice these larvae as small pieces of rice in your cat’s feces or around their anal region. In this case, consult your doctor immediately for treatment.

As these insects reproduce so fast, you can start noticing them with time on the cat’s coat or on their bedding as well.

So, how to get rid of these nuisances quickly, in a safe and mild way, without the use of those synthetic insecticides? You need a natural, herbal formulation and fortunately, along with those over-the-counter sprays, flea collars, and flea powder, there are some homemade products that can help fight fleas and banish them from the life of your cat and yours forever!

Homemade  Flea Treatments For Cats

Apple cider vinegar as a natural flea treatment  for kittens

Apple cider vinegar doesn’t actually kill them, it just repels the fleas with its own strong smell. You should be very careful when spraying it, as the fleas may jump from your cat’s coat to your body.

Dilute it with water and always use the organic, and naturally fermented ACV. Always use ratio 2:1 and spray it on their coat.

Never use the concentrated version, as this may cause diarrhea or vomiting in your cat.

You can use this as adding to drinking water and cat food as well by putting one-fourth teaspoon of vinegar.

Note: Do not treat small breastfeed kittens with this solution. In case they have flea problems, you should treat their mother with this solution.

This solution is also great for claiming their skin and repels the parasites naturally. There is no risk of over – medication and can boost their immunity (7).

Apple vinegar side effects when used as a flea treatment  for kittens

Cats do not usually like vinegar smells and if you give them in plain form, they may cause diarrhea or vomiting. Some cats may even be allergic to it and it may cause allergic rashes, so please call your vet immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.

Note: You can use this medicine and it is safe as a natural flea treatment for dogs as well.

Use Cedar Chips

They are highly recommendable t be used to repel fleas and ticks and they are warm layers as well and smell nice. Fleas hate cedar and its smell and they are non-toxic so you can put some cedar chips around its bedding or just put a few of them in your yard.

Make A Lemon Spray

Lemon is a citrus that also is proven not to kill fleas, but to drive them away with its strong smell. So cut one lemon in a quarter and put it in boiling water for about 10 minutes.  Putting rosemary leaves inside is optional, but it is advisable as rosemary is another great powerful flea repellent.

Leave it for the night and put it into a spraying bottle to spray your cat’s coat. Use a flea’s comb to get rid of the fleas that come out easily off the coat. After that, you should wash your cat’s fur with shampoo containing d-limonene to wash the rest of the fleas and wash away the acidity of the lemon as it may be toxic for your cat if it is leftover.

You can use this solution as a spray for all the infected areas in your home as well, like chairs, bedding, sofas, etc. But just dampen and do not soak the solution.

Never use lemon oil as it may be toxic to cats.

Use Dawn Dish Soap For Cats And Dogs

This is a proven, safe medicine for killing these little nuances off your cat.  You should use the original, unscented version. It is great natural treatment as over-the-counter medicines and flea collars can sometimes cause additional health problems.

So why Dawn dish soap works against fleas? It has surfactants in it that can lower the tension of the water, and this causes the fleas to sink easily and drown in the water when using this soap.

But, do not use a submerged bath for your cat. Instead, fill a small basin with lukewarm water (around 21 °C ) and put some 2 – 3 small spoons of soap. Gentle scrub the fur and avoid the eyes and ears and do not let the soap get into them.

Take a flea comb and comb thoroughly your cat’s fur. This dish soap is effective even with killing fleas’ eggs and you can use it for fighting off the fleas at your dog as well.

Bath no longer than 5 minutes as staying too long in the soap may irritate the cat’s skin and cause some rashes so you may need your veterinarian for help.

Note: Please be careful when picking the right dish soap as those with strong scents are not safe for cats.  Do not use the dish soap very often and for prolonged periods of time.

Conclusion:

If you notice that your dog or cat is lethargic, losing hair, scratching, or having some red patches on their skin, is very likely that they are attacked by fleas.

There are so cheap and homemade treatments that you can make to treat this condition such as eucalyptus oil, or a mixture of diatomaceous earth, essential powder, and neem powder for flea treatment in dogs. Be careful when using essential oil in cats as it may be poisonous to them. The cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver so this prevents them from safely removing all the toxins like essential oils from their bodies.  

And what is surprising is that you can use a  simple mixture of baking soda and salt to cover the surfaces at home where your pets usually stay to repel fleas. It is an easy-to-make and effective homemade product!

Other household products such as apple vinegar, lemons, Dawn dish soap are also great for repelling and getting rid of fleas from your home forever, and can you use them for both dogs and cats.