Here are some great natural cat and dog flea remedies from Dr. Carol Osborne, Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center.
- Purchase a good flea comb and use it every day to remove adult fleas from your pets fur. This will provide instant relief as well as helping you keep tabs on the flea population.
- Bathe your pets with a flea shampoo containing calendula, oatmeal, or neem once every week or two. Throw their bedding into the washer while you’re at it.
- Vacuum your house as frequently as possible, and be sure to throw out the bag or else the flea eggs will hatch out in the bag and repopulate your home the next time you use your sweeper.
- Give your pets a B-complex vitamin supplement to boost the health of their coat.
- Make a natural flea repellent by adding six or seven drops of the essential oils of rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, and citronella to a cup of water and shake well. Use a spray bottle to apply the solution to your dog’s coat every other day. (Do not use this on cats―they are too sensitive to essential oils.)
- Black walnut (capsules) have flea repellent properties―adjust the dosage according to your canines body weight.
- Diatomaceous earth, which consists of fossilized algae, will kill fleas by causing them to dehydrate. It is very important that you buy the natural diatomaceous earth sold in gardening centers rather than the kind that is used in pools. Spread diatomaceous earth on your carpets and hardwood flooring and leave it down as long as possible, then vacuum it up along with the dead fleas. It’s a very light powder, so be sure not to let your animals (or children) breathe it in while it is being applied.
- Your yard can also be treated for fleas. Keep your grass cut short and try dousing it with beneficial nematodes―these are roundworms who are more than happy to dine on flea larvae. You can purchase them online. Flea Busters has them (see below), as do many other companies.
- Flea Busters/Rx for Fleas is a cruelty-free professional flea-control company that will treat your home for you or sells you the products to do so yourself. Flea Busters uses Borax-its $7.00 dollars a box available at grocery stores in the laundry detergent section. Sprinkle it all over your floors and into your carpets, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum. This provides one year of natural flea protection within your home that is effective in homes free of fleas to begin..