http://www.care2.com/greenliving/natural-flea-and-tick-control.html
Natural Flea and Tick Control
What are your options for flea and tick control if you do not wish to use sprays, pills, or injections? Several healthy alternatives exist.
• Apply herbal flea powder “sparingly” to your pet’s coat.
• Use herbal flea collars.
• Apply natural skin tonic as a general skin toner, parasite repellent, and mange treatment.
• Add nutritional or brewer’s yeast and garlic to the animal’s diet.
• Treat your carpets with a special antiflea mineral salt.
• Occasionally (once or twice a year) sprinkle natural, unrefined diatomaceous earth (which kills insects) along your walls, under your furniture, and in cracks where you cannot vacuum, but not directly on your animals.
• Use sprays or powders containing pyrethrins or natural pyrethrums, which are the least toxic of all insecticides used on pets.
• Another gentle weapon against fleas is a good flea comb with tightly spaced teeth. Your pet should be combed frequently during flea season, probably every day. When you find fleas, drop them into a bucket of soap suds to kill them and stop their spread.
• Try all-natural, preservative-free foods that are good remedies for or preventors of fleas: along with brewer’s yeast, try raw garlic, zinc, and barley grass concentrates. Check with your veterinarian regarding the proper dosages depending on weight.
• Natural repellents do exist. Essential oils such as citronella, tea tree, wintergreen, and eucalyptus have been shown to work.
• Vacuum all surfaces where fleas and their eggs may live, and wash blankets and sheets in hot water.
Adapted from The Healthy Pet Manual: A Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Deborah Straw (Healing Arts Press, 2005).
Go to the Source
related stories
-
(5 comments)
-
(25 comments)
-
(42 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
42 comments
add your comment »I believe in home methods for things as there are to many things out there that are harmful to our pets.All i know is that these methods work fine for me and they don't harm my pets.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Hi, I've put a post on here recently but not sure what I said and have not checked to see if still on here. Don't know if I received any replies to post. Like many here who have cats and dogs I'm looking for something natural to get rid of fleas. I just don't like the idea of continuing to use poison on my special, sweet kitties! Where can I buy the brewers yeast to give to my cats? I'm not sure what else to try. It is not any fun to bathe my kitties and have not done that in a long time! I prefer not to have to do that! All for now. Love to hear from some of you. Oh, I now have 3 cats and lost 1 who was a feral cat who i loved dearly and was almost 2 years old. He brought in the fleas to my indoor cats and when he got sick I had to take in all 4 cats and thought I was going to lose all of them. Cost me almost $1,000.00 dollars!!!! Really a rip-off at Vets!! I still need to take them back to vet for shots!! 2 were alley cats and do have an alley in my backyard! They are all older cats. Excuse any typoes!! Have a great day!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I rehab baby squirrels and when they have the "wildlife fleas", I just bathe them in plain water and the fleas drop off. Maybe you could try that with the chickens?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Does someone have a remedy for chicken lice? Baby chicks are infected with little white lice, and then die. Preferably something non-toxic.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thank you to all who are debunking all the bad remedies! Kudos to Jack C., Pamela M., and everyone else who has let us know about the toxicity of all the suggestions. One article says something is ok and then another says its not. I end up having to read all articles as well as comments to figure out which is good and which is bad. I still can't figure out what is actually ok to use on my cats but I'll keep looking. The only thing I've found that is ok to use anywhere is Beneficial Nematodes that you sprinkle on your lawn to kill flea larvae. Rid your yard of fleas and you'll have less of a problem. here is a link to information on beneficial nematodes that will kill fleas... http://www.google.com/search?q=beneficial+nematodes
Go to the NRDC website http://www.greenpaws.org/products.php, please sign the petition.
Good Luck!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Last year I had a very very hard time getting rid of fleas as I have quite a few dogs outside and in.After spending hundreds of dollars on flea sprays and dusts I had had enuff.I wash the dogs in just a generic dish soap because i WAS h THEM SO FREQUENTLY IT JUST COSTS TO MUCH TO BUY FLEA SOAP.It kills the fleas immediatly so i tried something else.I want u to know Ihad fleas so bad that when u stepped outside they were all over ur feet.i bought a spray bottle that u hook to ur water hose and filled it with cheap dishsoap and water and sprayed my entire yard and guess what...........within 10 min there were NO MORE fleAS.I swear by it.My dogs were so relieved.I put hydrated lime in their pens and that seems to help as well.And not to mention the lime down keeps the ground dry so there is less chance of recurring intestinal parisites as well!!!!!!!!!!!!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Try using Garden Nematodes that will eat the flea larvae before they hatch into fleas. Here is a wonderful Natural Flea Control resource to check out: www.fleacontrolbook.com
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Please check www.nrdc.org for their list of dangerous chemicals for pets. Pyrethrins are toxic. I have a dog with severe flea allergies, and am tempted to use vet-recommended products, such as comfortis, however, after reading the animal testing methods included in the product information, I can't condone it by using it on my pet. I hope all who love animals will seek alternative methods for flea control. I'm combing, vacuuming, and trying immunity boosting. I've read some interesting topical treatments with organic white vinegar I'm going to try as well. I welcome helpful suggestions. Also, frontline and advantage caused nervous system problems for my 6-yr old dog, so use with extreme caution. I know these products are easy and fast, but at what cost to our pets?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have found that my Cairn Terrier, which has many allergies (chicken, most flea repellents), does fine now that I no longer feed him food or treats containing
chicken. Also I use Comfortis for flea control (available online or from your vet. Good Luck!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH is safe to use if IT IS FOOD GRADE! The article above should specifically say Food Grade. All others can kill your pets. I use the Food Grade and it is good but you have to make sure you are not breathing it. Use a towel over the animal's head and something over your own nose when using it. You also have to be careful because it doesn't know the difference between good insects like honeybees and butterflies and the bad ones. For this reason I do not use it outdoors.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: