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I’m all the time on the lookout for the most secure approach to take care of my household’s minor well being points — and that features our pets too! Fleas are a standard concern with cats and canines however standard flea merchandise are chemical-heavy. I wished to discover a safer possibility for conserving fleas away and coping with infestations after they happen. So I did some analysis and located these pure flea treatments for pets.
How Did My Pet Get Fleas?
Grownup fleas are tiny bugs (no bigger than 1/8 inch) that may be brown or black in shade. They feed on the blood of pets and different animals. Fleas get round by leaping — making it simple for fleas to go from pet to pet in your home or neighborhood.
Fleas are most problematic within the spring and summer time when the climate is hotter. They want a bunch (your pet) to reside their full life cycle however can reside for just a few days in your house, yard, or native park as properly. It’s very simple for pets who go outdoors to get fleas!
Does My Pet Have Fleas?
In case your pet is scratching greater than standard and appears uncomfortable, they might have fleas. The best approach to inform in case your pet has fleas is to put him on a white towel and brush him. If there’s numerous grime that falls off, you seemingly have a flea drawback. This grime is named flea grime and is a mix of flea poop and blood. To make certain you’re taking a look at flea grime, moisten the grime on the white towel or on a paper towel. If it turns purple or reddish-brown, you recognize your pet has fleas.
Pure Flea Cures That Work
As soon as a pet has fleas, they are often robust to do away with. They’ll even infest your property! Listed below are my favourite pure flea management treatments I take advantage of when my pets begin itching from fleas:
Optimum Well being
One of the simplest ways to maintain your pets from getting fleas is to optimize their well being so flea infestations are much less more likely to happen. A wholesome physique is extra capable of fend off fleas.
Feeding your pets an entire meals weight-reduction plan is a good way to optimize their well being. I make selfmade pet food for our canines because it’s probably the most cost-effective approach to feed them. However I’ve additionally bought this high-quality (uncooked and grain-free) pet food and am very pleased with it. In addition they promote high quality cat meals when you’ve got cats in your house.
You may give your pet probiotics and different dietary supplements that may assist as properly. I focus on this with Veterinarian Dr. Rob Franklin in a podcast episode the place he offers some methods for optimizing our pet’s well being (together with emotional well being too!). Certainly one of my favourite additions to my pets’ weight-reduction plan is coconut oil for high-quality fats that helps assist wholesome pores and skin, coat, and digestion.
Use a Flea Comb
A flea comb has enamel which are carefully spaced so it could take away fleas out of your pet. That is useful to start the method of eliminating fleas however will also be useful in figuring out how infested your pet actually is. Do that outdoors if attainable to maintain fleas out of the home.
Give Them a Tub
After your pet is combed, a shower is the subsequent step. As with most parasites, fleas don’t like clear hosts as a lot as soiled ones. So bathing your pet may help. The soapy water can even assist take away and drown fleas. Use a pure flea shampoo or citrus-scented castile cleaning soap (use unscented for cats).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a go-to in my house for every thing from meals poisoning to dandruff. However ACV can be useful in pets. ACV is believed to assist steadiness the pH in your pet’s physique, which helps repel fleas. Whereas there aren’t any research on this motion, many pet homeowners discover that it really works to maintain fleas away in addition to take care of an infestation.
Add ACV to your pets’ meals (not water) to assist do away with fleas. Use ½-1 teaspoon of ACV per 25 lb of physique weight for canines. For cats, use simply ¼ teaspoon.
It’s also possible to use ACV in a topical pure flea repellent spray. Combine 1 half water and 1 half ACV in a twig bottle. Spray in your pet (not of their eyes!) to maintain fleas from hitching a trip. This will not be as useful when your pet already has an infestation however it does assist hold fleas away.
Important Oils
There are a variety of important oils that assist deter bugs together with ticks and fleas. A few of my favourite pure flea treatments embrace:
Important oils all the time should be used rigorously as they’re extremely concentrated oils. However we should be much more cautious utilizing important oils with cats. In accordance with Pet Poison Helpline, cats wouldn’t have an important enzyme to course of and take away important oils from the physique.
This implies important oils might construct up of their physique inflicting toxicity. For that reason, many vets suggest not utilizing important oils with cats. Nonetheless, cedarwood important oil is probably going protected for cats when used safely and can assist with fleas.
At all times dilute important oils in a provider oil earlier than making use of. It’s also possible to add them to the apple cider vinegar spray talked about above.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a finely powdered pure fossilized type of diatoms (a sort of algae). Due to its microscopic tough edges, it could reduce by means of the exoskeleton of the flea, killing it. To make use of DE, sprinkle in your pet’s dry coat.
DE will also be utilized in your home to do away with fleas which have jumped off your pets. Fill an outdated stocking with DE and shake it out across the edges of the rooms in your home. You’ll have a high quality white powder on the flooring that may kill bugs however is not going to hurt your pets or youngsters. Simply be sure you use food-grade DE.
How you can Get Rid of Fleas in Your Home
In the event you don’t do away with the fleas and flea eggs in your house, your pets are more likely to get reinfested. Right here’s what you might want to do:
- Vacuum every thing – Vacuuming will assist get fleas and eggs which are on carpets, wood flooring, curtains, and different locations the place you’ll be able to most simply clear with a vacuum.
- Wash all bedding – Particularly locations the place your pets hang around. Use sizzling water if attainable.
- Use DE – As talked about earlier, sprinkling DE round your property can kill fleas simply. Go away the DE in your house for just a few days. Then sweep and vacuum it up (attempt to sweep up as a lot as you’ll be able to since DE could be robust on vacuum filters). In the event you can’t get DE, salt or baking soda may fit too.
- Create a flea entice – Place a bowl or shallow dish of soapy water (dish cleaning soap works properly) in your house close to infested areas. Fleas will bounce in and drown due to the excessive viscosity of the soapy water.
Home cleansing needs to be finished as quickly as you will have used your chosen pure treatment in your pet. You wish to try to decrease the potential for fleas reinfesting your pet from the home or fleas out of your pet reinfesting your property.
Flea House Cures: Hold Your Pets Protected and Wholesome
Flea infestations could be a enormous frustration for you and your pets! However these pure flea treatments are easy to make use of at house with substances you might have already got readily available.
This text was medically reviewed by Dr. Rob Franklin, a veterinarian with Full Bucket Well being. As all the time, this isn’t private medical recommendation and we suggest that you just speak with your loved ones vet.
What’s your favourite approach to do away with fleas?
Sources:
- Benson, Kia. (2020, March 6). Important Oils and Cats.
