Control Fido’s Fleas Without Risking His Health
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Let’s face it. Fleas are the bane of most pet owner’s existence. No one likes them, especially the pets who become their living host. But conventional flea repellents and remedies contain chemicals so toxic that one has to wonder if the cure is worse than the problem, especially considering that not only the pet will be exposed to those chemicals, but the humans who apply them will be equally exposed.
However, the alternative of leaving Fido to scratch his fur off does not seem all that appealing, either. What is a pet owner to do?
There are other methods of dealing with fleas that do not entail using noxious chemicals. Here are a few ways to handle those pesky fleas without turning your pet into a toxic waste dump.
1. Release beneficial nematodes into your yard.
These are tiny worms that feed on flea eggs and larvae, yet are harmless to your lawn and other foliage. Reducing the population of fleas outside will help to keep them off of Fido and out of your house.
2. Remove your shoes when entering your house.
Flea eggs are easily carried inside on the soles of your shoes.
3. Bathe your pets regularly.
Add ½ teaspoon pure Tea Tree oil to a mild pet shampoo, and wash them thoroughly clear down to their skin. The tea tree oil kills fleas and eggs, and also soothes any irritated areas on your pet’s skin from flea bites. Warning: Tea trea oil can be harmful to some pets. Please use with caution.
4. Feed your pets a healthy diet.
Encourage them to drink fresh water, and make sure they get plenty of exercise. A healthy pet is less likely to encounter serious flea infestations than one with a weakened system.
5. Vacuum your house regularly.
Dispose of any vacuum cleaner bags to eliminate trapped flea eggs.
6. Use cedar sachets in your pet’s bedding.
Fleas despise the scent and will stay away. Lavender, Tea Tree, Rosemary, and Sweet Woodruff also work well.
Also, use under furniture cushions, and in corners of the rooms. Do NOT use cedar in a spray solution, as inhaling it can cause dogs to choke.
When all is said and done, frequent brushing and combing also help to eliminate fleas from your pet. Not to mention pets just like the attention! Try these methods and see for yourself how easy it is to keep fleas away from your pets without the use of dangerous or irritating products. You and Fido will both be glad you did.
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Wow, nomatodes, i don’t think I have ever heard of that one before, but I will definately look into that. Fleas are a horrible situation. We got them a few years ago, and I tell you NOTHING we tried killed the little buggers. We were walking around in the home w/ little plastic bags over our feet. but luckily we ended up killing them soon after that.
I think a healthy diet for your pet is definately helpful, especially to keep nasty parasites and worms at bay, and should help keep fleas down also, so great point on that. I think bugs are ATTRACTED to certain smells? I say that because my hubby never got bitten once w/ the fleas, but they took to me like i was candy…so not sure why, but maybe had something to do w/ how our blood tasted or smelled, just an idea. So that could be affected by the diet.
Great points! Thanks for sharing.
Sheila
we have two dogs three cats and a ferret. we put cedar bedding in the ferrets cage and all it did was stain his coat orange. a friend said to sprinkle baby powder on all of them because thats what they use on their pets. it worked better than the cedar, but it didnt get rid of them. nothing ive tried has helped and the flea collars for the dogs was a waste of time and money. is there anything else i could use? i have a very old dog and a puppy and cats that do not like to be held or brushed(yeah, i know they’reweird)
Very important~ never use tea tree oil on cats, or any essential oil. It is highly toxic to cats and will destry their liver
Great article once again. Thank you;)