Natural Dog & Cat Flea Treatment

The joy of welcoming a cat or dog into the family is can be dampened by the flea problem that often comes with them. Not only are fleas a nuisance to people, they cause stress in the pet's life. Their bites itch and aggravate the skin, causing swelling and sometimes infection. Rather than run the risk of endangering the health of everyone in the household, try some natural remedies to get rid of fleas.

  1. Start With the Yard

    • Try to keep your pet away from other animals that may be infested with fleas. Also avoid walking him near yards where outdoor animals live because this is where he'll likely pick up some of the pests. If your yard starts to get overrun with fleas, try sprinkling it with freeze-dried worms called nematodes, which will eat fleas around the grass. Another method of eliminating fleas from the yard is to lightly cover the grass with diatomaceous earth, a type of dirt that has small, razor-sharp edges that break the outer layer of fleas and other garden pests. You'll have to repeat the process each time it rains.

    Grooming

    • If your pet stays indoors, fleas aren't likely to be a problem. However, dogs need to be walked multiple times daily, and cats enjoy sitting on the screened-in porch. Grooming your animals daily will help control fleas. Start with a brush for animals with long hair to get rid of any tangles and mats. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, rake the animal's fur from the skin to the end. When you find fleas on the comb, dip it in a solution of water and dish detergent to kill the fleas, then pat the comb dry before returning it to the pet. Bathing the cat or dog in water with any soap that lathers will kill fleas, too. Try to keep the soap on your pet for several minutes before rinsing it off.

    Indoor Treatment

    • If you've noticed fleas indoors, vacuum all carpeted areas often--daily, if possible--and change vacuum bags each time. Many of the fleas and their eggs will be eliminated. Twice a year, sprinkle boric acid for carpets throughout the carpeted areas of your house. The particles are tiny, and the products made for carpet are designed to stick to the carpet, even when vacuumed. This process will need to be repeated more often if you have your carpet steam-cleaned or shampooed. Keep all hard floor surfaces swept and mopped.

    Ingested Treatment

    • Fleas dislike the taste of garlic, onions, yeast and vitamin B, so a small amount of these items will help repel them. However, this shouldn't be your only method of controlling fleas because it won't get rid of the fleas in the environment. What's more, too much garlic or onion can cause your cat or dog to become anemic.