Fleas are an unfortunate byproduct of owning a dog, and myriad flea treatment options are on store shelves. Many of these treatments, however, include potential toxins that can irritate a pet's skin or cause other problems. Fortunately, there are numerous non-toxic flea medications for dogs.
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Plug-In Flea Traps
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Plug-in flea traps are devices that plug in to an electrical outlet, drawing in fleas, almost like a mouse or rat trap. Once the fleas are drawn in to the electric flea trap, they become stuck on a sticky flea pad. This has proven an effective way of reducing the flea population in a dog's environment. Once plugged in to a 110-volt electric socket, the plug-in flea trap works 24 hours a day for up to six months, drawing in and killing fleas up to 25 feet, according to Earth Easy. Each sticky flea pad can hold thousands of fleas.
Neem Oil
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Neem oil, an extract of the mahogany tree, is a proven way of killing fleas in a non-toxic manner. When applied to a dog's skin, neem oil is absorbed into the blood through the skin but is completely harmless to a dog. Essentially, neem oil makes a dog's blood taste awful to parasites, including fleas, which will cause them to cease biting and move on. Neem oil can be found at most large-scale pet retailers or health food or herbal markets.
Non-Toxic Medication
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As of April 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stepped up its efforts to combat potentially harmful flea medications, ones that can contain toxins that do anything from irritate a pet's skin to cause death. This came in response to more than 44,000 incident reports of pets having adverse reactions to potentially toxic flea and tick medications.
Fortunately, there are plenty of non-toxic medications available that also treat fleas in dogs. These medications, which range in form from dips to drops to shampoos to tiny worms placed outside that prey on fleas. For instance, studies have proven that anything that lathers in a bath will kill fleas. These lathers, whether non-toxic flea soaps or even a simple mix of natural herbs, will drown fleas when a lather is formed and applied to a dog's skin, according to Will Falconer, D.V.M.
Diatomaceous Earth
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Diatomaceous earth (DE) is an all-natural product constructed from small skeletal remains of diatoms--unicellular plants. This dust is lethal to fleas thanks to its sharp edges that cut a fleas outer covering, causing fleas to bleed to death. In addition, this substance is harmless and non-toxic to humans and pets. DE is applied directly to a pet's coat, similar to talcum powder on human skin, and throughout the house in areas where a dog frequents.
Garlic and Yeast
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According to Dr. Falconer, feeding garlic and yeast to a dog will offer a pet more B vitamins, and makes a dog's blood quite unsatisfactory to a flea. However, this cannot be used as a sole means of preventing and eradicating flea infestation, but rather, as a supplement to other non-toxic flea medications, such as soaps and herbs. According to Falconer, up to 1/4 cup of yeast and a few cloves of garlic is more than enough for large dogs, but garlic in high doses can cause anemia in dogs, so he recommends keeping the dosage low.
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