Flea Control

[labmomma]

It's getting to be time to consider flea control and I'd like to stay away from the chemical applications available. Is there any additives I can put in their food that will repel fleas? If so, what would be the amount to use? I have three dogs that spend a lot of time in the house and it's important to be able to control the flea situation both for their health and in the house. I've heard of sprinkling brewer's yeast in their food but can't find reference to it anywhere on the internet. If I have to use the FrontLine types, which one will do the job without harming my dogs.
Please advise.

[Jessika]

I've heard putting 1 or 2 TBSP of apple cider vinegar in their water with every change helps.

[JenBKR]

I don't know of anything like that that might help, I use Frontline on Roscoe. It works great and we've never had a flea on him. Personally, I have no problem using a chemical if it will save him from fleas and ticks

[labmomma]

I think I'm going to stick with Frontline. I've also read that Sentinel, the
heart worm medicine takes care of all parasites including whipworms and is also effective against fleas. I'm supplied for 6 months with heartworm medicine for 3 dogs so will go ahead and use that up and then talk to my vet.
Thanks so much for the advice.

[jackie]

Garlic is a natural flea repellant, but should only be used in small amounts.

I use Frontline on all the dogs and my cat, and seems to work great. Sentinel is another highly recommended product.

[Scooby4]

Brewer's yeast is a natural alternative which is also beneficial to their coats. You can get the supplement at a health food store in a powder form and maybe at less cost than a pet store. Avoid the kind with Garlic. Garlic causes gas which is more of a "human" repellant than a flea .
How brewer's yeast works is that it secrets a "smell" from the dog's skin. This smell humans can not smell but the fleas do. The fleas don't like the smell and eventually move off the dog. This does take time and is NOT an immediate solution. However, your dog's coat will improve in the mean time. My dog Scooby is allergic to yeast so check for sensitivity.
Frontline is the BEST and I have used it. I am NOT happy with the application part of it but in the end it does produce the best results. It can be slightly messy when using the applicator and petting should be avoided for a few hours till it dries.
Another solution for the yard is the use of "nematodes". This is another bio friendly solution. Nematodes are an "organism" or "bug" that only lives off of eating fleas. Once the fleas are gone the nematodes are gone. The product can be hard to find. I believe the first part of the product name is "bio"??? You can find it at pet stores in a canister.
There of course is the old timey "light and a pan of water" for getting rid of fleas in the house. This does work pretty well. Just have a light similar to a "grow light" above a pan of water for the fleas to jump in and drown. Not sure where to buy this kind of setup since it is kind of an old fashion solution. But my parents have used it and it works.
My dog Scooby is HIGHLY allergic to fleas. It is important for me to keep "vigilante" on flea control. I've gone through periods of fleas everywhere. It can take up to a month to get rid of the infestation. Once you get control you can maintain it better. Good luck!

[CorgiLuvr1012]

I stay away from chemicals in flea repellants. Fleas can become resistant to the pesticides, and the flea still has to get on the dog for it to die. I think prevention is the better method. My dogs get 1/4 a clove of garlic and 1 tbsp of brewer's yeast per day, and I have never seen or heard of any problems with gas, and surprisingly, they don't stink either. I think this has to do with their lack of sweat glands.

Dogs do have a natural resistance to fleas, we've just over vaccinated, medicated, fed poor quality dog foods, and stuck "bandaids" over things for so long that these natural resistances they once had have diminished. I believe the answer is to improve the dog's base health so it can fight insects, intestinal parasites, and heartworms on its own. A weak dog is a good target for a parasite. It bothers me that the frontline and other pesticide boxes warn me against touching or inhaling the fumes of their product but it's okay to put it on my pet...it just doesn't seem right. Even if all these claims about harsh chemicals used for flea repellants on pets aren't true, I'm not about to risk it. I just know that I've seen outstanding results by avoiding commercial pet products and chemicals.

Another thing I do that works very well is making my own flea repellant spray. You can spray it around the house, pour it on the dog after a bath, spray it on between baths, and even put it in the rinse load in the washing maching. It's perfectly safe for dogs and I know many people who use it. Just boil one orange or lemon peel for 10mins in 1 pint of water and let it cool. Leave the peel in as you use it. The fleas can't stand the citrus scent, and also there's no nasty pesticide residue on their furr.

Another helpful method is to use natural essential oils. Just put a few drops on a nylon collar once a week and you have a natural flea collar. Neem oil and citronella are good to use for this. You can get them at natural healthfood stores or just type it in google for internet sources to buy from.

Always make sure the sources of fleas are cleaned. Steam clean carpets, and wash all the pets' bedding in hot soapy water and dry on the hottest setting to kill flea eggs. Ants also eat flea eggs and larvae, so if you can stand a few around your yard, don't discourage them.

I like these methods because many have been used for years and years, and it's impossible for fleas to become resistant to a less appealing dog.