Dog Fleas
Get Rid of Canine Fleas!

You can start with my simple natural recipe for Flea Chasers. It contains brewers yeast which is a natural repellent to fleas.

But, this is not a perfect world, and sometimes prevention is simply not enough. So, just in case--I have included some practical tips for eradicating the nasty little critters.

Find Out if you Have Fleas
in Your Home

To make the trap, hang a light over a sticky surface like fly paper or over a bowl of soapy water. The light will attract any fleas in the vicinity and they will get stuck on the flypaper or fall into the water. You can then examine any bugs that you catch to make sure that you are dealing with fleas!

Fleas are small, dark flat bodied insects—about the size of a period or comma in a sentence.

Dog Flea Treat Measures

The nasty little pests can’t fly, they have 6 legs and they can jump up onto the tallest dog in a single leap!

Scientists have identified almost 2000 species of fleas. But, unbelievably, the only one that you need to be concerned about is the “cat flea”.

In order to eradicate dog fleas (or cat fleas), you need to break their life cycle. There are a number of steps that you’ll need to take.

Neglecting to follow through on any of them can start the cycle over again—so make sure that you are diligent and thorough when following through!

If you find that you have fleas in your home, here are some things that you can do to eradicate them:

• Vacuum floors and carpets frequently. Pay special attention to areas where your pet lies.

• Treat your carpets with a natural product like Only Natural's All-in-One Flea Remedy Powder for Dogs and Cats. It uses Diatomaceous Earth, a natural substance that is not harmful to you or your pets. And it's just as effective--and safer--than most chemicals on the market.

• Wash your pet’s bedding frequently. Especially if you can’t put it into the washing machine, use a flea spray or powder in the dog or cat’s sleeping area.

• Comb your pet’s fur. You can purchase a GripSoft Grooming Tools Flea Comb to help you find and get rid of the little critters.

  This is tedious and you must make sure that you kill the fleas after you find them. This, alone, however, will not get rid of the dog fleas!

• Shampoo your pet weekly with a special flea shampoo . According to veterinarians, this is one of the most effective steps that you can take to control the pests.

  Flea shampoos appear to be safe, but you must be very careful if you have a puppy. Use a special puppy flea shampoo and read the directions on the bottle to make sure that your puppy is old enough to use it!

• Use a dog flea collar on your pet. This method works best in areas where the problem is seasonal—not year round! Flea collars are only partially effective where the fleas are active all year—southern areas like Florida and parts of California and the South. Use only according to the directions.

  DO NOT use a flea collar if you are also using an insecticide on your pet. Your veterinarian will be able to help you with this.

  There are some safe, Natural Research People Herbal Collars on the market that do work. The advantage of this is that you don't have to have harmful chemicals on your pet where she can lick them. Many of these herbal dog flea collars can be purchased online.

• Fumigate the parts of the house used by your pet. You can use an exterminating service to do this.

  If the problem is not too bad, you might try using a do-it-yourself flea bomb. Read the directions carefully and make sure that dishes, food, etc. are not in the area to be bombed.

• Spray the yard. Use an outdoor flea control product that has a long life and kills adult fleas and immature ones too. Concentrate on areas that fleas love—mulches, leaves, wood, pine needles and under your shrubs.

  This works best when you have a defined area, like a fenced in yard. If your pet is free to roam in the woods, for example, it just is not possible to spray everywhere the fleas might inhabit!

• If you decide to use a fumigating service, ask for information about the chemicals that they use, in writing. You want to make sure that you understand how long to keep your pet away from the sprayed areas. And you need to understand what chemicals are used and know that your pet will be safe!

• Flea control medications. If your pet has an ongoing problem you might want to consult with your veterinarian about a maintenance program of medication to help your pet.

Flea Prevention Using Natural Products

You can choose from many natural flea and tick supplies products that are now available to help you eradicate dog fleas for your dog's health. This is best done as a preventative. Don’t wait until the problem is so bad that you have to resort to strong chemicals!

Here are your choices:

• Natural Flea Shampoo

• Natural products that contain brewer’s yeast. Natural Pet Bakery’s Flea Chasers or Mini Flea Chasers for puppies or small dogs are examples of this. I have included recipes that contain brewer's yeast so that you can make your own healthy dog treats to prevent dog fleas.

• Herbal flea collars

• Herbal powders to rub into your pet’s coat

• Essential oils such as eucalyptus or rosemary. Put a drop or two on your pet’s collar and in his bed. Let it dry before he goes to bed, as you don’t want him to lick the oil.

If your dog has a zippered cover for his bed/pillow, you can simply place some rosemary (as in cooking/herb) inside the pillow case. He won't be able to eat or lick the rosemary, but it will emit the fragrance that repels the fleas.

Dog fleas can develop resistance to a chemical in a fairly short period of time. So, if you do have a problem, it makes sense to work closely with your veterinarian so that he can advise you on any changes that need to be made.

Dog Fleas to Holistic Dog Care

Dog Fleas to Homemade Dog Treats

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