Prevention and Treatment of Fleas
Why would you want to use natural products? Many fear the toxins in the chemical products we can buy at the stores. But can natural products work? Many enthusiasts say they do. Here are a few suggestions on how to treat the flea bites naturally and how to detour the fleas in the first place.
Vinegar:
This product seems to be great for many things. At full strength, you can put vinegar onto a cotton ball and wipe it over a flea bitten area or a hot spot to help the area to heal. Vinegar seems to have properties that helps in healing. Seems like a worthwhile suggestion to try. Just make sure you don’t get any into the animals eyes or ears. Vinegar is safe for both dogs and cats.
You can also take vinegar red or white and add it to your pet’s drinking water to prevent fleas. In the summer months add 6 teaspoons to 1 gallon of drinking water. In the winter months use 4 teaspoon per gallon. This is again safe for both dogs and cats.
Flea combs:
These are really fine tooth combs. When using these, you can trap the fleas into the tiny teeth and then you dip the comb down into a bowl of soapy water, which drowns the fleas. This does not harm your animal. If you have a cat, you should concentrate on its neck area and on a dog, on the lower back region and the belly.
Bathing:
Yes, you can bathe your animal with a non-medicated shampoo. Put the shampoo on heavy and leave on for 5 or 10 minutes before lathering off of your animal. Bathing is especially good if the flea infestation is bad.
Garlic and Brewery’s Yeast:
These two popular choices have been proclaimed as being able to detour fleas for years. You add a bit to your animals food. I have tried it. It hasn’t worked for my animals. Yet, many people says it does. If you wish to try it, it doesn’t seem to do any harm and it is inexpensive.
Electronic Flea trap:
Electronic flea traps kills the fleas and eggs before they reach your animal, but does nothing for the ones on your animals or in your house. This method can be expensive.
Flea collars:
These have also been around for years. I have mixed feelings on these. I have seen some animals break out underneath the collar. I also worry about an animal with a lot of energy getting caught on something. I also haven’t seen proof that this works.
Keep in mind whatever you decide to use to prevent fleas, that not all products that will work on dogs will work on cats. Most dog products are hazardous to our cats. Read all the fine print and ask questions.
If you have an inside pet, you must not forget to treat your house as well as your animal. You need to remove the eggs and the fleas from both and they will just keep transferring back and fourth. The house is a little easier to treat. Remove the pet and all humans. Then set off a flea bomb. It may take a couple of times, depending on the situation.
The best weapon in the fight against fleas, persistence. Those critters may be small, but they know how to fight. Keep at it and you and your pet will win.
