Flea products for dogs are often made of pesticides and other known carcinogens that should not be dumped in large quantities on your dog's skin. Fortunately, natural flea products are available to eliminate fleas without dangerous pesticides.
Products for Dogs
There are many types of herbal sprays available that repel or kill fleas on your dog. They are usually made of some combination of the ingredients rosemary, cedar oil, citronella, wormwood and peppermint oil and come in liquid form. Since these sprays are nontoxic, you can use them daily.
Fleas can't tolerate water, so any type of shampoo bath will kill the fleas on your dog. If you find an infection or flea feces (small black dust around the base of your dog's tail), give him a bath with lemonwater. To make, slice a lemon and add the slices (including the peel) into a pint of boiling water. Allow to sit overnight and then strain to remove pulp. Sponge the rinse onto your dog's skin and allow to air dry—do not dry with a towel. This will not only remove the fleas but provide a repulsive citrus odor to your dog's skin for a few days. This can be reapplied daily until the skin is less itchy.
Dietary Improvements for Dogs
Though any dog can contract fleas, dogs with poor skin conditions attract them more frequently. By improving your dog's health, you can naturally reduce fleas.
Feed a high-quality diet with quality protein, not meat byproducts or fillers such as corn and wheat. To repel fleas, add brewer's yeast or garlic to your dog's food. One clove of pulverized garlic added to the food each day can reduce fleas as can brewer's yeast, one teaspoon for small dogs and one tablespoon for large dogs.
Adding zinc to your dog's diet can help improve skin condition, which will reduce flea infections. Use 10 mg daily for small dogs and 20 for large dogs.
Your dog's skin can also be improved with frequent grooming. Bathing with a mild soap every couple of weeks or brushing your dog's coat daily can stimulate healthy oils that reduce the skin problems attractive to fleas.
Products for Your House
Fleas spend most of their lives off their hosts, so while you might not see fleas on your dogs, they may be all over your house. A natural flea killer called diatomaceous earth, which is a fossilized algae that resembles chalk dust, can be used on your carpet and all areas where your pets sleep.
Wash and dry any bedding in the hot dryer. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly and dispose of the contents in an airtight bag. The fleas can hatch in your vacuum cleaner and reinfest your home.
Microscopic worms that eat flea larvae, called nematodes, can be purchased at health food stores or gardening centers and placed in your yard around your house to keep fleas from entering your home.
Eliminating a flea infestion requires a multi-pronged attack that focuses on both your dog and your house. Fortunately, if you are opposed to commercial flea preventative, this can be done completely naturally.