Keep Fleas Off Dogs

A flea called the Ctenocephalides felis or the “cat flea" is the most common flea found on pets in the average household. The Pulex irritans or the “human flea” and the Ctenocephalides canis or the “dog flea” are also found on pets, but are much less common. Fleas normally only live for six weeks, but some can live as long as a year. Because only about 1% of fleas are in the adult stage, and most flea treatments only kill adult fleas, it can be quite difficult to get rid of fleas once they’ve infested your home and dog. Preventative measures, therefore, are usually more effective as a long-term solution.

Steps

Preventing Fleas on Your Dog

1. Apply topical flea treatments to your dog. Topical flea treatments, such as Advantage, Frontline Plus, and Revolution, can be applied to your dog on a regular basis each year to help prevent fleas from making a home on your dog’s body. This topical treatment is usually a cream or thick liquid that you drop onto a spot on your dog’s back, between his shoulder blades.
   • Check with your veterinarian as to which flea treatment you should use for your dog and what dosage to give. Boxes of these topical flea treatments usually come in different amounts based on the size of your dog.
   • The reason why the topical treatment is applied to the spot between your dog’s back is so he cannot reach it once it’s applied. It takes a little time to soak in and start working, so you do not want your dog washing it off too soon.
   • Some topical flea treatments include something called “permethrins.” While this is safe to use on dogs, it is toxic to cats. Do not use this product on your cats.
   • Alternatively, you can use a few drop of lavender essential oil on your dog to help prevent and repel fleas.
2. Put a flea collar on your dog. Flea collars are another method to help prevent fleas from taking up residence on your dog. Flea collars, however, need to be applied properly in order to work effectively. Once on your dog, you should be able to get two fingers in-between the collar and your dog’s neck. The collar should not be any tighter or looser than that. Most flea collars are longer than you’ll need, so cut off the excess portion of the collar once you’ve fit it on your dog.
   • If you aren’t sure which flea collar to use, ask your veterinarian or vet tech for a recommendation.
   • Make sure to read the collar’s instructions. Some collars become less effective if they get wet. This means you may want to take the collar off or replace it if you dog goes for a swim.
   • If the collar starts to irritate your dog’s neck, take it off. You may need to try another type of collar instead.
   • Never use flea collars with any of these ingredients on cats — Amitraz, permethrin, organophosphates.
3. Make your own homemade flea collar. In addition to store bought flea collars, you can make your own using natural ingredients. All you need is: a bandana or your dog’s regular collar; 1 to 3 tablespoons of water; and 3 to 5 drops of either cedar or lavender essential oil. Mix the water and essential oil together to dilute the oil. Use an eyedropper (or something else that works in a similar way) and put 5 to 10 drops of the mixture on your dog’s collar or a bandana. Rub the fabric together so the mixture covers all the fabric. Put the bandana or collar on your dog.
   • You will likely have to reapply the mixture once a week to keep it effective.
   • You can also put a mixture of 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and 1 to 2 drops of this mixture near the base of your dog’s tail. This way the fleas are being prevented at both ends!
4. Give your dog an oral flea prevention treatment. There are currently several oral flea preventative treatment products on the market for dogs and cats. One such treatment is called Program. For dogs, you can get the product in pill form that you give to your dog once a month. The pill contains an insect development inhibitor that doesn’t allow fleas to form on your dog, but it won’t kill adult fleas already on your dog. Other products are also available, such as Capstar, Comfortis, and Trifexis.
   • Capstar only stays in your dog’s system for 24 hours, so it better for situations where you need a quick solution.
   • Trifexis also helps prevent heart worm and can help if your dog has a hookworm, roundworm, or whipworm infection.
5. Add apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water. You can add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar) to your dog’s water bowl. One tablespoon should be used for every 40 pounds (18 kg) your dog weighs. For example, if your dog weights 80 (36 kg) pounds, then add 2 tablespoons (30 ml). If you dog weighs 20 pounds (9 kg)), then add only ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) of vinegar.
   • Note that apple cider vinegar is also good for your dog’s skin and coat.
6. Consider adding supplements to your dog’s diet. There are several supplements that can be added to your dog’s diet that may help prevent and repel fleas. Not all supplements work on all dogs, so if you’ve tried a supplement for one month and nothing has changed, it probably isn’t going to work.
   • Garlic — Giving your dog garlic, either in raw (crushed) form or via a capsule, can help prevent fleas. Large dogs can get 1 glove of garlic, medium dogs can get ½ clove, and small dogs can get ¼ clove. The dosage of the garlic oil capsule can be estimated based on the assumption that a human dose is for a 150 pound (68 kg) human.
   • Vitamin B Complex — A plant-source of vitamin B complex can be given to your dog on a regular basis. The amount to give your dog can be adjusted based on your dog’s size and the average human dose. You can also consider giving your dog brewers yeast as it contains B1.
   • Note that some dogs are allergic to brewers yeast. Check with your veterinarian before giving your dog brewers yeast.
7. Create your own preventative flea comb. To make this preventative flea comb, all you need is 1 fresh lemon cut into slices, 1 pot of fresh water, and a comb, brush or sponge. Put the lemon slices and the water into a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Once boiled, take the saucepan off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the pot to sit overnight with the lemons in the water. The following day, use a brush, comb, or sponge to dip in the water and then apply to your dog’s fur.
   • Whether you want to use a brush, comb, or sponge may depend on the type and length of your dog’s fur or hair. Use whatever option works best for you.
8. Mix up your own homemade flea spray. The nice thing about this spray is that it not only repels fleas, it makes your dog’s coat look great! All you need is: 1 cup (250 ml) of distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1 quart (approx. 1 litre) of fresh water; 2 to 3 drops of cedar or lavender essential oil; and an empty spray bottle. Combine the three liquids together in the spray bottle (e.g. vinegar, essential oil, and water). Shake the spray bottle to mix everything together, then spray the mixture on your dog.
   • The type of vinegar used in this mixture is not important. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, although apple cider vinegar does tend to smell more pleasant. You can also use a combination of the two types of vinegar if you do not have enough of each — as long as the final measurement is 1 cup or 250 ml.
   • The essential oil isn’t a requirement of this spray, but does make it smell nicer.
   • Make sure you don’t spray the mixture in your dog’s eyes, nose, or ears. It’s better if you avoid spraying your dog’s face at all and just use a cloth or sponge to apply the mixture to his face.
   • You can also spray the mixture on your dog’s bedding to help prevent fleas.
9. Put together a “flea-be-gone” bag. To create this bag, you’ll need: two 6 inch (15 cm) squares of breathable fabric; a handful of cedar chips; 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) of dried lavender buds; and 1 lemon peel. Sew the two 6 inch (15 cm) squares of fabric together on three side to form a bag. Fill the bag with the cedar chips, lavender buds, and lemon peel. Tie the top of the bag with a ribbon or piece of string. Place the bag near your dog’s bed or other places your dog frequents. Replace the mixture inside every one to two months.
   • If you want to try this option, but aren’t much of a sewer, you can also look for a pre-made bag of breathable fabric.

Getting Rid of Fleas Already on Your Dog

1. Ensure your dog is healthy. Like any medical issue, the best place to start is to make sure your dog is strong and healthy. This means you need to ensure your dog is eating the right amount of good food, getting the right amount of exercise, having the least amount of stress, and getting lots and lots of love.
   • Fleas seems to know which dogs are sick and which are healthy, and prefer the sick dogs (they taste better). Keeping your dog healthy will give your dog a better chance of not getting fleas or being able to fight them off.
2. Use an olive oil and essential oil spray on your dog. A mixture of 10 drops of certain essential oils in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil can be used as a spray to help repel fleas from your dog. As with other treatments, this may not work for all dogs. If you don’t notice any changes in your dog after three to four weeks of treatment, it’s not likely working.
   • The following essential oils can be used: cedar, tea tree, citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, and pennyroyal.
   • Note that both eucalyptus and pennyroyal are both toxic to cats. If you have cats in your home, use one of the other options.
3. Give your dog a bath at least once a week. If your dog is already infested with fleas, and you’re working to remove them, give him a bath at least once every week. For washing, use either a non-insecticidal shampoo or soap, or use an unscented hypoallergenic shampoo. Shampoos and soaps with fewer additives will help prevent your dog’s skin from drying out due to the frequent baths. And make sure to completely rinse off any shampoo or soap residue from your dog.
   • If you aren’t sure which shampoo or soap to use, consult with your veterinarian or vet tech for a recommendation. They may even sell some shampoos at the vet clinic.
4. Comb your dog every day with a flea comb. Use a flea comb on your dog as often as possible to check how effective your flea removal efforts have been. Focus on combing around your dog’s tail, stomach, and face. Don’t just look for adult fleas, but also look for eggs (which are tiny white dots) and feces (which are tiny black dots).
   • If you find anything on your dog, you can comb it off and drop it in a glass of water. The water will kill the fleas and the eggs.
   • Note — Flea feces is composed mostly of your dog’s blood. When you drop this into water, it may turn the water a dark brown or even red colour. Do not be alarmed. This is actually a good way to confirm what you found was really flea feces.
5. Do not allow your dog to wander the house. If your dog is infested with fleas, you will want to limit the areas of the house he is allowed to go. Flea eggs can very easily make their way onto fabrics and into carpets and become dormant until the perfect environment (i.e. your dog) comes along in the future. If possible, keep your dog in areas of your house with the least amount of fabrics and fibres (e.g. kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, mud room, etc.) until the flea problem is resolved.

Maintaining an Indoor and Outdoor Environment that Fleas Hate

1. Keep your yard clean. Fleas and their eggs can easily hide in the grass and in areas of your yard where debris (e.g. leaves, etc.) has built up. To prevent fleas from being able to make a long-term home in these areas, keep your yard clean and your grass cut short. This is especially important in the areas of your yard where you dog hangs out the most.
2. Sprinkle a water-diatomaceous earth mixture in your yard. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a calcium dust that’s ground from single-cell ocean organisms. Only use DE that’s been certified as “food grade.” You can mix some DE in water (in a watering can if you have one) and sprinkle the mixture on your grass, sidewalks, decks, paving stones, and even in your flower beds. Focus on areas of your yard where your dog hangs out the most.
   • This mixture dries out flea eggs and makes it impossible for adult fleas to breathe, therefore killing them off.
   • If you live in a moist and humid climate, you may need to apply this mixture every two months.
   • If you live in a dry climate, you won’t need to apply as often, maybe once every three to four months.
   • Make sure to wear a protective mask when handling the DE dust as it can irritate your lungs.
   • You can buy DE online at shops like Amazon or at hardware/garden stores. Pest control companies may also sell it, as it’s used extensively to kill other types of pests as well.
3. Use a garden hose to flood areas your dog frequents. Water drowns fleas and flea eggs. You can use a garden hose to drown fleas and their eggs in your yard in areas where your dog frequents (e.g. kennel, dog run, favourite nap area, etc.). Just spray water in the area until it’s practically flooded.
4. Wash and vacuum your floors often. In order to kill fleas and their eggs inside your house, you need to keep up a regular cleaning routine around your house. Start by washing hard floors (e.g. wood, tile, etc.) as often as you can. Pay special attention to the cracks and gaps in the floors where fleas can hide. You should also vacuum your rugs and carpets every day to remove any fleas or eggs that may fall off you or your dog.
   • To help keep fleas at bay, and to prevent you from needing to do too much work, it may be easier to simply remove and store away your area carpets or rugs during flea season. Give them a good cleaning before you store them and when you take them back out again.
   • When doing your daily vacuuming routine on carpets and rugs, you may also want to run the vacuum over any furniture in the same rooms (e.g. couches, ottomans, pillows, etc.).
   • If you use a vacuum with a bag, you can freeze the bag in-between uses to kill the fleas you vacuum up. Note that the fleas will stay alive inside the bag between vacuuming if you simply store the vacuum between uses.
5. Give your dog’s bedding a good cleaning at least once a week. If small enough, wash your dog’s bedding in your washing machine every week with hot water and mild laundry detergent. If the bedding is too big for the washing machine, you can always soak it in a tub of water mixed with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Worst case scenario, if your dog’s bedding is too big for either washing method, make sure to vacuum it thoroughly.
6. Hire a professional steam cleaner. If the flea infestation is really bad, or if it’s over but you want to make sure you got every last flea, consider hiring a steam cleaning company to come to your home. Ask them to use just hot water to steam clean your floors, furniture, and your dog’s bedding. Make sure you move furniture in order to steam clean underneath too.

Warnings

• Before making any changes to your dog’s diet or medication, check with your veterinarian. Dogs with certain medical conditions or allergies may need special directions from your doctor before any changes are made.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Have Fun Giving Your Dog a Flea Bath
• Kill Fleas on Dogs
• Use Coconut Oil for Flea and Skin Treatment on Dogs
• Apply Advantage to Dogs
• Make a Natural Dog Flea Massage Oil
• Apply Advantix for Dogs
• Prevent Ticks on Dogs
• Apply Frontline
• Get Ticks off Dogs
• Use Brewer's Yeast As a Flea Treatment for Dogs

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