Discover the Ultimate Flea Remedies for 2024: Your Complete Guide to a Flea-Free Home!

Remedy for fleas

When you get a dog, you need to consider what remedy for fleas you will use. There are many different types of flea treatments, so it is important to find the best one for your pet. This article will help you understand the different types of flea treatments and how to choose the best one for your pet.

Let’s break it down from flea medicine to natural flea treatments.

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Flea treatments for dogs

If you see a flea then it’s time to be concerned because, for every flea that you see, there will be many more you don’t see. Other than the adult fleas you see, there are 3 other stages of flea development.

There are the eggs, larvae, and pupae stages of life of a flea. So what can you do? There are several choices when it comes to flea treatments for dogs. What is the best flea treatment for dogs?

1. Spot-On Flea Treatments

The not so easy – easy fix. Spot-on flea products are pesticides, easily available without a prescription, long-lasting, and easy to use, making them pretty popular.

They contain ingredients such as fipronil, imidacloprid, pyrethrins, and pyrethroids. Most veterinarians will tell you that the majority of these products are harmless and safe, but what does the evidence say?

Fipronil is one of the main ingredients in Frontline. The website for Frontline would like to make people believe that the product stays in the skin oil glands.

However, studies have shown that it, in fact, enters your dog’s organ system and nervous system. 

Tests conducted on animals show it results in altered thyroid hormones, thyroid toxicity, thyroid cancer, kidney and liver toxicity, convulsions, and reduced fertility.

Imidacloprid is the active main ingredient of Advantage. Laboratory studies have found it causes thyroid lesions and increases cholesterol levels in dogs.

It also is known to create liver toxicity, not only has it been proven to be damaging to the liver, but also to the dog’s spleen, heart, gonads, lungs, adrenals, and brain.

It is said it may cause labored breathing, incoordination, and muscle weakness. Along with increased birth defects.

Pyrethrins are used in such products as Zodiac Spot On Flea & Tick Control, Defend EXspot Treatment and Bio Spot Flea, and Tick Control. All of which contain either one or both ingredients of Pyriproxyfen /or Permethrin.

2. Oral Flea Treatments

Products such as NexGard, Bravecto, and Simparica, are medications that kill fleas and that are available by veterinary prescription only.

These drugs interfere with neurons in the brain and eventually kill the insects they work by destroying the insects’ nervous systems.

Once these drugs are in your dog’s system if he has a reaction, you can’t get it out of his system, they have to run their course. So it is something you really want to ask yourself if you really want it into your dog.

The FDA has a warning (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) that medications such as Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica, and Credelio may not just combat infestations of fleas or ticks.

They could also possibly be causing muscle tremors, seizures, and ataxia. And possibly other neurological problems in pets including death.

Safest flea treatment for dogs

All this brings us to the question, what is a safe natural flea treatment for dogs? These DIY flea treatments for dogs are easy to implement and safe.

1.) Start with a bath! It may be old-fashioned but it works. Use this homemade dog shampoo that is made with Dawn dish soap for a Dawn flea bath. The Dawn helps with the breaking down of the flea exoskeleton.

You do want to make sure you avoid getting it into your pet’s eyes. Using your fingers work up a good lather, so you don’t miss any hiding fleas.

2.) Flea comb. Once your dog’s hair has dried, use a flea comb to comb the coat. To catch any dead fleas and stragglers left on your dog’s body. Do this about once a week.

Home remedies for fleas

But the flea battle doesn’t end with giving your dog a flea bath. There are some things you need to do inside the home or kennel too. Below are 5 home remedies to kill fleas for you to try.

1.) Machine wash everything you can dog bedding, pillows, washable dog toys in short all the stuff your dog spends time on. If these things can go in the dryer, even better! Dry them for about 20 minutes on hot to kill eggs, adult fleas, and larvae.

2.) Vacuum at least: every other day. Make sure you get ALL carpets vacuumed. After you have finished vacuuming, one of the most important steps is to MAKE SURE to empty the bag or canister right away. Meaning taking it out of the home and not just tossing it in the trash. If you leave it, all those fleas you picked up will crawl right back out again.

3.) Diatomaceous earth. At least once a month spread food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) all over your carpets and leave it for 48 hours or you can also use baking soda or even coarse salt. Any of these will dry out the flea eggs and kill them. After 48 hours vacuum well.

4.) Using a steam cleaner once a month or every other month on carpet and furniture has also been proven helpful.

5.) Use flea traps in the home to help get things under control if you have an infestation. The fleas are attracted to the heat of the light and then get stuck on the sticky tape under the light.

You can make a homemade version of a flea trap using a thick mixture of Dawn dish soap and water to replace the sticky tape. The fleas get stuck in the liquid mixture.

How to get rid of fleas naturally

Make sure to do these other home remedies for fleas on dogs. These are more natural flea treatments that are easy to implement.

• Cut the grass and trim overgrown bushes and hedges. That way there will be fewer places the fleas can hide. Make sure to remove twigs and dead leaves from under the bushes and in and around the flower beds.
• Plant herbs. Think about planting a few plants that repel fleas. Such as peppermint, lemongrass,  rosemary, and sage. They all have natural oils that will help repel fleas. These herbs also make effective sprays for repelling fleas from pets and bedding.
• Cedar Chips used inside dog pillows are also excellent flea deterrents, just remember to freshen them up every couple of weeks.

Note: I have done my best research on the studies of flea treatments, however, I am not a medical professional nor a scientist. So please do your own research before making your choice.