5 Ways to Combat Fleas on Your Agility Dog
What to do about those pesky parasites called fleas! Unless you have a full blown outbreak you may want to try some of these chemical free ways of keeping your pet and home clear of fleas. Please Note: These are NOT for cats.
1) From dogster.com we found this Herbal Flea Control Recipe:
- Combine one part of as many of the following powdered herbs as possible: Eucalyptus, rosemary, fennel, yellow dock, wormwood, rue.
- Put mixture in shaker-top jar.
- Apply the flea powder to your dog’s fur by brushing backwards and sprinkling it into the base of the hair (especially focus on the neck, back and belly).
- Immediately take your dog outside so the vacating fleas don’t wind up on your floor.
- Use this natural flea control recipe as frequently as necessary, up to several times per week for more serious infestations.
2) Citrus Juice (Not Oil): Fleas are known to be repelled by the juice of freshly squeezed oranges or lemons. You can rub the juice on your dog to repel the fleas before they go outside. NOTE: Cats are repelled by citrus too, so if you have cats you may not want to use this on your dogs.
3) Water Dunk: Water really does repel fleas because they do not hang onto the hair shafts. So a dip in a pool of water will release most if not all the fleas on your dog. If you don’t have a large pool you can wash your dog with a gentle shampoo or a little liquid dish soap with a thorough brushing, outside, to get rid of some fleas.
4) Keeping the House Clean: Regular vacuuming including under furniture, helps get rid of fleas, flea food, eggs and larvae as does laundering pet beds and furniture covers. Just be sure not to use harsh products. Fleas will live in your vacuum canisters so be sure to dump them after each use.
5) In the Yard: There are natural flea predators you can purchase to keep your flea population down in the yard. Nematodes are small worms that eat flea larva and work really well with a decrease in flea population within two days. They are obtainable in many garden or pet stores. Note: These are not the nematodes that cause heart-worm.
Though not an exhaustive list of ways to combat fleas without the use of chemicals, we hope these easy fixes will help keep those pesky bugs in check for the comfort and safety of your dog.