Keeping our dogs free of fleas protects both us and them from being bitten by the little pests and is an important part of the care of any dog. While many will purchase commercial flea control products from their veterinary, it is important to remember that most topical flea control products are essential pesticides, and that we do not know the long term effects these products may be having on our pets. With a large amount of dogs and cats being effected by potentially fatally diagnoses such as cancer, it may be wise to consider more natural ways to take care of our animals, such as natural flea control. Also, do remember that veterinarians stand to benefit from expensive commercial flea control pesticides, so in all likelihood they are what your vet will (naively or not recommend).

Would you put something marked “poison” on your body? Odds are if you take a look at your pets package of commercial flea repellent product it will have the sign for poison on it, along with the word poison. I think most of us can agree that we would not put something with that warning on our own bodies, so why would we deem such a product to be not only safe, but beneficial to our pets? Is it because we are more concerned with keeping our own homes free of fleas than the long term health effects such products could have on our dogs? It is more likely that we blindly accept the advice of our veterinarian, and naively believe that commercial pesticide flea controls our best for our dogs, rather than consider the possibility of natural flea control options.

Natural Flea Control Options:

Natural flea control can be as easy as carefully selecting our dog’s diet, as well as maintaining a regular grooming/bathing schedule of our dogs. Also, it is important to note that most fleas do not lay their eggs on our pets, but rather in our homes. If you find that you have an infestation of fleas, it may be best to increase both the frequency as well as blank of cleaning your home.

Dog Foods Role In Natural Flea Control

Feeding your dog a nutritious high quality dog food helps to aid in natural flea control as it keeps your pet’s immune system functioning at a high level, which in turn plays a role in naturally repelling fleas and other insects. If your dog appears to be particularly prone to fleas, it could be a sign that their immune system and general overall health is not as strong as it could be. Consider switching to a higher quality food which will provide them with a much stronger base of nutrition, you can view our dog food ratings for some suggestions.

Furthermore, you can add known natural and safe flea repellents such as yeast and garlic to your dog’s diet. These natural flea control foods have been used for generations and are proven effective. Take head though that this advice is geared toward dogs, as garlic is not a safe food to feed to our feline friends. While these foods are generally safe and well tolerated by dogs, if you do notice your dog experiencing any intolerance to either garlic or yeast, be sure to lower the amount fed and discontinue use if intolerance continues.

Grooming and Bathing our Dogs As A Method Of Natural Flea Control

First of all, please note that there is no need to use harsh chemical flea shampoos in order to give your dog a “flea bath”. Regular dog shampoo and a medium stream of water is enough to drown and eliminate fleas and their eggs. Use a flea comb to thoroughly remove any fleas while grooming.

As you can see truly natural flea control is inexpensive and not particularly time consuming or difficult. While it does take more effort than applying chemical flea control pesticides to your pet, it is also a safer option for both the short and long term health of your dog.