Dear T&M: Is there a natural way to deal with fleas?

Posted on January 18th, 2012 by Tonia 5 Comments

Hi JD,

We’re so glad you are looking for a natural and safe alternative to the highly toxic flea/tick “medicine” that has become the norm. I am baffled that anyone is okay with dousing their beloved animal in a nerve-paralyzing agent capable of causing convulsions, nausea and respiratory arrest {as the box clearly warns!}, especially when the alternatives are so cheap, easy and simple.

The Mother Earth News website has an excellent article on this exact issue, so please hop over there and give it a read. The gist of it: garlic, brewer’s yeast, zinc, Diatomaceous Earth, and making sure your pet is getting all the vitamins and minerals they need in their diet to maintain healthy skin and coat.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

-T&M

P.S. Charlie and Jack send hellos to your furry children.

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5 Comments

  1. JD says:

    Thanks so much!! Molly and Kaya say hello too 😉

  2. Lynne says:

    We have two dogs and four cats. We don’t have fleas.

    Years ago I read somewhere that adding a splosh of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water works as a natural flea deterrent. I tried it with scepticism (our pets were on regular flea treatments every summer at the time). To my astonishment it works and I have only rarely (perhaps twice in the last two years) had to resort to other methods.

    I did investigate brewers yeast but here in New Zealand it is so expensive as to be seriously prohibitive. Hence sticking with the apple cider vinegar. And yes – they all do drink it quite happily.

  3. Kay Kay says:

    JD – Thanks for asking this question!!! You know our fur-kids get a HORRIBLE case of fleas in the south!! It gets a bit irritating. Mo-Mo, Greta & Cleo miss Molly, Kaya and YOU!!! They also send their hello’s to Jack and Charlie.

  4. Kendra says:

    Just a heads up– though it’s a contested claim, some vets say garlic is potentially toxic for dogs, and can cause hemolytic anemia. I fed my own dog lots of garlic for 11 years, when he then tested positive for anemia. Go with your gut, and maybe read up and see what you’re comfortable with for your own dog?

    Diatomaceous earth is a wonderful topical flea treatment, too.

    Thanks for the tips!

  5. Tonia says:

    Hey Kendra, thanks for bringing that up. I think it’s a case by case thing with garlic- it affects some dogs in a negative way and others in a positive way. When our old Springer Spaniel got Blasto, we fed him garlic to help fight the infection. He is one of the only dogs I know who has beat the disease (which, sadly, is very common where I grew up because of all the lakes and marshes) and lived until 16 years old! We all have to decide what’s right for our individual pets.

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