Fleas and ticks are blood-sucking parasites that can seriously affect your dog’s daily life, causing irritation and excessive scratching. If these nasty creatures get into your house, they can lay their eggs on your furniture, carpet, and your dog! This can become a serious long-term problem. You can try these natural treatments to eliminate fleas and ticks from your home as well as your dog’s hair and skin.

Diluted essential oils

Essential oils can be used as sprays or in shampoos to deter fleas and ticks from a dog’s body. Some of the best essential oils you can use are lavender, neem, peppermint, rosemary, lemongrass, or cedar oil. However, you need to dilute them with water or carrier oils such as sweet almond or olive oil before applying to the fur. Spray the solution all over the dog’s fur and remember to keep the oil away from their nose The sense of smell in dogs is exceptionally strong, so the scent of essential oils can irritate them. You can also rub coconut oil throughout their coat to repel fleas and ticks. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is quite effective at killing these insects. Also, remember that a little oil will suffice for your dog.

Citrus juice

Sprinkling citrus juice is a highly simple and effective natural treatment for fleas and ticks on your dog. All you need to do is mix juice from citrus fruits like lemon, orange, or grapefruit with water. Apply this mixture all over the dog’s fur, especially to their belly, tails, legs, and ears. Also, avoid sprinkling the juice directly to their eyes or area around the eyes. Citrus juice is one of the favorite everyday flea and tick treatments of many dog owners that can be used every time you take them outside for a walk. It can be prepared in just a few minutes.

Diatomaceous earth

It’s crucial to keep your home and yards, where your dogs spend most of their time free, from infestation. Powered diatomaceous earth helps eliminate the flea eggs before they can grow into adult fleas and attach themselves to a dog’s body. While shopping, skip the chemically treated industrial-grade diatomaceous earth and look for a food-grade version. Scatter the powder across the carpet, furniture, and other spots in the house. Let the powder settle on the carpet and leave it for about 48 hours inside the house before you vacuum it thoroughly. You can also scatter the powder on your yards and areas where your dog frequently travels for napping, relaxing, or playing. While scattering the powder, ensure to wear a mask as it can sometimes irritate your lungs and keep your furry friend away from the area.

Garlic

Feeding garlic to your dog in small amounts is a great way of keeping fleas at bay. Depending on how big your dog is, anywhere from half a clove to two cloves of garlic is considered safe. Experts recommend giving not more than half a clove of garlic per 20 pounds of their body weight daily. You must keep in mind that excessive amounts of garlic can be harmful to your dog, so don’t feed them more than two cloves each day. In addition to feeding the right amount, give them only freshly chopped organic garlic, and avoid any garlic supplements. You can start adding garlic to the dog’s diet a month before the flea season starts as it is very effective at keeping these harmful insects away.

Apple cider vinegar

Fleas and ticks are not attracted to dogs with healthy pH levels. And apple cider vinegar is quite effective at naturally balancing pH levels in dogs. It creates an inner and outdoor environment that’s good for the dog’s health but unsustainable for the fleas and ticks. Give the dog half a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per 25 pounds of their weight each day. You can even spray the liquid all over the dog’s fur by diluting six cups of apple cider vinegar with four cups of water and a pinch of sea salt. This will make the skin and coat slightly acidic and inhospitable for fleas and ticks.

Combing

A flea comb is not really a natural remedy, but it is an ultimate weapon in the battle against these blood-thirsty parasites. Teeth in a flea comb lie close together, which can help keep a dog’s coat clean by removing fleas and ticks, and their eggs from the skin. Start by gently combing from top of their heads to the underside of the tail, neck, legs, and underbelly. Using a flea comb is a great way of removing existing insects before employing natural methods.

Warm bath

Fleas and ticks do not stick to clean animals, so a thorough bath is a must to keep dogs flea free. Dipping them into a tub of warm water will cause the tiny insects to fall off into the water. You can make it more effective by adding lemon juice to the water. You can even use pet-friendly organic shampoos that produce lather, like peppermint. Lather-producing shampoos can easily eliminate fleas and ticks. Leave the shampoo on the dog’s body for a couple of minutes before bathing the dog with warm water.

Healthy diet

It is a well-known fact that fleas and ticks seek out pets that are weak and unhealthy. So, a healthy diet is the most effective treatment for dogs infected with fleas and ticks. Experts recommend feeding them dog-friendly foods that contain no by-products, unnamed meat meals or bone meals, or chemical preservatives. They can be fed both canned and dry foods, but meats should ideally be their primary source of protein. Nutrients essential for a dog’s optimum health include vitamin B, probiotics, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. In addition, they must be fed sulfur-rich foods like eggs, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.