This month I discovered both of my dogs had fleas, with lots of eggs layed in their fur. It is the first time in about 5 years that I have flea infestation on them, even though they do not take any commercial products, as I do not want to introduce poisons into my household.
After reading the suggestions online, i tried the following bathing them with tea tree oil bar soap and followed up with another soaping of neem bar soap. During the wash, many fleas were crawling up onto the outside of the fur, sitting right on the surface, moving slow, so I just brushed them down with m hands into the soapy water. In the water I also found some dead flees that looked like they exploded or something, they looked like empty shells, I do not know what that is all about.
Once the dogs were dry enough, I checked their fur. All the flea poop and eggs appear to be gone. One slow-moving flee fell off one of the dog as I was checking through the fur, and I was able to pick it up with ease, it was not jumping.
I will continue checking their fur, but for now it seems that 99% of the flea poop, eggs, and fleas themselves are gone from the skin and fur. Their skin is pearly-while again, and their fur is amazingly soft and silky (they will get lots of mommy-hugs and back-rubs now!). I am happy with the temporary results. The only things I would do differently next time is to use neem soap first and then the tea tree oil next, so that the scent of tea tree oil would stay in their fur to deter flees from jumping back onto them.
My next step will be to look for prevention methods that do not include commercial insecticides. I plan to try the coconut and natural oild mixture (dilluted tea tree, lavender, ceder, pine, orange or lemon) to apply to their necks, where they cannot lick it off.
WARNING: tea tree oil is toxic to cats and can be toxic to very small dogs!
Also, I have flee-treated my house, and now I need to figure out how to flea-treat my yard, where they likely will pick up more fleas.
I will post updates as I go along with this adventure.
RESEARCH LIBRARY:
Source:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Natural-Flea-Collars---Cheap-Easy-and-Non-irritat/
Solutions for cats:
Pennyroyal (I DO NOT recommend that solution); cedar oil (also advised to repel mosquitos); brewers yeast tablets; rosemary water wash;
Source:
http://www.diynatural.com/natural-flea-remedies-pet-care/
Solutions for cats / dogs
Diatomaceous Earth (DE); lavender essential oil; cedar chips and cedar oil; bandana treated with 10 drops essential oil such as lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, cedarwood, or litsea cubeba; Citra Solv (orange oil based cleaner);
Source:
http://www.easy-home-made.com/get-rid-of-fleas.html
Solutions for cats / dogs
Dawn dish detergent; water and vinegar spray with tea tree oil drops; vaseline patch on the back of the neck; rubbing tea tree oil, citronella or lavender on the inside of the collar; rosemary water bath; citrus spray out of lemon & water; coconut oil and tea tree oil patch on the back of the neck; Ajax Lemon dish soap; rubbing orange peals onto the pet's fur; Diatomaceous Earth (DE); brewers yeast tablets; cedar chips and cedar oil;
After reading the suggestions online, i tried the following bathing them with tea tree oil bar soap and followed up with another soaping of neem bar soap. During the wash, many fleas were crawling up onto the outside of the fur, sitting right on the surface, moving slow, so I just brushed them down with m hands into the soapy water. In the water I also found some dead flees that looked like they exploded or something, they looked like empty shells, I do not know what that is all about.
Once the dogs were dry enough, I checked their fur. All the flea poop and eggs appear to be gone. One slow-moving flee fell off one of the dog as I was checking through the fur, and I was able to pick it up with ease, it was not jumping.
I will continue checking their fur, but for now it seems that 99% of the flea poop, eggs, and fleas themselves are gone from the skin and fur. Their skin is pearly-while again, and their fur is amazingly soft and silky (they will get lots of mommy-hugs and back-rubs now!). I am happy with the temporary results. The only things I would do differently next time is to use neem soap first and then the tea tree oil next, so that the scent of tea tree oil would stay in their fur to deter flees from jumping back onto them.
My next step will be to look for prevention methods that do not include commercial insecticides. I plan to try the coconut and natural oild mixture (dilluted tea tree, lavender, ceder, pine, orange or lemon) to apply to their necks, where they cannot lick it off.
WARNING: tea tree oil is toxic to cats and can be toxic to very small dogs!
 |
| Coconut oil, tea tree, oragnge, cedar, and lavender oil mix for the "under the collar" application |
Also, I have flee-treated my house, and now I need to figure out how to flea-treat my yard, where they likely will pick up more fleas.
I will post updates as I go along with this adventure.
-------------
RESEARCH LIBRARY:
Source:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Natural-Flea-Collars---Cheap-Easy-and-Non-irritat/
Solutions for cats:
Pennyroyal (I DO NOT recommend that solution); cedar oil (also advised to repel mosquitos); brewers yeast tablets; rosemary water wash;
Source:
http://www.diynatural.com/natural-flea-remedies-pet-care/
Solutions for cats / dogs
Diatomaceous Earth (DE); lavender essential oil; cedar chips and cedar oil; bandana treated with 10 drops essential oil such as lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, cedarwood, or litsea cubeba; Citra Solv (orange oil based cleaner);
Source:
http://www.easy-home-made.com/get-rid-of-fleas.html
Solutions for cats / dogs
Dawn dish detergent; water and vinegar spray with tea tree oil drops; vaseline patch on the back of the neck; rubbing tea tree oil, citronella or lavender on the inside of the collar; rosemary water bath; citrus spray out of lemon & water; coconut oil and tea tree oil patch on the back of the neck; Ajax Lemon dish soap; rubbing orange peals onto the pet's fur; Diatomaceous Earth (DE); brewers yeast tablets; cedar chips and cedar oil;
-------------
ADVICE ABOUT TEA TREE OIL TOXICITY TO PETS
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ken-tudor/2014/january/tea-tree-oil-safe-pets-31282
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