Natural Flea Control: Is It Possible?

When it comes to fleas, defense is the best offense. 

It’s important to know what options are out there and get a regimen going before the dog days of summer really hit (the ideal season for fleas, although they can happen anytime), which is coming up fast. And if your pet is already itchy, you don’t have time to research; you just want to give them relief. And relieve your eardrums too. 

So we have good news: chemicals are simply not your only option.

We’ve done the research for you on the best natural remedies to try, so those are the only ones we stock. You can feel good protecting your pets with safe, natural products. Here are some of our favorites.

Internal Supplements to Make Your Pets Stink. Wait…What?

Did you know that certain ingredients can actually alter your pets’ body chemistry to naturally repel insects? The internal products below contain brewer’s yeast, garlic, vitamins, minerals, and herbs to stinkify your pets’ blood and build up their immune systems (with the idea that a healthier immune system doesn’t make an attractive home for bugs). But you can’t smell the change, and neither can your pets, but bugs can. Your pets will just think they’re getting an extra treat every day or not even notice it in their food at all. Most of these products are for both cats and dogs.

• Flea Away Tablets & Other Brewer’s Yeast Tablets (NutriVet & NaturVet brands): These supplements make your pets’ blood repulsive to fleas, ticks, and even mosquitoes so they aren’t even tempted to bite. One customer’s beagle was a mosquito magnet every year; they would flock around him like fish in a symbiotic relationship with a shark and make him miserably itchy til he howled all night. Now, he gets Flea Away every day, and his mom barely sees mosquitoes around him at all.

• Earth Animal Daily Internal Powder & Drops: Give one or both to your pets in their morning and evening food every day to safeguard them from being attractive to bugs. Their blood will go from “sweet to bitter.” Very easy method for pets who are difficult to pill.

Defend Your Pets and Their Environment with External Products

Getting to the root of a flea infestation, or preventing one, includes treating the environment as well. And, no, we don’t mean flea bombs. Vacuum regularly, particularly in areas where your pets sleep or spend a lot of time. Wash sheets and pet bedding more often. In addition, give some of these natural products a go.

• Diatomaceous Earth: We’re putting this in the external category even though it can also be given internally - because it’s used externally for fleas and ticks and internally for killing some internal parasites. It’s made from crushed minerals and fossils. It’s an extremely safe powder that can be sprinkled on pet beds, in couch crevices, and even directly on your cat or dog (rub it into their fur). It’s obviously safe if ingested, so just take care that you and your pets don’t breathe the dust, especially cats with their sensitive nasal passages. Make sure the one you buy is labeled “food grade” if you plan to administer it internally.

• External Sprays: Two customer favorites are DeFlea Pet & Bedding Spray and Richard’s Organic Flea & Tick. Both of these sprays can be used on pet bedding, furniture, around the house, and directly on your pet to kill fleas on contact. Richard’s Organic smells so delicious that you’ll want to use it as an air freshener, especially around the holidays. It has a yummy cinnamon smell. You can use it as a natural repellent on people too! Just spray on your skin. It’s a great alternative to chemical repellents. Cats’ noses might be sensitive to essential oils, so use sparingly around them.

Other Tips to Get Rid of Fleas

• We sell super-fine flea combs to help you immediately get fleas off your pet. Fill a small bowl with water and dish soap, and dunk the comb into the bowl each time you get a flea on it.

• Get cheap, immediate relief for your pet for only $13 at our self-serve dog wash nextdoor! We have anti-flea shampoos at the ready to wash the little buggers away.

• Park Pet also carries Capstar, an inexpensive medication in tablet form that’s widely known for its safety and effectiveness, even though it’s not considered to be in the  “natural” category. It won’t control a flea population because it doesn’t work on eggs or larvae, but it kills adult fleas very fast after ingestion; you can literally watch them fall dead off your pet. It can give you a good head start on control, followed by some of the other suggestions in this post.

• Some exterminators can spray your yard with the main ingredient in Frontline, Fipronil, to prevent and control fleas. It will also kill other bugs, though, that you might not want to harm. Again, not a natural remedy, but sometimes you just need them gone.

Combine Methods for Maximum Effectiveness

You might find that a combination of internal and external products will work really well for your family. For instance, giving your dogs Flea Away tablets and then spraying their fur with Richard’s Organic Flea & Tick before they go outside. Or sprinkling diatomaceous earth in likely flea spots around the house (and on them) and giving them Earth Animal Daily Internal Powder.

The majority of our customers prefer natural products whenever possible. Even the crunchiest of them all (and we say that with respect!) do sometimes report needing to go the traditional chemical route during the heaviest of Atlanta summer heat. We certainly aren’t opposed to the traditional methods. But why not go the natural route when you can, right? A lot of our customers will use the natural methods year-round and then add or switch to the chemicals during the summer when fleas are at their peak. Adding natural products can’t hurt, though, and can help give the chemical products an extra boost during the summer. 

One word of caution: don’t use cheap, over-the-counter flea products like you’d get from big box stores, which have made countless animals incredibly sick. It should be something that’s at least vet recommended, even if it’s not a prescription. 

Come in and talk it over with us - what your concerns are, what your pet’s lifestyle is like - and we can help you determine the products and regimen that will fit your household and budget.

Flea…er, see…you soon.

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Victoria Park is the owner of Park Pet Supply in East Atlanta Village, established in 1999. Park Pet's goal is to help your pet live the healthiest and happiest life possible, with affordable prices and incomparable customer service for you.