One of my dachshunds has very sensitive skin and so we have to be very careful about topical treatments. I googled some recipes and the most popular one is made from apple cider vinegar, something he has been exposed to without issues. But I dont know if it works.
Has anyone used this as an effective flea and tick treatment? Does it work well? How about on cats?
I’m open to other recipes too if you swear by them so please post them.
I have tried diatomaceous earth, and several ‘natural products’ and various herbs. I can still hear the fleas laughing. I hope someone else has a recipe that will work.
The therapeutic index of these compounds are quite narrow. I would expect that anything “natural” that is efficacious will cause the same problems.
Paula
Go the oral flea preventative route. Comfortis.
Do you have carpets? They harbour all sorts of nasties, including flea eggs.
I used to use 10% Seven dust, but they’ve taken that off the market. I’ve been very satisfied with diatomaceous earth. I use it generously on my pets and carpet with good results. Just saying!!
Our JRT dog contracted fleas when he stayed with relatives. I washed him out with generous doses of Betadine scrub…eg., he was a clump of brown foam from nose to tail. I allowed the Betadine to stay for ~10 minutes (try holding a JRT in the sink for 10 minutes…). The dead fleas collected in the sink during rinse cycle. Did this several times over a week and fleas went away.
We don’t have carpeting.
I had a recipe that included the essential oil palmerosa. I put a few drops on my dog’s collar and diluted it in a spray bottle. Did nothing. Pulled off a tick and sprayed it directly onto the tick…tick didn’t mind one bit.
Just so ya know what not to use.
Live fleas are only about 5% of the problem. You are going to need a commercial product to get the flea eggs and larva. Everytime your dog goes out is an opportunity for a flea to hop on. There is a new oral med out called Nexguard. I do not have any customer reviews as it is rather expensive.
Fleabusters saved my life (and my legs) … didn’t completely eradicate the fleas, but then BF refused to use the flea treatment on the cats 
… Diatamacious earth does about as good a job and there are probably youtube videos that show how to “dust” a house. I paid for a Fleabuster person to do it, but seeing how easy it is (and that Amazon sells the powder for 1/2 the price of the product website), I’d opt to do it myself.
But you still need to be diligent about getting the bugs off the animal. I’m trying to figure out how to do that with my old girl, long hair, without giving her a heart attack.
