Flea season can be a nightmare for you and your dog if you don't know how to kill fleas. The best measures are usually preventative in nature, but there are also ways to kill fleas after they already latch themselves onto your beloved pet. Here are a few different ways to kill fleas and stop them from harming your dog.
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Steps
Method 1 of 3: Natural Flea Treatments
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2
Comb your dog with a special flea comb. You can use a comb sold specifically as a flea comb, but you could also use any fine-toothed comb with very small gaps in between the teeth.
Flea combs physically lift fleas out of your dog's coat.
Comb your dog from top to bottom. As you comb, make sure that the comb reaches the dog's skin. If you only comb the fur without reaching the skin, some fleas may remain even afterward.
You should immediately dip your flea comb into a bucket or dish of warm, soapy water once you remove a flea. This soapy concoction should be able to kill the fleas.
3
Rub lemon juice into your dog's coat. Applying diluted lemon juice to your dog's fur should kill most of the fleas, especially if you take the time to rub the lemon juice into the coat instead of simply letting it sit on the coat.
Mix equal parts lemon juice and warm water in a spray bottle.
Alternatively, you could cut a lemon into quarters and cover it with boiling water. Let the mixture steep for eight hours or overnight before straining the liquid into a spray bottle.
Spray the lemon water all over your dog's coat, mainly focusing behind the ears, around the head, around the base of the tail, and under the legs.
Rub the mixture into the fur so that it reaches the skin.
Repeat this procedure once daily for three days.[2]
4
Treat your dog with apple cider vinegar. The apple cider flea remedy can be given to your dog orally or topically.[3]
To use this treatment orally, mix 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of apple cier vinegar into your dog's water. Do this once every few days. The vinegar will eventually seep into the skin, making it more acidic and less appetizing to fleas.
To use the treatment topically, mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Coat your dog with the repellant, spraying it all over the coat but focusing on areas where fleas are prone to gather, like behind the ears, at the base of the tail, and under the legs.
If you dog's skin becomes unusually dry or if you suspect that your dog is having a negative reaction to the vinegar, stop treatment immediately.
5
Prepare a rosemary flea dip. Soak your dog with rosemary-infused water and let it dry naturally.
Steep 2 cups (500 ml) of fresh rosemary sprigs in boiling water for 30 minutes. Use enough water to cover the rosemary completely.
Strain the liquid and discard the leaves.
Add up to 1 gallon (4 L) of warm water to the rosemary water. Use less water for a small dog.
Let the temperature of the rosemary water cool slightly. It needs to be warm, but it should not be so hot that it burns your pet.
Pour the water over the dog, drenching it completely. Let air dry.
6
Apply lavender essential oil. You only need to use a few drops of lavender oil in a few key places to take advantage of this effect.
Wash your dog normally with warm water and soap. Dry the dog using a towel.
Apply a few drops of lavender essential oil to the base of the tail and a few at the back of the neck. Use your fingers to gently massage the oils into your dog's coat and skin.
Method 2 of 3: Medicated Flea Removal
2
Purchase a flea spray. Flea and tick sprays are available in both aerosol and pump bottle forms.
For best results, choose a spray that contains an adulticide and an insect growth regulator. Doing so will ensure that both adult fleas and their eggs are killed.
Follow your veterinarian's instructions and the instructions on the label for proper use.
Spray in a well-ventilated area and avoid getting the spray in your dog's eyes.
3
Try a flea powder. A flea powder is can usually be purchase without a veterinarian's prescription and works in the same way that a spray works.[5]
Read the instructions on the label to determine proper use. If you are uncertain about anything, ask your veterinarian before applying the powder to your dog.
Usually, you apply a powder by dusting a fine layer over your dog's coat and letting it sit undisturbed. Note, however, that powders tend to make the coat feel gritty and need to be reapplied often.
4
Prepare a medicated dip. Dips and rinses should be applied to your dog's coat after flea infestation has started.
Mix the dip or rinse as directed by the package label. Ask your veterinarian for further instructions.
A dip, also referred to as a flea bath, requires you to soak your dog in a diluted, medicated solution. A rinse is a medicated solution that you pour over your dog's coat until it is soaked. Apply both to the entire dog, and do not attempt to use as spot treatments.
Use dips and rinses in well-ventilated areas.
Put cotton in your dog's ears and ophthalmic ointment in its eyes as you apply the medication. Do not let any of the product get into these delicate areas.
These products usually contain chemicals known as pyrethrins, permethrins, and organophosphates.
5
Put a flea collar on your dog. Flea collars are only effective when used properly. Put the flea collar around the dog's neck to kill fleas currently on the dog and to prevent others from latching on.
Slip two fingers under the collar to determine if it is snug enough without being too tight.
Cut off any excess length from the collar after you put it around the dog's neck. Do not let the dog chew on the end of the collar.
Familiarize yourself with the label instructions so that you know how long the collar should last and what to avoid. Some collars become less effective when wet.
Monitor the dog's neck beneath the collar and remove the product if its skin becomes irritated.
Method 3 of 3: Preventative Flea Remedies
2
Apply a monthly topical.[6] Monthly topical treatments are among the most effective and most popular type of preventative flea medication for dogs.
You will need a veterinarian's prescription for most of these topical or "spot on" treatments.
Apply a few drops or a small pre-measured vial of the flea medication in between your dog's shoulder blades. Get the medication directly on your dog's skin and not on its coat.
This medication kills adult fleas that land on the dog or bite the dog. It is usually effective for one month.
Some products are also able to kill eggs, but not all products do so.
The medication should be applied monthly on a year-round basis. If you live in an area that regularly reaches the freezing point during winter, however, you might be able to use the product less frequently during these colder weather months, since fleas will be inactive.
3
Feed your dog a monthly flea tablet. Ask your veterinarian about preventative tablets that you can administer to your dog on a monthly basis.
Feed the pill to your dog once a month during a meal.
Your veterinarian will need to prescribe the correct dosage to your dog based on its weight.
When a female flea bites the dog after treatment, it ingests a chemical known as lufenuron. This gets passed to the eggs and prevents them from hatching.
The Secret Life of Pets
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Steps
Method 1 of 3: Natural Flea Treatments
- 1
Wash your dog. Oftentimes, washing your dog with warm water and a mild liquid dish soap or a simple dog shampoo will kill most if not all fleas on the dog.[1] - This treatment is best done to treat mild to moderate flea outbreaks, but it may not be potent enough to kill fleas in large numbers.
- Only use a mild dish detergent free from added dyes and perfumes and safe for use on sensitive skin. Stop treatment if your dog has a bad reaction to the soap.
- Lather and rinse the dog once per day for three days until you have killed the fleas.
- Soap traps fleas and lifts them off the dog. Additionally, it disrupts the cell membranes of the fleas and removes their protective waxes. As a result, the flea can no longer retain water and dies from dehydration.
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Comb your dog with a special flea comb. You can use a comb sold specifically as a flea comb, but you could also use any fine-toothed comb with very small gaps in between the teeth.
3
Rub lemon juice into your dog's coat. Applying diluted lemon juice to your dog's fur should kill most of the fleas, especially if you take the time to rub the lemon juice into the coat instead of simply letting it sit on the coat.
4
Treat your dog with apple cider vinegar. The apple cider flea remedy can be given to your dog orally or topically.[3]
5
Prepare a rosemary flea dip. Soak your dog with rosemary-infused water and let it dry naturally.
6
Apply lavender essential oil. You only need to use a few drops of lavender oil in a few key places to take advantage of this effect.
Method 2 of 3: Medicated Flea Removal
1
Wash your dog with flea and tick shampoo. While normal dog shampoo and dish detergent usually kill fleas, if you need something more potent, you could try a special flea and tick shampoo.[4]- Read the shampoo label carefully to determine the proper way to use the shampoo for your dog.
- Soak you dog with warm water and rub the flea shampoo into its fur.
- Let the shampoo sit on the dog's coat for at least 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.
- Flea shampoos usually contain pyrethrins, a type of chemical used to kill fleas.
- Flea shampoos kill fleas and ticks that are already on the dog.
2
Purchase a flea spray. Flea and tick sprays are available in both aerosol and pump bottle forms.
3
Try a flea powder. A flea powder is can usually be purchase without a veterinarian's prescription and works in the same way that a spray works.[5]
Prepare a medicated dip. Dips and rinses should be applied to your dog's coat after flea infestation has started.
Put a flea collar on your dog. Flea collars are only effective when used properly. Put the flea collar around the dog's neck to kill fleas currently on the dog and to prevent others from latching on.
Method 3 of 3: Preventative Flea Remedies
1
Try brewer's yeast. Brewer's yeast is a natural preventative treatment and presents an alternative to harsher chemical remedies.- Add a Brewer's yeast tablet to your dog's food once every day or two. Ask your veterinarian to determining the best dosage based on your dog's age and weight. Do not attempt to determine the dosage without approval from your veterinarian.
- The Brewer's yeast eventually seeps into the dog's skin and gets excreted through the dog's pores. As a result, the skin and coat become less appealing to fleas, effectively repelling them.
2
Apply a monthly topical.[6] Monthly topical treatments are among the most effective and most popular type of preventative flea medication for dogs.
3
Feed your dog a monthly flea tablet. Ask your veterinarian about preventative tablets that you can administer to your dog on a monthly basis.
The Secret Life of Pets