SUMMARY

• Many of the conventional flea and tick preventatives are causing neurological issues for pets, such as seizures and tremors
• There are many natural home flea and tick repellants pet parents can use safely to limit toxicity from conventional drugs
• If you need to give a conventional preventative, you can detox your pet to support them 
• A combination of natural home remedies work better than one alone, especially if you’re in an area where there are a lot of fleas and ticks
• You may not need to use flea and tick repellants year-round depending on your climate

Did you know that numerous pets are getting sick from flea and tick conventional medications? 

Maybe you’ve been worried about giving these drugs because you’ve read some of the side effects that can happen.

Newer conventional products use drugs that are neurotoxins, which are supposed to only affect the arthropods, or insects, and not your pets.

However, as we see more and more cases of pets developing side effects like tremors, seizures, and even liver failure, it’s time to start questioning whether these are the best option to keep our pets safe long-term.

Whether you’re in a flea and tick endemic area or you’re looking for more natural options, I’m going to give you some easy tools and natural remedies that you can start using today to help keep your pets safe and healthy while repelling those nasty fleas and ticks.

When you’re looking at how you can repel fleas and ticks on your pets, it’s easiest to break it down into three categories of natural pet health.

1) Immune Health

Your pet’s immune health is important so that if a flea or tick bites them, they have the necessary tools to prevent infections.  Also, the healthier they are, the less likely insects will want to bite them.

So, how do you support optimal immune health?

First, feeding your pets a species-appropriate whole-food diet is essential.  Make sure to check out our other blog posts to learn more about how you can start doing this with your pets right now.

Second, adding in freshly minced garlic acts as a natural dewormer, insect repellant, and provides additional antioxidants to support your dog’s optimal health.

Yup, garlic can be healthy for your pet – it’s not toxic.

The safe, healthy dose for your dogs is 1/4 tsp per 15 lbs per day, and you’ll want to use freshly minced garlic for the full benefits.

Another option to help support your pet’s overall health is to add in local raw honey.

If you also have an itchy dog or cat, this is a great natural allergy remedy too.

The dose you want to start with is 1/2 tsp per 15 lbs per day, and shop those local farmer’s markets to get some of the best local honey while supporting local businesses.

2) Natural Pet Detox

The second category is all about how to support natural detox in your dogs and cats.

Here are a few simple ways to do this:

•  Bathing once a week with a natural insect repellant shampoo

Here is a safe recommendation for your pet:

 Wondercide products have everything from shampoo to treating your environment with safe, natural essential oils that repel insects while keeping your pets safe and healthy.

• Brushing your pet every night
• Using natural remedies for liver support

Unfortunately, we live in a toxic world, but you can help support your pet’s detox pathways by using natural remedies.

Here are a few holistic pet supplements you can start using today to help your pet detox better:

• Pet Well-Being Detox Gold
• Animal Essentials Liver Defense
• Zesty Paws Liver Support Bites

To learn more head to our blog post on how to support your pet holistically.

3) Environmental Control

And the final category is environmental control.

By using plants and other natural remedies like essential oils, you can make the environment less suitable for fleas and ticks.

Natural repellants are a great way to keep these pesky insects away.  There are numerous products that are safe for your pets and can also be used in the environment.

Wondercide

Wondercide products are once again a great option for using topically on your pets, but they also have environmental sprays to treat your yard.

And what about using plants in the garden or on the patio?

Insect-Repelling Plants

Plants are a great way to naturally repel insects.

By planting lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, citronella, sage and geranium around your garden and on your patio, these plants have natural insect repelling properties.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is another safe alternative insect repellant.

DE is actually a desiccant and works by drying out the exoskeleton of the insects and will kill them versus just repelling.  So this natural remedy is mechanical and not toxic like many of the conventional flea and tick pesticides.

By sprinkling this around the yard, in the corners of the house, or even through the carpet, you’ll be able to help get rid of fleas.  Some pet parents will also sprinkle this through their pet’s fur coat.

If you have a pet with itchy skin, be careful with this, because it is very drying and can be irritating to your pet’s skin.

If you want to use DE topically on your pet, sprinkle it through their fur, let it sit for an hour, and then bathe them.  Sudsing up your pet with the water from the bath will help kill any fleas that may be present on them.

Be careful with breathing this powder in or your pets breathing it in since it’s a respiratory irritant.  And make sure to use the food-grade option.

Essential Oils

Another great option is to use essential oils.

Just like planting insect-repelling plants in the garden, you can use those same plants but in essential oil form.

However, many pet parents are worried about using essential oils in their pets.

Don’t worry!

Essential oils can be a safe and effective way to repel insects when they are used appropriately.  Make sure to read our previous blog post on How to Use Essential Oils Safely in Dogs and Cats.

Here are safe essential oils for flea and tick repellants in dogs:

Other essential oils for fleas in dogs and cats include:

• Geranium
• Eucalyptus
• Sage
• Lemongrass
• Cedar
• Peppermint
• Citronella
• Rosemary

Make sure to ask your veterinarian or work with a specialist if you’re concerned about using oils properly in your dogs and cats.

Remember cats can be more sensitive, but when essential oils are used right, they can be very powerful at healing and helping with repelling fleas and ticks.

You can find the essential oils I use and recommend by clicking here.

When you combine plants with many of these other treatments, you’ll be able to avoid the worrisome toxic conventional flea and tick medications keeping your pet safe and healthy.

MORE NATURAL PET HEALTH INFORMATION