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Top 10 Common Flea Myths

10 Common Flea Myths

[Originally shared by Only Natural Pet in 2015]

  1. Healthy dogs don't get fleas
  2. Fleas only live on dogs, not in the house
  3. Once you get rid of fleas, your good
  4. Keeping your home clean prevents fleas
  5. Topical flea and tick treatments are safe for dogs
  6. Veterinarians can prevent fleas
  7. Flea collars are safe for dogs
  8. If your dog only has a few fleas, no big deal
  9. There are no fleas in winter
  10. Fleas can't be treated naturally

Flea season in the Pacific Northwest lasts from May to November.  And it can last longer if you host generations of flea families in your carpets and furniture.  In this blog post, I will share how I can protect my dogs (and myself) from the annoyance of flea bites without resorting to harsh chemical repellents.

Fleas and Diet

I’m very fortunate because [knock on wood] our dogs don't get fleas for several reasons.  One of those reasons is that I feed a raw diet, and fleas don't like the taste of healthy, raw-fed dogs, preferring dogs that eat a high-carb diet (aka kibble). Feeding raw doesn’t guarantee that a dog won’t get fleas, but it’s a great first step.

I also add garlic to my dogs’ diet because – YES, GARLIC IS SAFE FOR DOGS TO EAT. It seems like anytime someone mentions feeding garlic to dogs, someone comments about the dangers of doing so. 

I would never feed my dogs the amount of garlic it would take to harm them.  Instead, I add several garlic cloves when making bone broth or my vegetable mix.

Benefits of Garlic for Dogs

  • Garlic turns our dogs into natural flea and tick repellents
  • Garlic helps to fight cancer by destroying cancer cells.
  • Garlic acts as a natural detox.
  • Garlic stops the formation of blood clots in the system.
  • Garlic reduces cholesterol.
  • Garlic is a natural antibiotic, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic.

Feeding Garlic to Dogs

If fleas are a huge issue, I recommend adding garlic to your dog’s meals.  Using the serving guide below, crush the clove(s) of garlic, allow it to sit for 20 minutes, then mix it into your dog’s raw meal.  I suggest starting once a week to see how it works for your dog.

  • 10 to 15 pounds – half a clove.
  • 20 to 40 pounds – 1 clove.
  • 45 to 70 pounds – 2 cloves.

Need Kilograms?

  • 4.5 to 6.8 kg – half a clove.
  • 9.1 to 18.1 kg – 1 clove
  • 20.4 to 31.8 kg – 2 cloves.

Dr. Pitcairn derived these dosage amounts in his book The Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. This is not recommended for puppies, pregnant dogs, or dogs with an anemic condition.

Fleas and Sunshine

Another reason our dogs don’t have fleas – 99% of our property is exposed to sunlight.

“Well these garden fleas love to live in damp, moist places where sunlight cannot reach them. It’s interesting to note that fleas cannot exist in broad sunlight, hence why they hide under hair, etc.”

~ TheBugSquad.com

I have hay fever, which has allowed me to take a break from yard work until now. J now has a business that takes up a big chunk of his time, so I’m helping him maintain our property. This weekend, I’ll be walking around with clippers and hedge trimmers to trim back plants and trees, exposing more of the ground to sunlight.

I also worked several weekends planting and transplanting flowers and plants that naturally repel fleas and other pests:

  • Basil – repels fleas, mosquitoes, and houseflies
  • Catnip – repels fleas and mosquitoes
  • Citronella – repels mosquitoes
  • Lavender – repels mosquitoes, fleas, flies, and moths
  • Marigold – repels mosquitoes and aphids; they also discourage the deer from eating my vegetables
  • Peppermint – repels fleas, mosquitoes, spiders (which I like), and ants
  • Rosemary – repels fleas and ticks (the plants aren't toxic to dogs)

Of course, my gardening tips are useless if you hike with your dogs or go to dog parks and fields. During the summer months, I sign my dogs up for SniffSpots around my area once a month. 

Wait! Isn't Rosemary Toxic to Dogs?

You may have read that rosemary causes seizures in dogs, which is only partially true. Rosemary, the plant, is great for dogs. You can even dry it and use it as an herb in their food to support gut health while adding powerful antioxidants to the diet. Rosemary essential oil, however, has triggered the fear of rosemary because rosemary essential oil will cause seizures in epileptic dogs.

My dogs aren't epileptic; although rosemary essential oil repels fleas, I don't use it. Hey, I can quickly leave rosemary off the rotation with the number of essential oils and blends in my collection.

Fleas and Essential Oils

My experience with Young Living did nothing to dampen my love of essential oils.  I now order my oils from Simply Earth (they also offer a subscription service) and Plant Therapy.  I use the oils to make flea and tick repellents, dog shampoo, dog conditioner, deodorant, and when cleaning our home.

Essential Oils that Repel Fleas

You can use essential oils to make natural flea collars (using bandanas), or you can do what I do and add 20 drops of your favorite oil to a large spray bottle and spray the dogs' bedding, the rugs, and the furniture every other day. It not only kills fleas, but it freshens the house.

To learn more about how to safely use essential oils with dogs, check out the Animal Desk Reference guide by Dr. Melissa Shelton.

Natural Shampoo that Repels Fleas

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of creating products, I highly recommend shampoo by 4-Legger.  The ladies who formulate 4-Legger products care about sourcing, ingredients, and our dogs.  I know everything in their shampoo is safe for my dogs and works.  My dogs have never smelled better for longer.

Flea & Tick Repellents

I used Wondercide for years and found this spray effective.  It’s not full-proof, nothing is, but it did work for my dogs.  I've been told that Wondercide may not repel all fleas and ticks, but it will stop or slow them down when they bite our dogs.  Eventually, they’ll fall off in search of a better meal.

It is disappointing that they changed their formulation when they lost a source for one of their ingredients, but this change doesn’t make their product any less effective.

After learning about the ingredient change, I began looking for alternatives – just in case – and found Kin+Kind, a brand that several people recommended. It's been a great product for my dogs.


Mind Jam about Fleas, Ticks, and Keeping Our Pets Safe


I can’t guarantee that if you do everything I’m doing, your dogs will be flea-free, but I think it’ll get you and your dogs on the right path.

Read More About How I Repel Fleas

More About Essential Oils

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