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Fleas on your Pet
1. Give your dog 1/2 clove of crushed garlic, mixed in with your dog's food, once a day. Good bye, fleas. To keep your dog flea free, continue giving garlic everyday. Garlic is safe and promotes good digestive health.

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2. Brewer's yeast added to the diet has been touted as a sure cure for fleas, but recently information has come to light suggesting that the large amount of brewer's yeast necessary to eliminate fleas might cause health problems. Instead of adding brewer's yeast to your dog's diet, try sprinkling it on your pet. Thoroughly rub it into the coat to make sure it reaches the skin. It is best to do this outside, because the fleas cannot stand the smell of yeast and will jump off of your pet.

Note: you can use brewer's yeast in conjunction with garlic.

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3. Mix a few drops of the herb pennyroyal or eucalyptus oil into your pet's shampoo.

Note: Undiluted pennyroyal oil can be toxic and should never be used at full strenght.

4. Use a flea spray on your dog. Sprays containing D-limonene or pyrethrins are effective and less toxic than some sprays.

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Fleas in the Environment

1. For fleas in the house you can sprinkle table salt on carpets, floors, furniture, and in cracks and crevices around baseboards where fleas hide. Wait one or two hours and vacuum.

2. Vacuuming is an extremely effective, nontoxic way to keep the flea population down. Be sure to change the vacuum bag frequently when you have a flea problem, after each vacuuming is best. Or you can take the bag outside after each use and put it in direct sun which will kill the fleas inside. Then you can reuse the bag. If you have a big freezer you can also put the bag in the freezer to kill the fleas inside it.

3. Wash your pet's bedding at least once week.

4. Plug in a night light and put a wide pan partially filled with water underneath. Some will leap toward the light, fall in the pan and drown in the water.

5. You can sprinkle diatoms (diatomaceous earth) on carpeting and upholstered furniture. Diatoms are sold in pet stores.

6. For yard infestions use nematodes-microscopic worms. These are available at pet and garden stores.

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Hint: You can drown any fleas you find in alcohol.

Learn more about this author, Mercy Jacobs.
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