Safe flea and tick alternatives to prevention and treatment are an essential part of holistic pet health care. Fleas and ticks often not only make your poor fur-baby suffer terribly from the itching, but they can also lead to serious diseases (like Lyme's) as well as parasites (such as tapeworm). Therefore it is vitally important that you have a comprehensive, safe flea and tick prevention and treatment plan in place to keep your puppy safe, healthy, and happy!
Conventional flea and tick medications are extremely dangerous to pets. Their ingredients are neurotoxic pesticides, which means they can cause a whole host of neurological problems in your pet. We never recommend that these products be used on any pet, as the risk to your pet’s health is just too great!
The author of this website and this article is not a veterinarian. Therefore the advice presented here is not intended as medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. It is rather the opinion of the author based on the author's extensive research and experience, and the author's own education. For medical advice, please seek out a good holistic veterinarian.
In this article, we will cover the following areas of safe flea and tick prevention and treatment:
One of the first steps in fighting fleas and ticks is to treat the outside environment. After all, that is where your pet is most likely to pick up fleas and ticks. Once you have your outdoor environment successfully treated, you have already won half the battle. Below are two safe flea and tick products that we recommend for treating your outdoor areas. With 30 acres, we cannot practically treat all of our outdoor environment, but we do regularly spray the Wondercide spray in areas where we bring puppies for outdoor activities, such as pottying, playing, taking pictures, etc.
This eco-friendly yard spray system harnesses the power of plants to combat fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and other pesky insects. Its residue is safe for children and pets and safe for beneficial creatures like bees and butterflies. Begin by using the convenient ready-to-use sprayer, and when it’s empty, refill it with the 16 oz concentrate. This kit covers up to 15,000 square feet in total, and there’s no need to wait for it to dry before allowing kids and pets to play. 🌿🦋🐜 We have used this product for years and found it to be very effective. To order this product, please visit: Flea & Tick Yard Spray Refill Starter Kit
Beneficial nematodes are tiny soil worms that specifically target the early life stages of pest insects, including larvae, grubs, nymphs, and pupae. The nematode life cycle begins with female nematodes laying eggs, which eventually become hungry infective juveniles. These infective juveniles actively seek out hosts, entering them and releasing bacteria that ultimately kill the pests. Within a few days, the infected insect succumbs, and the ravenous nematodes feed on it. This cycle repeats as long as environmental conditions remain favorable. Once the food source is depleted, mature nematodes mate, and females lay new eggs, initiating the cycle anew. 🌱🪲🔍 To order this product, please visit: Beneficial Nematodes Triple Blend - Hb, Sc, Sf
The second area you need to address is your indoor environment. Fleas are usually the worst offenders when it comes to your indoor environment. They used to terrify me as we have dealt with flea infestations on a few occasions in the past. Before we knew anything about holistic pet healthcare, we even tried flea bombs (very toxic and dangerous) and they just did not work! So we all got lots of exposure to neurotoxic chemicals with absolutely no benefit! When we first found our holistic vet, she is the one who turned us on to the amazing product we recommend for your inside environment. It is not only safe, but fabulously effective for prevention and treatment! It is so safe, we have even used it with young puppies on rare occasions.
This indoor pest protection spray, powered by natural plant ingredients, is ready to use. It effectively eliminates, repels, and prevents ants, roaches, fleas, and ticks. Additionally, it targets flies, moths, earwigs, spiders, and other common household pests. The refreshing cedarwood scent comes from natural essential oils, and there are no artificial colors or fragrances. When used as directed, it is safe for both pets and families. 🌿🐜🏠 To order this product, please visit: Wondercide Cedarwood Indoor Pest Control
Once you have your indoor and outdoor environments treated and protected, you need to provide some specific protection for your pet personally! Below are several safe flea and tick options you can use to protect your puppy and treat your puppy if necessary. With our dogs and in our breeding program, we use a multifaceted approach, pairing multiple options together for maximum results. For example, we usually only need to use the cedarwood-scented Flea & Tick spray combined with one of the brands of chews listed in the next section. Periodically, we may provide both brands of chews to pack an extra punch, but we have never needed to do this ongoing. Please Note: We have not used the Wondercide collars, spot-on treatments. or shampoo below because peppermint oil will dry up a Mama's milk supply and we have nursing Mamas much of the time. So we do not have experience with these particular products, but based on how much we like their sprays, I am confident in recommending these products as well!
This Flea & Tick Spray combines peppermint oil and clove oil extract to eliminate fleas and ticks upon contact, while also preventing future infestations naturally. These gentle ingredients work in harmony to soothe and safeguard your pet. Apply it directly to your pet (for those over 12 weeks old) and treat bedding, pillows, blankets, carpets, and rugs for optimal results. 🌿🐾🦟 Although, we have not personally used this product (because it has peppermint oil, which can reduce milk supply in our nursing dogs), we know many people who have used it and love it. So we are happy to recommend it here. This comes in an 8oz bottle that is a very practical size for small breed dogs, like our breeds! To order this product, please visit: pawTree's Flea & Tick Spray
This collar serves as an effective repellent against bugs, providing an additional layer of protection for up to 4 months against fleas and ticks, and up to 1 month against mosquitoes. For comprehensive pest control, pair the collar with the Flea & Tick Pets + Home spray. Designed for dogs with neck sizes up to 23 inches, this collar is safe for pets 4 months or older. Keep in mind that the collar doesn’t directly kill bugs; for active infestations, use the Flea & Tick sprays designed for pets, home, and yard as directed. 🌿🐾🦟 To order this product, please visit: Wondercide Flea & Tick Collar For Dogs With Natural Essential Oils
The Peppermint Flea & Tick Spot On provides effective bug repellency and serves as an additional layer of protection against fleas and ticks for up to 1 month, as well as mosquitoes for up to 1 week. Each box contains 3 tubes, providing a 3-month supply. It’s important to note that the Spot On treatment doesn’t directly kill bugs. If you are dealing with an active infestation, consider using Flea & Tick sprays designed for pets, home, and yard. 🌿🐾🦟 To order this product, please visit: Wondercide Flea & Tick Spot On for Dogs With Natural Essential Oils
Harnessing the potency of natural ingredients and backed by demonstrable efficacy, this peppermint-infused Flea & Tick liquid shampoo effectively eliminates fleas and ticks from both dogs and cats. This product serves as an ideal initial intervention during a rampant infestation and becomes the go-to solution post-exposure during extended outdoor activities like walks or hikes. Suitable for puppies aged 4 months and older, it is recommended to apply once weekly or as required. 🌿🐾🦟 To order this product, please visit: Wondercide Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs
So the last area that needs to be addressed as far as safe flea and tick alternatives is preventative care through all-natural daily chewables. These chewables are designed to deter and repel fleas and ticks, but also often will kill them if a flea or tick does find it's way onto your pet. There are many natural flea and tick daily chewables on the market, but we only recommend the brands we have tried, use, and trust. These brands are listed with a description and links below. We generally use the Vet Promise ongoing during the warm months and only add the GCP if we need an extra punch. Both products are very good quality, but the Vet Promise is easier because we don't have to divide the chewables for our dogs each day. So it is simply out of logistical simplicity that we use the Vet Promise more regularly than the GCP brand.
These Vet Promise daily chews are a safe flea and tick alternative that we use with our dogs. They taste like a treat, so our dogs love them, but they are also made in the USA using superior, effective, ingredients, so we know they are safe for our fur-babies. On the rare occasion that we find a flea on any of our dogs or puppies, it is already dead! We pair these with the cedarwood-scented Wondercide spray above and usually that is all we need to keep our dogs and puppies pest-free! Occassionally, we may also pair this up with the GCP Flea & Tick chews below if necessary if fleas and ticks are exceptionally bad. To order this product, please visit: Vet Promise Natural Flea & Tick Chews
The GCP daily chews are another safe flea and tick alternative that we sometimes use with our dogs and puppies. Most our dogs love the taste, and since they are made in the USA with high quality, safe ingredients, we are happy to use them! The only reason we use the Vet Promise more often is because we have to divide the pills to the correct dosage for many of our dogs and the convenience of just giving a chew affects our choice. We still do use them with the other chewables to pack an extra punch if fleas and ticks and proving to be very bad. To order this product, please visit: GCP Natural Flea & Tick Chews
When it comes to protecting your precious puppy from fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, we all do the best we can to protect our pets. But the reality is, even if you do not follow the safe flea and tick alternative methods we use and opt for conventional treatment instead, sometimes you may find a tick on your fur-baby. So what then? What should you do and why? Below, we provide the steps we take whenever we find a tick on any of our parent dogs or even on a puppy (which almost never happens, BTW). Steps We Take After A Tick Bite:
* About Tick Twisters A tick twister allows you to easily and effortlessly remove the tick, without leaving the tick's head in your pet's skin. The twisting action created by this tool makes the tick release its hold quickly and safely. NEVER use tweezers as this can squeeze infectious material into your pet and increase the likelihood of your pet contracting a tick-born disease! It usually takes 24-48 hours after a tick has bitten on before it can transfer disease to your pet, so removing the tick ASAP and using a tick twister both decrease your pet's risk of contracting a tick-born illness. Here is a link to a tick twister set similar to the ones we use. ** About Sovereign Silver Sovereign Silver is a very pure suspension of silver particles in water. Suspended silver (aka colloidal silver) was actually used medically as an antibacterial agent long before antibiotics were discovered. It is similar to a broad-spectrum antibiotic, but does not have the dangerous side effects that are associated with antibiotic use. Therefore, using these products directly on a tick-bite (externally) and orally (internally) is a logical and simple safety net to help prevent the development of tick-born illnesses in your pet!
Fleas, ticks, & mosquitoes can be a big nuisance and a threat to your pet's health and safety. Because of this, it is vitally important that you provide comprehensive safe flea and tick alternatives on a regular basis during flea and tick season each year. Using a multi-faceted approach that ensures that your indoor and outdoor environments are free from these pests, combined with external and internal treatment of your pet with natural, non-toxic products, you can proactively support your pet's health, now and in the future!
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