Scratch Out Fleas: Natural flea treatments

Is there a natural way to rid my dog of fleas?
You can make your own flea spray or use essential oils to repel fleas.

A recipe for a safe and easy homemade flea repellent is: cut 6 lemons in half, boil in a quart of water, steep a few hours, then strain the solution into a spray bottle. Spritz your pet's fur, taking care not to spray near the eyes.

You can also use essential oils to repel fleas, such as:

• Lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella repel fleas. Lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks. Dab oils between the dog's shoulder blades.
  
• Other effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood.
• Put a drop of lemon oil or rosemary oil on the dog's collar.

Are there any vitamins or supplements that will repel fleas?
There are vitamins and dietary supplements that will help to repel fleas. Here are some supplements are are known to help:

• B complex vitamins (50 mg once a day for cats and smaller dogs, and twice daily for larger dogs
• Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplements
• Organic apple cider vinegar to the dog's water bowl (about 1 teaspoon for small dogs and 1 tablespoon for large dogs)
• Safflower oil and powdered kelp or seaweed to the food bowl (about 1 teaspoon for small dogs and 1 tablespoon for large dogs)
• Fresh garlic in small quantities can help repel fleas by making the animal taste unpleasant to fleas. Grate a small amount of fresh, raw garlic into your pet's food at mealtime, about one-half to 3 chambers of the clove (chamber, not a whole clove -- see below) depending on the animal's size.