Natural Flea Prevention

Practicing natural flea prevention is definitely one time where the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies many times over.

Once flea infestation has occurred in your house, elimination can be a maddening, frustrating, and expensive venture. So let's discuss ways to prevent fleas naturally, and hopefully we can discourage fleas from taking up residence in the first place.

Natural Flea Prevention Made Simple:
Start Inside Your House

• Thoroughly vacuum your carpets and furniture daily during flea season.

• Add 6 to 10 mothballs (or a generous sprinkling of flea powder) to the vacuum cleaner bag before sealing it and throwing it away, just in case you sucked up any fleas, larvae or eggs that you didn't know you had.

• Wash your dog's bedding in hot water at least once a week. Hot water kills fleas, lice, and ticks that may be present. Even if you don't see any critters, this will get rid of them before you even have to deal with them.

Natural Flea Prevention For Dogs--Comb Out Fleas!

• Buy a flea comb from your vet or local pet supply store. It's a special comb with the teeth closely spaced to help snag fleas.

• Run the flea comb through your dog's coat every day, especially after each walk. Pay particular attention to the top of the hips, base of the tail, and under his legs and belly.

  

• Kill any fleas pulled out by frequently dipping the comb in hot, soapy water while you're grooming.

• If your Golden Retriever has a heavy coat, it might be really tough to get a fine-toothed flea comb through his fur. But give it a try anyway. Every Golden's coat is different, and it might work for your dog. My Golden, Peaches, had a thin enough coat that we could use a flea comb successfully.

• Bathe your dog more frequently during flea season. Use a gentle, non-medicated dog shampoo, and watch for anything to come crawling out of his coat.

• If any crawling critters appear at bath time, quickly dunk them in your handy cup of hot, soapy water. When you're all done, flush the cupful of evidence down the toilet.

Natural Flea Prevention In Your Yard

• Keep outdoor areas--like your patio, deck and porch--swept and clean.

• Pick up and throw away dog droppings in your yard at least once a day.

• Trim lawns and weeds to create a drier, less-ideal environment for flea larvae.

• Avoid leaving piles of sand and gravel around your house for long periods of time.

• Discourage nesting or roosting of rodents and birds on or near your house.

• Screen or seal vents, chimneys, cracks and crevices where rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, and chipmunks could enter crawlspaces and buildings (bringing fleas with them).

Your Golden Retriever is probably a pampered indoor pet, but just in case you like to let him roam occasionally, you might discourage such adventures during flea season.

Keep him in your fenced yard to prevent him from getting into heavily flea-infested areas or contacting other infested animals.

If you end up with fleas in spite of your best efforts at prevention, it's important that you take steps to eliminate them quickly through your choice of flea solutions and home remedies.

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