This is me....nothing more, nothing less: Got pets? Got Fleas? This works!

I haven't blogged in awhile. Not entirely sure why. I guess I have been busy and just "not in the mood". So, I decided today was the day and this isn't something I normally blog about but felt it was worth sharing.

I have pets, always have. My home just doesn't feel complete without a furry friend around. Currently, we have a dog and two cats. They get along great and they are pretty special animals.

Well, if you know anything about Newfoundlands - they are big and hairy. Ours is no exception. While he was the 'runt' of the litter, he weighs in at 150 pounds of pure, stocky muscle. He is an amazing dog - laid back and friendly. He has never threatened to hurt anyone or anything.

Some interesting facts about this breed:

They have webbed feet like a duck (they are water dogs)

Even though, in the movies, the dog from Peter Pan is always portrayed as a St. Bernard, it is actually a Newfoundland. They are great "babysitters" and will watch and protect.

They are represented on fishing boats in pictures and artwork. They are notorious for loving the water and saving people from it.

....and they have a lot of hair!!!

So you can imagine what happens if we get a flea problem! He is an inside dog but goes outside to potty, therefore fleas jump on the smorgasbord for a free trip inside the warmth of the house. Once inside, they jump to our cats and infest them. We typically use Vectra from the vet but I tend to slack off getting it at time due to being busy or just don't have the extra $22 to spend. It is the only topical flea medicine that will work on him. I should know better because once he gets fleas it is a nightmare.

Not only does he get fleas, but he is allergic to them and not only is he allergic to the fleas but he also has separation anxiety - hates for me to leave. Anyone else can leave and he is fine, but I leave him alone and he sits and waits for me......and chews himself. When I say he chews, I mean his backside looks like hamburger.

Recently, after about 9 months of not chewing, he started again. With the fall weather, the fleas are hitching a ride to get inside. People have the misconception that fleas die off in the winter - not so. They are a year round pest. So, I went to get some Vectra but it didn't alleviate the issue. I began to research home remedies.

Here are a couple tips that I found WORK! These remedies actually eliminated his scratching/biting, haven't seen the cats scratching, haven't seen any fleas and all is well in our world.....

First off - it seems an impossible task to get rid of them but not so! Persistence is the key.

Mix equal parts of Dawn dish soap and white vinegar together. This is creating a shampoo. Bathe your pet like you normally would, be careful around eyes or any open sores and rinse. My dog has sensitive skin and this doesn't dry it out like other soaps do. The dish soap (has to be Dawn, tried others and no success) sticks to the fleas and suffocates them which will kill them and the vinegar makes what doesn't die from the soap, not like the taste of their meal, so they hop off.
(cost : small bottle of Dawn $1 plus vinegar $1 = $2)

Next I mixed Apple Cider vinegar and water (1 part water to 3 parts ACV) in a spray bottle and douse the pet's fur, rubbing against the hair growth to get to the skin. The smell is strong but will go away after about 24 hours. Again, be careful around eyes and open sores. The ACV creates a bad taste for the fleas and they fall off and die due to no food source.
(cost : AVC - $1.50, spray bottle, if you don't have one - $1.00 = $2.50)

Now to get them out of your carpets. Sprinkle normal table salt all over your carpets and leave overnight them vacuum up. The salt dries out the fleas and kills them.
(cost : Great Value salt - $.47)

You can also add garlic to their food once a day, creating a nasty flavor in their pores causing the fleas to not want to munch down. Be sure to use fresh or garlic powder, not garlic salt.
(This is optional. Sometimes I do it, other times I don't. My dog loves it; cats won't touch it.)

I did the bath, spray and salt and have had no issues at all. They have pretty much vanished. I felt the need to blog and let other pet owners know that this does work. I know how frustrating it can be to battle these pesky parasites!

So I hope you enjoyed the read and were well informed!