What is the best method for preventing fleas and ticks on my dog other than buying products like Frontline?

Question

Flea and tick medicine is very expensive. Are equally effective natural methods?

Answer 1

I have been in the pest control industry for over 8 years now, and even own my own company. There really is no "equally" effective natural method for preventing fleas and ticks. It would be much cheaper in the long run to prevent a problem, then try to cure one.

If you are going to try some of the other methods that people are going to suggest here, be prepared for some potential health issues for both you and your dog. I have heard of people using garlic tablets. (Which I have used for years.) Some dogs have serious allergic reactions and require vet care afterward. I have heard of people recommending Sevan dust, which has the potential to kill your dog. The list goes on and on. Many people say the products you can get over the counter at Walmart work, but they are highly toxic to many pets and have been known to kill a few due to allergic reactions.

So, if you are planning to go the least expensive method, realize that there may be health risks involved that will end up costing you significantly more in the long run.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Nothing will be as effective as frontline. Biospot (or any other cheap flea medicines) does not work very well, and FYI they are toxic to cats in case you have any in your home. I also don't think you would want to use them around young children.

If you give your dog a bath every other day, his skin will become very dry, flaky, and itchy and his coat will become very dry.

Your best bet is to just get the Frontline Plus--reason being that if you use a natural remedy and it doesn't work very well, you can end up spending upwards of a few hundred dollars treating your dog for lyme disease, and you'll be spending a lot more money in the longrun. Your dog could also develop a flea allergy or get tapeworms, which you would then have to spend the money to treat.

Answer 3

Unfortunately, none of the natural methods come close to being as effective as Frontline or Advantage - which is part of the reason they are expensive. Flea collars, sprays and powders are actually more toxic and the natural methods just don't work all that well. You have to keep the dog's environment constantly free of fleas - that means bedding, flooring and outdoor areas - and that is virtually impossible to do without chemicals. Frontline and Advantage are pretty safe and though I too prefer natural methods, on this point I've conceded that chemistry is best.

Answer 4

Forget garlic, fleas are not stopped by it. A lot of dogs get an upset stomach when eating garlic. There is another topical called K9 Advantix that works and is cheaper than Frontline.

Answer 5

Fleas are a major pest. There are various species of fleas - cat fleas, dog fleas, rat fleas and rabbit fleas.
You can get rid of them by the safest and cheapest methods like boric acid.

Answer 6

Nothing is as effective as flea medicine. Bio-Spot is cheap and effective, you can buy it at most pet stores as well. But, if you still don't want to do that, you would probably need flea collars or bath them constantly.

Answer 7

Well you could Give your dog a bath every day or once every two days. And wash it with flea and tick remover shampoo. You can find it a family dollar or walmart even at dollar store

Answer 8

garlic is a natural flea repellent snap a clove in half a rub all over your dog this method is safe to use on regular basis also heplful to feed one garlic tablet a day

Answer 9

nope no homemade methods. You can buy the frontline etc one packet at a time instead of the whole box. just tell the vet you want one pack one months supply so you can afford it.

Answer 10

See below link 4 all your queries

http://www.freewebs.com/bringing-pet/