As a dog owner, your biggest concern is your pet getting infested with fleas and ticks. These parasites feed off your pet’s blood and cause excessive scratching and irritation. There are many flea and tick repellents available in the market, but they are made using toxic chemicals harmful to your pet. Instead, try these safe and effective home remedies to get rid of fleas and ticks in your dog.

1. Essential oils
Essential oil treatment is one of the best home remedies to get rid of fleas and ticks in dogs. You can use essential oils like lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, cedar oil, or eucalyptus oil. Dilute these oils with water and fill it in a spray bottle. Spray this diluted mixture directly over your dog’s coat, avoiding the face. Also, make sure that you don’t soak their coat — just spray once at any given spot. You can even spray some diluted oil on a bandana and make a stylish collar that your pet can wear all the time.

2. Garlic
Another great way to keep fleas and ticks at bay is to feed garlic to your dog. These parasites are repelled by the odor of garlic, protecting your dogs. Use half a clove to two cloves of garlic in a day. Experts recommend feeding half a clove per twenty pounds of your dog’s weight. However, even if your dog is huge, don’t give them more than two cloves of garlic per day.

3. Lemon
Home remedies incorporating citrus fruits like lemons effectively get rid of fleas and ticks in dogs. You can give a lemon bath to your pet or apply a lemon solution that will keep these parasites away. For a lemon bath, add half a cup of fresh lemon juice into two cups of water, add some regular pet shampoo and give your pet a thorough bath. To prepare a lemon solution, cut a lemon and steep it in hot water overnight, then add this solution to a spray bottle. You can spray this solution onto your dog each day, especially their belly, tail, legs, and ears.

4. Flea comb
If your dog is already infested with fleas and ticks, use this traditional method to remove them from your dog’s coat. A flea comb has closely spaced teeth, which helps in effectively removing fleas, ticks, and their eggs.

5. Healthy diet
Experts say that fleas and ticks are likely to attack weak and unhealthy animals. So, if your dog is getting proper nutrition, these blood-hungry parasites will stay away. Make sure your dog’s diet mainly comprises fresh whole foods and unprocessed proteins. Nutrients such as vitamin B, probiotics, sulfur, omega-6 fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids are particularly important for their health. These nutrients can be acquired from foods like meats, organ meats, fatty fish, flaxseed, poultry, eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower.