Fleas can be a terrible nuisance for your pet, and they can also transmit a number of serious disease. Your pooch can become infested with fleas after having contact with another animal that has them. She could also pick them up from the environment around here. These homemade flea prevention dog treats can help keep these annoying pests off of your canine companion.
Fleas have extremely strong hind legs, which means they can jump upwards of 5 inches vertically and 8 inches horizontally! Fleas are parasites, which means they need to live off of a host to survive. Once fleas are on your dog, they will bite her and suck her blood for nutrients.
The best case scenario is that these bites will simply cause your dog some itching and discomfort. The worst case scenario is that your dog may be allergic to flea bites, which could result in inflammation, hair loss or secondary skin infections.
Preventing fleas is quite easy, as there are so many different options to choose from. From flea collars to sprays and topical treatments to preventative shampoos, there is a method of prevention that will meet your needs and budget. The downside is that most of these measures contain dangerous toxic chemicals that can make your dog ill, cause even more skin irritation than the fleas themselves, or even lead to certain types of cancers.
Thankfully, there are some all-natural preventative measures that we can take to keep fleas off of our dogs. These homemade flea prevention dog treats are a great way to stop fleas from attaching your pet. They are effective, 100% safe and healthy, and your dog won't even know he's being given a flea preventative.
ALSO READ: The 50 Best Flea Treatments for Dogs (as chosen by pet owners)
Homemade Flea Prevention Dog Treats
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cup of coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup brewer's yeast
Serving size: You should feed one treat for every 10 pounds of body weight per day. If your dog doesn't weigh 10 pounds, just feed one treat per day.
Directions
The reasons are not known, but brewer's yeast has proven to be an effective, natural way to prevent fleas and other pests from biting dogs. Some experts believe that it has something to do with the supplement's unpleasant odor. Others say that it makes the blood of the dog taste different, so mosquitoes, fleas and other biting pests don't want to drink it.
Whatever the reason, brewer's yeast does keep pests away from your pet. It does have a strong, unpleasant odor, but when mixed into these homemade flea prevention dog treats our pups don't mind eating it at all.
As I mention in the video guide above, brewer's yeast provides many other benefits to canine health as well. Some of these include:
improving skin and coat health- treating stress issues
- rich in B vitamins
- rich in antioxidants
- rich in omega fatty acids
- improves the immune system
Coconut oil also has many amazing benefits for dogs. In fact, it is included on many of the lists of super foods for dogs. Coconut oil is great for skin and coat health, improving digestion and reducing bad breath. Other benefits of this super food include:
- wound healing
- assisting with weight loss
- helps to control and prevent diabetes
- antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal agents
- promotes normal thyroid function
- increases energy
- helps arthritis and ligament problems
As you can see, these homemade flea prevention dog treats will not only keep away pests, they'll also aid in your dog's overall health and well-being.
All you need to do is combine the melted coconut oil and the brewer's yeast. Whisk the mixture together until it's completely blended. Now, pour the liquid into an ice cube tray.
Place the ice cube tray in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until the oil has hardened once again. Once they've hardened, you should be able to pop these homemade flea preventative dog treats out of the tray quite easily.
Store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
READ NEXT: 12 Health Benefits of Coconut Oil for Dogs
