Spring sprung last week… and here come the fleas & ticks.
You can go natural. I'm determined.
Spring sprung last week… and here come the fleas & ticks.
I bet most of you didn’t stop your flea/tick meds over the winter.
And if you did… you’ve probably already restarted.
No shame — just awareness.
FWIW: I haven’t used Bravecto, Simparica, or NexGard on my dogs in years. And I won’t. In fact, I haven’t even had to use essential oil spray very often -- just when we go somewhere very wooded or very public with other dogs.
If this is your first year without them, or you’ve already been using — let’s do a little detox work.
Not because I’m “lucky.” Not because we don’t have ticks here. Because I stopped playing defense… and started fixing the terrain.
Those products?
They are not repellents.
They are systemic pesticides.
Neurotoxins.
The tick has to bite your dog first, then die after ingesting their blood.
So that strategy is: “Kill it after it bites and you dog hosts the poison in their blood stream 24x7.
Oh and yes, your dog is still exposed to the bite. That’s not prevention.
Why I don’t use them
They work on neurological pathways (GABA channels).
That’s not just bugs.
So when I see:
Neurological changes
Anxiety
Seizures
“Off” behavior
…I’m not ignoring that connection.
What I do instead (and what actually works)
This is where people either lean in… or go right back to the meds.
Because this takes a little more intention upfront — but a lot less stress and better health long-term.
I focus on TWO things:
1. Build a body pests are not attracted to.
A healthy body makes a terrible host.
Fresh, moisture-rich food
Omega 3
Gut + microbiome support
Reducing inflammation overall
Supporting detox pathways (gently, consistently)
Garlic
Vitamin B
Essential oil spray (see my recipe on website)
Ticks are drawn to your dog’s scent -- it’s why essential oils work well as a deterrent for ticks. Choosing Kunzea, Cedarwood, and/or Geranium in your spray is a key factor in keeping ticks off.
2. Control the environment early
This is where most people drop the ball.
We handle the yard before it becomes a problem.
Neem oil sprays
Cedarwood yard treatments
Food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in key areas
No pine needles, no mulch
You don’t wait until you see fleas…
you make your yard unfriendly to them from the start.
If your dog is constantly getting fleas or ticks, something else needs to change. You still have work to do. Perhaps a differnet product, perhaps a combo.
But you do have options.
If you’ve tried to go natural and it didn’t work, tell me what you did. I’d like to dig in deeper with you and explore options. I’m determined to help dog moms this year.
No judgment. No lecture. Just conversation.
You don’t have to keep cycling through stronger chemicals every year.
