How to Use Garlic to Control Fleas for Dogs

Fleas can become a scourge in any home where dogs live. Chemical-based flea treatments have typically been used to control fleas and are normally effective, but can pose health hazards to both the dog and its owner. Concerns regarding the toxicity of chemical flea treatments have drawn people to examine natural and non-toxic approaches to flea control, such as the addition of garlic to the dog’s diet.

Add garlic to the diet of your dog as a natural approach to control fleas. After eating garlic for a number of days, your dog’s blood will have a sufficiently noticeable garlic flavor to make it unpalatable to fleas.

Feed your dog only the slightly moist clove of the garlic. Peel away the dry, outer husk to get to the clove. Add the garlic at the first sign of fleas because it may take up to a week or more before the garlic begins to repel fleas.

Weigh your dog to determine the amount of garlic to give. A single clove will be sufficient to treat dogs that weigh less than 30 lbs. Dogs that are heavier than 30 lbs. should be fed at least two cloves per day.

Add garlic to your dog’s diet on a daily basis initially to establish the required blood levels to repel fleas.

Reduce the amount of garlic to every second and then to every third day, but increase the doses per week as soon as you see fleas on the dog once again.

Attempt to treat by simply offering the dog a raw clove of garlic, as if it were a treat. Most dogs are attracted to strong-smelling food items.

Disguise the garlic clove in a treat, such as a piece of meat, if the dog will not accept it in its original form. This is still an easy approach to treating with garlic.

Break the clove up and mix it into the dog's meal if all else fails. Grate the clove into the meaI if the dog still detects and leaves the tiny pieces of garlic.

Offer your dog garlic tablets if it will not accept cloves. Garlic tablets are small and easily disguised in your dog’s favorite treat.