Does baking soda kill fleas on dogs?
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Will baking soda kill fleas? Well, baking soda with salt can make a great homemade remedy to your flea problem if you have one. Fleas can cause a lot of problems for your dogs, and family. The first step is making sure you know what you are dealing with, read our guide on recognising fleas. Getting rid of fleas should always be important so grabbing some baking soda and adding salt to it can do wonders.
How does baking soda kill fleas?
By mixing baking soda and salt into a formula you are making a dehydrating agent. This will dry out the fleas, their eggs, and the larvae. This will kill them off so that they do not reproduce and spread. The main point of handling a flea infestation is to stop it from spreading. Plus, using this particular formula is not harmful to children or pets. But, make sure that there are no open cuts or wounds since salt is known to add a bit of a sting. If this concerns you we have published some alternative natural remidies for fleas and mites.
How do I apply the formula?
It is fairly simple to spread the formula around your house. Just make sure that you have a lot to go around. Fleas can travel so remember that you should cover all the areas of your home. You should also check that your baking soda is still good. If it has been standing open in the cupboard for a month, best is to throw it out and get new baking soda. When spreading the formula around make sure that you target beds, couches, and carpets. The formula has to go down to the floor of the carpets and in the corners of the beds and couches.
Let the formula do its job overnight and then vacuum everywhere in the morning. This will suck up the dead bodies and even the live ones that you may have missed. Once you have vacuumed everywhere you should take your vacuum cleaner canister for a short walk to the bin on the street. Here you will dump the remains of all your effort. In doing this you decrease the chances of fleas coming back into your house. Repeat this process in a couple of days just to get the eggs, and larvae that you may have missed the first time around.
Prevention is the key to flea control
The best way to avoid fleas making your house and pets their home is by prevention. You can achieve this by keeping an eye on your dog’s behavior. If they look itchy then have them checked for fleas and jump into action right away when even one flea is discovered. Take them to the vet and see what to do from there. There are a few items such as shampoos and flea collars that can aid you in the battle over the fleas as well as the best flea control for dogs 2020.
However, there are measures you can take to prevent fleas from becoming a huge problem. Vacuuming regularly and taking the time and effort to empty the canister in the street’s bin is a great start, especially if you already had a flea problem before. As the old saying goes – better safe than sorry.
Besides vacuuming you should also wash the bedding in your house. This does not only mean yours and your family, but your pet’s aswell. Give them a good wash in the washer along with your clothes, and then use the dryer on a high temperature, if the materials can handle the heat. If not then a medium temperature can also work. Heat is a good way to kill the fleas, larvae, and eggs. Plus, you can see your efforts in the lint catcher. Another precaution you can take is to cut the grass. Most dogs love to run in the garden and fleas love to hide in the tall grass. Do not give them a chance to hop on your happy pet to get a ride inside.
How do you spread this mixture onto your dog? Do you just rub it on?
You can rub the mix into your pets coat – however it is important that your pet doesn’t have any cuts as the salt will hurt. An alternative is to make a mix using apple vingar and baking soda as a shampoo – make sure you give your pet a good bath or shower to remove the residue.
What proportions do you mix together? Thank you!!
If you are using this on your carpets you will need quite a lot of salt and baking soda. I don’t have a specific ratio – the combination is effective because the larger salt crystals will get to the bottom of the fibres in your carpet. I would recommend that pets and kids are kept out of the area and that you leave the mix over night.
1:1 ratio of salt to bicarbonate of soda.
Oneonta had an infestation of fleas for about 3 years and veterinarians wanted us to use flea collars constantly on our cats
The only thing that flea collars do especially to cats is make them sick gives them sores and has killed one of our cats along with the fleas and another one has leukemia now from being infested with fleas and flea collars
Both cats that were infested were orange tabby cats
With all the cleaning of the house with fresh lemon spray and keeping our cats in and we have two other cats we finally Concord the infestation
It was like living a flea plague
As far as we know Oneonta is infestation free
And we do not use flea collars any longer and haven’t had one flea on our remaining cats
The cat would leukemia now I still fighting for his life but at least he has no more fleas The blood still runs out of his body from the flea blood that they expel
There are so many remedies out there I use most of them but the lemon was the best but I will keep in mind with the baking soda and soft if it ever happens again and I pray I pray it never happens again
I am sorry you have had such an awful experience with fleas. I hope your cat with Leukiemia is comfortable for as long as possible.
Downside to that sprinkling soda on a typical pet dog: one good shake-off will throw off most of those sodas off the dog. They’ll never let them stay on.
Good morning – is this personal experience? It worked well on my dog – I found a particularly fine baking soda and worked it into my dog’s fur and ran a brush through his coat.
Thanks yall for the Q & A. Very informative.
Thanks Sissy, I’m glad this has helped.
my dogs have had fleas for a while and we are struggling to get rid of them. I’m going to do the salt and baking powder tomorrow its like a viscous circle.
Hi Adelle, it can feel like that. Making sure your home is free from fleas and their eggs, as well as your pets, should help.
I will try these remedies and let you know how I get on.
I hope it goes well. I’m interested to hear how you get on.
diatomaceous earth is a natural remedy powder you put on cats and dogs for fleas it does the dehydrating. food grade. please look it up you can also put it in their food diet it rids of everything except heart worm. even gets rid parasites and it cures my moms cats of a tumor. it is detoxifying for humans as well
Thank you for the advice – I will look into this.
We have a terrible flea problem. My grandchildren are all bit up. What is the salt to baking soda ratio? HELP!
Good morning Irene, one of the commentors here has suggested using a 1:1 ratio. However, It does sound like you have a bad infestation that many need more than a home remedy that is really intended for smaller flea problem – it may be advisable to try something stronger, your veterinarian will be able to suggest a suitable product.
Does this work on full grown cats as well as dogs. We have constant problems with fleas in Florida because of the lack of freezing temperatures to kill them off!!
What is ratio baking soda and salt
I would be more cautious of using this on cats as they groom themselves more throughly than dogs.
Can you use this remedy on cats
Personally I wouldn’t use this on cats as they groom far more than dogs.
I’m not reading right. U rub on pets or just furniture and carpets
Good morning Angelika, I suggest that you don’t use the salt on cats as they groom a lot more than dogs. You can use the salt and soda mix on dogs – please make sure that your dod doesn’t have any scratches or cuts as the salt would hurt.
We are cat people and had a very bad experience with fleas as I have cats inside and out!! The best and fastest remedy for home was eukolyptous oil and water. I put 1 tsp. per large spray bottle of water. Spray under beds, mattress, sofas, carpets, or anywhere you can vacuum (also spray vacuum filter or bag).
Cats do best with Dawn dish soap and organic coconut oil brushed in fur between baths. Be prepared for unfavorable cat behavior at bath time and when spraying home avoid direct contact to cats, they don’t like smell anyways but just incase, don’t spray them directly.
Hi Toni,
Thanks for the advice – I’ve had more cats than dogs. The only time we’ve needed to bath a cat was when my cat Jester managed to get covered in dirty engine oil. Normally a long hair she was such a sorry sight.
About the diatomaceous earth or any fine powders. I used it for years. In my experience there are some things to keep in mind when using it. It is terrible on the lungs. Wear a mask. And you will be dusting everything for a few years. It did help.
Thank you for the advice Bonnie. It’s always good to hear from someone with actual experience of a product.
Our dog is still itching after a flea dip and a flea collar. Where do you find diatomaceous and what us it
Good morning Mary, I don’t know about the diatomaceous earth that has been mentioned. However, I would look into whether your dog has fleas or whether he/she has a skin complaint, such dry itchy skin. There are products such as anti-itch chews that might help. I also recommend speaking to your vet about possible causes; there are too many potential causes to make definate recommendations here. Good luck and please let us know how you get on.
I have used frontline on both my dog and cats for 2 months,not only hasnt it helped but made it worse there goin bald at there bottoms,constantly biting and licking,i need something to help now as i cannot get to the vets until next week as need there weights,i have soda n salt what can i do please
Good morning Kristie, I would be concerned using salt and soda on a cat and dog that are constantly overgrooming to the point that they are losing their fur. Have you tried telephoning your vet to see if they can give some advice over the phone if waiting times for an appointment are too long?
I had a terrible flea infestation in my house and on my cat. I tried the chemical sprays, horrible smell and cant be good for man or cat.
my ankles were a mass of red flea bites, my cat eating herself alive, i read on internet that baking soda on carpets will kill fleas and larva. I bought two 1 ltre box and sprinkled liberally on both carpeted rooms.
i went to vet purchased the flea control on back of neck. I vacuumed and aplied a second coat of baking soda and washed all floors in house. left on carpet for two days. vacuumed and am now flea free for two weeks. next year will start with flea control from vet and if I get bit once, will baking soda carpets
Hey Bob, thank you for sharing your experiences. Really good to hear this method worked for you.
I just tried I will let you know!
Very useful information
Thanks for the info.
I’ve tried all the flea oils to no avail and been using food grade dimateous earth and it’s very dirty looking and ain’t solved my problem yet.. Trying the baking soda n salt next
Please let us know how you get on. Jon
Hello everyone. I just tried the baking soda and salt on my two small dogs. I will let everyone know how it worked. I do have a question. How often should this be applied?
Hi Robin,
Initially I would suggest using the mix every couple of days for the first couple of weeks.
The pyramid of infestation is pretty scary. Fleas can become your worst nightmare if you aren’t looking for the signs. Thanks for posting.
Oboy this sounds like so much stress. But better than calling an exterminator. Let me see if I get this. Mix 1:1. We do not have carpets or pet beds, my dogs sleep with me on my bed. So sprinkle on all furniture and I guess my mattress etc (where will I sleep?) or can I like put 2 sheets over the mattress? Maybe around the perimeter of each room (or all over the floors too? Whenever we get ticks I usually buy the once a month spot treatment and that works amazingly. So I will use that for them as well. Vacuum everything and treat the filter for the canister vacuum, dispose in a bin outside. Repeat every 2 days for 2 weeks?
Personally, I don’t think I would use this on my bed. This treatment isn’t suitable for all cases. As you are sleeping with your dogs I’d recommend a shop bought treatment similar to the spot treatment you use for ticks.
When using the salt & baking soda combination for the carpets, you mentioned bigger salt Crystals to get into the carpet. What kind of salt should I use, table salt, sea salt, kosher salt??
I’d suggest the cheapest salt that you can buy that isn’t too fine. Table salt would be more than sufficent.
Just wondering how much baking soda and the salt. Is it equal part.
Hi Julie,
Yes equal parts.
Hi there,
So I have 2 three month old puppies, about 5lbs each. I’ve noticed them scratching a lot and finally searched to find they had fleas. What is a lot of fleas? I tried spending some 2 hours searching their coat to find them. Over the course of those 2 hours I maybe found 6 and those were so hard to find. What is a bad case? I’ve had pets before and they have never had fleas. Other than the natural remedies everyone has suggested (salt+baking soda) is there any medicated formulas that anyone is familiar with that has had success? Additional to the puppies I have a 15 year old dog and cat and want to fix this before it spreads to them. I would love to get some feed back from someone that can help me.
Hi Linda, as a pet owner myself it sounds as if you have found fleas at the begining rather than as part of a larger infestation. Please don’t ignore this as it can lead to problems later on. I believe a single female can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. A product you can buy over the counter would I’ve used is Frontline.
I’ve used diatomaceous earth for years. The first time was to get rid of bedbugs that my husband brought home with his luggage after a business trip. It is effective on bugs with exoskeletons, however it is super messy and very, very drying to the skin. I would never put this directly onto a dog’s skin because in killing the fleas, you may spark off a new skin issue. I am going to try using baking soda on my poor, pitiful fleabag. I feel so bad for her, it wasn’t her choice to move to this apartment with a flea infested lawn.
Hi Melanie, thank you for your advice and I hope your poor fleabag finds some relief soon.
Hi everyone I need some help my dog has had patches on her back for a while now I’ve wormed her fleed her and nothing has worked what do you think it could be
Hi Brittany, there are a number of possible causes for patches on your dog. It could be ring worm, mange or a bacterial infection. I recommend seeking professional help and take your dog to a veterinarian for advice. I hope you get an answer quickly. Jon
Should i add water when mixing the baking soda and sait together?
No, this should be a dry powder.
Our poor dog can’t tolerate flea collars or even peppermint oil as it all gives him seizures, so I have been flea combing him twice a day using dawn dishwashing soap mixed with hot water and a touch of alcohol. I don’t use it ON the dog, but I wipe the fleas into it. We tried the food grade diatomaceous earth and that works but the fleas come back, so now we plan to use baking soda. Will update!
Hi Kate, thank you for sharing your experiences. I hope you have some success with the baking soda method. The CPC Team
Tried this for the first time last night. Bad infestation at our new place and both the dog and me were being eaten alive it felt like. Got things under control inside. Going to tackle the backyard today where it all started.
Hi Shannon, thank you for letting us know how you got on. I am interested to hear how you get on in your yard. You may need to apply the treatment to your dog in 2 week’s time as you may have missed some of the fleas eggs.
Did baking soda on my three dogs today!! Within a few hours no scratching or digging. Now I’m 5 hours out and 2/3 are starting to scratch again. Will check out again tomorrow. I massage it in deep through their coats into their skin.
Good morning Janet, you will need to treat your dogs’ beds and potentially any carpets and soft furnishings you have. I hope this works for you. The CPC Team
Think my dog has fleas, or is it wiser to say that we have fleas! Noticed one weaving it’s way in and out of my poor boys snout. He has a brown coat with a white snout, collar and chest but I only ever see them on his snout. He’s 13 years old and we have never had a flea situation before, guess we’ve been very lucky, as all the comments I’m reading seem pretty awful for all involved. I’m going to do the equal parts of salt and baking powder, however would it just be enough to massage in baking powder on my dog? as he has a few irritated warts that I don’t want him scratching and further causing him discomfort.
Thank you
We would recommend that if you are concerned speak with your vet. It maybe worth creating (please see previous comments) / buying a flea shampoo for your dog and just treat your home with the salt and baking soda mix.
Thank you for your comment.
After you put the mixture of baking soda and salt on a dog, do you leave it on or wash it off? How often do you put the mixture on the carpet and the dog?
Thanks for any help.
Karen
Hi all! I have 5 dogs and a cat, I’ve never experienced fleas before, my oldest pet is 15 which is my cat and the youngest dog is 10 years old.. I Just found fleas on 2 if my dogs and they sleep with me. They only go to basement when I’m at work. What should I do. I can’t afford an exterminator.
We would suggest purchasing some flea powder for your home (readily available from most home depot stores or larger supermarkets) and to also wash your dogs with a flea shampoo. Comb your dogs outside if possible to ensure that as many eggs are removed from your pets. We would also recommend that you change all sheets, dog bedding and wash on the hottest wash the items allow for.
I have tried everything for our fleas and I spent 130 dollars on stuff and still no results I’m not able to get my dogs to the vet till March I’m afraid they will scratch themselves raw..What lest can I do and it’s hard with no income and I live in subsidized housing.