Vinegar Kills Fleas: Effectiveness of Vinegar for Fleas

Vinegar is one home remedy that a lot of pet owners want to know about. It is cheap, readily available and rumor has it that vinegar kills fleas.

Unfortunately, the rumor is not true. Vinegar doesn’t kill fleas, it merely repels them. Vinegar smells bad, it tastes bad and it’s very acidic, so it’s no surprise that fleas don’t like it. The most common way to use vinegar is as a diet supplement but its also used topically as a spray or an ingredient in a flea bath. Supposedly, once the fleas smell or otherwise sense the vinegary aura emanating from your pet they steer clear.

However, with its flea-repelling properties come a few health concerns that it are important for pet owners to be aware of.

For one, the logistics of getting a dog or cat to willingly drink vinegar are somewhat difficult, to say the least. You have to sneak it into the water dish and hope that it drinks enough to make a difference, but not too much. Moreover, another name for vinegar is Acetic ACID. Drinking too much of it can be bad for some animals, especially old or overly sensitive ones, because vinegar can drop bodily pH to harmful levels. For example, if a cat’s pH drops below 6.00 or thereabouts it can start forming calcium deposits in its urine that will ultimately run up a serious vet bill.

If you have a finicky pet it may refuse vinegar water altogether, no matter how diluted the mixture. A better option would be natural Brewer’s Yeast & Garlic Tablets that can easily be slipped into food or a treat. Brewer’s yeast is very rich in minerals and B vitamins that promote good health, and garlic has the same repellent properties as vinegar but without the pH altering effects.

External vinegar treatments can also work as a preventative measure, but they don’t last very long. They can also dry out your pet’s skin and coat, so it’s not the best choice for those pets with sensitive skin. Luckily, there are much safer and more effective Herbal Defense Sprays available that use gentler ingredients like citronella, citrus and other natural oils.

The natural supplements and herbal sprays recommended above will work much better than vinegar at repelling fleas from your pet. However, fleas don’t just reside on your dog or cat, they live in your home and yard as well. Simply repelling them from your pet will not rid your flea problems.

This is where an All-In-One Flea Powder can help. Comprised of natural powders made from diatomaceous earth that are safe for pets but leathal to small insects like ticks and fleas, this natural flea powder kills fleas using a purely physical process that doesn’t involve chemicals at all. You can use it on the carpets and pet bedding in your house as well as the popular areas your pets hang around outside.

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