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The most common types of fleas are dog and cat fleas, although some species can even affect humans. Ticks are no good either because they can carry things such as Lyme disease, so let’s get to work on prevention.

Keep in mind that not all solutions work for cats and dogs alike and its important to do your research on the differences regarding what works for each.

For cats, many people will use remedies such as a solution of lemon juice and water, or apple cider vinegar and water. These are natural repellants since fleas and ticks do not like their smell or taste.

For dogs, non-toxic, 100% essential oils can be used for prevention (and they make pet coats smell great too!). Fleas and ticks tend to hate oils such as peppermint, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, and cedarwood. This is why Pet Wants includes all of these ingredients in our Mosquito, Flea, and Tick Spray.

If you do see a flea or tick, then it’s on to the next step –treatment!

Treatment may depend on the severity of the infestation, so make sure to get your Vet’s opinion first. For both fleas and ticks, you can find shampoos aimed at getting rid of the infestation, and we suggest using warm water! You can also remove ticks with tweezers, but make sure to be gentle on your pet’s skin and avoid breaking the tick, as you don’t want any harmful bacteria to sit on your pet’s skin. Always check for more ticks!

Something people often don’t consider in treating fleas and ticks is household cleaning. Make sure you vacuum regularly, including all furniture. If your vacuum has a removable bin, you can cut up a flea and tick collar and place it in the bin so that it kills fleas and ticks when they make contact. Also, be sure to wash any bedding or linens your pets regularly use in hot water.

Finally, if symptoms persist and you continue seeing fleas and ticks on your pet or around the house, you may want to talk with a vet about what to do next.