Our Natural Flea & Tick Routine for Dogs (Chemical Free!)

Are you one of those pet owners who has a love/hate relationship with spring?

I am. 🙋🏻‍♀️

On the one hand, I get absolutely giddy about the sunshine and warmer weather, taking every possible moment to soak up the golden rays. On the other, I bitterly rue the bugs that come with the balmy temperatures.

Now that it’s officially spring, I feel called to share our flea and tick regimen for our dog, Stella. She is an indoor/outdoor Great Pyrenees with TONS of long fur, so that means mama don’t play—I have a zero-tolerance policy for biting/stinging critters in our house.

I’ve spent the last three and a half years (since she was a puppy) researching natural products that actually work, putting everything through trial and error. So, when I list something here, it’s because I’ve used it consistently for YEARS—not just for a few weeks, and then posting in order to earn a quick affiliate buck. (That said, some links here are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission. Others are just plain links.)

Caveat:  I use a multi-pronged approach, and I don’t claim that using all of this will make your pet 100% flea- and tick-free. Unless your dog never goes outside, that’s just not realistic. Even with everything we do, Stella has had ticks embedded and has picked up those annoying “seed ticks” on her feet after unwittingly running through tick nests.

Second caveat:  None of this is veterinary medical advice. I’m not a vet. This is simply what has worked for our family as we try to balance effective protection with avoiding conventional products that can carry harsher side effects (including seizures—yes, look it up).

OK. Now that that’s out of the way…

We live in Tennessee—home of all the creepy, crawly, bite-y, sting-y things. I have a history of an overreactive histamine response (mosquito bites used to swell up like raised continents on my body and turn feverishly hot). So yes… I have a vested interest in getting this right.

1. Start with diet (internal terrain)

First, we make sure Stella’s diet is clean. The idea is that a healthier internal environment may make her less attractive to pests. She eats homemade people food with a few add-ins for dogs. One of those is Bug Off garlic tablets (garlic + active dry yeast). They’re technically chewable, but Stella spits them out, so we crush them into her food—which she happily eats 99% of the time.

Every once in a while, she goes on a food strike, and that’s usually my cue to give her a short break from the garlic.

You’ll hear conflicting opinions on garlic. Some conventional vets say it’s toxic. Some holistic vets say it’s beneficial and repellent.

All I can offer is our experience: Stella has tolerated it well with no issues so far—and I pray it stays that way.

2. Flea & tick tag (the “woo-woo” one)

Next is the Only Natural Pet Flea & Tick Tag.

This is where things get a little… esoteric. If I lose you here, no offense taken.

It’s a small silver tag with no chemicals or oils. The idea is that it emits a frequency pests don’t like. I can't speak to the science behind it, but the company says that it’s based on technology that’s “been used in Europe for many years in other applications for humans.”

I’m not convinced it would work on its own (without all the other products I use), but I only replace it once a year, and it seems to support our overall strategy. At the very least—it’s low effort, low risk, and worth it to me.

3. FurLife pendant (essential oils)

We also add a FurLife pendant to her collar. This one also lasts a full year. It contains essential oils (citronella, cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, geranium, rosemary) and is definitely strong-smelling at first.

Tip: When you first take it out of the plastic wrap, be sure to let it sit out on your counter for a day so it airs out and doesn’t overwhelm your pet’s sense of smell (their noses are far more sensitive than ours). I also position it on the collar so it’s on the back of Stella’s neck (not on the front of her neck where she might smell it constantly).

4. Cedarcide spray (when things get real)

Last but not least is Cedarcide.

This is our “go-time” spray. It works on contact (we’ve used it on wasps and let me assure you—it works on contact), and we use it when we actually see signs of fleas or ticks and during the height of pest season (early summer through fall).

We’ll spray her feet, apply it to a cloth and rub it into her fur, or do a light overall application—especially before and after she’s been patrolling the property and getting into brush that might have more ticks or tick nests or hiking. She hates sprays, so we don’t use it daily. Just when it’s necessary.

It's formulated for people as well—we spray our shoes and pants if we’re heading into higher-risk areas.

In the past, we’ve used Wondercide spray. It works just as well and comes in slightly different scents—cedarwood (always the main ingredient), lemongrass, peppermint, and rosemary. Some of those scents might be more tolerable for you if you aren't a fan of cedarwood.

Other simple things that matter:

• Mow the lawn! Ticks love hanging onto tall blades of grass and weeds, and when someone walks by, they transfer easily to our shoes/socks/clothing or our pets’ fur. Sprinkle high-traffic areas with food-grade diatomaceous earth or First Saturday Lime (👈 this is also our go-to for chicken coops and runs).

• Brush our dog regularly, checking for fleas/ticks. Stella loathes baths, so we don’t subject her to this torture often, but when we do, we use a natural flea/tick shampoo.

• Use this nifty 2-sided tick remover tool to remove ticks. There’s a tweezer end for pinching off tiny ticks and a larger slotted scoop for grabbing the bigger ticks without accidentally removing their heads (which can lead to prolonged irritation or infection).  

Now, for the zillion-dollar question…

What to do when your dog DOES get a tick?

The first time I found one, I freaked out. We all freaked out! I picked it off with my eyebrow tweezers and had a good look at the nasty little hitchhiker it before squishing it. 🤢

After several more encounters, I finally had to accept reality: We live in the South. Bugs (including ticks) are just an inevitable part of our lives.

Now, we stay calm and just handle it.

We remove the tick with our tool, clean the area (we use HOCL or colloidal silver gel), and then give a dose of homeopathic Ledum palustre (30c or 200c).

Some protocols suggest frequent dosing and tapering. If you’re interested in that level of detail, this Dogs Naturally Magazine article might be helpful. Personally, I think that’s unnecessary unless symptoms show up. One dose has been always sufficient for us. (A word of caution: I recommend only purchasing homeopathic remedies directly from the manufacturer or an authorized seller.)

Doing what we can (and letting go of the rest)

At the end of the day, this is about stewardship—caring well for what we’ve been given without living in fear or going to extremes. We simply do what we can, be consistent, and accept that we’re not in complete control of the great outdoors. God is!

This approach has worked well for our family, and I hope it gives you a few practical ideas you can adapt for your own home and animals.

If you have something that’s worked well for you, I’d love to hear it—because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we’re all figuring this out together.

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Thank you for reading. I’m grateful you spent a few moments here, and I pray this message helps you. My heart here at Homegrown Legacy is to share biblical encouragement in today's volatile world, healthy living ideas, and practical ways families can build stronger, more resilient lives — including learning how to earn income from home in a way that aligns with your faith and values. Take what’s helpful, bring the rest to God in prayer, and trust Him to guide you.

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