There are several good methods to keep fleas off of your pet or to get rid of them once they have taken residence on your pet. Unless there is a heavy active infestation, we do not recommend using medicated flea and tick prevention as it has many serious side effects. As a more natural and effective approach, we recommend:

Spray your pet frequently with a blend of water and essential oils. The essential oils we recommend include: Away by AnimalEO, Evict by AnimalEO, and Purification by Young Living. All of these can be purchased at our office or online by clicking here! Add 10-15 drops of essential oil to a 2 ounce spray bottle and spray into the fur. Brush it through with your hands to get into the skin. You could also add just a few drops to your pet’s shampoo. Pets are very sensitive, essential oils should always be diluted. Once you can no longer smell the oils, it should be reapplied.
Earth Animal Flea and Tick Drops or Powder can be added into your pet’s diet as an alternative to medication. It is available at our office, on the Earth Animal website, or at Ruff Ruff Raw (powder and drops).
Daily combing with a fine-tooth comb. Flea combs can be purchased at pet stores. If you suspect your dog has fleas, dunk comb in hot soapy water as you brush. Check for ticks as when your dog comes inside during the warm months. It takes a few hours for the tick to burrow through the fur, so brushing immediately after coming inside may help catch them before they reach the skin.
Vacuum the entire house frequently and dispose of the vacuum bag/ clean container often.
Beneficial nematodes can be used to treat your lawn and prevent fleas. Beneficial nematodes attack larva of many different insects that burrow into the dirt, including fleas. Read more about this method by clicking here.

Below is an excerpt from an article from PETA: https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/animal-companion-factsheets/flea-control-safe-solutions/

Why Most Flea-Control Products Are Dangerous

The most popular kind of flea control product on the market is the “spot-on” variety, sold under brand names like Frontline® and Advantage™. The active ingredients in these solutions include chemicals such as imidacloprid, fipronil, permethrin, methoprene, and pyriproxyfen, all of which have caused serious health problems in animals in laboratories. Even some of the inert ingredients can be hazardous to your animal companion’s health. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency received complaints of “adverse reactions” ranging from skin irritation to seizures and death, and has since been “pursuing a series of actions to increase the safety of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for cats and dogs,” which has included calls for tighter regulations and more comprehensive labeling.

Another popular form of flea control is the chewable tablet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the isoxazoline class of flea and tick products, used in brand names Bravecto®, Credelio®, Nexgard® and Simparica®. Warning of the “potential for neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats…including muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures,” the agency advises animal guardians to consult with their veterinarians before using these products.These tablets also have been found less effective than topicals.

Other forms of flea control—powders, collars, and sprays—are no less dangerous to you or your companion animals. Labels may warn not to get these substances on your skin, to wash your hands after applying them, and to keep them away from children, yet these chemicals are absorbed by your animal’s skin. Immediate effects of pesticide overdose include vomiting, diarrhea, trembling, seizures, and respiratory problems. If your dog or cat shows any of these symptoms after the application of a pesticide, immediately wash the product off and seek veterinary care.

Put Out an ‘Unwelcome’ Mat
The first step in flea prevention lies in maintaining your dog or cat’s health. Skin condition is an indicator of an animal’s overall health and an important factor in flea control. The key to healthy skin is a healthy diet. Check food labels carefully. Pet foods sold in supermarkets are often composed of ground-up parts of animals deemed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be unfit for human consumption. This is usually listed among the ingredients on the label as “byproducts.” The flesh of animals who fall into one of the categories of the “four Ds”—dead, dying, diseased, or disabled—is what often goes into pet food. Many of these animals have died from infections and other diseases. Most commercial pet food contains the same hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics that are found in meat products for humans.

Just as important as what should be left out of an animal’s diet is what should be included in it. Fresh, whole, raw foods are vital because they provide digestive enzymes and vitamins that can be destroyed by cooking. Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins as well as essential fatty acids are needed for a healthy coat. And coconut oil, which contains caprylic acid, is excellent for combating yeast infections on the skin and in the ears. (Just add it to food.) Also include digestive enzymes and probiotics for good digestive health, which can affect the skin.”

How Flea and Tick Medications Work:

While the motive behind flea & tick medication is good, it is also important to understand, as a consumer, how these types of medications work.

Topical Drops: Topical drops deposit chemicals into the sebaceous glands of your pet’s skin. Sebaceous glands hold oil that is naturally secreted into the skin. When the drops are applied, the chemicals are secreted with the natural oils and the active ingredient (pesticide) is released onto the skin. The pesticide will attack the flea and tick’s nervous system and cause the parasites to lose the ability to feed on your pet. These drops do not cure an active infestation, they are only a preventative. These drops are effective but can be harmful to your pet and to other members of your home that touch your pet. Also, the dose of the medication may be too high, increasing the risk of damage to your pet’s nervous system, resulting in paralysis, seizures, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and lethargy. We do not recommend topical preventative.

Collars: Flea and Tick collars last quite a long time, which may be appealing to some owners. Some collars emit a noxious gas, repelling insects. Others work like topical drops, depositing the pesticide into the skin and paralyzing any fleas or ticks that may bite them. Collars do not treat an active infection. They have the same side effects as topical drops. We do not recommend the use of flea and tick collars.

Oral Tablets: Oral flea and tick preventatives work by depositing pesticide into the blood stream of your pet. If a flea or tick bites them, they will ingest the pesticide and become paralyzed, eventually falling off your pet. Common flea and tick medications include NexGard (Flea and Tick), Frontline Plus, K9 Advantix, PetArmour, and Bravecto.

While these medications are useful in repelling insects that carry potential diseases, they are also dangerous to the immune system, nervous system, and overall health of your pet. Used carefully and at the correct dose, it may be what your pet needs if insects become an issue, but it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Also note that no medication is 100% effective and you must keep an eye out for pests even with the use of preventative.

(Info from hartz.com)

image1: Bryn Mawr Vet

image 2: IndulgeYourPet.com