Food Toppers: What are they and why use them?

So, what is a food topper anyway? Food toppers are either homemade or commercially prepared concoctions that you add to your dog's dry kibble.  It can be anything from warm water, to fruits/veggies, homemade or commercially prepared gravies, or canned dog food.  Sometimes they are called "mixers" or "additions".

Why bother using them? There are about as many reasons to use food toppers as there are different kinds of food toppers.  Some people use them on their dog's kibble to enhance the flavor, to change things up to keep the dog from getting bored by the kibble, to add missing nutrients, to boost protein levels, as a supplement for a dog that maybe doesn't eat enough kibble, to provide a lower-calorie or lower fat replacement for some of the kibble, etc.

I can't tell you what the best toppers are or why you should use them, but I can tell you what I use, and why I choose not to use commercially prepared toppers except for occasionally store bought canned dog food (though they are definitely time savers).

I have three dogs that are prone to weight gain (hello, beagles!), and one of those, Otis,  was noticeably obese when I adopted him.  I discussed some of the reasons this is a serious health issue in my post about Obesity in Dogs.  One of the things I am doing to help him lose weight is I switched to a lower calorie and lower fat kibble, and also cut back on the amount of kibble I give him.  I don't want the adjustment to be hard on him, or for him to always be hungry and looking for food.  I've dieted before, and being hungry is miserable. So, I started replacing some of the kibble with a food topper, and in his case, it's fresh or steamed fruits and veggies.  It's super easy to make, and I usually steam up the veggies while I'm catching up on reading news articles or checking Facebook.

But food toppers can be a nice change of pace even for dogs who don't need to watch their weight.  Using different kinds of toppers can help keep food interesting and can also help fill any gaps in nutrition.  For example, my basset has decided she doesn't like the salmon food that my smallest beagle must eat due to an allergy to chicken.  To help make her food more palatable, I add some steamed or fresh veggies and fruits and she gobbles up all of the food.

Homemade vs. Commercial toppers 
There is nothing inherently wrong with using commercial toppers, and I have been known to occasionally use canned dog food to make a slurry (more on that below!).  As a rule, though, I prefer to make my own because then I know exactly what's in it (no chemicals or questionable ingredients) and it's less expensive.  I tend to use vegetables that are in season (and sometimes no salt added canned vegetables) and just buy a little extra to use for the pups.  Some vegetables, like butternut squash, produce way more food than what the humans need, so the pups get some, too.

I don't want to endorse any of the commercially made toppers because I just don't have a ton of experience with them, other than some canned foods.  I have found that "stew" type canned foods work better than "casserole" type, and it really only takes a spoonful or two - just enough to cover the kibble or be mixed with it.  If you have the casserole type, you can add water to make a slurry - which will result in fewer extra calories and the can lasting longer since it will take less caned food to cover the kibble.

For commercial toppers, I suggest looking for brands and flavors that have ingredients you recognize and can pronounce., and make sure meat or veggies are the first ingredients.  I've not used any the the available gravies or other toppers, so feel free to let me know in the comments (either on this blog or on FB) about what you think of any that you try.

Homemade toppers are easier and less time consuming than you think.  I frequently add either a single ingredient or a medley of ingredients to my pup's food, including beets, green beans, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, green pepper, apples, and strawberries.  Sometimes, if I have bits or scraps of uncooked meat, I will throw it in, too.

Several days ago, I roasted some butternut squash and sweet potatoes for my family.  I like to cut them both up into chunks for quicker roasting, so I just cut extra and set aside for the dogs.  We only eat half of the squash, and the other half becomes a food topper.  I chopped up the half of a butternut squash and a small sweet potato and steamed them together for maybe 10 minutes. Once it cooled, I put it in a container in the fridge.  Sometimes I warm a few tablespoons of vegetables with a little water before adding it to their food, but sometimes I just add it cold (especially on hot days!).

After eating this for a couple of days, my pups had gone through a bit of it, and I added a can of no salt added green beans.  After another couple of days, there wasn't much left, so I chopped up some apples, carrots, and fresh green beans and lightly steamed them while I checked Facebook and ate my breakfast.  Once cooled, I mixed these in with the sweet potato and squash.  Once that mixture got low, I added in a can of no salt added beets - which turned everything in the bowl pink, but my dogs didn't mind!  In another day or so, I will likely add in some raw fruits and veggies like chopped strawberries, chopped raw carrots, and chopped green pepper.  I like to use up the last of something that would otherwise probably not get used.  I also sometimes add raw chopped apples.

homemade veggie topper: sweet potatoes, butternut squash, canned green beans, steamed green beans, carrots, and steamed grannysmith apple.

I also will sometimes just add warm water, and will stir the kibble in the water to create a gravy.  The extra water helps to fill a dieting dog's stomach, and makes the food smell better to your pup, too.  Adding water doesn't add any calories, so it's a win-win for those watching their dog's weight.  

So, what's a slurry you ask? It's a semi-liquid mixture.  In the case of dog food, it's like a runny stew.  You can mix stewed or casserole canned food with water to make a slurry, or you can even mash up some sweet potatoes/squash and add water to make that into a slurry.  The water helps to thin out the food and will help to cover the kibble with it.  It's a great way to stretch a little bit of veggies or a little bit of canned food, but only as a topper and never as a meal replacement.

I have also been known to take one of the 3 Ingredient Cookies and crumble it over a bowl of kibble when I'm in a hurry.  I make the cookies in batches and usually end up freezing at least half, since unfortunately, they will mold after a few days left at room temperature.  My dogs will eat them either frozen or thawed, and I usually have some at room temp.  I just crumbled one (or half of one for the smaller dogs) over the food and Voila! The kibble becomes undeniably tasty to my pups.

If your dog doesn't have allergies to foods like chicken, you can add in a little low sodium chicken broth.  Many dogs like a little plain yogurt (greek yogurt seems to work best) or cottage cheese.  My dogs love scrambled eggs, though after finding out one of the dogs is allergic to chicken, I have stopped making that.  It was great though - I could split one (or sometimes two) scrambled eggs between the three dogs and they were in heaven.

Just make sure the foods you are using as toppers are safe for dogs. This means NO grapes or raisins!  Dogs can have fruits that have a pit like peaches, but the pit itself is toxic.  Apples are a great choice, but be aware that the seeds are toxic to dogs.

((Graphic courtesy thatpetplace.com)

 



(Dangerous Foods graphic courtesy thatpetplace.com)
(Healthy Dog Snacks graphic courtesy Enlightened By A Dog)



SOURCES:
Personal Experience :)

4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream Recipe

This is super easy and takes about 20-25 minutes to make (not counting cooling and freezing time).
I threw it together yesterday in between doing laundry and cleaning up the breakfast mess in the kitchen.

Easy 4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (can substitute butternut squash, too).  Should be about 2 cups when cooked.
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (can substitute sunflower butter if your dog is allergic to peanut)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Low Sodium chicken or beef broth (can substitute water if you don't have broth)
• 2 containers plain greek yogurt (can also use vanilla, but plain is best and is less likely to contain toxic artificial sweeteners)

plain greek yogurt

steamed and lightly mashed sweet potato

natural peanut butter.

Directions:

1. If you have a saucepan with a steamer bowl, fill pan enough to steam veggies.  This is usually a couple of inches of water.  Set it on the stove and turn it on. If you don't have a steamer, you can also boil the veggies for a few minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, cut the sweet potato into small chunks, about 1/2 inch (or smaller if you want them to steam faster) and add to the steamer.
3. Steam chunks for about 10-15 minutes, or until pretty soft (but not totally mushy).
4. After the sweet potatoes are steamed, lightly mash them.  You don't want to puree them, you want there to still be very small chunks.
5. Let them cool.  This can take around 20 minutes (this time doesn't count against the time it takes to make the ice cream, since you can leave the sweet potatoes and go attend to something else while they cool).
6. In a medium bowl, mix the two containers of greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.  Add in the broth or water to thin it slightly.
7. Scoop into single serve size containers and freeze.  This makes a pretty good amount so make sure you have plenty of small containers.  I got a bunch at my local dollar store. It does take several hours to freeze and these should be only an occasional treat.

Depending on the size of your containers (and dogs!) you can get anywhere between 2-10 servings.

I would advise to use smaller containers - OR use one large container (takes longer to freeze) and then scoop out a tablespoon or two at a time for your pups.  Mine don't eat the containers, so this is a handy way to serve the ice cream.  Two of them pick up the containers and carry them out into the yard to enjoy.

a few of the containers ready for their lids and to be frozen.

Does your dog have allergies? This recipe is easy to change up and add substitutions!  I recently disocvered one of my dogs is allergic to chicken, so I can't use chicken broth.

Now, I made a version of the ice cream with 1 container greek yogurt, 1 very ripe banana, 1/2 cup peanut butter (substitute sunflower butter if allergic), and 2 cups of mashed steamed veggies (I usually use sweet potato, butternut squash, or pumpkin) but have also used beets, apples, or a mixture!  This one I just mix, pour into small containers, and freeze!

Obesity in Canines - Is Your Dog Overweight?

Obesity in dogs is a topic close to my heart.  In October 2015, we adopted an obese 5yr old beagle named Otis, and I started researching how to safely help him lose weight.

A dog is considered overweight if she weighs 10-20% above her ideal body weight.  A dog weighing more than 20% above his ideal body weight is considered obese.

There are a lot of risks to the health of an overweight or obese dog, just like with people.  Obese dogs are more likely to experience musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular problems, breathing problems, exercise and heat intolerance, and diseases like heart disease and diabetes.


My vet recommended that I switch Otis to a low calorie/low fat food.  She recommended Science Diet Perfect Weight, which she has fed to her own dogs.  Since most dogs can benefit from a lower fat diet, I decided that both my newly adopted beagle and my basset/beagle mix could eat the same food.  My basset needs to have grain free, though, or she suffers from nasty gastrointestinal upset.    Science Diet Perfect Weight is only 291 calories* per cup and is one of the lowest calorie foods on the market, but it contains corn, which I don't feed to my basset.

We have tried many different brands with differing levels of protein/fat/calories and different protein sources.  It even got to the point that I created a spreadsheet to keep track of the different brands and their related info, including price shopping at a couple of different stores, like www.chewy.com, www.amazon.com, and www.petsmart.com.  I read reviews from multiple sites, but relied heavily on www.dogfoodadvisor.com because I like their breakdown of each food's nutritional pros and cons.  They also have a dog food calculator that can help you figure out a baseline or general idea for how much food your dog actually needs based on activity level and weight goals.  Remember to take into account any extra treats you give, which will reduce how much food your dog needs overall.  I like rotation feeding to help change up their meals because Remy (my basset) gets bored after a few weeks to a month and starts refusing food, but also to help with if I have to change foods due to a recall or supplier shortage.

Otis lost eight pounds in eight months with a combination of increased activity (more walks, which he loves) and reducing the amount of his food and feeding a lower calorie food. This is considered a healthy weight loss.  It's slow enough that his body didn't go through severe changes but quick enough that could see that the change in food and additional exercise were actually working.

Some of the foods we had pretty good success with are:

• Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Weight Control, which has only 325 calories per cup and contains 25% protein and a mere 7% fat.  The main protein is Chicken Meal,  it comes in as large as 28 pound bags, and generally retails for about $2.11 per pound.  Chicken meal actually contains 300% more protein than regular chicken meat.  It's rated 4 stars on DFA (Dog Food Advisor).
• Another chicken meal based food is Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Healthy Weight.  This food has 29% protein, and slightly more fat at 15%.  There are 321 calories per cup, and a 25 pound bags runs around $1.62 per pound with a 4 star rating at DFA.  This was one of the most affordable brands we tried, and he did lose weight on it.
• Beef might be what your dog prefers, and Merrick makes a low calorie food called Grain Free Healthy Weight.  This food earned a 4.5 star rating from DFA, comes in a 25 pound bag at  around $2.16 per pound, and contains 32% protein, only 8% fat, and 360 calories per cup.   Neither of my dogs have lost on this, but I think it's because it's higher calorie than most of the other brands that they eat.
• The only non-grain free food we tried was Fromm Gold  Weight Control.  They do also make a grain free version with fish as the protein called Gold Coast, but their regular version has no corn, wheat, or soy so we tried it.  The main protein is turkey liver and duck, and it contains 25% protein with 10% fat, and 241 calories per cup.  It's rated 4 stars on DFA, and runs about $1.53 per pound for a 33lb bag,  This was the best value as far as cost, but my basset had some issues with it and developed a yeast infection.  
• Otis had some of the best results on Solid Gold Holistic Fit & Fabulous, which has fish/pollock as the main protein. Remy, my basset, was not a fan of the fish and refused to eat it except if she was starving.  Otis dug in with gusto.  It is not rated in DFA, but has 26% protein and only 7% fat.  It contains 330 calories per cup, comes in a  24 pound bag and costs about $2.33 per pound.

There are other foods that made my list of possibilities but that we have not yet tried (or ruled out for various reasons):

• Wellness Core Reduced Fat Grain Free, made with Turkey, and containing 33% protein, 12% fat, and 360 calories per cup. It has a five star rating from DFA and it costs about $2.26 per pound for a 26 pound bag.  I ultimately decided not to try it because of the higher calories combined with the 12% fat.  It has the same calories as the Merrick, but Merrick is lower in fat.
• Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Grain Free Healthy Weight has 4 stars from DFA and costs about $2.08 per pound for a 24 pound bag.  It was 26% protein and only 8% fat with 394 calories per cup and the main protein being Salmon.  I opted against this for my dogs because Remy doesn't seem to care for fish and the calories were way too high.  This might be better for larger dogs who have higher caloric needs. 8/30/16 Edit: Since this was posted, we have adopted a third dog, an eight year old beagle/chihuahua mix, who turned out to possibly be allergic to chicken.  Despite the very high calories, I am transitioning all of my dogs over to this food (because it's salmon and not whitefish) and reducing the amount of kibble I feed them.  Adding water and fresh veggies (steamed green beans, raw carrots, raw celery, etc) help them feel full while they adjust to less kibble.
• Nulo Freestyle Adult Trim Grain Free has Cod as the main protein.  I really want to have my dogs try this but haven't because Remy doesn't seem to care for seafood. It has 4.5 stars from DFA, 30% protein and only 7-9% fat with 368 calories per cup. At $2.62 per pound for 24 pounds, it was a bit more expensive than I was comfortable spending for a food that Remy probably won't eat.  If your dog doesn't mind fish and you are comfortable with the price, this might be a great one to try.
• The last that I considered but haven't tried yet is Annamaet Grain Free Lean.  With 5 stars from DFA, 350 calories per cup, 33% protein and only 9% fat, this is a contender for trial in our house.  It runs about $2.34-$2.87 per pound for a 30 pound bag and has Chicken, Duck, and Herring as the protein.  It's much more expensive than the others as well.

To help prevent Otis from feeling like he was being starved, we gradually reduced the amount of kibble he was getting, and added warm water to his kibble to help fill his stomach.  We also supplemented with raw or steamed vegetables as treats instead of nutrition-empty biscuits.  He really enjoys steamed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots.  He eats raw green pepper and celery, too.  He likes raw or steamed apples, and loves bananas.  Once or twice a day, I give him one of my three-ingredient canine cookies, as they are high in fiber and help keep his digestive system running smoothly.

Unfortunately, as the weather got too hot, I got lazy and stopped walking him except on weekend mornings, as we have fenced yard.  He doesn't cope well with heat and humidity and has breathing issues, and I don't like going to work looking and smelling like a sweaty mess.  Once the weather cools, we will be walking more.  He's gained most of the weight back, but he's also getting a few more treats to help with the addition of a new dog.  They are almost out of their current food, so I am switching again as part of our rotation to one of the lower-fat and lower calorie foods.

Don't just reduce the amount of normal food. This is because over time, your dog will not get the right nutrition.  Lower fat/calorie foods are formulated to make sure that your dog gets the nutrition he needs, to help him lose weight safely and in a healthy way.  Just reducing the amount of regular calorie food will cause some weight loss, but it's not healthy weight loss.  It's like with people, if you just eat less overall of your higher-fat diet, of course you will lose weight.  But, you have to make healthy changes to lower-fat/higher fiber and protein foods so you stay full and get enough vitamins and minerals from your food.

Aside from lowering the fat and calorie intake, your dog will need to increase his activity more.  This means more exercise.  This can be daily walks, runs, chasing a ball or laser pointer, or pretty much anything that gets your dog moving.  While you will need to monitor and possible reduce activity if you live in an area with hot (and especially humid) summers, you can still get some exercise in playing indoors if you have room. You can also try to take walks in the early morning or late evening hours.  When the weather is cold, walking is also more challenging, but your pup (and her feet) can handle it as long as it's not very icy or below freezing.  You do need to take into account your dog's age and overall fitness and medical needs.  For example, a dog prone to tearing cruciates (knee ligaments) would not be a good candidate for running but could most likely handle a good long walk.  Always check with your vet if you aren't sure!

*Calories in dog food are actually measured in kilocalories, or kcal.  You may see labels that reference kCal/ME, which is a way of measuring the metabolic energy.  For the sake of simplicity in my own research and blog, I do not convert the kCals to calories, but simply refer to them as calories.

Sources:
petMD
VCA Hospitals

Heat Stroke: Would You Recognize It? (Prevention & Treatment)

You've probably heard not to leave your dog in the car, and even heard of the many stories of owners who have done that and had their dogs die.  Sometimes, the dogs are rescued in time.  You should never leave your dog in the car, even if you leave the windows down or leave the car running with the A/C on, or you're parked in the shade.    There have been several reports of citizens or police rescuing dogs left in hot cars, and these dogs survived, but many don't.
Pensacola Florida, July 1, 2016
Wrentham, Massachusetts, June 27, 2016
Merriam, Kansas, July 11, 2016

If you can't take your dogs with you into every store or place you plan to visit, then leave your dog at home!

In addition to being careful about not leaving your dog in a car, there are other dangers to dogs related to heat.

Some areas are very humid, particularly in the southeast and mid-atlantic regions of the US.  Humidity affects pets just like it does humans, and can lead to heat stroke.  When dogs pant, it helps to remove moisture from their lungs to help take heat away from their body.  When humidity is too high, dogs aren't able to effectively remove the moisture and heat.

Exercise is very important, but on hot/humid days, limit or reduce the amount of exercise and also try to limit it to the early morning or late evening hours, when it is cooler.  Not only will both you and Rover enjoy your walk or game much more, but it will help reduce the chances of your dog overheating.  If you walk on pavement, be aware that if it's too hot for you to put the back of your hand on the pavement for seven full seconds, it's too hot for your dog to walk on.

Fans can help, but they aren't ideal because a dog sweats through his feet!  While the breeze will feel good to your dog, it may not actually cool him off much.  That being said, when we are outside I do have an outdoor fan running and my dogs do like to lay in front of it - often with their feet towards it.  There's nothing wrong with using a fan, but don't count on it to be enough to keep your dog cool by itself.

When your dogs are outside, make sure they have water and shade.  If possible, think about putting ice cubes in their water.  I like to use cubes made from frozen broth as well, because the flavor helps encourage my dogs to drink more.  Shade from tarps, trees, awnings, or open air tents are the best because they allow air flow.  Dog houses actually trap the heat and won't do anything to cool your dog.   Water loving dogs may love to run through a sprinkler (you can make a soft one using a pool noodle!) or in a plastic wading pool filled with cool water.

mesh sun shade

open air flow tent

basset in plastic pool

dog cooling off in pool

frozen kong

Give cool treats such as broth ice cubes in their water, or freeze mashed bananas and peanut butter in their kong.  You can try plain greek yogurt, peanut butter, and a fruit like blueberries, bananas, apples, etc frozen in a kong as well.  You can also freeze green beans and carrots and give them as a low calorie cold treat.  Frosty Paws are a nice cold treat, too.   I also help my puppes keep cool by making puppy popsicles, and I also freeze the 3 Ingredient Canine Cookies and give them to my pups frozen - they stay soft even when frozen!

puppy popsicles 

3 ingredient canine cookies

Have a plan for power outages because they do happen and sometimes it's more than for just a couple of hours.  It's just important to make sure your dog stays comfortable as it is for you.  Your plans may include having a list of pet-friendly hotel/motels outside of your immediate area (maybe the next town over), a list of friends or relatives in various nearby areas that would be willing to let you and your pet stay with them, at least two dog boarders in different nearby areas (within maybe 15 miles or so) where you would be comfortable leaving your pet as long as the boarder has power (and have your dog registered with them and preferably stay in a non-emergent situation so you will know you your dog does with boarding).  Also, consider contacting your vet when you lose power - they may have power (and likely a backup generator) and be able to board your dog.

Know the signs of canine heat stroke. I wasn't aware of all of these before writing this blog.
Signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are:

• heavy/excessive panting
• glazed eyes
• difficulty breathing
• excessive thirst
• lethargy
• fever (over 103 degrees)
• excessive drooling
• dizziness
• lack of coordination or falling
• dark red or purple tongue
• seizure
• vomiting, including vomiting blood
• paid heart rate
• irregular heartbeat
• unconciousness
• less urine than usual or not urinating

If you think your dog is suffering from heat stroke, move your dog into the shade or if possible, and air conditioned area.  Apply ice packs or cold/frozen towels to her body, and let her drink small amounts of water or lick ice cubes.  My beagle easily overheats and most of the time, doesn't want to drink water.  I use a small syringe from the local pharmacy to squirt a little bit of water in his mouth to help him cool down and hydrate. Run cool (but not cold) water over his body. Call your vet right away if you suspect heat stroke, as your dog may need urgent medical attention including IV fluids!

Some breeds are more susceptible to heat stroke, including those with very heavy coats such as alaskan malamute, husky, sheepdog, irish wolfhound, samoyed, st. benard, newfie, and akitas.  Also,  dogs with pushed in faces such as pug, bulldog (french and english), boston terrier, boxer, chow chow, pekingeses are at an increased risk of heat stroke.  Any overweight or obese dog of almost any breed is also at an increased risk.

Sources:
Humane Society
ASPCA
PetMD
iHeartDogs

Fleas & Ticks - More Than Just An Annoyance!

You probably know that in humans, fleas can cause itchy rashes and skin infections.  Did you know they also spread Typhus and Plague, among other diseases? You've probably heard that ticks spread disease like Lyme Disease, but they also spread things like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Anaplasmosis.

Even worse, your dog can get these things and more!  All it takes is a flea or tick bite, and both are preventable.

When we adopted Otis, he was a sick little thing.  He had tested positive for Erlichiosis, and worse, Lyme Disease.  Erlichiosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by the Lone Star Tick.  The bacteria, erlichae, affect the body by infecting the white blood cells and then destroying them.  Your dog will likely be very fatigued/lethargic, may not have much of an appetite and lose weight, will likely have a fever, may become anemic, and may suffer from an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes.  It more or less causes flu-like symptoms and lasts a couple of weeks with treatment.  Treatment is generally well tolerated is typically is a course of the antibiotic doxycyline.  It took Otis several weeks to recover, but he was also dealing with Lyme Disease.


Lyme Disease is also spread by ticks, usually the black-legged tick.  It has some odd symptoms like sudden onset of lameness, which may or may not be accompanied by a fever. Anorexia and lethargy are also common symptoms.  Once Otis came home with us, he spent much of his first week sleeping.  Lyme Disease has lasting symptoms like arthritis or stiff joints when left untreated.  Luckily, Lyme Disease in dogs is treatable by antibiotics like tetracyclines (such as doxycycline) and cephalosporins.

There are tons of other flea and tick borne infections and diseases such as babeiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, tapeworm, and Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, just to name a few.  These can cause serious illness, and even death, in both dogs and humans.  It's a risk you can easily reduce or eliminate.

Prevention is key.  The good news is that there are many things you can do to prevent fleas and ticks on your dogs.  Some of them are store-bought, some are natural, and some are just elbow grease.

If your dog already has fleas, s/he will need a flea bath.  You can do this yourself by purchasing or making a flea shampoo.  Alternatively, you may prefer to take your pup to a groomer or vet for a flea bath.  Some examples of a store-bought flea shampoo is Vet's Best Flea Shampoo or Advantage II flea shampoo, available at pet stores or online at places like Chewy.com or Amazon.com.  Make sure to check your dog for ticks, too.  Ears, groin, creases of skin, skin folds, and in between toes are places you might commonly find a tick.

You can make your own flea shampoo, too.  I found a simple recipe on Food.com that is perfect for natural flea treatment.  All you need is one cup of liquid dish soap (Dawn is preferable), one quart of water, and one cup of white vinegar.  For best results, mix the ingredients then put the mixture in a squirt bottle, like an old shampoo bottle.  Shampoo your dog and let it sit on him for at least five minutes (it's okay to keep massaging him while the shampoo does it's thing).  You can use this on yourself, too.  You'll also need to treat your entire home.  You will need to wash all bedding (and blankets/throws around the house) including your dogs bedding.  You will need to vacuum every room, every corner, every baseboard and throw out the bag when you're done.  If you have a bag-less vacuum, empty it and wipe it out.  Vacuum your car, too, even if your dog hasn't been in it lately, since fleas may hitch a ride on your clothing and infest your car.  You'll probably also need to purchase a spray or fogger and kill off all of the fleas.  You may also need to spread granules or spray your yard to kill the fleas there and prevent re-infestation.

If your dog does not yet have fleas or ticks and you want to keep it that way, then you need to work on prevention.  There are inexpensive flea collars available, which I am not a fan of as they can cause irritation to your dog's skin.  The skin reactions seem to be more common in cats, but it does also happen to dogs.  However, if you are on a tight budget, a flea collar is better than nothing at all.  You can also make your own flea collar using Apple Cider Vinegar and Lavender oil, but it does need to be replaced weekly.  I'll provide recipes at the bottom of this post.

example of a brand of flea collar

example of contact dermatitis (allergic reaction) caused by flea collar.

There are oral medications such as Capstar or Comfortis, that will help kill and repel fleas.  They don't really work for ticks, though, but are a good option if your dog's skin is too sensitive for topical medications.  I prefer topical medications that are applied once a month.  They work even after your dog gets wet or is bathed and lasts for several weeks.  Better yet, they kill and repel not just fleas, but ticks and other parasites like mosquitoes, which transmit the dreaded Heartworm.  I prefer K9 Advantix II over Frontline because I live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, and K9 Advantix repels mosquitoes, whereas Frontline does not.  That being said, the Heartworm preventative I use repels mosquitoes so I could probably use Frontline without issue. I just feel better knowing that my dogs have as much mosquito protection as possible.

Other forms of prevention require some elbow grease, and should be done in addition to your other forms of flea and tick control.  Flowerbeds and corners of the yard should be cleared of leaf debris.  Bushes/shrubs should be kept trimmed back, making sure the leaves or needles of the bush don't touch the ground and all leaf debris is cleared from under it.  You may want to spray your yard or spread granules - though read labels carefully since many of these products can be toxic to dogs.  I like to use Eco-Smart products (available at places like Home Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement, Walmart, etc)  because they are safer around kids and pets, but use whatever works best for you.

Natural Flea Collar
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)

3-5 drops Lavender oil
1-3 tbsp water
fabric collar or bandanna

Mix the ingredients, then apply several drops (5-10) to the fabric.  Repeat weekly.  Another method is to dip the fabric in the mixture.

Natural Flea Spray
(recipe courtesy Everyday Roots)

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 qt. fresh water
3 drops Lavender oil

Mix ingredients and put into a spray bottle.  Lightly most your dog, taking care to avoid her face.  You can spray a washcloth and then rub the washcloth on your dog's neck and face.

Flea Shampoo
(recipe courtesy Food.com)

1 cup liquid dish soap (preferably Dawn)
1 qt. water
1 cup white vinegar (ACV would also work)

Mix ingredients, put into a squirt bottle.  Shampoo your dog, letting shampoo sit for about 5 minutes.



Sources:
VetInfo
CDC
VetStreet
WebMd
Food.com
Everyday Roots