Rubbing Alcohol as a Flea Repellent

To keep fleas at bay, you can spray your pet and the bedding and carpets with Wintergreen scented rubbing alcohol. It's an easy, inexpensive solution for an occasional flea. I use a topical flea preventative, but I still saw a few fleas from time to time until I tried this.

Source: A friend

By Kathy J. from Plymouth, CT

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By 03/21/2013

Hello, I have worked for a veterinarian for over 20 years. PLEASE DO NOT use alcohol on your pet. It is TOXIC!

By 03/19/2013

I agree with all the other posts. This is not safe for the animal.

By 03/17/2013

But does it take your dogs breath away? You could be burning his lungs with the fumes from the alcohol and wintergreen oil. What does your vet say about doing this?

By 06/17/2010

Most animals clean themselves by licking. I don't see how this is safe?

By 06/16/2010

Be safe and just buy a local flea treatment from your local humane society or vet. These chemicals are not safe. Prone to skin irritation, burning on breaks in the skin from scratching, eye contact, indegestion.

By 06/16/2010

Do not spray your pets with alcohol as this will coat to much of their skin and cause irritation and skin dry out. Also if they have scratched where a flea was and tore their skin this will cause burning. If you must use alcohol to remove fleas do it this way. When finding fleas:
*Dab fleas with the cotton ball soaked in alcohol. This slows down fleas, enabling you to catch them. Then plunge the fleas to the bottom of the cup of water. Next, dump the water into the toilet and flush, or rinse down a sink, to prevent the flea from escaping.
*Smother fleas by dropping them in a cup of water to which a teaspoon of cooking oil has been added.

By 06/16/2010

You can buy the wintergreen alcohol in any drugstore, it's along side the rubbing alcohol. I have been misting it on my dogs, furniture, carpets, their bedding for years. I mist it (don't saturate) and it drys really fast. I have never had any issues. When it's really hot and muggy outside, the mist is refreshing and they love it.
Kathyj311

By 06/16/2010

Please be very careful on using any kind of alcohol on any animals because it will lower body temperature. It can also be harmful if they lick anywhere the alcohol has been causing liver damage! lol

By 06/16/2010

Need more info on this please, is this safe? And can you buy the wintergreen at any store? Do you just mist it on the pet all over (except the face)? I have never heard of this before and just am very cautious with what i put on my pets. :)

Thanks so much.