Does Sevin Dust Kill Fleas on Dogs?

I know many dog parents are always on the lookout for flea preventatives for the house, yard, and dog.

And because Sevin Dust is a highly effective insecticide, it is no wonder some pet parents may be curious if it would be a good option to use on their dog.

However, Sevin Dust is not a pet-safe product and should not be used to kill fleas on your dog.

Sevin is a useful product to keep fleas from coming into your home; however, it should only ever be used outdoors.

Does Sevin Dust Kill Fleas?

Sevin Dust kills fleas on contact and works for up to three months.

Unfortunately, Sevin Dust does not act as a repellent and requires the flea to come in direct contact with the insecticide.

Though Sevin Dust works to kill flea larvae, it does not kill the eggs.

However, once the eggs hatch and the larvae emerge, it will die from contact with the dust.

In addition to fleas, Sevin Dust kills more than 65 different insects, but should only be used on lawns and gardens.

How Does Sevin Dust Kill Fleas?

Carbaryl is the primary active ingredient in Sevin Dust, the insecticide that kills the fleas.

Carbaryl works on contact, inhalation, or ingestion. The insecticide works by attacking the insect’s nervous system^[1].

Is Sevin Dust Safe for Dogs?

Sevin Dust is not safe to be used on or around dogs and is highly toxic.

Sevin is a Garden Tech product^[2], and according to their website, Sevin Dust should never be used on pets and should only be used outside as directed.

Is Sevin Dust Safe for Puppies?

No, Sevin Dust is not safe for puppies.

Puppies are even more sensitive to insecticide poisoning than adult dogs.

Is Sevin Dust Harmful to Dogs?

Sevin Dust is extremely harmful to dogs.

If your Sevin Dust contacts your dog skin, is inhaled, or worse, consumed, they may suffer from any of the below conditions^[3]:

Sevin Dust should not be used for baths, on carpets, or your dog’s bedding.

Any contact your dog has with Sevin Dust could be harmful.

How to Use Sevin Dust for Fleas

First, put all children and pets indoors.

Then, apply Sevin Dust by shaking a light layer of dust onto the lawn.

Wait until the dust has settled before allowing anyone back into the treated area.

Sevin Dust is most effective when used after watering.

Alternative Options

There are several other safer options for killing fleas on dogs.

Here are a few of my favorite safe and natural flea remedies.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an effective and fast way to rid your dog of a flea infestation.

Mixing coconut oil with your dog’s favorite shampoo, at a 50%+ ratio, will kill fleas within 24 hours.

To learn more about using coconut oil for eliminating fleas, check out our article How to Use Coconut Oil on Dogs for Fleas.

Plants

Several plants can be used to deter fleas from coming into your yard or home.

Many of these plants are safe to use both inside and outside of your house.

Some of these plants are good to use to feed the local wildlife, such as fennel.

Use these plants at the edge of your yard to help keep rabbits and deer from eating your other plants as well as ridding them of fleas too.

If the local wildlife is free of fleas, they won’t transfer them to your yard.

Other plants to use around the home or yard include:

Essential Oils

Using essential oils to kill and repel fleas is effective, with the added benefit of making your home and dog smell great.

Some of the more common essential oils used to kill fleas on your dog include cedarwood, lavender, peppermint, and rosemary.

Check out Essential Oils for Fleas: Kill & Repel Fleas on Your Dog for detailed information about using essential oils to treat fleas.

Conclusion

I am always looking for ways to keep fleas away from home and my pets.

However, I am very cautious about the products we use on or around our dogs.

I do not use insecticides or pesticides that are not considered pet-safe.

I do my best to use natural flea repellents such as coconut oil, essential oils, plants, and commercial products like Vet’s Best Flea and Tick Yard Treatment to treat my yard.

I have a friend whose dog became extremely ill after they treated their lawn with an insecticide.

Though the yard was dry when their dog went on it, they believe he was still able to ingest enough while cleaning his paws to become ill.

Thankfully, he fully recovered.

I encourage all dog parents to consider using more natural and less toxic products.

There is an abundance of products available that have proven both effective in managing fleas as well as safe to use around dogs.

FAQs

Resources

1. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/carbarylgen.html
2. https://www.gardentech.com/insects/fleas
3. https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2720&Itemid=2963