A Few Sprays A Day Can Help Keep Fleas & Ticks Away!
Whewww! The dog days of summer are fully upon us! This means many of us (except for Arizonan’s who don’t get to see the outdoors until October) are out and about with our dogs. Getting to be with our pups outdoors is great fun. Hiking, swimming, camping, picnics, and boating are all better with man’s best friend. You get the picture. Unfortunately, all of this summer time fun puts our pets at risk of attracting fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. All three of these little critters bring with them their own diseases and issues. To prevent illness to your tribe you could buy regular, chemical laden flea and tick products that are available at your local pet store to try and deter these vampires, but some of these products have come under scrutiny for bad side effects. On the other hand you could make up a batch of all natural flea, tick and mosquito spray using awesome essential oils!! Lets hear it for all natural! 🙂
If you Googled essential oils bug repellent for dogs you would come up with a number of different oils that can be used. I have narrowed it down to the top 4 essential oils to make things easier. These oils are Lavender, Cedarwood, Geranium and Eucalyptus. Now, I will tell you honestly the Geranium and Eucalyptus are not my favorite oils. I think they stink! But for the health of my furry tribe and the fact that this is for outdoor use I will plug my nose and use these aromatic oils 🙂 . All four of these oils are obviously great at repelling bugs, otherwise this post would have a different title. But these four oils also bring other benefits to your pup:
- Lavender is an analgesic, anti-fungal, antihistamine, calming yet stimulating oil. There is a reason that this oil makes every top 10 oil list on the internet.
- Cedarwood is an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, sedative, anti-infectious oil.
- Geranium is an like the other three oils is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial plus antiseptic and refreshing ( if you like the smell :)). Eucalyptus brings antiviral, analgesic, anticatarrhal and hypotensive properties to the mix.
- Eucalyptus is also a top 10 oil and is found in many blends for cold remedies and first aid.
Just from the brief run down of each oil you can see that together they can make for a healthy bug beating spray for your dog.
Since I am not the expert at blending oils yet I found this easy pest spray recipe created by Dr. Janet Roark, DVM. You can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EODVM
Bug Spray Recipe:
- 15 drops Lavender
- 15 drops Cedarwood
- 5 drops Geranium
- 5 drops Eucalyptus
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother)
- 1 drop Dish Soap (a dropper might make this easier)
- Add all ingredients to a 2 oz Fine Mist Glass Spray Bottle
- Top off bottle with Distilled Water.
Shake bottle before each use. Spray all over your dog before heading outside. Make sure to avoid their eyes, nose, ears and genital region. Reapply as needed throughout the day. This is a very diluted recipe so you can add more oil if you are not getting the protection you need for your area of the country. Here in Colorado with our dry climate we are light on bugs as compared to the warmer and more moist areas of the country.
This is a simple recipe and the 2 oz bottle is easy to take anywhere your summer fun leads you and your canine. Please keep in mind that essential oils will not kill fleas, ticks or mosquitoes but rather deter them. Make sure that you reapply this spray a few times during your adventures just like you would sunscreen to your family.
Now get out there and enjoy some fun with all of your family including the furry ones with four paws! Let me know if you try this recipe and how it worked for you.
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