Ticks on your dog is a dangerous situation. Ticks can cause a variety of problems such as tick paralysis, Lyme disease or ehrlichiosis. Homemade tick repellents are inexpensive and, proponents of homeopathic remedies assert, just as effective as commercial products. With a homemade product, you can rest assured that your dog is not being subjected to harmful or harsh chemicals or other unnatural products.
Things You'll Need
- Organic apple cider vinegar
- Essential oils such as lavender, lemongrass, neem or geranium
- Water
- Spray bottle
- Dog shampoo
Instructions
Bathe your dog as usual using a commercial shampoo made especially for ticks and fleas. There are no harmful ingredients in these dog shampoos. The fleas actually drown and the ticks will slide off the fur due to the slippery shampoo. Also, when your dog̵7;s fur is wet it is much easier to see ticks that may already be imbedded.
Rinse your dog thoroughly to remove all traces of the shampoo. Rinse once again using a solution of apple cider vinegar and water. The apple cider vinegar is believed to make the dog̵7;s skin unpalatable to ticks. Also, apple cider vinegar can be added to your dog̵7;s water (use two tablespoons for a bowl of water) for the same reason.
Dilute essential oils before using them on your dog. According to Paw Rescue and other proponents of homeopathic remedies, essential oils such as lavender, geranium, lemongrass and neem are effective in repelling ticks. Mix a few drops of your essential oils with water in a spray bottle and spray the solution between your dog̵7;s shoulder blades.