Anyone who cares about their dog will want to relieve it of the horribly ugly and uncomfortable skin condition known as mange. Mange is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the hair follicles of the animals and cause them to lose hair and suffer from intense itching. You can, fortunately, make your own herbal mange spray out of essential oils that have been shown to be lethal to mange-causing mites, and rid your trusted companion of this nasty affliction.
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Tea Tree and Citronella
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Go to a health food store or online retailer that specializes in essential oils and get ounce-sized bottles of both tea tree and citronella. In a study conducted at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences of the Estonian University of Life Sciences by Dr. Erika Magi in 2006, many different herbal extracts and essential oils were tested for their effectiveness at killing the mange mite in pigs. All of the herbs showed degrees of activity against the mange mite, but the essential oils of citronella and tea tree proved to be the most potent.
Make a Spray
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Get a dark colored glass spray bottle, if at all possible, as light will reduce the power of the essential oils if stored over periods of time. Add ten to twenty drops of each kind of essential oil per cup of water used in the spray. Always shake before using, as the oil will separate from the water if left sitting for any length of time. Spray all areas of your pet that are effected by the mange, as well as all surrounding areas the mites may escape to. Make sure to start with one small spray on an area that you can spot test to make sure your dog does not have a bad reaction to the spray. A high concentration of essential oils can cause irritation and even skin damage. Remember to spray down all animal bedding and area rugs that might be hiding places for the mange mites.
Other Tactics
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You may also want to add crushed garlic to the spray, as it was also found to be moderately effective at killing mites in the above-mentioned study. The same goes penny royal and eucalyptus, two oils that you might already have lying around the house.
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