Dealing with fleas is one natural part of dog ownership. Dealing with fleas naturally can be another, thanks to the essential plant oils which may help you keep your dog from becoming a flea-debilitated creature going through his days in an agony of itching.
Essential oils, used as directed, produce none of the unpleasant side effects which have been associated with chemical flea shampoos, powders, collars and spot treatments.
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Flea Shampoos with Essential Oils
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Buy a flea shampoo enriched with essential oils instead of chemical insecticides. You can find them at a health food store, if not at one of the large pet stores near you. Some essential oils effective at eliminating fleas are eucalyptus, rose geranium, cedar, citronella and pennyroyal. Pennyroyal, however, isn't safe if either you or your pet is pregnant, because it can cause miscarriages.
An alternative is to make your own flea shampoo from a baby shampoo base. Baby shampoo won't hurt your dog's eyes or dry her skin and coat the way a stronger shampoo might.
Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of your essential oils (any combination) with 1/4 cup of glycerin from your pharmacy and stir gently until blended. In another container, mix 3/4 cup of aloe vera juice from your health food store with one teaspoon of olive oil and the filtered juice of one lemon. Blend all the ingredients and combine with 12 ounces of baby shampoo.
Wet and lather your dog thoroughly and allow the oils in shampoo to work for about 10 minutes. Completely rinse the dirty lather.
Flea Collars with Essential Oils
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Shampooing your dog is the best way to treat existing flea infestations. In between shampoos, however, you need to discourage the fleas from returning. For that, you can use a flea collar permeated with essential oils. Get one at your health food store, says Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM.
He also suggests placing a flea collar in the bag or cup of your vacuum cleaner so any fleas you remove by vacuuming won't escape if you don't empty the contents immediately. (Reference 2)
Flea Repellents with Essential Oils
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Using these essential oils in shampoos will give them time to kill the fleas, but using them as repellents on your pet may require frequent reapplication.
In a 2001 study, Chapel Hill Dermatology and the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory at the University of Florida tested the mosquito-repelling effects of different commercial products containing both DEET and different plant oils. The most effective plant-based oil, lemon eucalyptus, protected people from mosquitoes for between 60 and 217 minutes.
Many of the oils mentioned in the study (cedar, citronella, peppermint, lemongrass, and geranium) are often recommended as flea deterrents in flea repellent recipes.
Dangers of Flea Treatment with Essential Oils
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Dr. Barbara Fougere, certified in herbal veterinary medicine, warns that both dogs and cats have suffered from anorexia, burns, and liver problems from excessive exposure to essential oils. A cat's liver, for example, is incapable of detoxifying some of the chemicals in pennyroyal.
Being the fastidious groomers they are, cats risk ingesting any traces of essential oil in their coats. Dr. Fougere advises that you treat your cat with essential oils only under the guidance of a certified herbal practitioner.
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