Eco Flea and Tick Treatments for Dogs and Cats

Please read the safety instructions at the end. Important stuff, Cats are different from dogs and other mammals in that they metabolize and excrete certain substances in their bodies in a very special way. The key is the feline liver. Cats do not produce the necessary enzymes to break down certain substances and then flush them out of their bodies. Not all essential oils cause serious problems with cats. The two worst offenders are limonene and pinene. Sadly, these two essential oils are frequently found in natural flea and tick repellents, shampoos,

Dog Shampoo

This pet shampoo base is very easy to make, does not contain unsafe chemicals, and is an effective cleanser.

1 ) Take a bowl and add one full cup of an all natural liquid dish soap. Seventh Generation is a favorite among dog owners, but Ecover, Dove, Ivory, or Dial would also work well. A dog's skin is just as sensitive as a human's, and you want to avoid anything that could irritate it.

2 ) Add one full cup of water and mix well.. Feel free to add more water if you need to dilute the chemicals further for particularly sensitive skin.

3 ) Add one full cup of apple cider vinegar and mix. This acts like a deodorant in your homemade dog shampoo. It works to give your pet's coat a lustrous shine, and will also work to keep fleas away. It also ensures that there is no soap residue left in the fur once you rinse everything away. The best part about the vinegar is that it helps prevent the wet dog smell that most people find so terrible.

To this amount of pet shampoo base, you can add up to 20 drops of essential oils to create a variety of synergistic blends from the book Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals:

Calming Blend

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, does not like going to the vet, and is upset or anxious for any reason, use one to six drops of this oil, depending on the size of your dog. Rub the drops onto your hand and hold your hand under your dog's nose. Do not force it. Usually the dog will respond well because the aromatherapy works. Store in a dark glass bottle.

½ ounce carrier oil like hazelnut or sweet almond

3 drops Lavender

3 drops Sweet Marjoram

3 drops Chamomile roman

3 drops Neroli

To summarize

There are many more ways you can use aromatherapy with your dog. Do adequate research, and fill out an essential oil profile page that you were introduced to earlier in this course. You must know everything about the oils you intend to use on yourself and on your pets. As always, when you prepare blends, keep very detailed notes about the ingredients you used, as well as the reaction of your dog when introduced to these aromatherapy preparations. Do as much research as possible, and remember that not everything you read on the Internet is fact-based. Make sure you verify anything you find on the Internet with another independent source.

Using essential oils to repel fleas and ticks helps eliminate the amount of chemicals you and your family are exposed to. Some botanical oils are suitable for direct skin contact, while others work best sprayed on clothing or under rugs and cushions. Exercise caution when using essential oils, especially around children and pregnant women. Keep in mind that federal agencies do not officially consider essential oils to last as long or provide as strong protection against insects as chemicals like DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide).

Lavender - A sweet-smelling, all-purpose insect repellent, lavender essential oil performed well in recent studies as both a tick deterrent and a method of preventing tick eggs from hatching. Additionally, Ohio State University recommends it for controlling fleas

Lemongrass - lemongrass essential oil as a natural flea and tick repellent.

Eucalyptus - Ohio State University suggests using eucalyptus oil as a flea repellent.

Lemon - "Herb Companion" magazine's formula for natural bug control contains lemon essential oil.  Lemon essential oil contains the compound limolene, considered especially effective against the fleas which pester cats. Sprinkle the oil around the home, including in potpourri bowls, under cushions and under pet beds, but don't add directly to pet fur.

Remember: Cats are different from dogs and other mammals in that they metabolize and excrete certain substances in their bodies in a very special way. The key is the feline liver. Cats do not produce the necessary enzymes to break down certain substances and then flush them out of their bodies. Because of this, cats can experience a toxic buildup of substances. Essential oil usage around cats can lead to symptoms of  "mystery poisoning" that baffle many veterinarians