Natural Repellents
The Natural Alternative to Pesticides on our animals
If you are like me, your dogs (pets) are your children. You want them to receive the best care possible which includes natural treatments when they need it, not pharmaceuticals with side effects. Since essential oils aid the body by healing and the prevention of ailments, the next step would be to ask, "Are essential oils safe for dogs?".
Most of them are, however, it is generally recommended they not be given internally. Aromatic or topical solutions should be used. You must also remember that your dog cannot tell you what is or is not working-you must closely watch their reactions. Watch for excessive scratching, sniffing, nervousness, or whining to indicate a negative reaction.
Always be sure to use pure, therapeutic grade oils and dilute them to 25% of the adult formula due to their size (Great Danes excepted!). Keep in mind that what is good for a big dog is not good for a small dog. Do not use any oils on puppies under 8 weeks old or toy breeds under 10 weeks old.
Let Your Dog Choose
It's not as strange as it sounds. Animals have the innate ability to know what they need (zoopharmacognosy in scientific terms). Choose an essential oil and offer it to your dog to smell (after diluting it). If he likes it, he may just want to smell it. He may also want to lick it. If your dog doesn't like it (exhibiting any of behaviors above), do not enforce its use. A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be 10-100 times better than ours. Imagine being covered by fragrance you hate-then multiply it by 10 or 100 and you will understand why you shouldn't force the use of any given oil if your dog doesn't like it.
What you should know about Essential OILS
Some marketers of essential oils have created terminology referring to the quality of essential oils. The term "therapeutic grade" was created for oils that meet these criteria:
- Oil comes from the first distillations of the raw plant material.
- Nothing is added to the oil after distillation.
- No chemical solvents are added to the water during the distillation process.
- Steam distilled essential oils meet these criteria. Because of special methods used to obtain certain oils, some essential oils would not meet the above criteria.
- Citrus essential oils are not steam distilled, but are cold pressed. Because of the nature of citrus oils, it is important not to use heat or steam in the production of these oils.
- Another exception is Jasmine Absolute. A solvent is needed to extract the important constituents from jasmine flowers. When applicable, essential oils are certified to meet Biologic/Eco-Cert standards. Eco-Cert is an international organization that inspects and certifies products to verify that they conform to European organic regulations and national and international norms. Essential oils that are Biologic/Eco-Cert Organic certified are those with “BIO” after the oil name. – One place that can be found at http://www.theherbsplace.com or other sites such as www.Amazon.com and other sites on search.
How to Use Avon Skin So Soft(SSS) on Dogs
Insect repellent for your pet
(As recommended in "Outdoor Life" and "Field and Stream"):
- Mix 5 parts water
- 1 part SSS
Mist on animals. Brushing it in makes their coats gleam and keeps insects off so the animals don't fidget in the show ring.
Insect Repellent Recipe for Pets:
- 1 cup Avon Skin So Soft bath oil
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup (or more) water
- 5 cc of essential oil of citronella (from the health food store NOT the type you burn to keep insects away that is available in a drug store)
Mix in a spray bottle.
Black Fly Spray For Dogs:
- 1 cup SSS
- 1/2 cup liquid detergent
- 3 gallons of water
Use as a spray or a dip
Flea Repellent:
- 1-1/2 oz SSS
- one gallon of water
Flea counts dropped 40 percent in one day after dogs were soaked in this solution. This application should last for about six days.
Spray your dog's fur with Skin So Soft to prevent fleas.
- Mix one part of the bath oil with
- One part of water and
- Pour it into a clean spritz bottle.
Mist your dog all over (avoiding his face) and brush him thoroughly to make sure you've distributed the oil in all areas. Do this each day during flea season. Another plus, this should help make him smell good and is helpful if your dog has a dry coat.
Mosquitoes:
- Straight SSS works well for mosquitoes too but really makes your dog greasy.
Pet Flea Bath:
- 5 parts water
- 1 part SSS
Mix in your pet's bath water. It takes the fleas off of them. Then in between baths spray the animal to keep the fleas off.
Homemade Tick Treatment and Repellent
Being able to treat your pet for ticks naturally is important if you want to protect their health and that of the planet. These natural, homemade tick repellents and prevention techniques are things you can do at home simply and easily. These tips will make it possible to prevent and repel ticks naturally, without the use of harmful pesticides.
Tea tree oil treatment:
- Mix two ounces of the oil with water in a 2:1 ratio
- Pour into a spray bottle.
- Use to coat your pet’s fur and then massage into their skin. This is an astringent and will help to disinfect your pet’s skin while repelling ticks as well.
Neem oil massage:
- Apply a few drops to your hands
- Massage into your pet’s fur as a repellent for ticks.
Herbal tick collar: Make your own tick collar by
- Taking an average collar and adding some drops of essential oil mixed with
- 2 tablespoons of almond oil (use dilute solutions when applying to cats as they can be very sensitive to essential oils).
- Some great tick-repelling options include rose geranium (the most effective), cinnamon, rosemary, wormwood, clove, peppermint, and cedar.
Tick shampoo:
- Combine 6-10 drops of essential oil (see list above) with
- Two ounces of organic, biodegradable, mild shampoo or soap.
- Use this to shampoo your pet (don’t forget hard-to-reach areas like their armpits, between toes, and under tails) and
- Let the shampoo sit on their fur for five to ten minutes.
- Then rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation. Repeat daily until the problem leaves.
Herbal repellents:
- Mix equal parts of rosemary, southernwood, tansy, eucalyptus, or lavender herbs (four from this list will do) and
- Add boiling water to activate the oils.
- Alternatively, use essential oils of these herbs instead of dried versions.
- Steep and cool and then use as a wash on your pet’s fur.
- Allow to air dry and reapply every two to three days until the pest problem is gone.
Herbal flea powder:
- Crush together dry herbs including rosemary, fennel, yellow dock, and eucalyptus in equal portions and then
- Apply to your dog’s fur as you would conventional flea powders.
Homemade Flea Treatment
Homemade flea collars:
- Make your own flea collar by taking an average collar and
- Adding some drops of essential oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of almond oil (use dilute solutions when applying to cats as they can be very sensitive to essential oils).
- Some great flea-repelling essential oil options include cinnamon, rosemary, clove, peppermint and cedar wood.
Neem oil rub:
- With a few drops of the oil on your palms,
- Rub it into your pet’s fur and skin.
Homemade Flea sprays using essential oils:
- Mix 10-15 drops of your favorite oil (essential oil or neem oil) with
- 1-2 ounces of mild, organic soap and water.
- Pour into a spray bottle and spray your pet periodically throughout the day during a flea outbreak.
Lemon wash:
- Citrus is a natural flea deterrent and will condition your pet’s skin.
- Make this wash by combining 4 sliced lemons,
- 1 tablespoons of salt, and
- 6 cups of water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil for two minutes, then turn off and let steep 24 hours.
- Wash your pet with soap, comb out to remove dead bugs, and then apply the lemon water generously over your pet.
- Repeat the lemon wash portion of this daily until your pet’s skin improves. Can also be used as a spray and applied daily.
Flea shampoo:
- Combine 6-10 drops of essential oil (see list above) with
- Two ounces of organic, biodegradable, mild shampoo or soap.
- Use this to shampoo your flea-infested pet (don’t forget hard-to-reach areas like their armpits, between toes, and under tails) and
- Let the shampoo sit on their fur for five to ten minutes.
- Then rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation.
- Repeat daily until the problem leaves.
Diatomaceous earth:
- Fleas are vulnerable in the presence of this mineral, and this is the safest option and can be used without caution. It is derived from fossilized algae and is much like chalk dust. It works by getting into the exoskeleton of the fleas which causes them to dehydrate and die. Buy Red Lake Earth brand and dust over your pet (lightly) just like other flea treatments. Make sure it is FOOD GRADE!!!
- Also dust your pet’s sleeping and playing areas.
| Dogs | Puppies: ½ - 1 teaspoon Dogs under 35 lbs – 1 teaspoon Dogs over 35 lbs – 1 tablespoon Dogs over 100 lbs – 2 tablespoons Rub powder at full strength into the coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding |
|---|---|
| Cats | 1 teaspoon per daily ration. Kittens: ½ teaspoon Rub at full strength into coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding |
Best ones FOR MOSQUITOS, TICKS AND FLEAS
Geranium is an essential oil that repels mosquitos, ticks and fleas and can be used on dogs.
Directions for Geranium Use Pure Geranium Essential Oil is very powerful and effective. If used alone as a spray, we suggest you put:
- no more than 4 drops per half cup of water
- keep it refrigerated.
- Shake before spraying a light spritz on the pets fur.
No need to make the fur all wet, the bugs are repelled from the scent of it.
Do not get in the eyes, nose or mouth.
*NOTE: There is a natural spray that can be purchased which is similar to the one above.
Use It on Your Cat
1. Don't overuse the SSS. Just use the lotion,
- rub it into the skin,
- not more than every few days.
2. Use Skin So Soft on your cats as a flea repellent.
- Spray a pet brush with the one-to-one oil and water solution,
- then brush out your cat's fur.
- This will not only repel fleas, but also will make your cat's coat nice and shiny and help with any dry skin issues.
3. A natural way to help cats with flea problems and flea allergies is to rub Skin So Soft into the skin.
- Fleas don't like it! SSS IS SAFE FOR FUR LICKING -------The SSS plus is safe as long as it is the one without sunscreen.
And one for you!
Combine in a 16 oz bottle:
- 15 drops lavender oil
- 3-4 Tbsp of vanilla extract
- 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil
- 1/4 Cup lemon juice.
- Fill bottle with water.
Shake & it's ready to use. Spray on yourself. Make some extra to give to neighbors
Here are some essential oils that should NOT be used on dogs:
Anise / Camphor / Hissop / Juniper* / White Thyme / Yarrow
Because of uterine stimulation or possible toxicity, avoid using these oils on dogs, especially on pregnant dogs.
*The oil of Juniper berry is perfectly safe, but the Juniper wood oil is toxic to the kidneys.
Birch / Wintergreen
Some aromatherapy formulae found on websites suggest using the oils birch and wintergreen for joint pains caused by arthritis. However, dermal use of these two oils has been proven to be toxic as they contain high levels of methyl salicylate. Ingestion can cause severe poisoning and death.
Cassia / Clove leaf and bud
These oils can cause dermal irritation and possible toxicity to both people and pets.
Horseradish / Mustard / Tansy
Due to the pungent properties of these oils, they are considered to be hazardous and may cause severe dermal irritation.
Pennyroyal
Although this oil is effective in repelling flea, it is also highly toxic to the kidneys and the nervous system. It is also a known abortifacient. Avoid using this oil on pets and yourself!
Rue
This oil is a terrible photosensitizer.
Wormwood
Both the herb and the oil wormwood are toxic to pets and should be avoided at all costs, even though some people suggest using wormwood for treating worm infestation. There has been reports of wormwood essential oil causing renal failure in humans. It is also a known fact that wormwood causes seizures, and possesses very high oral and dermal toxicity.
Citronella
Toxic on dogs if used as a large amount. Affects the nervous system. Best to stay away from the citronella oil all together.