It’s challenging to find natural flea and tick prevention for dogs. You want to avoid using toxic chemicals or medications that can harm your dog … and yet you want to be sure you use something effective in keeping the pests off your dog.
The ultimate keys to natural flea and tick prevention for dogs are consistency and diligence … and a foundation of good health through a nutritious diet, regular grooming and exercise. That keeps your dog’s circulatory, respiratory, digestive and immune systems in order so if he encounters parasites like fleas and ticks, he’s able to repel them on his own.
You are watching: 5 Recipes For Natural Flea And Tick Prevention For Dogs
So here’s what you can do to ensure your dog can fight back naturally against fleas and ticks.
Your dog’s diet and overall good health are his best defense against fleas and ticks.
Fleas and ticks are parasites that live and feed on or in a host organism … your dog. They have their best luck with weak and unhealthy hosts. If you keep your dog healthy, you should be able to keep the fleas and ticks away.
Feeding your dog a fresh, whole food raw meat diet with bones, organs and fruits and vegetables … is the foundation of good health. Avoid processed food and high carbohydrate ingredients like grains and starches.
Here are some natural supplements you can add to your dog’s diet to make his blood less appealing to fleas and ticks. They can alter the odor of your dog’s skin and discourage pests.
Garlic: Garlic is safe for dogs when fed in the right amounts. Garlic has sulfur compounds that are said to discourage fleas and ticks. Use organic raw garlic, and it should be freshly chopped 15 minutes before feeding. Here’s how much to feed your dog according to his weight:
Note: It’s best to limit garlic to 2 cloves a day, even for big dogs.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidic properties of ACV may create an unfavorable environment for fleas and ticks. You can add it to your dog’s drinking water or dilute it 50:50 with water and apply it topically.
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Foods With B Vitamins: It’s thought that B vitamins can alter the scent of a dog’s skin and discourage fleas and ticks. Meats, organs, oily fish and eggs contain high levels of B vitamins.
RELATED: How to get started with raw dog food …
Here are some natural flea and tick preventives for dogs:
You can make some garlic water to spray on your yard to discourage fleas and ticks.
What you need:
Place the garlic in a large pot and pour the water over it. Cover and let it steep for 12 hours. Then strain it and pour into a garden sprayer. Lightly spray your lawn and garden area, and avoid soaking your grass or plants.
When it comes to homemade remedies for flea and tick prevention, essential oils are quite common … and quite strong. And your dog’s sense of smell is hundreds of times more sensitive than yours. So if you’re making your own flea and tick sprays for dogs, you need to make sure your essential oils are properly diluted. Let your dog sniff each oils first (keep the cap on the bottle to do this) and if he turns away or shows that it’s unpleasant for him, don’t use that one.
This is canine herbalist Rita Hogan’s recommendation for diluting essential oils:
Use a 0.5% to 1% dilution. This means 3 to 6 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. She recommends using almond, grapeseed or apricot kernel oil as carrier oils.
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Here are natural flea and tick prevention for dogs essential oils.
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Warning: Don’t ever use wintergreen, pennyroyal or clove essential oils as they’re toxic to dogs.
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Here are 5 recipes using essential oils and fresh herbs to discourage fleas and ticks.
(You can double or triple these amounts using the same proportions)
Add 1 Tbsp of carrier oil to an empty glass spray bottle, along with the essential oils. Shake well each time you use it. Mist your hands and test it on a small patch of your dog to ensure there’s no reaction. Allow your dog to smell your hands from a distance. If he’s okay, rub through your dog’s fur on his neck, back and legs, avoiding the face, nose and eyes. Reapply as needed and after swimming.
Mix all the ingredients in a glass spray bottle and shake well. You can mist this directly onto your dog, avoiding his face and eyes. Mist some onto your hands to rub around his head. Take care not to saturate the fur. Shake well and reapply as needed and after swimming.
Mix the oils together with the carrier oil. Apply evenly to the collar or bandana. Let the collar or bandana dry completely. Tie around your dog’s neck before going outdoors. Remove when inside. Reapply the oil mix every few weeks as needed.
Mix all the ingredients together in a clean bottle and shake well. Bathe your dog and work the shampoo into a good lather. Focus on areas prone to fleas and ticks like the neck and ears, armpits and belly. Leave the shampoo on for a few minutes, and rinse well. Traces of the oils should remain on your dog to discourage fleas and ticks. Note: you want to avoid bathing your dog too often as it can strip the natural oils from your dog’s skin and fur.
This recipe takes a bit more work and needs fresh herbs … but you’ll have a quart of the mixture to use for a few weeks. It comes from canine herbalist Rita Hogan.
Slice the lemon into thin rounds and place it along with the lemon, rosemary, and sage in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Add a quart of almost boiling water, cover and let steep overnight. Strain into a spray bottle. Shake and spritz on your dog as needed. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Fleas and ticks are a nuisance but these recipes should help discourage them.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe
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