Some essential oils make for excellent flea remedies for dogs. Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
From relaxation to aromatherapy to helping alleviate some kinds of physical discomfort, essential oils have so much to offer us. Since these helpful oils can do so much, it should be no surprise that they can also work wonders on fleas. That is to say: oils can kill fleas without a hitch.
A small, potentially safe amount of peppermint oil will not kill fleas and giving more peppermint oil to provide more of these components is dangerous to your pet. It is not worth the risk of poisoning your pet by using peppermint oil when other flea killing options exist that are much safer to use.
There are a few different ways to use essential oils in cats as a flea and tick preventive/repellant. Most common ways include a diffuser to vaporize the oil into the air and the direct placement of oils onto your cat's skin. Both ways can cause serious health problems and even death for your cat if not used correctly.
Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous to cats. Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic.
You should avoid using any essential oils on your cat's skin or fur unless directed by a veterinarian because they can all cause adverse reactions.
Eucalyptus oil combined with water and cedar oil can be brushed through the coats of dogs and cats to kill and repel fleas.
Try a shampoo with a low concentration of natural oils known to repel fleas, such as cedar, lavender, eucalyptus, or citrus. A diluted solution of apple cider vinegar may also help get rid of fleas.
Established research has shown that essential oils can be toxic to cats, whether taken internally, applied to the skin, or simply inhaled. Exposure can lead to serious liver damage, liver failure, respiratory failure, seizures and even death.
A few common essential oils that are SAFE to use for your cat include lavender, copaiba, helichrysum, and frankincense. If you diffuse oils in your home, it should not cause a problem for your cat, as oil used in a diffuser is highly diluted (versus direct topical application or dietary supplementation).
Acting as an insect repellant: Lavender oil acts as an insect repellant for both humans and dogs. If your dog has an issue with fleas and ticks, or if pesky mosquitoes swarm on your next trek out of the house, applying some diluted lavender oil to your dog's coat could help reduce the chance of bites.
Create a flea spray by mixing 4 liters of vinegar, 2 liters of water, 500 ml of lemon juice and 250 ml of witch hazel in a large spray bottle. Before applying the product around your home, you should vacuum properly, emptying the contents into an outside bin, and wash any bedding/cushions that could be infested.
Comb your cat with a fine-toothed metal flea comb from head to tail several times a day. This will skim off adult fleas and their eggs and ease their itching. Then, dip the comb in a mixture of warm to hot water and liquid dish detergent to kill the fleas.
Natural flea repellents such as citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, and geraniol may naturally repel fleas. If your pet doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen repellent into 10-13 fl oz of water and spray directly onto your pet's coat.
Because of the high level of citric acid, lemons are one of the most effective and natural ways to kill fleas. By spraying or brushing lemons onto your cat's coat to help get rid of the fleas. Slice a lemon and let it steep in boiling water then drain the water when cooled into a spray bottle.
While it is not deadly, lavender is toxic for cats. Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which cats cannot process in their livers.
It's best to avoid diffusing essential oils around dogs and cats. In addition to inhalation exposure to potentially toxic essential oils, microdroplets of oils could collect on your pet's fur. This exposure could lead to dermal absorption or eventual ingestion once your pet grooms or licks itself.
Peppermint oil is highly toxic to cats.
They are typically strong-smelling and make up the active ingredient in many essential oils, such as peppermint oil. Without the enzymes required to break down phenols, cats exposed to peppermint oil can experience: Liver damage. Breathing difficulties.
You should avoid using peppermint and lavender essential oils as they can be harmful to the cats. Mix one part essential oil to three parts water in the spray bottle. Spray in areas that you want to keep cats out of. Reapply daily or as needed.
Is Lavender Safe for Cats? The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) cautions that lavender plants are toxic for cats as well as dogs and horses. Cats lack the ability to digest two natural substances found in lavender: linalool and linalyl acetate.