TICKS… prevention beyond medication
We all have certain “feelings” for insects. Some people love butterflies while many others may cringe at the thought of centipedes. Some enjoy the beautiful color of dragonflies, yet they may have the greatest fear towards spiders. I am okay with most insects. I am that person, who will catch the insects found in our house and let them go free without squishing them. I even talk them, telling them to hurry up and hide somewhere before my hubby or my son sees them, as I know the fate the insects are faced with. But I think we can all agree how we feel about TICKS and that we not be admiring their colors or how graceful they move if we were to spot them on our fur babies.
TICKS. Everyone is talking about TICKS.
Does it seem like there are more of them this year?
YES! Ticks are everywhere, even the dogs who only goes on sidewalk walks are getting ticks. The monthly tick/flea medication is great and only works if ticks bites your fur baby but it does not deter them from coming onto their fur and into our homes, sofa and bed! Oh yuk! It is safe to say that we should do everything we can to protect our dogs from these awful pests.
I have developed an awesome product available here that is natural and safe!!!
Okay, so first thing first… I do have a confession to make. I don’t give my dog monthly tick and flea medication. While we will not discuss why I made this decision 4 years ago, we can go ahead and talk about what we can do naturally to prevent ticks.
CHECK FOR TICKS AFTER EVERY WALK! Since we know that ticks are everywhere (not only in the forest or in tall grass) do a thorough check with tick/flea comb. It is important to remove the ticks if found, within 24 hours as it reduces the risk of tick-borne disease.
PLANT POWER! Ticks, fleas, mosquitos (and other pests) does not like the smell of certain plants. I have to admit, I am not a great gardener but planting rosemary, lavender, thyme and marigold will repel ticks and fleas from your lawn and garden. Similarly, using essential oil or bug repellent sprays made with certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils will protect your dogs outdoors. Geranium, cedarwood, citronella, lemon eucalyptus, lemongrass, patchouli, lavender and turmeric are all great choices among many essential oils that are effective. I’ve only been using the essential oils with Mirabel the last 3 summers and we haven’t had any issues!
There are variety of natural repellent spray you can find at your local pet stores. We carry our own blend, Bug Off Spritz in our online store as well! Spritz your hands and massage onto your dog before every walk and remember to reapply every couple of hours when out and about especially if your dog loves to go into the water for a little swim.
You can easily make one at home using good quality oils by diluting with some carrier oils. Please talk to Animal Aromatherapy Specialist first, to learn how to use oils safely as it diluting guide depends on the size of the dog and their health condition. You are most welcome to contact me.
Essential oils for ticks/fleas
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. I love apple cider vinegar and I always have a bottle of organic apple cider vinegar on hand. Funny enough, I use it a lot more on my dog than in my everyday cooking. There are so many benefits to using apple cider vinegar. According to Dogs Naturally Magazine, it acts as a great repellent for ticks and fleas as well! You can make 50/50 mix of ACV and water to spray on the dog’s coat or…
“Put ACV in your dog’s food or water during flea and tick season. Add up to 1 Tbsp for a 50 lb dog. You may want to start with less, in case your dog doesn’t like the taste. The acidity will help make your dog less appealing to ticks and fleas.”
GARLIC. I know, garlic is a bit of controversial topic. You will find information that garlic is good for your dog, and on another website you may find that garlic should be avoided. Many holistic and integrative veterinarian like Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. Richard Pitcairn suggests garlic is good for dog’s health and also a great way to repel ticks and fleas naturally, as the smell or garlic will escape from the dog’s skin and repels unwanted visitors. Suggested amount of garlic to be given according to Dr. Pitcairn is 1/2 clove of garlic for dogs 10-15 lbs, 1 clove for 20-40 lbs, 2 cloves for 45-75 lbs Peel and chop the garlic and let it sit for 15 minutes before you add it to your dog’s food. This releases allicin, the active ingredient in garlic.
What I’m trying new this year is the Outdoor Shield by Earth M.D. It is a convenient power form of neem leaf, spirulina, garlic and guassia bark that you can add to dog’s food to double up on our tick/flea prevention! We have been adding to Mirabel’s food everyday for a week in April but our lovely friend Elisa from Bone and Biscuit Oakville told us a super awesome tip… to put Outdoor Shield into the home-made frozen treats!! It’s a perfect way to treat your dog during the summer with some yummy fruit, goat milk or yogurt. We will definitely be trying that out this month.
COCONUT OIL. I LOVE coconut oil! I put it on my face, my morning toast, on Mirabel’s fur, and fry an egg with it. I basically use it for EVERYTHING! It has so many great benefits for both pawparents and doggos but did you know it could also help repel ticks? “Coconut oil kills and repels fleas due to the ingredient lauric acid. Coconut oil can be rubbed through the coat and can be fed to the pets. I use 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight twice daily in the food.” says Dr. Judy Morgan, DVM. Isn’t coconut oil amazing?? I don’t think I can live without it!!
Diatomaceous Earth Diatomaceous earth is made from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. It is non-toxic and natural and although its deadly to insects, it is harmless to animals. It can kill fleas, ticks, lice or mites on the dog. Diatomaceous earth looks like small pieces of glass (under the microscope) which puncture insects’ protective layer and quickly dries them out. You can sprinkle it in your garden and also on dog’s bedding or carpet where they like to hang out. If it’s indoors, leave it onto the carpet for a bit and vacuum! This is also a great tool to use if you suspect fleas in your home.
Has anyone used the TICKLESS DOG? (pictured above?) We have not tried it yet but I’d like to hear what you think if you have used it before!
And lastly… CHICKENS! If you have a lot of space in your backyard and are allowed to keep chickens, they will eat tons of ticks!!! Unfortunately we don’t have enough room at our place but I have opossums come and visit our yard at night (yes, I do see you on our security cam). A small group of opossums can eat roughly 10,000 ticks per months! So if you see them, don’t shoo them away. Let’s encourage them to hang out in our yards and our nearby park!
**I am a certified animal aromatherapist, reiki and canine massage therapist but not a veterinarian nor a dog dietitian. I am simply sharing my findings and information from holistic/ integrative veterinarian I trust, respect and follow. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your veterinarian for further advise and assistance.