Fleas are a common problem with dogs and cats especially during the summer. While it is easy to give pets a regular bath and remove most of the fleas, these annoying little creatures do not completely disappear after every bath. Most pet owners buy commercial preparations but these are often very harsh and cause dry skin, irritations and rashes. Fortunately, one can easily prepare a dog flea treatment at home using a few all-natural ingredients.
Lavender and Cedar Oil Dog and Cat Flea Treatment
While natural ingredients make the best flea treatment dog owners often think that products that contain natural components are very expensive. This is not the case at all. One can make an excellent dog and cat flea treatment with ingredients available from the local pharmacy or hobby shop. This lavender and cedar oil mix is made of water, lavender essential oils and cedar wood essential oils. For 600 ml of water, one can add 2 drops of the lavender and 2 drops of the pure cedar wood oil. The mixture should be shaken together before it is poured into a spray bottle. One can spray this natural dog flea treatment on the pet’s fur, taking care not to spray directly on the eyes and other sensitive areas. Pet owners can also rub the mixture onto the fur to allow each drop to get in contact with the fleas.
Practical Ways for Preventing Flea Infestations
Regular grooming is the best way to prevent flea infestations in pet dogs and cats. This includes giving the pet regular baths, setting time to remove flea and ticks one by one either with the use of a pair of tweezers or a tick scoop, and applying natural flea deterrents after every bath to prevent fleas from sticking to the dog’s fur. Pet owners can also use a special flea comb to remove large numbers of ticks with one swipe. To permanently eliminate ticks one can drop the ticks in a cup with water and oil. Oil is very effective at suffocating ticks and other insects. Some pet owners also use petroleum jelly rubbed on the dog’s fur to suffocate fleas.
A good balance of pet grooming and the use of a natural dog flea treatment like the one mentioned above can prevent future problems with fleas. Bathing should be done every two or three days, followed by the couple of sprays of lavender and cedar oil flea treatment. In the summer, combing through the dog’s fur should be done more frequently in order to find and destroy stubborn ticks and fleas.