Holistic Pet Care: Essential Oil Recipe for Flea and Tick Prevention

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I just cannot get myself to give my dogs the usual commercial pest-control chews to keep them flea- and tick-free anymore. It doesn’t make sense to me to give my pet a “cure” to prevent fleas and ticks that actually makes her sick. There have been too many reports of dogs having terrible vomiting, diarrhea, being ill for days, having seizures, and even dying.

I knew there had to be a better way.

I started Googling and came across the soft-spoken Canadian veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Jones. His YouTube series, Veterinary Secrets, covers natural and holistic pet care, and I love him.

Here’s what I learned.

Adaptogenic plants help to boost stress resistance in our and our pets’ neuroendocrine-immune systems. The oils of many plants effectively repel pests and are safe to use on your pet’s fur.

We’re not sure how adaptogens work as repellents for fleas, ticks, heartworms, or tapeworms — there’s no money to be made there. But they have proven repellent properties when diluted with water or witch hazel and used correctly.

Dr. Jones has a natural flea and tick spray recipe you can make at home with five key ingredients:

Non-alcoholic witch hazel extract. It’s a fantastic natural anti-inflammatory and astringent, crucial for maintaining healthy skin. It’s especially soothing for your pets’ inflamed skin due to flea bites, hot spots, or other irritants. Make sure it’s non-alcoholic witch hazel
Liquid coconut oil. Recent studies highlight its significant repellent benefits. Use liquid coconut oil (not the milky, solid form) to keep the spray usable. If you only have solid coconut oil, heat slightly to mix and spray. Bonus: coconut oil is perfectly safe if your pet licks it, and in fact offers additional health benefits
Neem oil, from the neem tree in Asia, is known for its impressive anti-insecticidal properties. When diluted properly, neem oil is safe and effective for dogs and possibly cats. If you can’t find liquid neem oil, heat slightly to mix and spray
Cedarwood essential oil has been thoroughly studied and shown to effectively repel fleas and ticks when diluted to safe concentrations
Lavender essential oil is prized for its antibacterial properties, which help heal skin and reduce inflammation. It also has antihistamine-like qualities.

Dr. Jones’s Natural Pest Repellent for Pets

½ cup non-alcohol witch hazel
¼ cup liquid coconut oil (or 4 tablespoons)
¼ cup liquid neem oil
10 drops Cedarwood essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

Prepare the Oils:
- If using solid neem or coconut oil, gently heat it until it liquefies.
Mix the Ingredients:
- In a bowl, combine the witch hazel, liquid coconut oil, and neem oil.
- Add 10 drops each of Cedarwood and lavender essential oils.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well combined.
Transfer to a Spray Bottle:
- Carefully pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
- Secure the lid and shake the bottle to mix the contents one more time.

Here’s the quadrupled recipe if you want to make a larger batch:

2 cups non-alcohol witch hazel
1 cup liquid coconut oil
1 cup liquid neem oil (heat solid neem oil slightly to liquefy if necessary)
40 drops Cedarwood essential oil (about ¼ tsp.)
40 drops lavender essential oil

Spray this on your pets when they go outside, avoiding sensitive areas like their eyes and mouth. For dogs, you can apply it up to three times a week for the first week, and then daily. For cats, the jury is still out on whether this recipe will help them. They’re sensitive to many adaptogens.