No matter how long or bad your day has been, your pet will always put a smile on your face. Pets are like magic. They never fail to cheer you up.
Having a pet cat or dog can be beneficial for your mental and physical health. Pets can keep you active and help make your life better in all aspects.
But where there are pets, there are fleas. Fleas can be a significant and recurring problem that commonly plagues pet owners around the world. Their treatments but most of them use chemical ingredients that may harm your pet.
However, essential oils for fleas are your way out if you’re looking to treat your pet from fleas with natural substances.
Why Are Fleas Such A Problem?
Fleas are indeed a big problem, especially if you don’t know how to handle them. At first, you might spot a few fleas in your pet’s fur that disappear when you try to catch them.
But if they are not killed quickly, the situation can get out of hand. Fleas are notoriously quick at procreating and spread like wildfire. There are around 2,500 species that have been discovered all over the world.
Fleas latch on to your pet and suck their blood. Flea bites can be very irritating for your pet as they leave sores. These sores are prone to secondary infection.
Moreover, fleas can hide in bedding, between floorboards and make themselves at home. This means that not even you are safe from flea bites.
Essential Oils for Treating Fleas
Now that you know all about the fleas and the damage they can cause let’s look at how essential oils can help you get rid of these pesky fleas bothering your beloved pet.
Essential oils are natural oils that are extracted from sources like plants, leaves, roots, etc. Many essential oils can help treat many conditions for humans. They are also very effective for getting rid of fleas.
There are essential oils for fleas on cats and dogs. But some are suited to either cats or dogs. In this article, we shall talk about essential oils that treat fleas in both cats and dogs.
The six oils listed below are tested and, when applied to your pet in calculated doses, is also the safest to use among all essential oils that kill fleas.
Now, let’s start with the list.
1. Cedarwood Oil
Cedarwood essential oil is one of the best oils for fleas. This oil kills fleas as well as repel them. This is also the oil that you should use to cleanse the places where your pet generally sleeps or spends a lot of time.
Take only a couple of drops of cedarwood oil and dilute it with a carrier oil before applying it to your pet’s fur and skin.
2. Lemongrass Oil
Yet another excellent oil for fleas. The benefit of using lemongrass oil is that it has active ingredients. These active ingredients do not kill fleas outright, but it keeps them away.
Lemongrass oil is very effective at repelling fleas for long periods of time.
Take two drops, dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut oil and apply it on your pet’s fur and skin.
3. Lavender Oil
Lavender essential oil is also very effective for repelling fleas. This oil, again, does not kill fleas, but it can soothe the irritation caused due to bites, and the strong aroma of the oil is good for keeping fleas away.
Lavender oil is also perfect for humans.
Take about two drops of oil and dilute it, then lather your pet all over with it before giving a nice bath.
4. Helichrysum Oil
Among the essential oils that kill fleas, Helichrysum oil is a powerful one. This oil is excellent for eliminating the fleas infesting your pet. The analgesic properties of the oil also help with soreness from the bites.
Apply a few drops of this essential oil in diluted form topically on your pet’s skin.
5. Cardamom Oil
Cardamom essential oil is one of the best oils. This oil has both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This means the cardamom essential oils not only soothes swelling at the site of a flea bite but also reduces the chance of secondary infections.
Take one or two drops of the oil, dilute it with coconut or jojoba oil, and apply it topically to the places where it itches.
6. Lemon Oil
This is a great essential oil that works for both cats and dogs. This is also among the best essential oils for fleas in the house. Lemon oil also has active ingredients and a strong smell that keeps flees away from your pet.
Spray diluted lemon oil on your pet’s bed and in places inside your home where the fleas are likely to live.
These six oils are the best oils that you can use to keep your pet and your home flea free.
Things You Should Always Remember
Essential oils are an effective and natural way of dealing with the flea problem. However, there are a few things that you should always remember if you decide to take this course of treatment.
- Always remember that essential oils can, in high amount, be toxic to your pet. For example, dogs absorb about 60% of whatever is applied to their bodies. Hence uncalculated doses or undiluted essential oil application can cause many harmful complications.
- Never apply undiluted essential oils ticks on your pet. This can cause immediate skin irritation and unforeseen reactions. Always administer diluted oil and in tiny amounts at first. If your pet responds to the treatment without any adverse reactions, then slowly increase the dosage, but not more than 2 to 3 drops.
- Cats are more sensitive to essential oils than dogs, so be very careful when applying these oils to your cat.
- Apart from the ones mentioned in this list, always check if the essential oil is suitable for your pet. Some oils are suitable for cats while others are good for dogs.
- Stay away from oils like pennyroyal, peppermint, etc. as many studies have found these especially toxic for pets.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that essential oils are beneficial for repelling insects. Many essential oils for fleas and ticks are also good for keeping fleas away from your home.
It’s proven that these essential oils work and make your and your pet’s life much more comfortable and disease-free. However, it would help if you were cautious while using these oils.
Although this article may answer the most common questions about the best essential oils, always make sure to check with your vet before purchasing and while using these essential oils.
