In this article, we’ll cover the following:
- However, have you heard of coconut oil for fleas on dogs?
- Why Coconut Oil for Fleas on Dogs?
- Coconut Oil has Lauric Acid
- Coconut Oil is Safe
- Coconut Oil Doesn’t Sting
- Coconut Oil Eliminates Bad Odor
- Coconut Oil is Cheap
- How To Apply Coconut Oil to Dogs
We love taking care of our dogs and treating them as part of our family. They’re no different from us. We love to cuddle them, and they surely love it. But will you still cuddle them if they have fleas? Isn’t it heartbreaking to see your dog scratching everywhere and suffering from flea bites? Worst case scenario, they might develop a skin disease called flea allergy dermatitis.
Even if you’re a responsible dog owner, fleas just find their way onto your dogs. Possibly, when you take your dog for a walk in the park and encountered other dogs. Sometimes, you just got your new dog and it has fleas on it. For any known reason why your dog got fleas, it sure is an annoying thing.
Fleas love summer! Make sure to take extra precautions for your dogs during the summer months.
Once your dog has a flea infestation, the veterinarian usually suggests several options for getting rid of them. You can give them pills to be taken orally. Spot-on chemical treatment is also available. You can also buy dog shampoos that can treat flea problems.
However, have you heard of coconut oil for fleas on dogs?
Yes, the latest health craze, coconut oil, isn’t limited to humans. It can also benefit our pet dogs in many ways.
This article will focus on how coconut oil may help treat fleas and prevent them from returning.
Why Coconut Oil for Fleas on Dogs?
Coconut oil has been doing a lot lately since it came back to the mainstream. So why try coconut oil to help kill fleas on your dogs and prevent them from coming back?
Coconut Oil has Lauric Acid.
Coconut oil is all-natural and is rich in lauric acid. The substances present in lauric acid can help kill fleas on your dog’s body. It also serves as a flea and tick repellant.
Coconut Oil is Safe
Since it has no harmful chemical substances, you can safely rub it on your dog’s skin. The coconut oil then does its wonders.
Coconut Oil Doesn’t Sting.
There are no harmful chemicals present in coconut oil. If wounds caused by flea bites are present, rubbing some coconut oil on them won’t sting.
Coconut Oil Eliminates Bad Odor
If your dog’s flea infestation becomes rampant, the dog can get bruises from scratching. The wounds can result in a bad odor. Rubbing coconut oil on your dog doesn’t only kill fleas but also eliminates the bad odor.
Coconut Oil is Cheap
Aside from the coconut oil being safe, it’s also inexpensive. You can buy one in the market and use it for your dog’s flea problems. You can also apply it to their teeth, fur, and other body parts.
How To Apply Coconut Oil to Dogs
For a more active application, use organic coconut oil as suggested by most users.
- Before rubbing coconut oil on your dog’s skin, bathe your dog first.
- Take ample coconut oil and gently rub it throughout your dog’s body.
- Make sure to rub it, especially on the affected areas.
- After rubbing it all over, comb your dog’s fur. You’ll see dead fleas taken with the comb.
- Wipe your dog with a clean cloth.
- Apply regularly for better results.
Of course, fleas will be found on your carpet or his bed. In this case, no matter how much coconut oil you rub on your dog, fleas will keep coming back. To prevent fleas from returning, you can put coconut oil in a spray bottle and mix it with water. Spray throughout the carpet, on his bed and towel, and all over the house. There’s a chance you’ll kill other insects as coconut oil is also a natural insecticide.
There’s no harm in trying. Coconut oil has natural substances and costs little. You can add coconut oil treatment as your usual treatment for fleas on dogs. If fleas keep coming back, you can seek advice from your veterinarian.
What are Fleas
If you do not live on the moon and have a dog or cat, you will eventually have to deal with fleas. Like everything else, it is better to prevent an infestation than to get rid of it. Therefore, you should understand as much as possible about fleas and their control. If you do not know fleas, you’re in luck.
Small insects (1/16 of an inch) are extremely mobile and abundant. They are parasites and feed on the blood of their guests. Fleas are fast and very good jumpers, so they are difficult to catch. They can more than 100 times jump their height and bear the weight of an adult without suffering damage. They are difficult to kill.
The fleas lay about 20 eggs at a time. This larva remains with the adult flea and feeds on biological residues. At some point, the eggs hatch between a few days and a few weeks, and little fleas enter the world. A female flea can produce more than 500 young during its lifetime, which can take several months. Fleas can spend a lot of time without feeding without side effects.
Are you starting to see how difficult it is to handle fleas? Fleas can cause significant discomfort in animals and humans. Besides the itching and the painful bite, some animals are allergic to fleas and may even develop attacks on the infestation. Biting and scratching can often cause hair loss and skin infections.
A serious infestation can even lead to an animal suffering from anemia, especially in smaller breeds.
To make matters worse, fleas can spread diseases; the most famous and deadly is the bubonic plague. The treatment of a flea infestation should be carried out as a large-scale war. In addition to treating your pets, you also treat your house, yard, cars, and wherever they are frequent.
Since fleas can rest for a long time, treatment should be repeated at regular intervals. Many effective poisons against adult fleas do not do anything to the larva.
Therefore, it may take several weeks and several repeated treatments to progress to get rid of them. At home, frequent aspiration can help to aspirate adult larvae and fleas. Be sure to discard the bag immediately after vacuuming.
Many products are available for your pets. Commercial products are usually sufficient if used early, but in more serious cases, it may be necessary to obtain a stronger product from your veterinarian.
The frequent application according to the instructions is the key to success. There are also natural organic flea remedies for those who reject strong poisons but do not be surprised if they are less effective and may not work with a serious flea problem. Winning the war against these hard parasites is not easy, but it is not impossible. Start the treatment early and systematically, and you should be able to get rid of the fleas in your pet, your home, and yourself.
Why Dogs Attract Fleas
The natural and simple way to protect your dog from fleas.
1. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust. Do not forget to close the vacuum bags before discarding them.
2. These parasites usually reproduce in the dog’s bed. You should clean your clothes once a week with warm water and soap.
3. Using a dog shampoo also helps keep fleas away.
4. Products made from cedar are natural flea repellents. Use cedar shampoo for your dog and also cedar oil on your beds.
5. The dry skin of a dog attracts fleas. To keep the skin moist, avoid washing too much.
The Binatone oil in your diet can also help.
-You can administer a mixture of brewer’s yeast and garlic to your pet in small doses. This creates a certain smell in pets and seems to repel fleas.
– Fresh or dried pennyroyal leaves are also a natural flea repellent. Use this on carpets to avoid the abundance of fleas in your home. However, do not use it if you have small children, as it could be toxic.
-You can also use lavender oil and rock salt to bathe your dog and sprinkle it where dogs usually rest. Marigolds can also be planted in your garden, as it keeps fleas and other types of insects away.
– You can also give your dog a quick dip in boiled lemon water or use orange peel in the water. This can also be used to soak your dogs for a few hours before washing them with warm water and soap.
Remember that bathing your dog only works if the infestation is low. These methods to keep fleas away are purely preventive and would not work well if the level of infestation is too high.
There is a number of products manufactured commercially that are also available in the market. Let’s take a look.
o Advantage: this is a Bayer product with imidacloprid as an active ingredient. The benefit comes in liquid form and is applied to the back of the dog. It quickly kills fleas by breaking the nervous system of fleas and lasts about a month. Although it is a liquid, it is safe for your dog since it is not absorbed into the bloodstream. The advantage also kills flea larvae.
K9 Advantix: Also from Bayer, it has quickly become the favorite of veterinarians and dog owners. It’s only for dogs. Its active ingredients are imidacloprid and permethrin. It kills fleas, mosquitoes, and deer ticks and works after swimming or bathing.
o Frontline Plus: Frontline does not differ much from Advantage, except that it is not soluble in water. The product can be used safely for your dogs and puppies. It is very efficient to repel fleas and its effects can last more than four months.
It contains fipronil as an active ingredient. Like Advantage, fipronil also attacks the nervous system, causing immediate death in approximately 24 hours. Although it is very toxic, it is not harmful to your dog unless your dog is not allergic to fipronil.
Bio spot: Bio spot is only for dogs. Kills up to 75% of fleas and larvae and is also effective against mosquitoes. Bio spot can temporarily change the color of your pet’s hair and make it look yellowish. It contains permethrin and IGR and is valid for approximately one month.
Proban and Pro-Spot: again, exclusive and widely used for dogs. However, these repellents work only when fleas bite the dog, as they are only effective after they have been carried into the bloodstream. You should also remember that you inject a small amount of poison into your dog’s body and may not even know the side effects.
Even if your dog is allergic to flea bites, these may not be the right products. Fleas thrive during the summer since it is their breeding season. Commercial products are effective during this time, but it is always best to consult your veterinarian before you start using these products on your dog.