Natural Ways To Keep Ticks Off Dogs

Tick prevention is important for your dog’s health and well-being. Not only are ticks creepy, but they can also transmit a host of nasty diseases through their bites.

Infected ticks can easily spread disease to your dog (and even you). They easily become infected with disease-causing pathogens when feasting on a host animal that has a blood-borne infection. It is when they are done with that tasty, infected host that they then may find their way to your dog.

Once they do, they can then transmit whatever pathogens they are carrying when they attach themselves to the skin. They bite and cut into the skin and then they insert their feeding tube, which is covered in barbs to keep it in place. They then secrete small amounts of numbing salvia that carries the infectious organisms into your pet.

Ticks can be infected with bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Some of which include:

• Lyme Disease
• Anaplasmosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Babesiosis
• Powassan Virus (POW)
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia
• Ehrlichiosis
• Borrelia miyamotoi
• Borrelia mayonii

Ticks love to hang out in tall grass and wooded areas where they wait for an animal to pass by so that they can attach themselves to it. Different regions of the United States have more ticks than others. But ticks are found throughout the world. Some species of ticks include:

• American Dog Tick
• Blacklegged Tick
• Brown Dog Tick
• Gulf Coast Tick
• Lone Star Tick
• Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
• Lone Star Tick
• Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
• Western Blacklegged Tick

Flea and tick prevention can help protect your dog from illness. There are many preventatives on the market. Most of these medications can be safely used to deter ticks from biting your dog. However, you may not want to use this type of deterrent.

If you prefer a more natural approach, there are several things you can try. The region you live in, and your dog’s exposure risk will impact what treatment is best for your dog. Here are some natural tick repellents for you to consider:

Cedar Oil Spray
Cedar oil is a natural insect repellent that can be applied to people and pets that aren’t sensitive to it. Cedar oil is known to kill and repel ticks so if your animal gets a tick, you can apply cedar oil directly to it before removal. Cedar oil spray is handy to have on hand and can also be applied to clothing, collars, and more.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of those great products that have a multitude of uses, one of which is that it’s a tick repellent. It can easily be swabbed on skin and fur and sprayed on pet bedding, rugs, and more. Just be sure to keep vinegar out of the eyes and mouth as it can be irritating.

Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil is another popular oil often used as a tick repellent but MUST be diluted. Simply combine 4 ounces of purified or distilled water and 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a spray bottle and shake well before spraying on yourself or your dog.

Neem Oil
Diluted neem oil is safe for dogs. It can repel and kill ticks so it can also be used directly on an attached tick to help remove it. The rule of thumb for diluting neem oil is ten to 1 (10 parts carrier oil for everyone part neem oil).

Lavender Oil
Lavender oil has a very gentle and pleasant fragrance that makes it a popular choice. Just mix 10 drops of lavender oil with half a cup of apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and mist on when needed.

Essential Oil Cocktail
You can try making an essential oil cocktail using 10 drops each of lavender, lemon, citronella, and cedar essential oil combined with a half cup of Witch Hazel and a half cup of distilled water. Mix in a spray bottle and shake well before using. Can be applied to skin, fur, bedding, and clothing.

Lemon Aid Tea
If you don’t have essential oil on hand, you can use fresh lemons. Just cut a lemon into quarters and boil it in 2 cups of water. Allow the water and lemons to steep overnight then put in a spray bottle and apply to your dog as needed.

Store Bought Repellents
If you don’t like mixing your own, there are many natural products on the market that you can choose from. Many contain essential oils so be sure to verify the ingredients are safe to use on your dog before applying and read directions to see if the product needs to be diluted.

Natural Flea and Tick Powder
You can stir up a batch of natural flea and tick powder by mixing equal parts of diatomaceous earth, neem powder, and yarrow powder. After the ingredients are well combined, sprinkle a small amount directly on your dog’s skin by pulling back their fur and rubbing it in. Avoid the eyes and mouth.

Natural Yard Treatments

Diatomaceous earth

Using essential oils and other expensive products in your yard is probably not very realistic. But you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your yard, house, and on pet bedding to repel ticks.

Insect repelling plants

Here are some plants that may help kill or repel ticks in your yard:

• Lavender
• Mint
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Eucalyptus
• Lemongrass
• Marigolds

Cedar spray and chips

Ticks are repelled by cedarwood oil, according to published findings by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. In laboratory studies, the scientists exposed the nymph stages of five, hard-bodied tick species to various doses of cedarwood oil and compared the results to DEET, a commonly used synthetic insecticide. Contact with oil-treated paper repelled 80 to 94 percent of black-legged tick nymphs, meaning they retreated, moved more slowly, or dropped off.

We hope these natural approaches work for you and your pet. Tick-borne illness can be serious so if you have a problem or your dog shows signs of illness after a tick bite, always talk to your vet. Please feel free to share with your friends.

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