How to Make a Natural Flea Massage Oil for Dogs

If your dog has fleas it is important to not only treat the dog, but to thoroughly clean and treat your home. Adult fleas live on the dog, but during earlier stages of the fleas life they live in your carpet or in the dog's bedding. A female flea can lay 10 to 50 eggs a day, and 2000 eggs in her lifetime.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lidded container
• Sunflower oil
• Orange oil
• Citronella oil
• Lemon oil
• Neem oil

1. Put 2 tsp. of sunflower oil into a plastic or glass container with a lid. Do not use a metal container, because the metal may react with the oils.

2. Add 2 drops of orange oil, 3 drops each of citronella and lemon oil and 1 drop of pennyroyal, sassafrass or neem oil. Mix all ingredients together well.

3. Test the massage oil on a small portion of your dog's skin to make sure that she does not get a rash from or have an allergic reaction to the mixture. Wait a day and monitor the spot before doing a full body massage on the dog. Cover the massage oil and store it someplace where the dog can not get to it.

4. Mix the oils together again before using them. If the dog did not have a reaction to the test spot, begin a full body massage with the natural flea oil.

5. Use your fingertips to gently massage the oil into your dog's fur, down to the skin. Be sure to massage the dog's entire body including under his legs, his tail, neck and ears, so the fleas to not have a safe area to hide. Take care not get the oil into the dog's eyes.

6. Brush your dog when you are done with the massage to make sure that the oil has gotten to all parts of her coat. Do not wash the oil off.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash the dog's bedding in hot water to kill fleas.
• Vacuum your house thoroughly and dispose of the bag outside when you are done.
• Make a flea trap by placing a table lamp on the floor and putting bowls of soapy water around the light. Fleas are attracted to the heat of the light and die in the soapy water. This works best if you keep the dog out of the room while the trap is set, otherwise the fleas are attracted to the heat of the dog instead of the trap.
• Pennyroyal, sassafrass and neem oil have all been found to be effective at killing and repelling fleas. However, just because they are natural, does not guarantee they are safe. These oils can be toxic when ingested; and pennyroyal oil has been found to cause liver and neurological damage. It is important to only use one drop of these oils in the mixture and to only use them when fleas are present. If you are giving your dog a massage for any reason other than fleas, do not add these oils to the mixture.
• All essential oils can be toxic if ingested in large quantities. Always store essential oils in a tightly closed container away from pets and children.

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