A number of canine homeowners have switched their merchandise to safer alternate options in the previous few years. You could have heard of individuals utilizing important oils, similar to lavender oil, which has many advantages for people, however does lavender oil kill fleas?
Lavender oil doesn’t kill fleas, however it could actually repel them. Nevertheless, important oils are dangerous if used incorrectly, so they’re typically not really helpful to be used with pets. On this article, we’ll talk about lavender oil and its effectiveness as a repellent that will help you make a extra knowledgeable resolution earlier than utilizing it.
Is Lavender Oil Efficient for Killing Fleas?
Lavender oil doesn’t kill fleas, however it could actually work to repel them. It’s unsafe to place important oils instantly in your pets as they’re dangerous,1 particularly if they aren’t diluted. If the system is simply too concentrated or undiluted, it could actually result in toxicity.
100% undiluted lavender oil might be poisonous and may by no means be utilized topically to your pet. It is usually ineffective in killing fleas; though it could work in repelling fleas, it could trigger extra hurt than good.
Is Lavender Oil Harmful for Pets?
The focus of important oils in merchandise, together with lavender oil, varies between manufacturers, so offering the right toxicology data is troublesome. Lavender oil is mostly one important that’s extra trusted, particularly for its use for stress and anxiousness in pets and people.
Nevertheless, important oils will not be rigorously regulated as drugs,2 and since the efficiency varies between batches and types, it’s troublesome to know precisely how a lot has been administered. The chance of misusing lavender oil is so vital that the majority veterinarians discourage utilizing it.
Whether it is used topically, there’s a danger of pores and skin irritations and rashes creating. Whether it is too concentrated and your pet unintentionally licks it, it could actually trigger vomiting and diarrhea. Inhaling an excessive amount of lavender oil also can result in respiratory misery and coughing. Contact your veterinarian instantly in the event you consider that your pet has unintentionally consumed a product containing lavender oil.
It’s possible you’ll discover that some pet shampoos comprise lavender. The dilutions in these merchandise are typically so low that they’re protected, with solely a touch of perfume.
Utilizing Lavender Oil to Repel Fleas
There’s not loads of data concerning utilizing lavender oil to repel fleas, and we’re not 100% assured about its effectiveness as a pesticide. In case your cat or canine has fleas, there are additionally fleas in your house. The eggs and flea larvae can cover in your house’s furnishings, carpets, and pet blankets, so to cease the life cycle utterly, you should eradicate all of them. Utilizing a lavender oil resolution might be useful for repelling fleas on surfaces, and whereas it gained’t work to do away with an infestation, it could actually assist to maintain fleas at bay.
In case you are in search of a necessary oil to make use of within the house to assist get rid of fleas, Cedarwood Oil is a simpler choice that can also be safer to make use of round your pets. Nevertheless, we’d nonetheless advise in opposition to utilizing it instantly on animals, and at all times dilute the oil earlier than utilizing it in the home.
What to Do if You Suspect Your Pet Has Ingested Lavender Oil
If you already know or suspect that your pet has ingested lavender oil, you should act quick. Name the pet poison helpline instantly and head to your veterinarian instantly. By no means attempt to induce vomiting or use house treatments similar to activated charcoal; it could actually make the scenario worse if not performed appropriately. In case your pet has lavender oil on their coat or pores and skin, wash it off instantly.
How You Can Get Rid of Fleas Safely
Because of the danger of utilizing lavender oil for fleas, it’s finest to not use it as a flea remedy or preventative. Concerning flea remedies, you ideally need one thing that can repel and kill fleas. While you uncover fleas in your pet, one of the best and most secure plan of action is to take them to the vet.
Some suggestions you possibly can implement to take away and stop fleas on pets:
When attempting to fight fleas with out using robust chemical substances, it’s value noting that the majority pure or homeopathic treatments will solely actually be helpful in opposition to a really delicate downside. In case you are coping with extreme or repeated infestations, we’d at all times advocate speaking to your veterinarian about one of the best choices for eliminating fleas in your pet and the atmosphere, and following a strict protocol to scale back the dangers of resistance creating.
The simplest flea remedies can be found solely with a veterinary prescription. Listed below are some really helpful flea & tick remedies for dogs and for cats. There are additionally some extra natural product options accessible, in addition to some homeopathic treatments to make use of within the home & environment.
We might advocate utilizing vet really helpful remedies within the first occasion at the very least. After you have eradicated the flea downside, extra pure preparations could also be efficient in stopping reinfestation.
Conclusion
An efficient flea remedy should kill all flea life levels. Though lavender oil might repel fleas, it can’t kill them, and might be very dangerous to your pets. Subsequently, we recommend in search of a safer different. Lavender oil might be harmful whether it is misused. Your veterinarian can provide a safe flea treatment, and in the event you resolve to make use of lavender oil in your house for different causes, maintain it away out of your pets.
Featured Picture Credit score: Madeleine Steinbach, Shutterstock
