Make Homemade Cat and Dog Repellent Recipes to Kill Insects, Worms and Other Diseases Using Plants and Other Common Household Items

7 Parts:

How Commercial Insect Repellents Can Affect Cats & Dogs

All About The Pests That Attack Your Pests

How Fleas and Ticks Target Cats and Dogs

Make Your Own Homemade Cat and Dog Repellent Recipes to Kill Insects, Worms and Other Diseases Using Plants

Tips & Warnings

Questions and Answers

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Dogs and cats that live in your home are also affected by the various insects that surround you, such as flies and mosquitoes. Fleas, ticks, and parasitic worms also prey on your pets mercilessly. Flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas are ectoparasites, easily warded off by using repellents. On the other hand, parasitic worms are endoparasites. You can remove them, but not repel them since they involve having vector hosts and they can easily get into your pet's systems through contaminated food and water. Many commercially produced insecticides are available on the market. Despite the surge of such innovative products, you can still try making your own repellents and de-wormers for your dogs and cats, before trying the expensive and sometimes harmful alternatives.

Natural herbs and spices are easily available to purchase, and used to make organic solutions for your animal friends. Remember, your pets deserve to have optimal health. If you know how to make homemade cat and dog repellents to kill insects, worms, and other diseases using plants and other common household items, you'll be able to provide the best care for your pets.

Commercially manufactured insect repellents contain harsh chemicals that are detrimental to cats and dogs. Some of the negative effects of these are the following:

Permethrin & Cyhenothrin

Products containing either of these chemicals cause adverse reactions in small breeds of dogs and cats. Side effects may include: muscle tremors and seizures, depression, vomiting, anorexia and even death. Both dogs and cats experience adverse reactions in their gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, and skin.

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   Skin. They can suffer from ulcers, sores, itching, redness, and hair loss.

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   Gastrointestinal tract. They may experience salivation, diarrhea, and vomiting.

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   Nervous system. Your pets might end up with ataxia, seizures, tremors, lethargy, and nervousness.

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   Dog to Cat. Adverse effects are also experienced by cats that are merely exposed to dogs who've been treated with repellents containing either of these chemicals.

   

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There are a lot of things out there that can harm your beloved cat or dog. Below are a few that will be addressed in this article.

Fleas

It's almost impossible for your pets to avoid fleas. They are everywhere, especially in warmer climates. In 21 days, one flea can produce 1,000 more reasons for your pet to scratch. They itch, and cause your pet to scratch, which can lead to hair-loss, scabs. Fleas also can cause anemia and tapeworms. Here's a related article Prevent Tick and Flea Infestation in Your Home you might find helpful.

Ticks

A lovely walk in the woods can end in a medical tragedy. Ticks are found in the same beautiful areas you like to walk in. It's unclear whether they love the areas for the same reason you and your pet do, or whether they are waiting for a warm-blooded body to come along, so they can hitch a ride, and drink some tasty blood. Ticks can transmit some pretty serious diseases to your pet - and you. If you're going to spend time with your pet in grassy or wooded areas with your pet, make sure before you go indoors, you do a tick check, and remove them before the damage is done. It's a good idea to check yourself and children as well. Here is a related article Avoid Tick Bites and Remove an Embedded Tick you might find helpful. You want to do everything you can to avoid the things ticks can transmit to you, including:

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   Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Dogs infected with Rickettsia may not show any signs of a problem, even though they are infected with the microscopic organism. Sadly, this isn't great, as they could have the disease, and you won't know it. The disease often mimics the symptoms of other diseases. Look for these symptoms - and if you remove a tick, always save it in a vial for the vet.

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   1. Behavioral changes. Altered mental state.
   2. Weakness. Listlessness. Lethargy. Depression
   3. Fever (usually develops within 2 or 3 days after a tick bite)
   4. Lack of appetite. Weight loss.
   5. Eye redness. Conjunctivitis.
   6. Difficulty breathing. Gets tired quickly during exercise.
   7. Cough. Vomiting.
   8. Swollen limbs. Swollen tissues (edema of the face, lips, scrotum, prepuce, ears, other tissues). Painful joints. Muscle/neck pain. Stiff gait.
   9. Rash around the tick bite (more common in humans)
   10. Enlarged regional lymph nodes or spleen.
   11. Damage to kidneys, brain, heart and/or skin
   12. Nosebleeds. Bleeding/coagulation. Blood in urine. Blood in feces. Digested blood in feces.
   13. Stupor. Shock. Seizures. Coma.
   14. Abnormal heart rhythm.
   15. Sudden death

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   Lyme disease (ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis). Lyme disease is common in dogs, and far less common in cats, so we'll discuss the symptoms in dogs. The symptoms usually occur a long time after the bite - 2 - 5 months after the tick bite. The symptoms are not the same as they are in humans, so, for example, don't look for the bull's eye rash, for although it's the first thing you notice in humans, it does not appear on dogs. Some dogs develop severe progressive kidney disease that is difficult to treat and may result in the death of the dog. The most common symptoms of Lyme disease in a dog are:  

   1. A fever of between 103° and 105° F. (39° - 41° Celsius)
   2. Lethargy.
   3. Loss of appetite.
   4. Lameness.
   5. Swollen joints.
   6. Swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, and loss of appetite.

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Mosquitoes

Even if your cat is an indoor cat, all your pets are at the risk of suffering the consequences of being bitten by a mosquito. Aside from the obvious itchy bumps that result from a mosquito feasting on your blood, there are more serious, and some life-threatening diseases attributed to mosquito bites. These can include:

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   Heartworm. This is a roundworm that equally affects cats and dogs. If caught in time, it's easily treated, but it's called the silent killer because left untreated, you beloved pet could die.

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   Saint Louis Encephalitis (SLE). This virus attacks the brain, and can be fatal. It's mainly found in USA, but there have been cases reported in Canada and Mexico. It can present as a mild illness, but if the infection becomes more severe, symptoms might include, headaches, high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, coma, tremors - sometimes convulsions and spastic paralysis.

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   West Nile Virus (WNV). This virus, carried by mosquitoes, attacks the brain. There are several sub categories of The West Nile Virus.  

   1. West Nile Encephalitis, causes the brain to become inflamed.
   2. West Nile Meningitis causes the - the protective membranes protecting the brain and the spinal cord to become inflamed.
   3. West Nile Meningoencephalitis. This causes inflammation of the brain and also the meninges surrounding it.
   4. West Nile Poliomyelitis. Spinal cord inflammation resulting Topolio, which causes acute flaccid paralysis.

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Flies

There are biting and non-biting flies. Biting flies include deer flies, mosquitoes, horse flies, biting midges, black flies, and sand flies. These flies feed on blood and transmit diseases. Non-biting flies concentrate on the food and bodily secretions of cats and dogs. They mainly transmit diseases. Flies also lay eggs in your pet's open wounds. When this happens, your cat or dog should be taken to the vet and anesthetized, so that the maggots could be removed.

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   Botfly.

   

   These are flies that lay eggs mainly on cats. They use mosquitoes to embed their eggs into the unsuspecting cats. The bee-sized Botfly eggs hatch inside the cat's body. The maggots feed on the cat's nutrients as they develop. Large breathing holes in the cat's skin are established by the maggots during their development. The cat should be taken to the vet immediately so that the maggots can be removed before they do any more harm to the cat. Called, Cuterebra, you'll find the botfly in grass. It latches onto warm-blooded animals that happen by. In cats, the Cuterebra larva usually ends up in the brain. Symptoms of the botfly infection include:  

   1. Seizures.
   2. Aggression.
   3. Warbles or lumps. This is the fly that has burrowed under the animal's skin.
   4. Blindness.

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Sarcoptes Scabiei Mite

This is the culprit responsible for scabies or mange in your pets. It is more of a nuisance than it is a serious danger. Yet, any situation where there are open wounds on an animal, makes it vulnerable to infections and the invasion of bacteria. This is something that can be transferred from animal to animal. The treatment is similar to how you treat fleas, but more aggressive, and also should involve quarantining your pet.

Parasitic Worms

The following are some of the common parasitic worms in dogs and cats:

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   Roundworms. Puppies and kittens are the usual victims. Roundworms or Ascaris enter their immature digestive systems via their mothers' infested tissues or from the mother's milk. You can identify an infested puppy or kitten by their potbellies.

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   Whipworms. These worms are more evident in dogs. They live in the dog's cecum, which is the first portion of the intestinal tract. They cause mucus coated stools and chronic weight loss.

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   Hookworms. Dogs are more affected by these worms as well. They attach themselves to the intestinal wall lining and suck the circulating blood. Dogs usually acquire the hookworm eggs from ingesting soil that's contaminated by infected stool. The eggs could also be transmitted through the mother's milk. The dog experiences anemia (because of bloody diarrhea), weakness, and weight loss.

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   Tapeworms. Fleas ingest tapeworm eggs. When dogs and cats eat the fleas, they become infested with tapeworms.

   

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Pests are clever organisms. They have special ways of detecting which cats or dogs to prey upon. Here are some of the sneaky tricks they use:

• Olfaction. Detecting them by odor.
• Detecting molecules in the body of the hosts (cats or dogs).
• Gustation is when they sense by taste.
• Thermoreception is when they detect a potential host by their heat.
• Photoreception (light perception).
• Detecting movement of the air.
• Hydroreception (moisture perception).

These detection mechanisms are taken into consideration when they manufacture commercial repellent. They are able to mask the odor of your cats and dogs so they won't be appealing to ticks and fleas. With the right repellent, these parasites will just ignore your dogs and cats. The only downside to these commercial products is the presence of harsh chemicals that negatively affect your pets.

You have to step up to the plate and make sure your cats and dogs stay safe from these opportunistic organisms. It can be costly and detrimental to depend on commercial products. The following are some potent recipes for homemade repellents and de-wormers that are perfectly safe for your cats and dogs:

Homemade Flea /Mosquito Collar

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Used or brand new flea collar
• A drop of cedar wood oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of alcohol
• 2 drops of lavender oil
• 3 drops of purification oil
• A drop of thyme oil
• 3 drops of orange oil
• A drop of citronella oil

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE FLEA/MOSQUITO COLLAR

1. 1
   Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

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2. 2
   Place the collar in the mixture until all of the liquid mixture is absorbed.

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3. 3
   Allow the collar to dry before putting it around your pet's neck.

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4. 4
   Add garlic oil if you prefer. (Mosquitoes and fleas dislike garlic.)

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Homemade Flea and Fly Repellent

WHAT YOU'LL NEED For spraying on cats and dogs:

• 10 drops of peppermint
• 10 drops of citronella
• 10 drops of eucalyptus
• 10 drops of purification

HOW TO MAKE & USE HOMEMADE FLEA AND FLY REPELLENT To spray on pets.

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   Just add the oils into a 24-ounce spray bottle with water filling it half an inch to the brim. Use it to spray directly on your cats & dogs.

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WHAT YOU'LL NEED For spraying on bedding:

• 5 drops of orange
• 10 drops of purification
• 2 drops of rosemary

HOW TO MAKE & USE HOMEMADE FLEA AND FLY REPELLENT To spray on bedding.

1. 1
   Incorporate everything in a spray bottle that can accommodate a cup of water.

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2. 2
   Spray on bedding.

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Homemade Flea Powder

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon each of rosemary, fennel, pennyroyal, and eucalyptus (all dried)

HOW TO MAKE & USE HOMEMADE FLEA POWDER

1. 1
   Add the drops of essential oils to your prepared dried herbs.

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2. 2
   Use a blender for grinding the dried herbs into powder form.

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3. 3
   Mix the ground herbs with the cornstarch in a jar.

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4. 4
   Shake well.

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5. 5
   Work the powder you made into your pet's fur.

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6. 6
   NOTE: Use immediately because its potency does not last that long.

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Homemade Dewormer Parsley Water

1. 1
   In a medium pan, boil a quart of water.

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2. 2
   Add in a bunch of parsley (flat or curly parsley).

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3. 3
   Simmer for about three minutes.

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4. 4
   Remove from heat and let it cool.

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5. 5
   Remove from heat and strain to remove the parsley.

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6. 6
   Transfer the liquid into a pitcher or jar.

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7. 7
   Refrigerate.

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8. 8
   Incorporate a tablespoon of parley water for every 10 pounds of your pet's weight once every day, for 10 days.

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Other De-wormers You Can Use at Home

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   Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade)

   

    

   1. Dosage  
      1. 1/2 a teaspoon for kittens and small dogs
      2. 1 teaspoon for cats
      3. 2 teaspoons for dogs under 50 pounds (medium size)
      4. 1 tablespoon for dogs 50-100 pounds (large breeds)

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   Garlic

   

    

   1. Dosage  
      1. Give a fresh clove of garlic for every 30 pounds of your dog's weight, once every day. Chop or mince it and incorporate it into their food.

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Natural repellents and de-wormers will definitely help your dogs or cats parasite-free in a healthier way. Making them allows you to be sure of what your pet takes in without worrying about harmful chemicals at all.

• Consult your veterinarian about the recipes you want to use.
• Report the improvements you observe in your pet to the vet.
• Do your part in sanitizing your pet's living and sleeping space.
• Always give your pets high quality food and supplements to strengthen their immune systems.
• After a run in the woods, always check your pet for ticks.

I'm looking for a repellent for an outside dog for those biting flies. She has sores on her ears. Can you help?

I need to clean up the mess they have already made to her ears. They're bloody and I need something to put on it to heal and repel the biting.

You can use the following mixture to create a safe fly repellent.

• 10 drops of peppermint
• 10 drops of citronella
• 10 drops of eucalyptus
• 10 drops of purification
• Just add the oils into a 24-ounce spray bottle with water filling it half an inch to the brim.
• Spray this on her fur and the flies won't bother her.

As for her sores, you can put Neosporin on each sore to fight any bacteria and expedite the healing process. You could also use Vaseline. To make sure she doesn't rub the stuff away, you could get her a snood or something similar so the medicine stays on her ears.

My dog is really skinny and not gaining weight. How do I get rid of worms?

She is only a year old. Her ribs are showing and it looks like she has worms.

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My pet dog, Spiky, has ticks and small bugs. How can they be eradicated? Please help?

My pet dog, Spiky, has ticks and small bugs over his entire body

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My puppies have small insects on their bodies?

How can I get rid of those insects on my puppies?

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How to remove ants from a cat's digestive system?

Ants won't stay out of the house and they get into the cat food and before I know it the food is in the cats - but so are the ants. I saw ants where the cat defecated. It was speckled with them and she cries and is thin. Her coat is affected as well. We just treated them this past month for fleas. Now ants in her tummy - makes mine hurt.

The ants will not survive in the stomach of animals. The problem your cat might be facing is poisoned ants. Someone might have been attempting to get rid of ants with methods unsafe for pets.

First of all, put the cat's bowl into a bigger pan filled with water. Ants will not be able to reach the food, and your cat will not ingest them. Secondly, get your cat to a veterinarian as fast as possible: it might have been poisoned with ant poison! Thirdly, start to eradicate the ants by methods safe for animals. Place Terro Ant Killer (or Borax) behind the refrigerator, inside cabinets with food, or into places where your cat cannot reach it. Put baking soda to the places from which the ants come. Vacuum your rooms often.

Please report to us with your progress as we worry about your cat.

I have a Queensland Heeler with botfly larva & would like to make a spray for future protection?

I live in Costa Rica on a farm far away from a vet and I like to use natural homemade remedies whenever I can

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Please tell me what is citronella?

Citronella is used in one of your insect killing spray.

Citronella is a pungent oil (light-yellowish). It is distilled from a tropical Asian grass called Cymbopogon nardus. It is used in perfumes, soaps, liniments, and as an insect repellent.

My cat has fleas and he has open sores now. I need something to help the sores, but I don't want to spend too much money.

He has open sores and I need something to help him heal without spending it a lot of money on products

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Natural repellent recipes for cats, oil based?

I'm looking for a repellent for cats in a form of an oil to be put directly on the skin. My cat doesn't like to be sprayed. Do you know any recipes where there is no need to dilute them with water? Thank you. I have tried: I'm using prescribed medication. I think it was caused by: N/A

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How to remove a tick from my lab puppy of 2 months?

How to remove tick from my lab puppy of 2 months. I have tried: Just pull it off

You might refer to this VisiHow article that addresses how to Avoid Tick Bites and Remove an Embedded Tick

Something is biting my cat. He is wearing a new flea collar but to no avail. The bites started when we moved into this rental house. The carpets have been washed. The bites are around his neck and also near his tail. We have 3 dogs that don't seem to be bitten?

As above, the cats bites look red and large and sore. Hmm the cat is affected but the dogs are not. The bites are very itchy. The cat does lose a little bit of hair around the bite sites. I have tried: Cat collars for fleas. Flea powder everywhere in the house. lemon juice on the cat and also have used essential oils with citrus. (I'm a soap maker and have a lot of EO's. I think it was caused by: I think something was in this house when we moved in. The rooms were empty though and there was no furniture. The carpets were washed but if these insects are cyclical then this could be an ongoing problem

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What can I use as a bug pest repellent that is safe for my 2 cats?

I live in a basement apartment and I frequently see spiders,stinkbugs,gnats,house flies,bees and beetles. What can I use to repel those things but not harm my cats? I would like to know about how to repel Common house bug pests, without harming pets. Most of the content or answers are for pet pests problems.Not common house pest problems, that can have affects on pets. I have tried: Nothing yet, because I'm afraid of getting something harmful for the problem. I think it was caused by: I don't know, it just happens. Common bug problems during spring time and summer time just a occur.

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