You want your dog to be healthy and happy all the time. Won’t it bother you if your dog keeps scratching itself all the time and stays uncomfortable? Yes, of course, it bothers you. One of the reasons if your dog is scratching excessively can be fleas.
Yes, believe me, fleas can be a nightmare for your dog and yourself.
Fleas make your dog very uncomfortable and make it very hard for him to relax and even sleep. If your dog has a flea infestation, it scratches very heavily to get rid of the itch which causes further problems.
My Labrador faced this issue of heavy flea infestation and it made him suffer a lot.
There exist many solutions such as spot-on treatments, oral medications and flea collars for this flea nuisance on your dog. But if you are slightly worried and concerned about using such harsh chemicals on your loving dog, you might want to opt for some natural and better alternatives.
Then comes to your mind, coconut oil, because you might have heard regarding it from the other people.
But does coconut oil for dogs fleas work effectively? Does coconut oil kill fleas? If it works, how to use coconut oil to get rid of fleas on your dog? Does it have any side effects?
This article is a complete guide which answers all your questions related to coconut oil and fleas.
Coconut oil for dogs fleas- Does coconut oil kill fleas?
Coconut oil is one of the easiest things available either in the kitchen or in the market.
But, does coconut oil for fleas work?
Many people say that coconut oil might help your dog during a flea infestation to a little extent only.
But according to me, using coconut oil to get rid of fleas on your dog works like magic. Because I have personally tried it on my Labrador when it suffered a severe flea infestation.
Yes, the number of fleas on my dog were huge in number, i saw them crawling all over my dog’s body and even surrounding his bed and his place. I felt very bad looking at him. He suffered a lot because of those fleas, he used to scratch himself continuously which even caused severe hair fall and even some minor cuts on his skin.
Before discussing various tips and ways to use coconut oil for killing fleas on dogs, it is important to start with the basics of flea infestation so that you could have a better understanding of your dog’s condition.
What are these fleas?
Fleas are another common parasite that could irritate your doggy friend. Like the way you love your dog, fleas love your dog too. Simply because your dog is warm. They love living in your dog’s warm fur, feed on your dog’s blood, live and reproduce there itself.
A flea attack may exhibit some signs in your dogs, such as excessive scratching, hair loss and some black flea dirt on your dog’s skin.
Fleas should not be neglected, as they cause a lot of suffering to your dog. Suffering to the extent that your dog even cant sleep peacefully.
Fleas can even cause allergic reactions in your dog such as flea allergy dermatitis and they are also a potential carrier of some diseases.
Chemical flea treatments for your dog
A wide range of products are available in the market today to get rid of this flea menace. The products range from oral medications to spot-on products. Variety of other products such as flea collars, flea shampoos, flea sprays and flea powders are also available.
But there are issues with regard to the use of these chemical flea treatments on your dog.
Firstly its efficiency, a product that worked for a dog may not work for another one. I have heard this from many people. I have heard of a flea repellent shampoo that worked for my friend’s dog, but it did not help my dog’s condition at all.
So, how many products are you going to use on your little dog to get rid of those fleas? You cannot use too many products on him just based on trial and error method.
Secondly, the side effects of those chemical products. Do you expect to introduce a chemical into your dog’s body and do not have any side effects? Not possible at all.
Even though they do not produce any immediate effects, they could cause significant long term health problems. Usage of such chemicals can lead to toxicity built up that can have a significant effect on your dog’s immune system, and this can manifest as ill-health in later stages of your dog’s life.
Top 5 reasons to use coconut oil for dogs fleas
1. Coconut oil is non-toxic and is very effective in dealing with your dog’s fleas. The coconut oil is mostly saturated fat which consists of high amounts of lauric acid and this lauric acid can repel and kill fleas effectively.
When applied externally on the skin, this thick oil will coat the exoskeleton of fleas, restrict their movement and finally suffocate them to death.
2. Coconut oil is very soothing for your dog’s skin. Fleas on your dog’s skin can cause irritation and severe itching which can lead not only to broken skin but also minor wounds and secondary infections.
As the coconut oil has natural antiseptic and healing properties, it can help in healing your dog’s skin.
3. Dogs have this habit of licking whatever applied to their body. Whenever my dog has a bath, it tries to lick the shampoo applied over its body. Hence it is important that you apply harmless things over your dog’s body to avoid the dangers of its ingestion into their body.
Here coconut oil is completely harmless when eaten. Although there is a little chance of diarrhea if eaten in excess quantities, it is not at all harmful to your dog’s health.
4. Many studies mentioned the dog’s preference for high fats in their diet. Our dog’s ancestors had good amounts of fats in their diet as they consumed other animals as a whole which includes their skin and fat too. Nowadays it is difficult to provide that sort of ancestral diet to your dog and hence it is important to add sufficient amounts of fats in its diet.
Coconut oil can provide essential fats to your dog as it is mostly comprised of saturated fats. And the fat which is medium-chain saturated fat also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which are beneficial to the overall health of your dog.
5. Coconut oil is easily available and very effective than many other chemical products.
I applied coconut oil on my dog’s coat when he has a severe flea infestation, and it worked really well. Thus coconut oil helped my dog to get rid of fleas completely whereas many other products failed in treating the issue.
Using coconut oil for fleas on dogs
As i said you that coconut oil helps to get rid of fleas like magic, you can try using coconut oil for your dog if you want to get rid of the flea menace.
But, how to use coconut oil for fleas on dogs?
Are there any proper ways of using it for tackling the flea issue?
1. Applying coconut oil externally
If you notice any kind of fleas on your dog’s body, you can immediately start this coconut oil flea treatment for your dog.
Take required amount of coconut oil depending upon the size of your dog. If the coconut oil is in its raw or solid state, you can heat it very slightly or you can simply rub it between your hands to melt it.
Now rub the oil through your dog’s coat thoroughly. Make sure that you are applying the oil to your dog’s skin and not just its fur. Move your fingers into your dog’s fur so that they reach the skin tissue. Make sure that no part of its body is left without the coconut oil.
Pay more attention to areas where the fleas prefer to gather. Those are simply the warmer areas on your dog’s body. Areas such as inside areas of legs and hands, inside the ears, groin region, belly area and the base of the tail. Make sure that you apply coconut oil to these areas with a little more attention and care.
Leave the oil on your dog’s body for a few hours, if possible you can leave it overnight. Leaving it overnight can make its place completely oily but there is no harm in it.
Later, the next day, bathe your dog with a good natural shampoo.
Trust me, this coconut oil flea bath remedy works and i have tried it on my Labrador twice and it is very effective to get rid of fleas.
2. Using the coconut oil spray
Instead of the above heavy coconut oil application procedure, you can opt for a simpler spraying procedure. This is beneficial as a flea repellent, especially when your dog goes outdoors.
Mix equal parts of coconut oil and warm water. This warm water melts the coconut oil if it is in solid-state. Fill this mixture into a spray bottle and spray the mixture on to your dog’s coat. After spraying, you can slightly rub your dog’s coat if required.
Focus more on the areas such as your dog’s paw pads and between the toes. Avoid areas such as your dog’s eyes and nose. This effective coconut spray remedy can protect your dog from those nasty fleas.
3. Feeding coconut oil to your dog
Feeding coconut oil to your dog along with its meal can help, but not directly. Coconut oil can improve the skin and coat health and reduce allergic reactions in your dog, according to petmd.
It also helps in boosting your dog’s immune system. A healthy immune system naturally protects your dog and keeps it away from fleas and other parasites. Usually, a dog with a weak immune system becomes a host to various parasites, unlike a healthy dog.
When you feed coconut oil to your dog, always choose virgin, organic and cold-pressed coconut oil. Even though this may be a bit costly, it is surely higher in terms of quality when compared with ordinary coconut oils. As you are feeding it internally, no risk should be taken.
Actually there is no proper established scientific evidence regarding this. Further research is still being carried on regarding the benefits of feeding coconut oil. But many people who have used it have found helpful results.
These are some effective home remedies for fleas with coconut oil.
Does coconut oil kill fleas?
Does coconut oil kill fleas on dogs? or it just repels them?
This is another question i hear from many dog owners while using coconut oil for flea treatment.
To answer to the point. I say yes. Because i have seen the fleas dying on my dog’s coat when i used coconut oil for the flea treatment.
After applying coconut oil on your dog’s skin, the fleas get stuck in the thick coconut oil and find it difficult to move. The coconut oil makes the flea completely immobile making it neither unable to move nor unable to jump and finally the flea dies.
When i started combing my dog, after a few hours of applying the coconut oil, i have noticed the dead fleas falling down easily from my dog’s fur.
Even though some people say that coconut oil does cannot kill fleas, it worked in my case perfectly. My Labrador got rid of his heavy flea infestation just with coconut oil and nothing else.
I cannot deny my experience and hence i say yes, coconut oil kills fleas.
How long does it take for coconut oil to kill fleas?
After a thorough and proper application of coconut oil, the fleas get killed in just a few minutes itself. I have noticed this when i used coconut oil treatment for my dog to get rid of fleas.
Even though the fleas got killed in the first few minutes itself, i have noticed some of them still moving between the deeper layers of my dog’s fur.
This might be due to improper application of the coconut oil or some fleas might have been really bigger and stronger.
But anyway, after an hour of application of coconut oil on my dog’s coat completely, mostly all of the fleas got killed, and i have seen it clearly.
So it is good if you can leave the coconut oil on your dog’s body for more time to get rid of fleas effectively. It is even good to leave it all night, there is no harm in doing so.
Coconut oil for flea bites
Flea bites can be very irritating to your dog. They usually appear as red dots near the area of a flea bite on your dog’s skin.
If your dog has fleas on its coat, the saliva produced by fleas cause an allergic reaction on your dog’s skin and it causes an intense itch to your dog.
This intense itch can lead to severe scratching, biting and even chewing of the skin area which further can lead to severe hair loss, damaged skin and also secondary infections at the area of the flea bite.
Coconut oil can help to relieve these problems. As coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it has a soothing effect on your dog’s skin.
When applied on your dog’s skin, the coconut oil does not cause sting and does not even irritate your dog’s damaged skin.
The coconut oil has antiseptic properties which help in soothing your dog’s irritated and damaged skin due to the flea bites.
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