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When I did an Internet search, I found various essential oils recipes to treat my dog’s red and inflamed ears.
For instance, one of the aromatics I’ve been able to use both on my dog’s ears, as well as on his collar (for flea and tick protection) is geranium essential oil.
Please understand that I’m not a veterinarian, so I can’t give medical advice. I can only share my experience of what we did with our elderly dog. So, if you decide to use aromatics on your own dog, please first run this idea by your vet. For instance, aromatic oils should never be used on a pregnant female dog.
Geranium Oil for Dogs
Our elderly dog is prone to ear problems. This is because of his age and also because he’s a Cocker Spaniel. So his ears are not exposed to light or to air. We need to constantly check for problems. If we see redness, we use essential oils. Here is a recipe, similar to one we originally used, the first time we tried essential oils for ear maintenance.
- One tablespoon of olive or coconut oil. I prefer olive oil because it doesn’t turn solid in the winter.
- 2 drops of geranium oil (available here)
- 2 drops of lavender oil (available here)
I took a Q-tip and applied to the inside of my dog’s ear, but only the parts that were visible. I only needed a dab, as this formula is very strong. Essential oils are highly concentrated, so a little goes a very long way. I did this until the redness cleared. In the case of ear infection, please also work with your vet. This is easier if you have a holistic practitioner, who is open to the use of essential oils on animals.
We can also apply an essential oil mixture to our dog’s ears every so often to prevent problems. We can use aromatics for routine maintenance, something that wouldn’t be possible with a commonly prescribed drug to treat canine ear infections. If you don’t already own geranium essential oil it’s available online. This comes in two sizes. Unless you plan to use a lot, I’d recommend the smallest size, since geranium oil is very potent.
Geranium Oil for Fleas
This is my very favorite use of geranium essential oil for dogs. Some dog owners (me included) use geranium essential oil to kill fleas and ticks. There are online recipes that call for putting this oil directly on your dog, similar to a spot-on-type treatment. However, this is an extremely strong oil. With our own dog, we put one drop of geranium on his collar, instead of his fur. It worked really well.
Essential oils can play a very useful role in holistic dog care, at least for our dog. We’ve used them in place of pharmaceuticals to clear up redness in our dog’s ears. These aromatic compounds can also repel fleas, apparently just as well as any chemical insecticide and without exposing your dog to toxins.
There’s growing concern that various flea and tick products are bad for dogs, as well as for humans. Some dogs have even died after these products were applied to their coats. There’s also evidence that flea collars expose both the dog, as well as human members, to unacceptably high levels of insecticides.