need dog soap recipe,

[DeeAnna]

"..Does it just kill the fleas at bath time, or does it keep killing for awhile like days or weeks? Does it do anything to keep the fleas chased away from the dog?..."

Soap is a contact insecticide for some species of insects. It's even used on plants to kill aphids and such. Soap => Contact insecticide => Kills on contact. Does not persist (last) long. Doesn't "chase" anything.

Any bath and any soap will kill fleas. Keep the dog wet and lathered up for about 5 minutes and the fleas will be slowed down until they drown.

And about essential oils for pets -- Don't read a bunch of stuff on the internet blogs and then turn your dog or other pet into a medical experiment. If you don't really KNOW what you're doing, just don't. There are EOs that kill fleas, yes, but they can also make a dog incredibly ill, including irreversible kidney or liver failure, or even kill a dog outright. And bear in mind that dogs are much more tolerant of EOs than cats (and other small animals, including birds).

 

[Shaefercd]

Thank you. Well said!

 

[HappyHomeSoapCo]

On another thread about shampoo, someone mentioned using Apple cider vinegar as the liquid for the lye solution. Sounds like it wouldn't work, but the person posting this info said it did in fact work, and it does help to lower the pH.

Does anyone know if this would be a good idea for a dog bar too?

 

[DeeAnna]

No vinegar does NOT lower pH of soap. I don't care how much wishful thinking that people put into this idea, the fact remains that vinegar simply raises the superfat of the soap and can do so to the point that the soap remains soft and does not lather well.

 

[not_ally]

Sigh. Keep wishing there was a safe EO remedy for fleas on dogs. I keep researching it and have never felt comfortable putting EOs on my dogs, just not OK with the open questions.

Equally uncomfortable with commercial flea/tick killers that are so toxic that I am not supposed to touch my dogs for 24 hrs afterwards, I have ordered them and then not been able to bring myself to apply them.

But also hate to see the puppies scratching too much. Don't like to wash them more than once a month b/c it strips the oils from their skins, but they get itchy/bitten in between, and I know fleas can carry disease. What do you guys do?

 

[Dorymae]

It is a catch 22, and all you can do is pick the lesser of the evils. For me it is washing with a unscented soap, leaving the dog lathered for at least 5 mins to kill the fleas.

I do add a bit of oil to my dogs food to help with her coat, and she occasionally gets some hard boiled eggs as well.

I'm not sure if adding oil helps her skin but the toxic chemicals are definitely out, and fleas haven't been so bad that I feel the need to try EO, even the ones that claim to be safest.

 

[not_ally]

It is such a conundrum. My little one is not so hard, she doesn't mind being washed and it is easy to do, I can do it in the kitchen sink (sorry if that grosses some of you out.)

Freddie is harder, he is bigger and hates getting a bath, it is a bit of an ordeal. I have to entirely disrobe, get in the shower with him, close the door, he is fighting to get out the whole time no matter how calm/comforting I try to make it. Water the perfect temp, special dog shower attachment, his favorite music, you name it, I do it. Still, five minutes would seem like a lifetime to him, but he might just have to deal with it.

 

[jnl]

like ive mentioned before in other posts, my dog has the most sensitive skin out there and the first time she ever had a bath where she was NOT horribly itchy for days or weeks after was when i tried my goats milk oatmeal and honey soap on her. just got her wet, then rubbed the bar all over her until she was good and soapy and rinsed. for her face i put lather on my hands and was careful around her eyes. apparently the PH doesnt really matter, because if it did my dog would have gone nuts. its more about the contents of the soap, and natural appears to be best. neutral ph synthetic cleaners are horrific on my dog, and believe me, i tried them all. i wish it had not taken me 8 years to find something i could clean my dog with without torturing her.

 

[Susie]

Sigh. Keep wishing there was a safe EO remedy for fleas on dogs. I keep researching it and have never felt comfortable putting EOs on my dogs, just not OK with the open questions.

Equally uncomfortable with commercial flea/tick killers that are so toxic that I am not supposed to touch my dogs for 24 hrs afterwards, I have ordered them and then not been able to bring myself to apply them.

But also hate to see the puppies scratching too much. Don't like to wash them more than once a month b/c it strips the oils from their skins, but they get itchy/bitten in between, and I know fleas can carry disease. What do you guys do?

I use the stuff you put on the back of their necks. You get good flea and tick protection. Just be sure to get it right under where their collars should rest so they can't reach it.

 

[Obsidian]

I hate the stuff you put on the back. It leaves a nasty greasy spot and it almost sent the cat to the vet after he had a severe reaction and lost most of his fur. I switched to a pill instead, its a bit pricey but it worked really well.
http://www.entirelypets.com/program-for-dogs.html

 

[JayJay]

Hi!

I just thought I would mention this. I read somewhere that tea tree oil is toxic for dogs. It can be absorbed through the skin in small amounts and still harm the dog. I agree with previous posters, no scent is probably safest.

My dog's skin seems to like 100% Olive oil soap. Commercial soaps that I have tried seems to make her itch... Including a dog oatmeal shampoo.

 

[DeeAnna]

I live in a heavily forested area with lots of ticks, including deer ticks. I have had the pleasure of treating my four dogs twice now with a month-long course of doxycycline to combat their Lyme disease. The second round included additional lab testing and a course of vaccinations for Lyme. Lyme disease can become a chronic health issue complete with the potential for irreversible muscle and heart problems ... and expensive vet and lab bills to boot.

As a consequence, I've become a stickler for using an effective product that controls ticks and thus controls fleas. While using something like Frontline for fleas and ticks does have its disadvantages, it's far, far better than the consequences of not using an effective control. Just took the first tick of 2015 off Parker, our Basset hound -- we had an unusually warm spell a few days ago -- so it's time to start treating again.

If you only have fleas to deal with, consider yourself fortunate!

 

[dixiedragon]

I coat my dog with Ivory dishwashing liquid. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Use a nit comb to remove the fleas.

Diotemacious earth is a pet safe natural insect killer.

Another thing - flea eggs can survive in your vacuum. If you are fighting an infestation, pull the bag out of the vacuum and put it in the trash away from your house. If you can't do that right away, put it in your freezer.

 

[Dahila]

I used Advantage for many many years, no dog of mine had any reaction to it, the fleas had.

 

[Susie]

We live in the middle of a forest in the deep south. Ticks and fleas are a fact of life year round. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats monthly treatment with an effective product from the vet(or online now). Too many dogs have long term health issues that can be avoided with use of those.

 

[Saponista]

I had activyl for my cats, but it left s horrible greasy mark on their fur. I swapped to stronghold as it doesn't leave a residue. I would rather take the small risk that the chemicals in the treatment may cause adverse effects compared to the damage caused by infestations like heartworm which can be fatal.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with using vet approved treatments. Because of it we have never had an issue. Same with heartworm medication. Would rather give them the meds than have them suffer with heartworm. I've see a couple dogs go through the treatment and it's not fun for them. Plus it's costly. Preventative works best.

 

[reinbeau]

I posted a canine shampoo recipe here if you'd like to take a look. I will say it makes a fantastic human soap also.

 

[dixiedragon]

I want to add that when I used the Ivory dishwashing soap on my dog, she was a puppy. We use Advantage for our adult dogs, which means we don't have to treat our puppy b/c fleas don't have a chance to get started.

 

[not_ally]

Anne, this looks nicer than the shampoo I use on myself, hopefully it will reconcile Fred to his monthly bath Do you think it would be OK if I left out the neem? I HATE the way it smells. Thanks for posting this.