Does Coconut Oil Kill Fleas in Dogs?

Is Coconut oil powerful enough to kill fleas in dogs? The short answer is “Yes”. If you are looking for a guide on the uses of Coconut oil on dogs, keep reading to find everything about the use of coconut oil to treat fleas in dogs.

Summer is just around and we are going to spend more and more time with our pets (the dogs most probably) outside, sometimes in a park, or maybe on the lawn or backyard. The more time our dog spends outside the house, the more risk it is to get a flea infestation. This time of the year is most favorable for these nasty fleas to develop, multiply and infest our precious dogs.

What are the harms posed by fleas in dogs and cats?

Bites from fleas are very uncomfortable and irritating for cats and dogs, and they can cause severe health damage to them. Here are some extreme conditions caused by fleas in your dogs and cats:

• Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)
• Cat scratch disease
• Anemia
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

What are the Symptoms of fleas in dogs?

If a dog has a flea infestation, it can show you the following symptoms:

• Dogs with flea infestation continuously itch and scratch their skin.
• Dogs having fleas under their skin can be seen biting and gnawing their skin.
• Flea dirt can be seen in the dog’s hair.
• Sores on the skin are prominent in dogs with flea infestation.
• Anemia can cause gums to turn pale.
• Lethargy and weakness can be consequences of severe flea infestation.

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How do dogs get fleas?

When it comes to learning how pets get infested by fleas, you must know that fleas can be anywhere in the open. That means your dog can get fleas in any place that is in an outdoor setting. The most common areas where this happens are:

• Backyard
• Parks
• Gardens
• Dog kennels
• Playgrounds
• While playing with other dogs that might already be infested

How coconut oil helps in getting rid of fleas?

Coconut oil is beneficial in flea infestation as it has the properties to kill fleas within seconds. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which immobilizes the flea by covering its whole exoskeleton, making it unable to move, and killing the flea within 20 seconds or even less. That is why coconut oil is the quick fix for mild flea infestation in dogs and cats.

Along with flea-killing properties, there are so many benefits of using coconut oil in your pets. It is so good for your dog’s skin. Coconut oil has antifungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties, which prevent skin infections caused by microorganisms and also prevent inflammation, which is the ultimate result of microbial skin infections in pets.

How to apply coconut oil to your dog?

There is no rocket science in the application of coconut oil on the dog’s skin. However, the most common methods suggested by the experts and widely used by practitioners, and also recommended by veterinarians are listed below:

• This is the simplest method of applying coconut oil to the dog’s skin. You can take a few drops of coconut oil on your palm, rub it properly until it becomes runny and then apply it to the dog’s body thoroughly.
• Do not miss any points that are dark or moist. Apply the coconut oil evenly behind the ears and in between the paws, as these are the places where these notorious fleas can hide and harm your pet’s health. Leave it for 8 hours or overnight, and then give your pet a nice gentle bath.
• An alternative way to the simple application by your palms is in the form of a spray. It is made by a DIY method that indicates taking two tablespoons of coconut oil and mixing it with 30 ml of lukewarm water in a spray bottle. The water’s warmth will melt the coconut oil and mix with it thoroughly, which helps the even spreading of coconut oil on the dog’s skin when it is sprayed.
• Another way to treat your dog with fleas with coconut oil is the oral route. You can mix coconut oil in your pup’s feed or make your dog have it. The recommended dosage is one tablespoon per 20 lbs of body weight of the dog twice daily. Weigh your fur baby, calculate the dose and give it to him by mixing it in its feed.
• You can also give your pet an oil bath using coconut oil while bathing it. This helps in removing fleas from your pet’s skin and also improves your pet’s coat health.

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Best Coconut Oil for Dogs (Top 3 Picks)

You must be wondering which coconut oil brand should you use on your dog to treat and remove fleas. Well, you should not worry about that because we are going to list the top 3 best coconut oils for dogs. So, let’s find out the best coconut oil brands below.

Fractioned Coconut Oil – Best for Dogs (100% Vegan)

Looking for 100% virgin coconut oil? Well, this fractioned coconut oil is 100% pure and natural that works perfectly on not only your dogs but also on other pets, as well as, humans.

This top-quality coconut oil is free of artificial fragrance, chemicals, and hexane and is 100% vegan. It not only helps remove fleas but also improves the dog’s hair, eliminates fungus and infections, and adds shine to the dog’s fur.

Overall, it is suitable for all skin types and is free of any side effects. Especially, if your dog has dry skin, this fractioned coconut oil would work like a champion.

Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil

This organic coconut oil is produced using the cold press extraction process and it doesn’t contain any sort of chemicals or hexane. Whether your dog has a flea infestation or has severe skin allergies, this premium quality coconut oil by Nutiva Store works well in all such conditions.

It can be applied to the dog’s skin, as well as, could be fed for a good response. If your dog itches its skin and has gone bald, this coconut oil is the best medicine for it that can be applied over the skin and fed orally.

What people said about this wonderful product:

• We added coconut oil to our dog’s food and it worked well against allergies and dermatitis.
• My dog used to itch until bled and had worms and fleas. After using this product, all of them are gone.

Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Extracted from organic coconuts, Viva Natural Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the best coconut oil brands that can be applied physically, as well as, used orally to get rid of fleas.

It is rich in nutrients and is a perfect choice to use on dogs and cats. It is non-GMO, gluten-free, and rich in taste. If used on dogs, it works perfectly against fleas, ticks, allergies, infections, and whatnot. Many dog parents admitted that they used a little amount of this coconut oil to brush their dog’s teeth, and their dogs didn’t resist because of its wonderful taste.

So, if you are looking for 100% organic coconut oil for dogs to treat fleas, skin allergies, and other infections, Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is the right choice for you.

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What are the other Benefits of Coconut Oil?

Oral ingestion of coconut oil improves the dog’s cost health, gut health, and skin health, and it also aids in weight loss if the dog is obese. Apart from the beneficial properties of coconut oil treating flea infestation, it also has positive effects on:

• Dental Health
• Immune system
• Digestive system
• Brain Health

Coconut oil as pest repellent:

Coconut oil can also be used for many other purposes and one of them is its usage as a pest repellent. The safest pest repellent can be made of coconut oil by mixing it with:

• Tea tree oil
• Neem oil
• Lavender oil
• Lemon oil
• Eucalyptus oil
• Peppermint oil
• Cedar oil
• Rosemary oil

Why should we use coconut oil and not chemical pesticides to treat fleas in pets?

Chemical pesticides are suitable for pest control in the environment, not on the animal’s body. Pets can inhale these pesticides, and they can cause serious health complications once inhaled by the pets so we’ve listed some of the problems caused by chemical pesticides below:

• Respiratory problems
• Skin rashes
• Itching
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Supportive Treatment:

If you find out that your dog has fleas, you must make sure to visit a veterinarian about this problem. But along with the prescribed medicine or therapy, here are some tips that you can do manually to help your dog:

• You can use Dish Soap to get rid of fleas. Dish soap is the first line of defense against fleas in veterinary practice, and it is widely practiced in clinics.
• You can also use flea combs to get them out of your pet’s fur. These combs are very helpful for getting out the fleas that are still in your pet’s coat. It prevents the situation from getting worse.
• There are hundreds of other options for treating fleas in dogs and cats. You can use flea collars and other liquid applications available in the market to help your pet get past that irritating and painful flea infestation process.

Alternatives of Coconut oil:

The natural alternatives of coconut oil for getting rid of fleas in dogs are:

• Lemongrass paired with Olive oil
• Neem oil
• Rose geranium oil.

Wrapping it up:

So, it was everything you needed to know about the treatment of fleas in dogs using coconut oil. Remember, every dog is different and may react differently to oral intake of coconut oil, so, it is recommended to talk to your vet before trying something new.

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