Insect Repellent On Dogs

During the short Spring and Summer season, dogs are apt to spend more time outside. Whether you enjoy your dog spending time on a backyard patio, taking them on walks, or letting them play in the grass, they can also invite biting insects into your home as they gather in numbers beyond belief. The best insect repellents for dogs are made from DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535. Depending on your location and dog’s likelihood of being exposed to ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes, one may be better than others.

Insect Repellent On Dogs

Let’s start with mosquito repellents that have synthetic insecticides. These are the most common repellents you’ll see on the store shelf.

DEET

DEET is also called N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide. It’s absorbed through the skin and passes into the blood. That means it’s not just hazardous to mosquitoes, but to your dog as well.

There’s a key nervous enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme breaks down the molecules that trigger movement. If these molecules aren’t broken down, it can lead to uncontrollable movements. Scientists found that DEET can inhibit acetylcholinesterase in mammals and insects (1). The toxicity of DEET increases if it’s combined with other insecticides.

The upside of DEET is that products containing 30% DEET can protect for up to 5 to 6 hours. Or if they contain 10% DEET, up to 90 minutes. Canada has banned products with a DEET concentration over 30%.

Picaridin

Picaridin is another synthetic insecticide that carries fewer hazards than DEET. Consumer Reports showed products with 20% picaridin were more effective than DEET products.

Picaridin doesn’t carry the same neurotoxicity concerns as DEET. But there aren’t as many studies either … so the jury is still out on its long-term effects on health. Like DEET, picaridin is a synthetic compound … but it’s extracted from a plant that’s related to black pepper.

Consumer Reports rated a Picaridin formula at the top of their rankings … much higher than Deep Woods OFF! which was in 5th place.

PMD

Natural lemon oil is an effective mosquito repellent. It comes from the gum eucalyptus tree.

P-menthane-3,8-diol or PMD is the synthetic cousin of natural lemon eucalyptus oil. It’s what you’ll often find in store bought repellents. Consumer Reports found that products containing 30% lemon eucalyptus oil were more effective than those containing DEET … but the protection time isn’t quite as long.

And when it comes to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations … lemon eucalyptus oil is the only natural oil recommended for mosquito bites. The US Department of Agriculture did a study. They compared 4 synthetic mosquito repellents and 8 natural mosquito repellents. They found that Repel Lemon Eucalyptus was the most effective repellent – more so than a 7% DEET repellent.

Repel also placed second (after Picaridin) in the Consumer Reports ranking. Repel is available at many different stores. It smells very strong so try a little dab on your dog to start and see how he reacts before you decide to use it.

10 Natural Mosquito Repellents For Dogs

Some sources don’t recommend natural insect repellents. That’s because they don’t last as long as the toxic preventatives. But if you apply it every 2 hours or so … your dog should stay protected. And you’ll both enjoy how safe and easy they are to use.

Try some of these natural options and see what works best for your dog.

1. Homemade Bug Spray

If you like making your own products, here’s a homemade natural bug spray recipe you can try …

1 glass spray bottle
15 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
2 oz witch hazel or another carrier oil like MCT or almond oil (use oil if your dog will be going in the water)

You can also experiment with 1 or more of these additional ingredients …

1 tsp real vanilla extract
OR 6 drops peppermint essential oil
OR 3 drops lavender essential oil or atlas cedarwood essential oil

Directions

Mix the ingredients together in your glass spray bottle.
Shake well before applying.
Spray your dog all over, taking care not to spray his eyes.

2. Essential Oils

There are several plants whose essential oils have insect repellent properties. Popular ones include …

Verbena
Lavender
Pine
Catnip
Rosemary
Basil
Lemon balm
Lemon eucalyptus oil
Peppermint

But remember …

Essential oils are very powerful for dogs. Be sure to always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil (like grapeseed oil) before using them on your dog.

Mix one drop of essential oil with 1 ml carrier oil and spray your dog with the mixture. You can use more than one type of oil … but remember to increase the carrier oil for each drop of essential oil you use.

Some people like to use bandanas infused with essential oils to protect their dogs. If you do this, be sure to use diluted oils and remove the bandana when your dog comes indoors.

Caution: do not use essential oils of wintergreen, pennyroyal or clove on your dog. If you’re using a premade product, you’ll want to check the label. These oils are dangerous for your dog. You should not use them on your dog for any reason.

3. Cinnamon Oil

In 2004 the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study (2). Researchers found that cinnamon oil can kill mosquito larvae.

The researchers also believed that cinnamon oil could be a good mosquito repellent … though they hadn’t tested it against adult mosquitoes. But natural health practitioners have used cinnamon oil to repel mosquitoes for years.

Cinnamon oil is also an essential oil, so you must dilute it. Mix one drop of cinnamon oil with 1 ml carrier oil. Spray your dog with the mixture.

4. Thyme Oil

Carvacrol and alpha-terpinene are two compounds derived from the essential oil of thyme. One study found they had greater repellency than a commercial DEET repellent (3).

Researchers suggest that a spray with 2% alpha terpinene works as a natural repellent. However, don’t try to make a thyme oil-repellent at home … it’s too irritating and strong-smelling to use at effective concentrations above 25%.

5. Fennel Oil

Researchers at Seoul National University in Korea did a study (4) that found that a spray repellent containing 5% fennel oil was 84% effective after 90 minutes.

A repellent cream with 8% fennel oil was 70% effective after 90 minutes.

6. Neem Oil

Neem oil is another effective dog-safe repellent. It’s an extract from the tropical neem tree … and it has insecticidal compounds called azadirachtins.

You can also use neem on open sores and wounds so it’s a useful oil to have in your first aid kit too. Neem also has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.

The National Research Council of Canada found that neem affects more than 200 species of insects, including … mosquitoes, biting flies, sand fleas, ticks.

You can put a drop of neem oil on various places on your dog … as often as every day in mosquito season …

On top of his head
Behind his ears
On his shoulder blades
Along his back and flanks
At the base of his tail

7. Cedar Oil

Cedar oil is a great non toxic option to keep pests off your dog. It repels mosquitoes, as well as fleas and ticks. In fact, it’s said that the ancient Egyptians used cedar oil in embalming to keep the bugs away.

Most people like the smell of cedar oil (and dogs don’t seem to mind it either) … but mosquitoes and other insects don’t like it. And if mosquitoes come into contact with cedar oil, it can kill them, their eggs, and their larvae.

Cedar oil …

Pulls the water out of them
Neutralizes body fluids
Interferes with their respiratory system
Inhibits their pheromone receptors

There are various commercially available products that are safe and effective. Look for a formulation that’s 10% to 20% cedar oil and spray your dog before he goes outside.

8. Citronella

A well-known natural mosquito repellent. The lotions, sprays, and candles use oil from the citronella plant.

The University of Guelph did a study on citronella and its ability to repel mosquitoes (5). Researchers assessed the effectiveness of 3% citronella candles and 5% citronella incense.

They found that subjects near the citronella candles had 42.3% less bites. Those near the citronella incense had 24.2% fewer bites. Based on these results, citronella candles shouldn’t be a stand-alone repellent … but they may help in combination with topical repellents.

Caution: Don’t use citronella oil directly on your dog as it can be toxic.

9. Garlic

Feeding your dog garlic can also help make him less appealing to insects. Garlic is safe for dogs in moderation. Always use US grown organic fresh whole clove garlic.

You can give ¼ clove of garlic per 10 pounds (use regular sized garlic, not jumbo). If your dog weighs less than 10 pounds, cut a ¼ clove of garlic in half and give ⅛ clove.

For giant breeds, don’t give more than 2 cloves of garlic per day.

Peel and chop the garlic about 15 minutes before feeding, then add it to your dog’s food. Start feeding garlic one month before the start of mosquito season.

10. Celery Seed Extract

A Thai study compared 15 mosquito repellents. All the repellents contained a topical extract from celery, Apium graveolens. The repellents were active against a wide range of mosquito species … comparable to a 25% DEET formula. And it didn’t irritate the skin or cause a burning sensation.

You can buy celery seed extract at health stores and apply it to your dog.