With the advent of warmer weather and longer daylight come games of Frisbee and catch ball with your doggie at the park or perhaps a hike in the backwoods. It’s marvelous to go out and smell the fresh air, watch the greening of the trees and hear the chirping of busy birds as they fly to and fro, gathering material for their nests. But the warmer weather has its nasty side as well – mosquitoes and other bugs that delight in making a meal of you and your furry friend. Never fear! Tea Tree oil is here!
Tea tree oil, often referred to as the “wonder from Down Under" is a wonder indeed. This amazing essential oil from Australia should be in every first aid kit. Indeed, when I was in Australia last year, no decent Aussie household would be found without a vial or two in their medicine cabinet. If there ever was such a thing as a magic potion, then tea tree oil would have to be it.
Identified as having no less than 48 properties, it has been scientifically proven to be an antiseptic of extraordinary strength, it is at the same time non-toxic and a non-irritant and proven to be soothing and healing.
The use of tea tree oil by the Australian military in the second world war is legendary. Australian Soldiers fighting in the jungles of the Pacific were less susceptible to tropical diseases and their infantry had the healthiest feet (very important if you are in the infantry) of all the allied forces. The reason being that mosquitoes and other bugs apparently are not fond of tea tree oil so these disease bearing insects moved on to other armies for their vitles.
Why so? Well, the Australian soldiers sprayed themselves with a solution of water and tea tree oil thus ensuring that they would be found to be unappetizing to those pesky bugs. They also bathed their sore feet in water to which drops of tea tree oil were added. This cleansed their feet, soothed them and promoted a quick healing process for any cuts, sores or abrasions.
So before heading into the great outdoors, buy yourself some good quality tea tree oil, add a few drops to a spray bottle of water, and spray both yourself and your dog. Be sure to get your dog’s underbelly done – this is where our pets are most vulnerable. Now you can rest easy that you doggie won’t be coming home with any bites!
Another good tea tree oil item to have on hand is an antibiotic cream or gel. A scuffle for that ball or long hike up rough mountain terrain can mean scrapes and cuts to your dog’s feet. Bathe the feet and wounds with a solution of tee tree oil and water, pat dry, and apply the cream to promote quick healing.
Fleas! To prevent them from making a home of your dog simply spray just like you would against other bugs. If your doggie has somehow inadvertently picked up a squadron or so, rub tea tree oil all over his body – those fleas will literally flee. Using a doggie shampoo with tea tree oil is good too, and the side benefit is that your dog’s coat will take on a super healthy shine and his skin will be silkier and softer too!
What I like about using tea tree oil, especially against bugs, is that it has none of the harmful effects of other insect deterrents. I know that when I buy a good quality tea tree oil and put it to use on my dog that no harm will come to him.
» left by Anonymous (182 days 18 hours ago.)
It's worrying to have someone publish an article about Tea Tree Oil which blatantly states "non-toxic and a non-irritant ". Tea Tree Oil is extremely useful, but it contains elements closely related to turpentine, and its constituents vary considerably from sample to sample. Generally it should never be used neat: it can be absorbed through the skin and in some circumstances may be extremely toxic, especially to pets. All essential oils, should be treated with care and respect. Do not ingest. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (182 days 12 hours ago.)
tea tree oil is one of the most researched essential oils --- not all tea tree oils are created equal however. There are many melaleuca trees but it is only from the melaleuca alternifolia that all the properties are present. The Australian Government started its research on this oil back in 1922 and there are literally tomes of papers on this subject. It is important to ensure that you are buying a quality grade product ... sadly there are too many that are not.
Good tea tree oil has terpinon-4-ol which is a far cry from turpentine. Contrary to what anonymous is saying, one of the properties of tea tree oil is that it is "soothing". Tea tree oil is increasingly included as an ingredient in animal shampoos (dog, horse, etc.) and promotes good healthy skin and a shiny coat.
» left by Jake (182 days 18 hours ago.)
My late dog was nearly paralyzed over a decade ago after someone recommended using the oil to get rid of fleas. Worst advice ever. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (182 days 12 hours ago.)
read my reply above .... but no tea tree oil whether top quality or not should have that effect unless it had some other ingredient(s) added. It is important that you purchase a quality oil of pharmaceutical grade --- a good quality oil is highly concentrated and will be very effective with just a few drops in a pail.
Tea tree oil has an LD50 dose associated with it, just like most other essential oils (such as menthol). At *very* low doses, it can be used *relatively* safely on your dog -- but then you may actually cause the bacteria on your dog's skin to become *more* resistant to Tea Tree Oil. At higher doses, lethargy, loss of coordination and so forth have been reported. At the extreme, it can kill your dog.
NEVER use anything approaching pure Tea Tree oil on the dog's skin -- it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream or (through licking) the GI tract.
Regardless of the "quality" of the oil, its safety is suspect, and you're better off simply not using it.
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