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"Howard!" I exclaimed, irritated. "You dirty dog! Have you been digging up rabbits again?"
Howard [McQuaid's elderly basset] regarded me with a guileless grin and a cheerful wag of his muddy tail.
"Well, it doesn't matter where you've been," I said firmly. "It's where you're going that counts. You're having a bath."
A bath! Howard yelped in alarm. Oh, bummer! He ran in the direction of his hideout under the porch, as fast as his short, stumpy legs could carry him.
But I'm faster, and I was determined. Bummer or not, Howard was in for it.
—Dead Man's Bones: A China Bayles Mystery
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July brings plenty of sweltering weather, as well as a sudden increase in the flea population, always a problem if you have pets—and sometimes if you don't. If the dog days are dogging you, here are some herbal solutions.
Flea Repellent Oil
4 drops eucalyptus oil
4 drops citronella oil
4 drops rosemary oil
3 tablespoons almond or olive oil.
How to use the oil:
- Add 12-14 drops of oil to a quart of pet shampoo, or use the formula for Howard's Herbal Doggie Shampoo (see below)
- Dilute the oil with an equal amount of water, and spray, then comb, your dog's clean coat.
- Spray diluted oil on your dog's clean bedding.
- Apply to a cloth flea collar. Wrap strips of cloth around an old collar, securing the strips so they don't loosen. Put 2-4 drops of essential oils at half-inch intervals around the collar, and wrap it in plastic wrap for a day or so before putting it on your pet. Check regularly for possible allergies, and do not use if the skin becomes irritated. Renew oils as necessary.
Howard's Herbal Doggie Shampoo
1 quart liquid shampoo, any type
2 drops peppermint oil
2 drops lemon oil
2 drops rosemary oil
2 drops lavender oil
2 drops citronella
Mix all together, using amounts listed. Too much of a good thing can irritate a dog's skin. (And do be careful when you use essential oils. Ingested, they are highly toxic.)
Read more about using herbs for dogs and cats:
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