How to Make a Homemade Mosquito Repellent for Dogs

Summer's arrival invites us to enjoy outdoor activities alongside our furry friends, but it also calls for extra care to preserve their optimal health. Besides burns and heatstroke, we need to watch out for insects that act as vectors for various infectious diseases. And an excellent strategy to prevent their bites is to prepare a homemade mosquito repellent for dogs.

To help you out, in this article we'll share 4 insect repellent recipes for dogs using natural, accessible, and safe ingredients for our best friends. Keep reading and find out how to make them!

You might also like: How to make a homemade flea repellent

Human repellents aren't safe for your dog

It's important to understand that mosquito repellents made for humans contain chemical substances that are dangerous to dogs' health. One of these is known as DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) and, after entering the body through inhalation, ingestion, or direct skin contact, it can enter the bloodstream directly and can be highly toxic.

In fact, this chemical compound can even have adverse effects on human health. That's why it's not recommended to apply products containing it directly on wounds or irritated, sensitive skin. Also, on the packaging of human repellents themselves, you'll find other usage precautions, such as avoiding inhalation and contact with eyes and mucous membranes.

The risks linked to these products are increased in dogs' case because they have the habit of licking their own body, which increases the chances of DEET being ingested orally and causing poisoning symptoms. Also, several repellents have a smell dogs find unpleasant, and inhaling them can also cause irritation to the nasal lining and skin.

For this reason, we recommend not using human repellents on your best friend and instead choosing one of the homemade mosquito repellent recipes for dogs detailed below.

Homemade insect repellent for dogs with citrus peels

Citrus fruits help repel insects and external parasites, but eating them can cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs. That's why we'll only use the peels of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, and grapefruit (among others) to prepare a concentrated infusion that, once cooled, can be used as a natural homemade insect repellent for dogs.

As you'll see, this recipe is great for reducing kitchen waste and is extremely inexpensive, since you'll only need two ingredients to prepare it. They are:

• Water: 1 liter
• Citrus peels: 1 cup

Step-by-step for making a citrus-based mosquito repellent:

1. In a pot, bring the water to a boil, and just as it's about to reach a full boil, add the citrus peels.
2. Cover the pot and let the infusion keep simmering for about 40 minutes so the scents concentrate.
3. Turn off the heat and let the infusion cool before straining it.

Done! After following these three super easy steps, you can now apply the homemade repellent to your best friend's body, always being extremely careful that it doesn't come into contact with their eyes, mucous membranes, or mouth. You can also pour the mixture into a spray bottle to apply around your home, especially on doors and windows, to help prevent mosquitoes and other insects from getting in.

Apple cider vinegar to naturally repel insects

There are many uses and benefits of apple cider vinegar for dogs, so you can add it to your furry friend's care routine in various ways. When applied directly to their skin and coat, it helps prevent mosquito and external parasite bites, fights bad odor, and helps treat inflammation and infections, besides improving the hydration and shine of their coat.

But before applying it to your best friend's body, you should always dilute the apple cider vinegar in equal parts water. For example, you can dilute ½ cup of vinegar in ½ cup of clean water and then apply this solution to your furry friend's skin and fur using a spray bottle.

Herbal infusions to prevent mosquito bites in dogs

Another very simple way to make a homemade mosquito repellent for dogs is to prepare a well-concentrated infusion with herbs whose smells and natural compounds repel these insects. Besides the chamomile and mint we already mentioned, you can also use basil, rosemary, eucalyptus, and sage for this purpose.

And if you can use the herbs fresh (instead of tea bags), even better, since they retain their aromas and therapeutic properties better.

Homemade citronella mosquito spray

Citronella is another one of the most effective natural remedies for repelling mosquitoes and other insects. And the simplest way to use it in our home and on our furry friends is by getting citronella oil, which you can find in many natural product stores as well as online shops.

If you want to apply citronella oil directly to your dog's body, it's best to dilute it so it's not too intense. To do this, you can use water or some infusion that also acts as a natural repellent, like chamomile or mint, to boost its effects.

For example, you can dilute 5 drops of citronella oil in ½ liter of concentrated chamomile tea and then apply the repellent solution over your furry friend's whole body using a cotton ball or spray bottle. Remember to avoid contact with sensitive areas and keep an eye on your dog after application to make sure they don't ingest the citronella oil, since consuming it can be toxic.

There are other natural oils you can use for this purpose too, such as: clove oil, castor oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, lemon oil, among others.

And here's an "extra" tip: try diluting 5 to 10 drops of whichever natural oil you like best in 50 ml of melted coconut oil. Besides being a very effective homemade insect repellent for dogs, this mixture has moisturizing properties that will benefit your furry friend's skin health and coat appearance. Go ahead and try these recipes, and then let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!