How to use neem leaves for dogs

It’s only early May, but already I’ve been almost devoured alive by mosquitoes. There are few things I hate more than awaking to the sound of skeeters buzzing in my ears — it’s like a squadron of fighter planes aiming for my head! And if you think I’m exaggerating, consider this pithy quote attributed to former EPA chief (and Scottish Terrier fancier) Christie Todd Whitman: “Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room.” Ain’t it the truth. Yesterday alone, I smashed three skeeters, all of them engorged with blood. Ewww!

The benefits of Neem Oil

Happily, there’s all-natural, nontoxic ammunition that stops molesting mosquitoes in their tracks. It’s the single most important thing you can keep on hand all summer, for your dog’s well-being and your own. It’s neem oil, aka Azadirachta indica, extracted from the neem tree (a relative of the mahogany). The tree grows profusely in India, where people have great respect for neem’s healing powers. Ancient Indian texts call it “the curer of all ailments.” Studies show that neem is antiseptic, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal — and check this out, it’s also spermicidal! In short, neem is something of a botanical miracle.

Take care in the summer months

Starting now and through the summer months, I’ll be keeping a bottle of neem oil by my bedside to arm my dogs and myself against the mosquito menace. Neem is a biopesticide; applied topically, it doesn’t just repel mosquitoes (and fleas, too): It kills them — naturally. It has absolutely no harmful side effects.

You can give your dog vet-prescribed, oral heartworm-preventative medication to battle mosquitos, but know that it’s made of the chemical Ivermectin, and using it is basically putting poison into your dog. What’s more, with heartworm meds, the mosquito has to take a bite out of your best friend to suck up the poison and die — the stuff does nothing to repel or prevent bites. So Spot will still suffer an itchy bite, and if he’s particularly sensitive, he could also experience an allergic reaction to the venom. All this will lead to lots of itching and scratching, which could in turn cause a skin infection.

Because the neem is absorbed into the bloodstream via the skin, your dog becomes repellent to the stingers. Mosquitoes seem to know that neem spells death, so they hate the very smell of it, which is admittedly extremely pungent, not unlike roasted garlic. Some people hate the smell as much as mosquitoes do. But I’ve grown accustomed to that singular scent and even find it strangely comforting — that’s how grateful I am for all the good it does.

How to use neem on dogs

To protect my dogs, I dab spots of neem on top of their heads, behind their ears, on their shoulders and flanks, and on their tails. During mosquito season, I do this every two to three days. I also give my dogs one capsule each of neem “supercritical extract” supplement, mixed with their food twice weekly, to arm them from the inside out. I also take the capsules, and dab spots of neem on my scalp, on each wrist, behind my knees, and on my ankles (a popular mosquito target).

Neem boasts a host of other health benefits, including magically healing sunburn and any other kind of temperature or chemical burn. A bottle of this stuff is a must for any dog first aid kit. A quick topical application of neem oil to the affected area soothes and heals the burn amazingly fast. If your dog fries himself while sunbathing without sunscreen, add add four or five drops of oil to TheraNeem Pet Shampoo (my dogs’ favorite), or any gentle, sulfate-free pet shampoo, and give him a bath in cool water.

Any dog experiencing excessive shedding, itchy skin, or allergies can also benefit enormously from regular baths with neem shampoo, which is gentle enough to use every day. My German Shepherd Desiree’s dry, flaky, madly shedding coat improved dramatically after a few shampooings with TheraNeem-plus-neem.

Neem oil and people

Dry skin is the culprit of many doggie dermis problems, but neem oil is extremely emollient, so it moisturizes canine skin super efficiently. (If you have dry skin, check out neem products for humans, including soap, shampoo, conditioner, and cream. I recently took up swimming, and to prevent skin damage from the hyper-chlorinated pool, I slather vanilla-scented neem cream over my neck and face. People with eczema or psoriasis often say they find relief with neem, too. And aficionados of skin art — such as animal activist Simone Reyes or executive editorial director Janine Kahn — will appreciate neem’s skin-soothing power after a tattoo session.

If you have a green thumb, know that neem is also prized by horticulturists for its efficacy at keeping pests away from prized plantings, so there’s no need to use poison in the garden, and that’s great news for gardeners’ dogs who may or may not be prone to nibbling at plants. One more crisis averted!

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Are you using neem oil and/or leaves regularly for yourself and your dog? If not, I highly recommend that you keep some at home.

Neem is versatile and effective as a safe home remedy for a number of health issues, both for people and dogs.

Not sure what exactly neem is? Read on... This page will focus on using neem with our dogs. In particular, we will look at:

What Is Neem?

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a tree that grows in tropical places such as India, Africa, the Middle East, etc. It belongs to the Mahogany (Meliaceae) family.

Neem Leaves

Neem leaves also contain compounds such as azadirachtin, so the leaves can be used to repel insects as well.

Other compounds in neem are just as beneficial. They can relieve pain and reduce fever, and as such neem is often used to heal wounds such as cuts, burns, sprains, as well as to reduce arthritic pain.

Recent studies have found that compounds in neem oil and leaf extract may have anti-cancerous properties. Some studies show that the compounds may be able to slow or stop cancer cells from growing.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is pressed from the seed kernels of the neem tree.

The neem seeds are rich in oil and various compounds, so neem oil is considered to be the most powerful and concentrated "essence" of the neem tree.

One compound that is of particular interest is azadirachtin, which has proven to be effective as a pesticide against about 300 insect species and, the good news is, it is non-toxic to humans and dogs.

This compound works by interfering with the hormones of the pests, making them "confused", so they stop eating, mating, and reproducing!

Another compound is salannin, which is also a powerful insect repellent that has been found to be more effective than DEET.

There are different kinds of neem oil and not all of them are of the same quality. Be sure to get one that is organic, unrefined, and "cold pressed", since heat destroys the active compounds, making the oil less potent and effective.

What are the Benefits of Neem to Dogs?

The medicinal power of neem can be safely used to benefit our dogs.

In particular, we can use neem oil and leaves on dogs for the following:

Skin Problems

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, neem oil relieves dry skin and soothes skin irritations and itching.

Because of the oil's anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, it can also be used to treat dog skin infections, scabies, ringworm, acne, and ulcerations. If your dog has any of these problems, make a neem shampoo (see below) and use it to wash the dog.

To treat a serious case of skin problem, in addition to shampooing your dog, you probably need an additional remedy. Try diluting pure organic neem oil in a carrier oil such as almond oil (1 part of neem oil to 10 parts of carrier oil), and apply the oil mixture to the affected areas.

For whole body treatment, it is better to use neem leaves to make an herbal tea rinse.

The tea can also be put in a spray bottle and you can use it as an insect repellent. You can also spray the tea on your dog for minor skin irritations and problems.

Add about 3 tablespoon of organic dried neem leaves to 2 cups of water (at room temperature). Let the leaves soak overnight. In the morning, strain the tea through cheese cloth and use the tea as an after-shampoo rinse (or just sponge the tea liberally over affected areas).

Yeasty Itchy Paws

If your dog is prone to yeast infection and is constantly licking and chewing on her itchy paws, try using neem leaves to make an herbal tea (see above) and use it as a foot soak.

Sunburn

Insect Repellent

Neem oil benefits dogs by acting as a natural insect repellent. Added to shampoo, we can use it to repel fleas, mosquitoes, and to some extent, ticks (it is not too effective against the brown dog tick).

If you live in an area where there are lots of mosquitoes in the summer, you need added protection in addition to the neem shampoo!

What I like to do is to make a simple spray using neem oil and a few other 100% pure essential oils. I use it to spray both my dog and myself before going out for walks.

My spray bottle is 120 ml (4 oz.) and I usually fill 3/4 of the bottle with distilled water. To it I add:

• 10 drops neem oil
• 10 drops citronella essential oil
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops lemongrass (or eucalyptus) essential oil

Since water and oil do not mix, remember to shake the bottle well each time before using! (Remember also to avoid spraying your dog's face.)

Alternatively, here's what you can do for a spot treatment to repel fleas and mosquitoes. Add 2 drops of pure neem oil to a tablespoon of coconut oil, and dap this mixture strategically on your dog (the "armpits", the nape of the neck, the back, the tail area, tummy, etc.)

You can dap this on your own body (neck, wrists, ankles, etc.) to repel mosquitoes if you don't mind the smell!

Intestinal Parasites

Neem leaves can be used internally to eliminate intestinal parasites such as worms (except for tapeworms). The leaves are safe for ingestion and there has been no report of overdose toxicity. Dried neem leaves in capsules are readily available at health food stores or online.

For large dogs (40-100 pounds), a dosage of up to 1000 mg twice a day can be given for one week. This can readily eliminate most intestinal parasites. For smaller dogs (20-40 pounds), you can cut the above dosage to half, and for toy breeds, to a third.

General Health Support

Last but not least, neem leaves in capsules can also be given as a supplement to dogs to strengthen their immune systems, support liver function, and to cleanse the blood. It can also reduce bad breath, prevent gum disease, and ease arthritic pain.

Recommended dosage is 500 mg per 10 pounds of body weight per day.

This shampoo can be used on dogs with skin problems such as hot spots, scabies, ringworm, etc.

Just add 10 drops of pure neem oil to 1/4 cup of a mild, chemical-free shampoo. Lather the shampoo well into the coat and leave it on the skin for 5-10 minutes (or as long as your dog allows!), then rinse it off thoroughly with water.

You can also use this shampoo to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. If you are not too crazy about the smell of neem oil, you can add a few drops of pure essential oils to the shampoo to make it smell better. Lavender, peppermint, citronella, and/or lemongrass essential oils are good choices.

Is Neem Safe for Dogs?

Neem oil is practically non-toxic to mammals (as well as to bees, birds, and plants), but is slightly toxic to fish. Neem oil breaks down rapidly and does not have any toxic effects on the environment.

Neem oil, especially if used undiluted, can cause irritations to the eyes and skin. To be safe, always dilute the oil before putting it on dogs.

Since different dogs react differently, it is also prudent to do a patch test on your dog before using neem oil even in its diluted form.

DO NOT use neem oil internally as it can be very irritating to the stomach.

However, as stated above, dried neem leaves in capsules can be safely given to dogs.

Next: Essential Oils for Dogs