Is apple cider vinegar safe to bathe my dog for ticks and itching?

Hello. This will not hurt, but may not do much good. You might want to bathe the dog in cool water using one of the anti-itch shampoos carried by Petco. I like the Zymox line that uses a little hydrocortisone, but any shampoo/conditioner that has either hydrocortisone or Pramoxine will be suitable & should provide at least some temporary relief. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Apple cider and baking soda will not be an effective tick remedy. There are several good products on the market that are effective against ticks that your family veterinarian will be able to help you with. I recommend you make an appointment with a veterinarian for an assessment. In addition, it is often important to treat the environment for ticks as well. A local pest control company will be very familiar with how to effectively treat your environement for ticks.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There isn't any concern for over-exposure to the vinegar or water, but I would recommend a different approach for flea control. That mixture will not control fleas. The best treatment is monthly flea prevention from your veterinarian, given every 30 days for at least 3 months. Products purchased over the counter and flea collars don't work. You must treat all the pets inside and outside your home. I would also recommend a product called Knockout Spray for inside the home. You need to focus on dark areas, like under furniture, and treat any hard floor surfaces as well. After the product dries, vacuum thoroughly and throw out the bag or clean out the canister if bag-less. Apple cider vinegar will not fix your flea problem, and will only prolong the discomfort to your pet. I know the products seem expensive, but they truly work and in the long run is cheaper if you follow the flea treatment steps. Good luck and kisses to Gracie!

It is safe to do that but it probably won't work. You really need a chemical product. "Natural remedies" do not work on parasites, especially ticks. You are better off with a Seresto collar - once you put it on it works for 8 months and it is very effective and cost effective. It is also a lot less work for you. ( https://www.budgetpetsupplies.co.za/seresto-collar-for-small-dogs-upto-8kg-pack.aspx?utm_source=googleshopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgezoBRDNARIsAGzEfe4Be68gs5yQEEholjfB9YB_V2EDksungI7ALxaaGEZciXBwKzmPG0oaAkHJEALw_wcB )

Hello and thank you for your questions about Apple Cider Vinegar. Most people use the vinegar topically. They apply it to skin rashes, the under side of the feet or other areas of redness. Vinegar is an astringent so it will help remove pathogenic microbes on the skin and it also soothes the skin. Some people feed it to their dogs to acidify the GI tract but I don't think there's much value in that and thus I don't recommend it. Some people also use it the clean ears but again, I've seen problems when it stays in the ear and is not properly dried out. I think there are much better ear cleaners that are made for dogs and actually dry on their own or remove water within the ear. Some people also see a value in this for a flea repellent but once again, I don't think it works well and that there are much better products. So I don't recommend it for that purpose. Anytime you use the vinegar you want to mix it water in varying concentrations depending on the intended use. Always get the organic formula. For skin issues, I think it has benefits, I don't recommend to use it for the other listed properties. Be careful using it on open wounds, it can sting. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry that your pet is having sore skin due to ticks. You really should invest in a good tick preventative such as Bravecto, Nexgard, Seresto collar or the Preventic collar. This will prevent you from having to bath daily, which causes more skin irritation. The best thing for skin irritation is not oils (which often just get licked off and can cause GI upset if ingested), but instead a calming oatmeal based shampoo or hypoallergenic shampoo (i.e. Duoxo calming shampoo). Also daily fish oils is a natural anti-inflammatory that can help also. Try to limit his baths from now on to once every 2-3 weeks, especially if you are giving him a good high quality tick preventative. Also tick removal does not require a bath, but instead just removal of the entire tick with tweezers, making sure to remove the entire head to help avoid transmission of disease.

I would be concerned the baking soda would dry the skin out and cause irritation. Unfortunately a homemade shampoo like this is unlikely to kill fleas. It may slow them down while they are wet and allow you to pick them off, but it will not kill them. There is not an effective "natural" flea killing product unfortunately, as fleas are very hardy. A shampoo will also only be effective at killing the fleas on your pet at that moment and will not prevent more fleas from the environment from infesting your pet. I would recommend talking to your vet about the flea prevention options available at their office. There are a variety of very effective products now available including topical products like Advantage, oral products like Nexgard and Bravecto, and some effective long lasting collars such as the Seresto collar. You can read more about fleas at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=7955321