Listerine for fleas add Apple Cider Vinegar

My original recipe was half apple cider vinegar and half Listerine mixed in a 
spray bottle. For the latter, I use generic amber-mouthwash from any "Dollar 
Store," or both from a discount grocery store. Then I got the brilliant idea 
that adding a large dash of baby oil would assist in making a good grooming 
spray for horses and dogs. (The scientific discovery process awes me and I 
realize this is how Madame Curie probably started.) You don't want to use
that  or any of the following on a cat, since they lick themselves (including
in  locations that embarrass us), or you will have a  Tom-Sawyer
giving-the-cat-castor-oil experience.
[Blogger's note- I have used just apple cider vinegar with mixed results. 
Perhaps a low cost substitute of Listerine is the solution?]

Date:   9/21/2006 9:26:07 AM   ( 5 y ) ... viewed 15013 times

Dogs
cCopyright Jim Willis 2003

Several people have asked if I would share my recipe for a homemade 
anti-pest/grooming spray for dogs and horses. May they live to regret it.

My original recipe was half apple cider vinegar and half Listerine mixed in a 
spray bottle. For the latter, I use generic amber-mouthwash from any "Dollar 
Store," or both from a discount grocery store. Then I got the brilliant idea 
that adding a large dash of baby oil would assist in making a good grooming 
spray for horses and dogs. (The scientific discovery process awes me and I 
realize this is how Madame Curie probably started.) You don't want to use
that  or any of the following on a cat, since they lick themselves (including
in  locations that embarrass us), or you will have a  Tom-Sawyer
giving-the-cat-castor-oil experience.

Eventually, I heard about the anti-pest properties of Avon "Skin-So-Soft"
bath  oil, and added a couple of ounces of that to the mixture. True, it
includes a  few chemical names I don't recognize (be glad I'm not your
pharmacist), but it  also includes carrot-seed oil. I have a "to-do" list that
dates back to 1973;  I am so impressed that a company has time to squeeze oil
from itty, bitty  carrot seeds. I am even more impressed that unassuming
carrots can scare  insects.

We all know about the anti-pest properties of citronella oil and I found 10 
oz. bottles of pure citronella oil through a mail-order equine supply house. 
Later, I discovered a citronella-based equine fly spray at the local farm 
supply by "Bronco" (sale price, usually under $6), and simply divided that 
among four spray bottles.

Then I found at my local pharmacy half-ounce bottles of essential oils for 
about $1.10 a bottle, including peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, lemon,
and  orange, and thought, "Why not?!" A little of this, a little of that
(somebody  at the FDA just fainted).

In the cold winter months, I stick to the vinegar/fake Listerine/couple of 
oils enough to make a dog smell good recipe. (You can also thoroughly spray 
the dog, rub him all over with an old towel, and it makes a good dry-bath 
spray.) In the warmer months, I use the whole arsenal.

I have a horse, "Cynnamon," and I use the spray on her daily; I spray my dogs 
with it two or three times a week (you don't want to get it in their eyes, so 
spray your hand and wipe some on the animal's face and ears, and don't spray 
anything located under a tail). I've noticed that even on hikes with my dogs, 
insects do a "Matrix-Reloaded-dance-fight" to get out of our way. Before I 
ride my horse, I spray her and my clothes. My horse is a former dressage 
champion, not a cow pony, and she sees imaginary cougars in every tree, ready 
to pounce. A sweaty, prancing horse who rears and jumps creeks would normally 
be the ultimate attractant for biting flies the size of barn owls. However,
if  we ever pass you on a trail, among the first things you'd notice is how 
pest-free we are. The next thing you'd notice is that your eyes are watering. 
(I understand...there are few things more beautiful than the sight of a 
frightened man clinging to a horse - symmetry in motion.)

I know that some scientific smart-aleck is going to write and ask if my spray 
recipe has been subjected to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. And I 
will reply, "Dear Scientific Smart-Aleck. No, it has not. I have at least ten 
loads of pet laundry to do this weekend. But thank you for writing and good 
luck paying off your student loans by working at a convenience store."

I'll admit, in a country where morbidly obese people sue fast food
restaurants  for making them morbidly obese, I am hesitant to share any of my
homemade  concoctions. If my spray takes the hair off your pig, don't waste
time trying  to sue me - about all you are going to get is a bunch of animals
to care for  
--- WWIVToss v.1.50 
 * Origin:  Inland Utopia (1:218/109.0)