A method of treating animals to reduce the presence of annoying insects around the animal, help clean the animals exterior, add luster and sheen to the animals coat or hide, and provide stain repellency includes the application of a gelled composition to the exterior of an animal. The composition includes a nonionic primary surfactant comprising an ethoxylated sorbitol oleate, a nonionic secondary surfactant, and water. The nonionic secondary surfactant is selected from the group consisting of linear ethoxylated secondary alcohols, polyoxyethylene ethers, ethoxylated sorbitan monolaurates, ethoxylated fatty acid amides and ethoxylated fatty acids that contain about 7 moles to about 26 moles of ethylene oxide and comprise from about 20 to about 36 weight percent of said composition. The water is in a sufficient amount so that the nonionic primary and secondary surfactants together with the water form a gel.
