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Essential Oils For Pets
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Cats and Essential Oils: Like their other senses, cats have an acute sense of smell. They are usually not too keen on being treated with essential oils – so it can take some ingenuity to sneak up on them and apply any oils. Because they are so sensitive, the best way to apply oils to a cat is to rub a drop (or a half drop) of essential oil into your hands until they feel dry – then apply the oil on your hands to the bottoms of their feet. Cats have reflexology points, too! The feet are one of the gentlest and safest ways to apply an oil to any person, be they human, feline, or another animal. To ensure safety, the only oils safe for feline use are those whose quality you have checked into thoroughly. Not all animals can be treated the same. What applies for a horse may not apply to a dog. One must be careful using essential oils with cats. Essential oils can be toxic to cats. They process differently than dogs and sometimes they just cannot metabolize the essential oils and they act like toxins building up in their body. Sometimes this can cause death. So we do need to be careful when using these oils. Dogs and Essential Oils: More and more people are realizing the many benefits of using essential oils with their dogs. Essential Oils help strength and regulate the immune system, they assist with healing a variety of ailments and are helpful for emotional upsets. As with people, all animals are different, so what works for one pet may not be beneficial for another. Experiment with a variety of oils to see what will assist your pet. What is important is to use a high quality, pure essential oil. How to use essential oils with your dog: Massage: Add one drop of essential oil to to 1/2 tsp. carrier oil, such as jojoba oil, sweet almond oil or olive oil. Massage into hairless or least hairy area of the skin, such as the armpit, groin or inner thigh. Massage gently for 3 - 4 mins. Do not apply undiluted essential oil directly to your pet's skin. Diffuser: Add a few drops of essential oil to the water in a diffuser. Leave your dog in the room with the diffuser for about 30 mins, twice daily, while the oil is evaporated into the air your dog will breath it in. Mister: Use to spray dog's bed or area. Our SleepyTime Misters work very well for dogs. Here are just some of the beneficial responses to aromatherapy on dogs. Anaemia: Marjoram Arthritis: Juniper, Birch, and Rosemary. Boosting Energy: Rosemary, Lavender, and Peppermint. Digestive Disorder: Caraway and Coriander. Ear Infection: From excess wax to foul odor. Clove, Thyme, Lemon, and Olive oil. Fleas, Ticks, and Lice problems: Cedarwood, Lemon, Rosemary, Lavender, Mint, and grapefruit. Hyperactivity and Anxiety: Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Clary Sage, and Frankincense. Pain Killer: Lavender and Marjoram Pet Odor: Lavender, Geranium, and Lemon Skin illnesses: From dermatitis, eczema to abscess. Lavender, Rosemary, Cedar, and Thyme. Weight Loss: Mint. A super remedy for those porky dogs who have trouble getting off the couch. How to use essential oils with your horse: Aromatherapy came to Australian beauty salons a few decades ago.There is also no need to apply the essential oils to the entire horse; they work extremely well with spot applications where needed. You can make up a blend of essential oils to help with a sore muscle, bruising or swelling, fungal skin infections or tendon problems, and apply them, diluted in a vegetable 'base oil', to areas you wish to address. The rule of thumb for horses is about 5-7 drops of essential oil per each ounce of carrier or "base" oil. The plant kingdom offers many plants with scent from which we can extract essential oils. These plants usually have a traditional herbal use as well. The essential oils, being more concentrated, can be used for 'herbal' purposes as well as for the behavioural factor they offer. Essential oils work two ways with your horse. He may have a physical problem that needs to be addressed or an emotional one. For a physical problem, you can apply the essential oils, diluted in carrier oil or cream, onto the area so the molecules of the essential oil can find their way via the hair follicles into the bloodstream. For an emotional problem, your horse can inhale the molecules of a scent and have it trigger the release of neuro-chemicals in every body cell to help relax or relieve fears. Care does have to be taken if you are competing at FEI levels where you may be tested for drug use as some essential oils do contain constituents that will test positive. The American Show Horse Association lists eucalyptus and peppermint as prohibited. Also, any essential oil with a high camphor content such as rosemary should be used with care. As a general guide, most essential oils will be metabolised out of the horse?s body system via the urinary tract within in a week; however, it would be wise to check with a trained aromatherapist as heavier resin based oils may take longer than this. Essential oils are concentrated and may be up to 70 times stronger in their therapeutic action than if you applied the herbs from which they originated. Because of this we can make up an effective aromatherapy blend as a dilution of only 2.5 to 3 percent essential oils in a vegetable-based oil. If you are using them for their psychological use, a few drops sniffed off a tissue will suffice as it only takes seconds for the body to respond. Your Basic Horse Essential Oil Kit: Basil Basil is traditionally used for any sort of spasm. It is useful in old and new muscle spasms. I find it particularly useful in show-jumping horses when their shoulders tighten up. The dressage horse and rider always benefit from a quick sniff of basil before a test, as it sharpens the mind and helps retain focus on the task at hand. Bergamot Bergamot will help relieve any skin irritations and it is useful in addressing mild skin eruptions caused by an allergic reaction, or insect bites. Bergamot is a favourite for dealing with "butterflies? in the stomach. It eases away anxieties and clears the air so pre-event jitters do not incapacitate you. Chamomile Chamomile is an expensive essential oil, but worth every cent. It helps the muscles utilise magnesium so you don?t have the muscle cramp or spasm from intense work. It is traditionally the ?tantrum? remedy in small children and will calm your horse in minutes if he is being the difficult demanding child. Eucalyptus Eucalyptus is a handy essential oil to have around to ward off winter ills. If you have the scent of eucalyptus wafting around your stable it prevents germs from jumping through the air, acting as a negative ion generator. Eucalyptus is useful in a post-event muscle rub. It is also an essential oil that freshens up an environment and is useful to have around for horses that are confined in stables for long periods of time. Frankincense Frankincense is an old wound healer. I use this in a wash for wounds that are slow to heal. It also helps with respiratory disorders in a chest rub. The Ancients used frankincense to drive away evil spirits, it is the 'fear' essential oil and useful if a horse is reluctant to go on a float or trailer. Use it if you can feel a heartbeat rise between your legs when you most need your horse to keep his composure to compete. Geranium Geranium is another oil useful in addressing stuck aching muscles. It helps relieve spasms while providing a mild analgesic effect so you can massage the muscle more deeply when needed. This essential oil balances hormones and moods. I like using this on young, moody, and sometimes-temperamental race fillies. Lavender Lavender soothes heat. Useful when addressing inflammation and can be applied gently to bruising and swelling to facilitate recovery. This essential oil will also take the heat out of emotionally steamy situations. When stress is causing disruptions to preparations during a competition, have lavender handy on a tissue or as a perfume; it will help minimise heated altercations between competitors and grooms. Lemongrass Lemongrass has an affinity with myofascial tissue and is useful in the recovery of tendon problems as well as shin soreness. This oil is a favourite to burn at home when learning dressage tests, or to sniff while walking the course the day before a cross-country event. It helps you retain your learning. Tea Tree Tea tree oil has traditionally been used by aboriginal horsemen, who brushed the branch of the tea tree bush across the back of a horse with Queensland itch. It is useful in a blend of essential oils for rain scald and ringworm, as well as in a wash for wounds to prevent infection. |