Aromatherapy for Animals

1. NEVER APPLY ESSENTIALOILS WITHOUT CLEAR PERMISSION FROM THE ANIMAL! Allow them to smell EACH oil before EACH application. To apply oils without offering them first is at best annoying (imagine being smothered in a perfume you hated with no way to wash it off) and at worst dangerous, as it is much more likely to provoke an adverse reaction.

2. Dilute essential oils well in good quality base oil (e.g. Sunflower oil) before use. 3 drops to 5 mls is the highest recommended dilution.

3. If you allow your animal to guide you in the application the likelihood of having an adverse reaction is extremely low but in the unlikely event of your animal showing a reaction such as skin rashes, hives, or shortness of breath discontinue use immediately and contact a professional therapist for advice.

4. Cats are highly sensitive to essential oils as their liver has a very limited ability to metabolize them. It is always better to have professional guidance when using essential oils or hydrosols with cats.

5. Store essential oils in a cool, dark place. Never leave essential oils bottles within reach of animals, horses have been known to eat the bottle!

6. Know about the oil you are offering as some oils have side-effects (such as bergamot which is photo-toxic and can burn skin badly if exposed to sunlight within twelve hours of application).

7. Essential oils are potent chemicals albeit natural and should be treated with respect. Always check with your vet and a qualified Essential Oil for Animals Therapist before applying. Remember, 'Natural' doesn't mean non-toxic and safe use requires knowledge.

8. DO NOT USE THE OILS FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE even if your animal still shows interest.

9. Always consult an holistic veterinarian if you suspect your animal is ill.

10. Use only high quality therapeutic grade essential oils from a reputable supplier dedicated to supplying herbalists and certified aromatherapists. Do not use oil blends with animals, each oil should be offered individually.

General Safety issues

The right to choose.

Animals have an innate ability to self-medicate, if left to their own devices they pick and choose the herbs they need to maintain health. I have watched dogs go through my collection of 60 essential oils, sniffing the closed bottles, and choose exactly the oil it needs from among them so acute is this ability. In Essential Oil Therapy we make use of this instinct and allow the animals to guide us in their healing.

The same thing applies to every living thing, from humans to hens, we all know what is good for us and how much healing we can take on at any one time without provoking a crisis, we must respect this.

In human aromatherapy massage is the primary method of application, this is not really practical when faced with a large fur covered creature.

Also animals are much more sensitive to essential oils and tiny amounts are enough to produce profound results.

And so we harness the animals ability to self-medicate..... The uniqueness and beauty of using essential oils for your animal lies in the fact that the animal directs its own healing, showing us through its instinctive response to the smell how it wants the remedy applied and how often.

This is a wonderful way of returning some autonomy to your animal's life - and a great way of building up trust between carer and animal.

This aspect of the oils is especially useful in animals that have had some trauma or have been abused.

Essential oils are a safe, natural way to help your animals be healthy and happy and have been part of the materia medica for centuries.

Essential oils help to reduce stress, increase an animal's ability to learn and overcome ingrained behaviours that lead to either social or physical problems.

They have a wide range of actions from anti-inflammatory to sedative and work to increase health in both body and mind.

The oils contain ingredients that animals would pick and choose freely to maintain health if they were living in a natural state but are deprived of when domesticated.

Essential oils are potent extracts of aromatic plants. For the most part they are steam distilled from leaves, flowers, seeds, even roots.... wherever each plant has chosen to store its essential oil.

The plant uses essential oils to protect itself from disease and predators, to heal wounds and as phyto-hormones.

And these are the qualities they offer to us as well.

Because essential oils are highly volatile the chemical constituents are easily absorbed through the blood/brain barrier via the nose or through the skin.

However they are not medicines as we know them, but work gently and holistically to balance the entire system and fight dis-ease.

The oils contain ingredients that animals would pick and choose freely to maintain health if they were living in a natural state but are deprived of when domesticated.

Save a Life: Learn Animal CPR For the EMS Provider and Pet Owner

Lori H. Feldman, DVM
Henry J. Feldman, MA EMT-M

Dr. Feldman is a Massachusetts and New York Licensed Veterinarian and a member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. This document is primarliy aimed at EMS and Emergency Medical personel who may encounter animals in arrest.
Pet owners should consult their veterinarian for specific details on procedures outlined here.

A. Airway

The first step in animal CPR, after determining non-responsiveness, is to obtain a patent airway.

You should not continue on, until this step has been achieved.

1. Carefully pull the tongue out of the animal's mouth
WARNING: even an unresponsive dog may bite by instinct!!

2. Make sure that the neck is reasonably straight; try to bring the head in-line with the neck.
WARNING: Do not hyperextend in cases where neck trauma exists

3. Attempt 2 rescue breaths, by closing the mouth, and performing mouth-to-nose ventilations. If they go in with no problems continue to B-Breathing.

4. Reposition the neck and try step 3 again.

5. Visibly inspect the airway by looking into the mouth, and down the throat for foreign objects occluding the airway. Unlike human-CPR, rescuers may reach into the airway and remove foreign objects that are visible

6. Proceed to the Heimlich maneuver

A. Heimlich

After attempting to ventilate:

1. Turn the animal upside down, with its back against your chest

2. With both arms, give 5 sharp thrusts (bear hugs) to the abdomen. Perform each thrust as if it is the one that will expel the object

3. Stop, check to see if the object is visible in the airway, if so, remove it and give 2 mouth-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, go back to step 1

Use gravity to help you expel the object

Do not proceed with CPR, even if the animal goes into cardiac arrest. You must clear the airway first.

B. Breathing

1. After achieving a patent airway, one must determine whether the animal is breathing, and whether this breathing is effective:

2. Carefully pull the tongue out of the animal's mouth
WARNING: even an unresponsive dog may bite by instinct!!

3. Make sure that the neck is reasonably straight; try to bring the head in-line with the neck.
WARNING: Do not hyperextend in cases where neck trauma exists

4. Ventilate the animal by closing the mouth, and performing mouth-to-nose ventilations. If they do not go in with ease go to A-Airway

5. Ventilate at 20 breaths per minute If supplemental Oxygen is available, and the animal is breathing on its own, use a high-flow blowby.
WARNING: Do not attempt to intubate the animal, without prior training, and properly sized ET tubes.

6. Proceed to C-Circulation, while continuing respiratory support as necessary

C. Circulation

This is the final step of CPR and should only be initiated after the airway and breathing steps have been completed:

1. Make sure that there are no major (pooling/spurting blood) points of bleeding. Control as necessary

2. Lay the animal on its right side

3. Locate your hands where its left elbow touches the chest. Approximately the middle of the rib-cage

4. Compress the chest 15 times followed by 2 rescue breaths (3 compressions every 2 seconds)
Compress

* 1/2" - small dogs
* 1" - medium dogs
* 1.5" - large dogs

5. Repeat as necessary

Important:

Animals do not have palpable carotid pulses. You can only obtain a femoral pulse in the inguinal crease. (Palpate carefully on a conscious dog!)

E. Extra

During an emergency it is very important that you remain calm. Animals can sense your unease, but cannot understand what is happening and you cannot verbally tell them. Your body language is very important. Be calm, yet deliberate in your actions.

When you determine that you either have corrected the life-threatening problem, or are unable to stabilize the animal, you should transport to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital.

Notify your emergency clinic that you are coming in with a dog in respiratory arrest with a foreign body airway obstruction and/or cardiac arrest.

Give them the following information via phone if possible:

* Your name
* Your ETA
* Steps taken (CPR, O2...)
* Breed/size
* If a foreign body, what the suspected object is
* If a poison or medication has been ingested
* Mechanism of injury (hit by car...)

Write the phone number of the 24 hour animal hospital nearest you.

Dogs have 200 million scent receptors in their nasal folds, we have 50 million. Never offer undiluted oils to dogs!

Dilute each essential oil you have chosen individually by adding 1-2 drops to 5 mls of base oil. Do not offer more than three oils at any one time to a dog.

Choose a quiet time when you and your dog can concentrate on the oils (not before being fed or directly after feeding) Take each bottle one at a time and hold the open oil bottle firmly in your hand leaving only the top exposed so the animal cannot take it from your hand. Hold the bottle about 3 feet away from your dog's nostrils, moving it slowly towards him until you can see his nose twitching or some other sign that they are in a comfortable range to smell the oils. Some animals will want to come towards the bottle, possibly even lick it, others will want to stay at a safe distance and simply smell it. The oil in the bottle is evaporating as it is open so the animal is actually absorbing the affects even if it is a little distance from the bottle. If you move the bottle backwards and forwards you will notice if the animal is following the smell or not. When the animal has had enough of the oil it will move away from you or display in its own unique way that it has had enough!

If the dog rolls over rub a tiny amount of the oil on its tummy avoiding genital areas. If the dog tries to eat the bottle then put your open hand firmly on the bottle top, tip the bottle up so a little oil is on the palm of your hand and allow the animal to lick it off your hand. You can repeat this procedure up to three times in a session.

It is important to assess the response to each oil before applying them, never apply them if the animal shows no interest!

Signs of a keen interest: smelling intently for a long time, licking the lips or trying to lick the bottle, follows you around with the aroma, rolls on its back. (offer twice a day)

Signs of a moderate interest: A few sniffs then looks away, a small sniff but returns to the bottle, tongue licks quickly, easily distracted from the aromas, (offer once a day)

No interest: turns away from the aroma, one sniff and no further interest, tries to leave the room. ( Do not apply)

If the animal shows no interest in the oil offer the oils again the next day, if there is still no interest skip a day, if there is still no interest leave it for three days and then try again. If at this stage there is still no interest the animal no longer needs that oil.

Usually an animal will want to use the oils for between 3 - 10 days however sometimes one application will be enough or occasionally an animal will want them for longer, DO NOT USE THE OILS FOR MORE THAN 2 WEEKS WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. By the time an animal refuses the oils you will see a noticeable improvement in its condition.

The success of this method relies on allowing the animal to guide its own healing it will indicate to you how often and in which way it would like the oils to be used.

Here's an article which I found by internationally known Françoise Rapp, an Aromatherapist and Alchemist, which I thought you'd enjoy:

Aromatherapy for Animals, Part 1: Healing Blends for Dogs
by Françoise Rapp

The trend toward natural health consciousness in humans is gaining popularity in the animal world, too. Many veterinarians are beginning to introduce natural therapies in their practice, including osteopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture, flower essences and more recently aromatherapy. It's just been a few years since aromatherapists and vets have begun to recognize how animals can benefit from this wonderful natural therapy.

For humans and animals alike, essential oils are powerfully antiseptic, detoxifying and revitalizing, thus increasing resistance to disease while strengthening the immune system. Essential oils can also be used to control pet odors and to purify the air from dust, dander and allergens. For example, mix 50 drops of lemon essential oil in a 2-oz spray bottle filled with water.

Shake very well several times and spray the room. You'll notice immediately that it refreshes and cleanses the air!

But aromatherapy offers more than just fragrance. Their remarkable actions upon animals -- most notably dogs, cats and horses - are immediate, profound and long-lasting, positively affecting their overall health and emotional well-being.

Today we will focus on recipes and tips for Fido. As faithful friends, dogs bring affection, pure joy and loyalty into our lives.

Most breeds thrive in the outdoors, running and playing in the freedom of nature. In fact, dogs will naturally purge their system in the wilderness, carefully choosing specific plants their systems need, such as blackberries, raw carrots, etc. Now a domestic animal, most dogs have lost this natural instinct, and are becoming less resistant to illness in general.

Dogs have a predictable set of physical ailments that may occur during their life span. Today I'll share aromatherapy blends that will soothe and heal skin problems, remove and prevent fleas and ticks, relieve the pain of rheumatism and arthritis, revive energy and control pet odor.

Do not apply the oils topically or force oils on a cat as their ability to metabolise them is limited and overuse or long-term use can cause liver failure. Often Hydrosols are a better option for cats as they are gentler. (SEE SAFETY TIPS)

How to offer the oils and assess the reaction

Take each essential oil that you have chosen and dilute it 1 drop to 10 mls of base oil. Never offer more than 3 oils at a time. To offer the oils, open the bottle and hold it in your hand at least 12 inches away from your cats nose. Be patient and allow the cat to come towards the bottle if it wants to, rather than you going towards the cat.

Signs of a keen interest: smelling intently for a long time, licking the lips or trying to lick the bottle, follows you around with the aroma, rolls on its back, rubs against you - Offer once or twice a day.

Signs of a moderate interest: A few sniffs then looks away, a small sniff but returns to the bottle, tongue licks quickly, easily distracted from the aromas - Offer once a day.

No interest: turns away from the aroma, one sniff and no further interest, tries to leave the room - Do not apply.

Cats are very sensitive to the oils and just a few sniffs is all that will be needed to trigger the healing process.

If the cat shows signs of wanting to lick the oil allow it to lick from your fingers if it will or put a few drops on a saucer and leave it on the floor near its usual eating place.

Even if the cat shows little or no interest offer the oil for three days in a row and try varying the order in which the oils are offered (in the case of having more than one oil.) If after three days there is still no response or the cat is showing a distinct dislike to the oils (e.g. disappearing when it sees you get out the bottles!) call me for a consultation.

To use hydrosols add ten drops to 50mls of filtered/spring water and put some in a saucer for the cat to self medicate. Change the water at least twice a day and make sure that the cat has access to pure water as well.

Topical application:

Topical application is never recommended for cats. However there are occasions where topical application is indicated for other animals (e.g. for injuries or skin problems). You still offer the oils individually for the animal to choose then blend the chosen oils in a water based gel (such as aloe vera) no more than 10 drops of essential oil blend to 25 mls of base. Let the gel down to a suitable consistency using water or hydrosol and apply to affected area. The animal will quite clearly indicate when the gel is no longer needed by fidgeting or moving away from you on application.

FACT: More than a third of complaints about pets stem from noise late at night.

Here's how to end your pet's niggly night-time habits.

BODY CLOCK SHOCK:

Our pets tend to sleep all day, so when you get home and want to rest, they're ready to rock! After all, your 7pm is like their 7am.

WE GIVE BRIBES:

Food might seem like a quick fix to that early morning yapping. But giving in, even just once, will establish a pattern that guarantees the wake-up calls will continue.

CRY FOR ATTENTION:

You can't blame your pet for feeling left out at times. After all, we rush off to work then return at night and retire to bed, leaving them wondering whether they'll ever get the affection they've been wanting all day.

It's nice that they crave your love 24/7, but there are ways to make night time quiet time:

RE-SET THEIR BODY CLOCK:

Rather than letting them sleep the day away, keep them awake by setting alarms on the TV and stereo, calling the home phone, and providing toys. Even try hiding their food around the house.

PLAY EARLY IN THE NIGHT:

Pets need their fix of fun and exercise. But the last thing you want to do is rev them up late at night, when they should be relaxing. Instead of playing before bed, let them have a run soon after you get home.

FEED THEM LATE:

To eliminate hunger as the trigger for an early wake-up call, feed them dinner just before you go to bed. They'll sleep more deeply, too.

EASE THE ANXIETY:

Night-time can be a tough time for pets that don't like to feel alone, especially very young and very old animals. Leave on a night light or the radio and their world won't seem so dark and depressing.

IGNORE THE NOISE:

If the noise is unbearable and the neighbours complain, move your pet into a well-insulated room, like a laundry.

What is Animal PsychAromatica and how does it work?

Why do I say it goes beyond animal aromatherapy?

I do not suggest that essential oils be used in isolation, my focus is on reducing the stress that leads to illness and creating an environment that fosters health.

Essential oils and other aromatic extracts are an integral part of a system of natural management and wholesome nutrition.

I believe that most of what we call disease could have been prevented if we had taken care of the early signs of stress in the body or mind.

By understanding what causes stress in the body and mind we can create a healthy environment and prevent illness before it happens.

The immune system, digestive system and endocrine system all suffer when stress is on-going, so by reducing stress you increase health.

Assess the reaction to each oil before each application!

Dilute each essential oil you have chosen individually by adding 2-3 drops to 5 mls of base oil. Do not offer more than five oils at any one time to a horse

Choose a quiet time when you and your horse can concentrate on the oils (not before being fed or directly after feeding) Hold the open bottle firmly in your hand about eight inches away from your horse's nostrils, giving him space to come towards the oil if he chooses. Then patiently observe the reaction and act accordingly. It is best to have your horse loose in its stable if possible so it is free to come closer to or move away from the oils and take your horse's personality into account when judging its reaction. Horses will want the oils for an average of 5 days (but it could be anywhere from 1 to 14 days). Once they go off the oils the treatment is finished and you should see a significant change.

Signs of a keen interest: smelling oils intently for a long time, the lip curls (flehmen) , follows the aroma around, tries to nibble the bottle. Offer oils twice a day.

Signs of a moderate interest: A few sniffs, looks away then returns to the bottle, ears forward, slightly flared nostrils, easily distracted. Offer oils once a day.

No interest: Turns away from the aroma, ears back, walks away. do not apply oils

Applications:

Essential oils start to evaporate as soon as the bottle is opened, their molecules streaming up into your animal's olfactory system and into its brain and blood stream, therefore topical application is rarely necessary.

Your horse might just smell the oils, possibly going into a trance-like state. In this case just hold the bottle there until your horse moves away from the bottle. If you are unsure if the horse is still smelling it move the bottle from side to side to see if there is a reaction.

If the horse wants to lick the bottle or behaves very orally, dab a small amount of oil on your hand and allow him to lick it off. Repeat this two or three times.

Your horse may indicate that it wants the oil dabbed onto a particular spot by pointing with its head, stamping a foot, moving into you with its body. In this case just rub a little oil into the appropriate area.

Offer all of the oils for three days even if there is no reaction to one of them. If there is no reaction to an oil after three days you can stop offering that one.

Your horse's reaction to each oil will change from time to time or over a period of days, this is normal. You should expect a keen reaction to at least one of the oils at first. This reaction will diminish day by day until there is no further interest.

Once the horse has shown no interest in an oil for three days do not offer it for two days and then try again. If there is still no interest do not offer again as there is no longer a need for this oil.

If your horse shows no interest at all to the oils when you first offer them change the order in which you are offering them.

Observe their nostrils carefully as they may be taking in small amounts at a time that you haven't noticed. The oils are highly volatile and just being near the open bottle molecules of oil are entering their blood stream.

For continued good health it is important that animal guardians understand what the animal needs physiologically and psychologically.

Each animal and each person is an individual with a unique set of circumstances, I act as a facilitator to help you understand your animal'sl behaviour, the sources of stress and simple changes in management and diet that help to reduce stress.

Pour the following essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and fill with Calendula oil. Apply to afflicted area.

5 drops Lavender
6 drops Geranium

Pour the following essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and fill with Calendula oil. Apply to afflicted area.

4 drops Lavender
5 drops Geranium
3 drops Roman Chamomile

Fleas are nuisances for man and animal alike. This sinister pest hides within your pets' fur as well as in our carpets, parquet and window coverings.

Prepare the following blend by pouring the following ingredients into a 1-oz spray bottle:

7.5 ml Mint essential oil
22.5 ml rubbing alcohol

Fleas absolutely dislike mint! Spray the affected areas of your home. Don't forget your dog's bed. Spray directly onto your dog, holding the bottle about 10 inches from him. Avoid spraying on the head and eyes.

Check your home and pet for ticks - look in his bed, window coverings, walls, etc. Burn the ones you find to prevent them from coming back.

Prepare the following blend by pouring the essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and adding organic vegetable oil to fill.

10 drops Tea Tree
10 drops Lavender

Apply 1 drop of Lavender and 1 drop of Tea Tree undiluted essential oils before extracting ticks from your pet. This will disinfect the inflamed area. It may sting a little bit (as alcohol would) but it works great!

Like humans, many dogs suffer from rheumatism as they age. Your veterinarian may treat him with specific medications or natural therapies. But locally, you can apply and massage the following blend in the morning and night to alleviate pain.

Prepare the following blend by pouring the essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and adding organic vegetable oil to fill.

8 drops Birch
8 drops Juniper
7 drops Rosemary

As recommended by some veterinarians, soften your dog's bed to make it very cozy and warm. If your dog is an 'outside' pet, allow him to sleep inside. A little moist heat, applied directly over painful joints, can be a great comfort to arthritic pets. Get him a warm sweater, or apply a moist heating pad. And massage the area twice a day with the following blend to soothe the pain away.

Prepare the following blend by pouring the essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and adding organic vegetable oil to fill.

12 drops Birch
8 drops Juniper
7 drops Rosemary

Prepare the following blend by pouring the essential oils into a 10-ml bottle and adding organic vegetable oil to fill. Massage the spine gently. Use in the mornings only.

5 drops Rosemary
6 drops Lavender
2 drops Peppermint

Try this natural and aromatic spray. Pour the essential oils into a 1-oz spray bottle filled with water. Shake very vigorously several times before each use. Spray directly onto your dog, holding the bottle about 10 inches from him. Avoid spraying on the head and eyes.

10 drops Lavender
10 drops Geranium
6 drops Lemon

Because my dogs spend lots of time inside the house, and particularly because I have carpets, there does tend to be a "doggy" smell especially in winter. I don't notice it much, but visitors who don't have dogs can find it a little offensive!

I like the idea of a natural spray to combat dog odor. And the combination of Lavender, Geranium and Lemon smells delicious. I used to buy a natural orange oil spray which was good, but pretty overpowering. The Lavender, Geranium and Lemon is much more subtle, and also has a lovely fresh smell. I now use it exclusively.

Try it!