Aroma Pets

Safe Usage

Aromatics are a safe option for animal health IF we use them as nature intended: short term and well-diluted. Combine that with zoopharmacognosy (animal self-selection) and you can't go wrong. However, here are a few more specific safety points.

The Most Common Problem
Anything can cause harm when overused. The most common problem in the world of aromatherapy is when long term exposure to essential oils cause an allergic reaction. This is known as sensitization. This usually comes about through over use of topical applications. But shutting animals up in a closed space while diffusing can cause sensitization, or a toxic build up in the liver.

Changing Nature
Although self selection is based on natural processes an essential oil or dried herb is not the same as the total plant in nature. We have removed much of its bulk and many of nature's own regulatory measures. Thus, it's important to dilute essential oils and regulate your dog's intake accordingly. Further, self-selection is based on taking something until you feel better. Sometimes the trigger for the " not good" feeling is something in the environment. For example, diet or other stresses. If you do not remove the source of the problem , your dog may not know when to stop. This increases the risk of sensitization.

Know When to Call in the Professionals
If your dog has these symptoms, it is crucial to consult with a veterinarian or qualified natural health practitioner  as soon as possible. While natural medicine is great for your home pharmacy, sometimes you need stronger medicine. Building good relations with your vet ensures that your dog has the best possible care. Together you can work out a treatment plan that includes aromatics. 

• Together you can work out a treatment plan that includes aromatics. Some Basic Guidelines For Safety's Sake
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  Allow your dog to self select
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  Dilute your essential oils well
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  Use high grade essential oils from a reputable supplier
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  Allow your dog to smell EACH aroma before EACH application. To apply without offering is at best annoying (imagine being smothered in a perfume you hated with no way to wash it off) and at worst dangerous.
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  In the unlikely event of your dog showing a reaction, such as skin irritation or shortness of breath, immediately discontinue use and contact a vet.
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  Store essential oils in a cool, dark place with their caps firmly closed
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  Never leave essential oil bottles in reach of dogs. They have been known to steal them from counter tops and swallow them.
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  Do not use on pregnant dogs without further guidance from a professional
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  Pay attention to the cautions and safety issues with each essential oil
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  If your dog is still interested in oils after 2 weeks, contact a professional for advice.
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  Avoid using wintergreen (gaultheria procumbens), birch (Betula lenta), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia), oregano (origanum vulgare) and other hot, mucus membrane irritant oils.
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  Finally, whatever you do, when you have a problem, don't go to the internet and canvas the opinions of well meaning but unqualified people. They have no special training in animal aromatherapy and do not specifically know your dog.

Losing Control
The hardest thing about allowing dogs to self-select aromatics is letting go of the notion that YOU know best ! We may think something is wrong and want to fix it with an essential oil. But in basically healthy dogs, most things get better with time and patience. And sometimes things that concern us or we think are problems are actually nature's way of healing.

A good example of this is a sore leg, when a dog limps, our conditioning says pain killer, and we may want to rub something onto the leg. But pain is nature's way of saying "stop rest, heal'. If we take away the pain, we slow the body's own healing mechanisms.

You might think that a pain relieving oil, such as Plai may be helpful in this situation. But if your dog says " No thanks", please respect that. If you go ahead and apply the oil anyway, you are likely to cause distress and slow down healing. Dog's are working under nature's guidance , in tune with their instincts and know exactly what they needed. 

Reference: The Aromatic Dog : Nayana Morag

A Few Recipes

Here are some examples of gels for common problems. But don't let these limit you. Follow the principle of setting your goal  and letting your dog select the aromatics he wants, and you are sure to come up wi9th great combinations of your own.

One hint, when making potions, the final smell should make you go, "Aaah",  when you smell it. Even if the fragrance is not something you would wear on a date, the ingredients should blend harmoniously without any one smell dominating. Play around, have fun, be creative!

• Disinfectant Wound Gel
  50 ml aloe vera
  5 drops helichrysum essential oil
  2 drops lavender essential oil
  3 drops yarrow essential oil
  20 ml thyme hydrosol (or as much as you need to thin the gel)
  Wash the wound with disinfectant hydrosol, such as tea tree or thyme. Then apply a dab of gel with a clean finger or cotton bud.
• Scar reducing wound gel
  50 ml lavender hydrosol gel
  5 ml calendula
  3 drops helichrysum essential oil
  2 drops frankincense essential oil
  You can encourage healthy skin repair with this gel once the wound has started to heal. Apply once or twice a day to begin withy, or as your pet guides you.
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  Anti-inflammatory pain gel
  50 ml aloe vera gel
  5 ml hypericum oil
  7 drops plai
  5 drops juniper berry
  3 drops yarrow
  50ml peppermint hydrosol
  Apply as needed or when and where your dog guides you. My old girl would go and stand beside the shelf where I kept the bottle when she was feeling stiff and achy. 

Lickomas
For best results, trace and remove the underlying cause of the lickoma. It is not necessarily a skin problem. A dog may lick himself raw because of pain in the neck or spinal column. Or, digestive discomfort. Or stress. While you work to alleviate the cause, this gel will  help prevent secondary infection and speed healing of the sore.

• 15 ml thyme hydrosol
  5 ml comfrey or calendula herbal oil
  2 drops Lavender essential oil
  1 drop helichrysum
  1 drop rosalina

Ear Wash

• If your dog gets "gunky ears", stick to a grain free diet and reduce stress to strengthen the immune system. Don't use essential oils inside the ear.
  15 ml thyme hydrosol gel
  15 ml witch hazel hydrosol
   5 ml calendula herbal oil
  Mix together. Soak a cotton ball with gel, wipe out the ear thoroughly.
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  Dental Care
  The best way to prevent dental disease is to feed raw meaty bones appropriate to your dog's size. Feeding home-cooked or raw diets are also much less likely to create an unhealthy build up of periodontal bacteria. A raw fed dog is also unlikely to have bad breath. If you do need to brush your dog's teeth, don't use essential oils. The most effective and safe natural toothpaste is:
• Tooth Powder
  30 grams bentonite clay
  5 grams green clay
  5 gms turmeric, or cinnamon powder (whichever your dog prefers, let him smell and decide)
  An optional 5 grams neem leaf powder, if your dog likes the smell
  5 gms basking soda
  A pinch of salt
  Dampen a toothbrush or finger and rub the powder into the gums, et voila!
• Tooth Clay
  For cases of serious dental decay you can use a clay mask.
  15 gms green French clay
  15 gms witch-hazel or tea tree hydrosol (or as needed)
  10ml coconut oil (soften if necessary)
  Combine all ingredients, mixing well until they are a soft paste. Smear liberally on gums.

Odor Control

I am often asked for " dog perfume". No, not a fragrance to make you smell of dog- although your furry friend would probably prefer that - something to make dogs smell less doggy and more like us.
An unpleasant doggy smell is usually the result of a stressful lifestyle. "Dog breath" is a direct result of what you feed them. Healthy dogs smell good.

The first step to an odor free dog is feeding fresh whole food and keeping stresses to a minimum . Using essential oils to keep them healthy, and making your own flea gels, also improve the smell. 

But if your dog must got "skunked", or rolled into something stinky, wash well with a natural olive or neem oil bar soap and then use hydrosol as a rinse or spray. But let your dog choose the hydrosol he prefers.

As a rule, the sweeter hydrosols, such as geranium, mask smell best. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to help neutralize odors. 

Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag 

HYDROSOL GEL

A slightly more advanced version is to make your own gel. This way you ensure that your potion is 100% natural. You can also use distilled water, or aloe juice for the liquid part of the gel. But I like to make up a gel using hydrosols. When you add essential oils and herbal oils you make a powerful healing potion. Or you could leave out the essential oils to treat puppies or other sensitives.

Ingredients

Procedure:

Use either a hand mixer or blender to make the gel.

• First warm the bowl or blender with boiling water. This sterilizes the container and makes the hydrosol gel more easily.
• Pour hydrosol into the warmed bowl/blender
• Sprinkle the xanthan gum on top of the hydrosol
• Whisk for about 5 minutes, or until the xanthan gum has completely dissolved and the gel has thickened.
• The gel should be thick enough to hold its shape in your hand without spreading when dropped from a teaspoon.
• In any of the following recipes  you can use an appropriate hydrosol gel instead of aloe Vera gel.
• Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag

Quick GeL Recipes

Measurement converter: 100ml = almost half a cup 

This recipe uses store bought aloe Vera gel, found in health food stores and online shops. Look for a gel that is fragrant free and as free of additives as possible ( nothing store bought will be absolutely pure).
To make 100ml of lotion or 250ml spray. 

INGREDIENTS

• Procedure:
• Put the gel in a glass bowl
• Pour the vegetable oil into a stainless steel measuring spoon and add your chosen essential oils.
• Mix oils into the gel with a glass stirring rod, or stainless steel whisk, or wooden chopstick.
• Slowly whisk in the water or hydrosol to thin the gel to your desired consistency.
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  For Wounds and Itchy Skin:
• The gel can be fairly thick, like a rich body lotion. A drop of gel should sit on your hands without spreading
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  To Make a Spray
• Keep adding water or hydrosol until the mix is thin enough to spray.
• You can adapt this basic gel to every situation by changing the essential oils, hydrosols and herbal oils you use.
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  Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag