Aroma Pets

The Holistic View

You may have had the frustrating experience of multiple vet visits for the same problem. And  each time the prescription is changed. For a while there may be some improvement in the condition. But soon you are back to square one: itchy skin, fungal ears, or whatever problem brought you to the vet in the first place.

Maybe you got rid of the itching, but are soon back trying to get on top of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) This happens because modern medicine treats disease symptoms, not their causes. The holistic view sees body, mind, emotions and environment, as one unit. With this view in mind we see that both problems arise from the same underlying imbalance. In a holistic approach symptoms are clues we use to detect where the system has broken down. Our aim is to rebalance your dog's whole system so he can heal himself. To do this we identify stressors and remove them, then support the self healing mechanism with natural medicines. 

The aromatics your dog chooses can help you understand the whole condition. For instance, itching can be caused by diet, stress or pain. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium ) calms skin and is anti-inflammatory. Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) calms skin and nervous stress. Speramint (Mentha Spicata) stimulates digestion and is cooling. The oil your dog chooses provides clues to underlying problems and what else you can do to help.

For full and lasting cure you must look at all the manifestations of disease and create a healthy environment.

Reference: The Aromatic Dog : Nayana Morag

Zoopharmacognosy

The Method
This system is based on allowing your dogs to self-select  the aromatics they need (zoopharmacognosy).Also, for the best results when using aromatics, it is important to look at health holistically and understand stress.

Zoopharmacognosy
(Zoo = animal, pharma = medicine, cognosy = knowledge)

Zoopharmacognosy is a very long word for animal self medication. This scientific discipline studies an animal's instinctive drive to seek out healing herbs and minerals that he or she needs.

Animals are said to be self medicating when they eat something that is not a normal part of their diet. This can be a plant, fungi soil or clay. The most common example is dogs eating grass to cleanse their digestive tracts, clean their teeth and control worms. Observe carefully when your dog eats grass, and you will see that he is selecting his grasses very carefully.

More exotic examples are monkeys eating bitter herbs to cleanse parasites; macaques rubbing aromatic plants into their fur to prevent fleas  and heal skin sores; birds using insect repellent plants to line their nests; and elephants using clay as plasters for wounds. There are many more examples being observed as scientists study the phenomenon.

Scientists assume that animals find substances tasty if their bodies need a particular healing compound. When the  body is healed the plant is no longer tasty.

Self Selection
Domestic dogs retain the innate ability to select plant medicines. Such a useful biological survival mechanism is not easily lost, and evolutionary speaking dogs have not been domesticated all that long. We us this instinctive ability and let dogs choose their own aromatics. In the past twenty years working with animals and aromatics, the self selection method has proved itself to be a safe, effective and powerful healing method that has many advantages. Not the least of which is that dogs love it.

Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag

Vegetable and Herbal Oils

Essential oils usually need to be diluted before use. For this we most commonly use vegetable and herbal oils, which is why they are called carrier of base oils. Vegetable oils are mostly extracted from the nuts, seeds, or kernels of plants. Some of them, such as hemp or neem, are therapeutic in their own right. Other have little or no inherent fragrance or therapeutic action and make  a perfect, neutral carrier oil for essential oils, especially for emotional ? behavioral problems. If you have only one vegetable oil in your kit, opt for cold-pressed or jojoba.

Herbal oil, also known as macerated or infused oils, is made by soaking herbs in a cold -pressed vegetable oil, such as sunflower. Lipid (fat) soluble molecules are drawn out of the plant into the oil. These herbal oils are true aromatic extracts with powerful healing qualities.

Because essential oils don't contain the heavier lipid-soluble molecules, diluting them in macerated herbal oils is like putting the plant back together. This creates a unique healing synergy. Herbal oils can also be used without essential oils in the long term care and conditions such as arthritis, or for wound care. Some vegetable oils, for example hemp or coconut, are good food supplements.

Good quality vegetable oils are not heated at any point in the production process, so always use traditional cold-pressed oil. Since pesticides and other chemical residues are easily carried over in the extraction process, choose organic whenever possible. Do not use the highly processed vegetable oils you find in supermarkets. Macerated oils should be made  using cold-pressed oils and pesticide free herbs.

Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag

Hydrosols

Hydrososl (also called hydrolat) is the water part of the essential oil distillation process. After the bulk of the essential oil is removed, the water that is left behind contains the gentler, water soluble plant molecules and small traces of essential oil. This is hydrosol.

Hydrosols expand the range of things you can do with aromatics , because they are gentler than essential oils. You can replace any essential oil  with its hydrosol equivalent  for sensitive or vulnerable dogs. You can also use hydrosols in delicate areas where essential oils are too harsh, for example, around the eyes.

Hydrosols are easily digested , so are a much better option than essential oils for digestive problems and internal use. I also use them for deep rooted emotional problems.

Unlike essential oils, hydrosols dissolve in water. You can put a few drops in a bowl of water  and let your dog sniff or drink it whenever he likes. You can leave a calming hydrosol for him if he gets anxious when you go out. Or a little ginger hydrosol to help ease the discomfort of arthritis. You can also use this method to help dogs who don't want to interact with humans, as you can add the hydrosol to a bowl of water, then leave the area. 

You can use the hydrosol instead of the more costly essential oils, such as rose (Rosa damascena); or those that are skin irritants, like clove( Syzgium aromaticum).There are also some plants that do not produce enough essential oil to collect, but are distilled only for the hydrosol. For example, with hazel (hamamelis virginiana) a hydrosol I use for first aid.

Hydrosols require the same careful distillation process mas essential oils. It is generally accepted that the best hydrosols are the first 30% of the distillation. collecting more than that dilutes the active constituents. The purity of the water used also affects the end product.

Some people distill plants solely for the water (hydrosol) the essential oil is removed. Strictly speaking, this is called aromatic water, not hydrosol. Aromatic water contains higher levels of essential oil so is slightly less gentle than a hydrosol.

Reference: The Aromatic Dog: Nayana Morag