Animal Care and Essential Oils (1)

ANIMAL CARE AND HORSES

Veterinary Medicine

Essential oils have been used very successfully on many different kinds of animals from kittens to 2,000 lb draft horses.  Animals generally respond to essential oils in much the same way as humans do.

How much should I use?

Most animals are even more sensitive to the effects of the oils than humans.  They often seem to have a natural affinity to the healing influence of the oils.  Adjust dosage proportionately, based on body weight.  If the protocol for a human being (at about 160lbs) calls for 3-5 drops, then a horse (at 1600 lbs or more) could use as much as 10 times that amount, while a dog (at 16lbs) would need as little as one tenth of that amount.  Generally speaking, if you have never put oils on an animal before, you should start carefully, applying them only to the feet, paws, or hooves (on the frog and cornet bands) at first.

In the case of cats and small dogs, essential oils should ALWAYS be diluted before applying, because they are actually MORE sensitive to the biochemicals in the oils than humans.  Be careful to avoid high phenol oils, such as oregano and thyme, on cats because they can be extremely sensitive to these stronger oils.  They should only be used in high rates of dilution (90%) and the diluted oil should only be applied to the paws.

General Guidelines:

For small animals: (cats and small dogs)

Apply 3-5 drops DILUTED (80-90%) oil mixture per application.

For larger animals: (large dogs)

Apply 3-5 drops NEAT (dilute if using oils high in phenol) per application.

For large animals (cattle and horses)

Apply 20-30 drops NEAT (dilute if using oils high in phenol) per application.

Use Special Caution with Cats

Cats metabolise things very differently from dogs and other animals.  Certain oils are potentially toxic to cats and could result in injury or even death, if applied incorrectly.  For example, cats generally have adverse reactions to citrus products, and citrus oils are sometimes used to deter cats from frequenting an area. Also, cats are very sensitive to strong odours.  A safe alternative, when in doubt, would be to mist them lightly with floral water.  Consulting with a veterinarian is a good policy before applying oils to cats for the first time.

How to Administer Essential Oils Internally

For internal use (ingestion), essential oils can be put into a capsule and mixed with the feed.  A few drops could be added to gravy on food when administering to dogs or cats.

On large animals, the animal’s bottom lip can be pulled out and (for example, in the case of a horse) 10 or 15 drops of oil put in.  The animal will feel the effect quickly because capillaries in the lip will carry the oil into bloodstream immediately.  For a large dog, 1 to 3 drops is sufficient.

When treating animals with essential oils internally, make certain the oils used are pure and free of chemicals, solvents, and adulterants.  Always seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before allowing the animals to ingest essential oils.

NOTE: All essential oils that are Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) or certified as Food Additives (FA) by the FDA may be safely taken internally as dietary supplements.  But ingesting essential oils should only be done under the direction of a knowledgeable health professional.

Excerpts from “Essential Oils Desk Reference” – Compiled by Essential Science Publishing:  Chapter 19 – Animal Care and Horses

Introducing Young Living products for animals

Animal Scents Shampoo

This shampoo is designed to clean all types of animal fur and hair.  It has insect-repelling and killing properties, and is designed to rid hair of lice, ticks, and other insects.

Ingredients: Saponified oils of coconut and olive, Glycerin, Guar gum (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), and Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract.

Essential Oils: Citronella, Lavandin, Lemon, Geranium, and Spikenard

Animal Scents Ointment

This ointment has been tested in the field for many years.  It is designed to cover and seal infected wounds and seal in essential oils.

Ingredients:  Mink oil, Lecithin, Bees wax (Cera alba), Lanolin, Sesame (Sesamum indicum) seed oil, Wheat germ oil, Carrot seed oil (Caucus carota) and Rosehip seed oil.

Essential Oils:  Palmarosa, Geranium, Patchouli, Idaho balsam fir, Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Rosewood.

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Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

NOTE: For an oil to be “therapeutic-grade” requires careful distillation without the use of chemicals. The pressure when distilled, maturity of the plant when harvested, time of day harvested, richness of soil the plant was grown in, amongst other factors all affect the quality of the oil. That is why there is such a range of quality found in oils today. Many oils are distilled quickly at high temperatures, and by using chemicals to help extract the oils. These practices destroy much of the therapeutic value of the oils.

Young Living’s oils are unadulterated with no chemical additives; free of chemicals and metals.  Young Living stands by its products with the assurance that the oils are as close to Mother Nature’s standard as possible.

The Young Living Guarantee

 

 

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